Google Adds Channel-Level Reporting to Performance Max via API on January 29, 2026
On January 29, 2026, Google expanded reporting visibility for Performance Max by enabling channel-level breakdowns in the Google Ads API. According to Google’s January 29 announcement, developers can now request Performance Max results segmented by surfaces such as Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, and Search Partners. The change gives agencies and in-house teams a clearer view of where Performance Max activity appears, using data they already pull through reporting pipelines.
Performance Max is Google Ads’ goal-based campaign type that serves across multiple Google-owned and partner surfaces. Channel segmentation has been one of the most requested visibility gaps for teams that rely on API reporting rather than the Google Ads interface.
What changed in Performance Max reporting?
Google’s update alters how network segmentation returns in API queries for Performance Max. In many configurations, older API versions produced a single aggregated value when teams attempted to segment by ad network type. With Google Ads API version 23, the same style of query can return explicit channel values, producing a multi-row breakdown that separates performance by surface.
Google dated version 23 of the Google Ads API to January 28, 2026. The release notes describe changes across campaigns, assets, billing, and reporting, including new campaign start and end datetime fields for certain campaign types and new error codes tied to total-budget flighting. For Performance Max reporting, the release highlights new reporting-related additions, reinforcing that the January release focuses heavily on measurement detail.
What details matter for analysts and developers?
Google’s developer post describes the channel breakdown as available at multiple reporting layers: campaign, asset group, and asset. That structure matters because Performance Max mixes formats and placements within one campaign. A channel breakdown at the asset group layer can help explain whether a given set of creatives is serving mainly on YouTube inventory, mainly on Search, or across several surfaces.
Google also pointed to segmentation fields that pair with the channel breakdown. Two segments the company highlighted separate performance by whether ads use product data and whether an impression included a video component. Those dimensions can help teams isolate patterns that often remain hidden in blended reporting, including:
- whether feed-driven delivery aligns with Shopping-heavy surfaces
- whether video-inclusive impressions cluster on YouTube versus other inventory
- whether a campaign’s delivery mix shifts during promotions, seasonality, or budget changes
Google also warned that this is a behavior change for reporting systems. Pipelines that assumed one bucket may now receive multiple rows per campaign when queries run against v23, which can affect dashboards, aggregation logic, and historical comparisons.
How does this affect US advertisers and agencies?
Most US advertisers will feel the impact through the tools they rely on, not through a new interface control. Agencies, reporting vendors, and internal BI teams that pull Google Ads data through the API can now attribute Performance Max performance to channels rather than treating the campaign type as one blended line item.
That shift can change how teams answer recurring questions during performance reviews. A channel view can show whether results are driven by Search-heavy delivery, video-heavy delivery, or a broader spread across Display and Discover. It can also make post-mortems more concrete when performance swings occur, since teams can correlate changes in conversion volume or cost with changes in surface mix.
A constraint remains. A reporting breakdown does not imply channel-level budget controls inside Performance Max. Google’s description centers on visibility into delivery, and it does not describe a method to direct spend to a single surface within the same Performance Max campaign.
What should teams watch next?
Migration details will matter for organizations that depend on stable reporting. Teams that keep integrations pinned to older API versions will not see the channel values, while teams that upgrade may see their reports reshape as “one line” becomes “several lines.” That can require testing queries in staging, validating enum handling, and checking that downstream systems handle the expanded set of channel rows.
Reporting joins and governance workflows also become more important. Channel-level reporting is most useful when it maps cleanly back to campaign structure, asset groups, and budgeting logic in the same reporting layer. Per Google for Developers’ Performance Max campaign and budget guide, developers manage core campaign components through defined objects and workflows, which influences how reporting should connect campaign configuration to channel output in v23.
Google framed the change as a response to repeated developer requests. With channel segmentation now available through the API, many advertisers and agencies will be able to discuss Performance Max outcomes with clearer, surface-specific evidence instead of inference.
Ajay Mistry
Ajay Mistry works in digital marketing strategy, AI-driven optimization, and Google advertising, with experience across Google Ads and Merchant Center. He focuses on improving visibility, account health, and conversions by aligning content, data, and campaigns with platform guidelines. He writes practical guides on advertising performance, compliance, and sustainable growth.