# Check whether PMax cannibalises Search campaigns

> Tier: recipe. Operating recipe: real tool sequence, core rules, known traps.

The PMax-vs-Search overlap read: search terms both sides, cost per conversion compared where they collide.

**Intent.** Whether PMax buys queries Search already wins, and at what cost difference.

## When to use

- PMax and Search coexist at meaningful spend.

## When not to use

- No specific contraindication beyond the preconditions below.

## Sources

Required: Google Ads

## Preconditions

- The account is ticked in the dashboard, confirmed via list_accounts.

## Inputs

- `window`: Analysis window. Default: last 30 days.

## Procedure

1. Pull Search campaign terms. — tools: `google_ads_get_search_terms`
2. Pull PMax search-like activity via GAQL where exposed. — tools: `google_ads_run_gaql`, `google_ads_get_pmax_placements`
3. Compare efficiency on colliding query families.

## Decision rules

- **When** PMax converts colliding queries cheaper → **conclude** Let it: cannibalisation with better economics is routing, not waste.
- **When** Search wins the collision on cost → **conclude** Negative or restructure so intent flows to the winner: quantify the arbitrage.

## Evidence requirements

- Every figure carries its account, metric and window.
- Anything below a readable sample size is reported as unjudged, not as zero.

## Human approval boundary

- The readout changes nothing. Any change it motivates goes through Safe Writes: preview, human confirmation, then apply.

## Failure modes

- PMax query visibility is partial: overlap findings are floors, and must say so.

## Output

- **Readout**: The figures, with windows and accounts named.
- **Flags**: What deserves a deeper skill or a human decision.

## Related

- Skill: [pmax-diagnostics](https://www.getmcpads.com/skills/pmax-diagnostics.md)
- Skill: [google-search-waste](https://www.getmcpads.com/skills/google-search-waste.md)