RecipeGoogle Ads
See where Performance Max actually serves
PMax placement data read for the spend map: Search-like, Shopping, Display, YouTube shares.
IntentThe placement distribution PMax does not volunteer.
- 2
- Steps
- 1
- Tools
- 1
- Rules
- 1
- Failure modes
When to use it
Use it when
- Monthly on PMax-heavy accounts.
- When brand teams ask where the ads appear.
Do not use it when
- Expecting completeness: PMax placement reporting is partial by design, and the readout says so.
What it needs first
Required
Preconditions
- The account is ticked in the dashboard, confirmed via list_accounts.
Inputs
window- Analysis window.Default: last 30 days.
Procedure
In order. Every tool named is one the gateway ships, and links to its reference.
Pull PMax placement data.
Summarise by surface and flag anything brand-inappropriate.
Decision rules
The observable condition, what it lets you conclude, and what takes the conclusion back.
When
Display or app placements dominate impressions while conversions sit in Search-like
Conclude
Impression share is not spend share: report both before anyone panics about 'display waste'.
Evidence every conclusion must carry
- Every figure carries its account, metric and window.
- Anything below a readable sample size is reported as unjudged, not as zero.
Where the agent stops
- The readout changes nothing. Any change it motivates goes through Safe Writes: preview, human confirmation, then apply.
How it goes wrong quietly
The cases where the analysis is wrong and still looks right. Read them before trusting a number.
- Placement impressions are reported without their spend: inferring cost distribution from impressions alone overstates cheap surfaces.
What the answer contains
- 01Readout
- The figures, with windows and accounts named.
- 02Flags
- What deserves a deeper skill or a human decision.