Google Boosts Performance Max with Waze Ads Integration and Enhanced Channel Reporting
Google expanded Performance Max with Waze ad placements for U.S. store-goal campaigns and introduced enhanced channel performance reporting, giving advertisers greater transparency into where ads run and how each channel drives store visits and conversions.
On November 6, 2025, Google LLC announced two significant updates to its automated advertising campaign product, Performance Max (PMax): the addition of ad inventory on Waze for campaigns with store-visit goals in the United States, and the rollout of expanded channel-performance reporting across all PMax campaigns.
Waze Ads for Store-Goal Campaigns
For U.S. advertisers running PMax campaigns geared toward physical-location outcomes (such as store visits, store sales or local actions like “Get Directions”), Google has enabled the inclusion of Waze navigation-app placements. In practice, businesses can now appear as “Promoted Places in Navigation” pins within the Waze map interface.
Importantly, no new creative uploads are required: the system will draw on the advertiser’s existing asset library and automatically optimise toward the chosen in-store goals. According to Google, the Waze placement is intended to capture high-intent “on-the-go” consumers — for example during last-minute trips or weekend or holiday travel — when they are navigating near physical retail locations.
Google also confirmed a plan to expand the Waze-inventory availability beyond the U.S. in 2026, though specific markets were not yet disclosed.
Expanded Channel Performance Reporting
In parallel, Google is enhancing transparency for PMax campaigns by making channel-level reporting available to all PMax advertisers. Previously, advertisers often cited PMax as a “black-box” tool with limited visibility into where ads ran and how much each surface contributed to conversions.
The updated reporting interface now provides breakdowns of clicks, conversions, conversion value and cost by individual channel (e.g., Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Maps). In the coming weeks, the report will also include specific data on the “Search partners” network (third-party sites running Google search technology) and will enable manager-account (MCC) access for agencies and large advertisers overseeing multiple accounts.
Additionally, Google referenced prior enhancements rolled out in September 2025: bulk reporting and downloads for offline analysis, segmentation options (by device, time, audience) and deeper result-filtering.
Why These Updates Matter
From a strategic perspective, the Waze integration gives advertisers running store-visit campaigns access to a navigation-specific inventory, enabling reach at moments when consumers are physically en route and potentially deciding where to stop or shop. This complements existing PMax coverage across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
On the analytics side, the expanded channel-reporting capability addresses a key concern: advertisers now have more clarity about which channels are driving performance and can better compare ROI across surfaces. With this data, media managers may adjust budget allocations more precisely rather than relying solely on aggregate campaign performance.
Background & Context
PMax campaigns were introduced by Google as a fully automated, cross-channel campaign type that uses machine-learning to allocate budget and serve ads across the Google ecosystem. While efficient, PMax has drawn criticism for its limited reporting and opaque placement decisions. The introduction of channel-performance reporting in early 2025 marked the first formal response to these concerns, and the current update builds on that trajectory.
The timing of the Waze ads rollout, just ahead of the U.S. holiday shopping season, suggests that Google sees navigation-based ad placements as increasingly relevant for local-business advertisers seeking to capture real-time, high-intent consumers.
Looking Ahead
Advertisers running store-visit-oriented PMax campaigns should monitor changes in direction requests, store-visit metrics and offline-sales correlations as the Waze inventory becomes active. The upcoming inclusion of search-partner data and manager-account access for channel-reports may also influence how agencies manage and optimise across client portfolios, particularly during peak retail periods.
For multi-location advertisers and agencies, the enhanced reporting may enable more refined budget shifts between channels and geographies—especially if channel-level performance deviates significantly across surfaces.
In summary, Google’s dual announcement reinforces the company’s push to extend PMax’s reach (via navigation-app placements) while improving transparency for advertisers (via channel-reporting enhancements). The changes may shift the dynamics of how local store-visit campaigns are planned and evaluated in the months ahead.
