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    Google Ads News Week 32: Bid Strategies Change on August 17, 2026

    7 min read
    Quick Answer

    Two dates in August will bring changes to active Google Ads accounts: August 5, 2026, marks the start of a phased rollout requiring passkeys for new OAuth refresh tokens for the Google Ads API. On August 17, 2026, Google will change how target-based bid strategies behave, now including portfolio strategies. Other additions include household income exclusions in Performance Max and Google Ads Editor 2.13.

    At a Glance

    NewsWhat's ChangingWho It AffectsAction NeededSource + Date
    Passkeys for the Google Ads APIPhased rollout starting August 5, 2026, for new OAuth refresh tokensAnyone using Looker Studio, BigQuery, Ads Scripts, or agency toolsSet up before the next reconnectionSearch Engine Land, July 27, 2026
    Bid strategies starting August 17, 2026Targets will be consistently met, including in portfolio strategiesBudget-limited accounts using target CPA or target ROASReview targets this weekadseed, July 20, 2026
    Household income exclusions in PMaxSeven income tiers can be excluded at the campaign levelProviders of high-priced servicesTest in one campaignSearch Engine Land, July 24, 2026
    Google Ads Editor 2.13AI Max for Shopping, customer retention goal for PMax, AI asset declarationAnyone making bulk changesInstall the updateSearch Engine Land, July 24, 2026
    Product Clicks and Non-Product ClicksClicks on products and on other parts of ads reported separatelyOnline stores using Shopping adsAdd columns to the reportSearch Engine Roundtable, July 28, 2026

    Passkeys for the Google Ads API: Rollout Begins August 5, 2026

    Search Engine Land reported on July 27, 2026, that Google will begin requiring passkeys to create new OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens for the Google Ads API starting August 5, 2026. The rollout is phased and, according to the report, will expand to all users over the following weeks. PPC Land picked up the news on July 28, 2026, adding that newly created passkeys may have a trust waiting period of up to seven days.

    A passkey is a sign-in method that replaces a password with a cryptographic key stored on the device, typically unlocked using a fingerprint or facial recognition. Password-only sign-ins and traditional two-factor methods using SMS or an authenticator app will then no longer be sufficient for new refresh tokens.

    According to Search Engine Land, affected tools include Google Ads Editor, Google Ads Scripts, the BigQuery Data Transfer Service, and Looker Studio. Existing refresh tokens will continue working unchanged.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    If your reporting runs through Looker Studio or an agency tool, nothing will happen at first. The disruption comes when a connection needs to be reauthorized, such as after a password change or a tool update. If that happens during summer vacation, reporting will stop until someone with account access sets up a passkey. Set up the passkey now, not when something breaks.

    Bid Strategies on August 17, 2026: Now Including Portfolio Strategies

    In its weekly search advertising recap on July 20, 2026, adseed GmbH reported that the change to target-based bid strategies announced for August 17, 2026, has been expanded and now also affects portfolio bid strategies. Google describes the change in Google Ads Help under the title “Changes to target-based bid strategies,” but without a dated publication timestamp.

    The core change: target CPA and target ROAS will consistently adhere to the specified targets. Previously, the system bid more conservatively for campaigns with the status “Limited by budget” to stretch the budget throughout the day. Target CPA refers to the desired cost per conversion, while target ROAS refers to the desired ratio of revenue to ad spend.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    Almost every account for small and mid-sized businesses (SMEs) is budget-limited. If your target CPA is set aggressively because the system has been bidding more conservatively anyway, you could see a noticeable drop in volume starting August 17, 2026. This is the quarter's most important date for Google Ads. Check your targets against actual results from the last 90 days and make them realistic wherever you have been relying on the budget to hold bidding back.

    Household Income Exclusions in Performance Max

    Search Engine Land reported on July 24, 2026, that Google is rolling out campaign-level household income exclusions in Performance Max for the first time. Seven tiers are available: the top 10 percent, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, 31 to 40, and 41 to 50 percent, the bottom half, and unknown income. Paid search specialist Thomas Eccel discovered the setting. Search Engine Roundtable confirmed the observation on July 27, 2026.

    Google Performance Max is the campaign type that automatically serves ads across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, and Maps. Audience control has been very limited there until now.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    This is the first real control lever in Performance Max. For a contractor offering high-priced bathrooms or a real estate agent, excluding lower-income groups can reduce wasted ad spend. Caution is still warranted: the classification is an area-level estimate, and excluding too much shrinks the data pool the algorithm learns from. Test the setting in one campaign, not across the entire account.

    Google Ads Editor 2.13: AI Max for Shopping Campaigns

    Search Engine Land reported on version 2.13 of Google Ads Editor on July 24, 2026. Search Engine Roundtable picked up the news on July 27, 2026. New features include support for AI Max for Shopping campaigns, including brand lists and URL exclusions. Other additions include the customer retention goal for Performance Max, Maps placements for Demand Gen, and a declaration field for AI-generated image and video assets. New Video Action campaigns can no longer be created.

    Google Ads Editor is Google's free desktop application for editing large numbers of campaigns offline and then uploading them.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    The declaration field for AI-generated assets is the point to remember. For anyone creating images or videos with AI, this provides a designated place to disclose that for the first time. With the EU AI Act's transparency requirements taking effect on August 2, 2026, proper disclosure is no longer a formality. The update itself takes five minutes to install.

    New Metrics: Product Clicks and Non-Product Clicks

    Search Engine Roundtable reported two new metrics in Google Ads on July 28, 2026. Product Clicks counts clicks directly on a product in the ad, while Non-Product Clicks counts clicks on other ad components, such as the store name, headline, or link to the website. So far, only Search Engine Roundtable has reported this news, and there is no official confirmation from Google.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    For small online stores, this breakdown answers a previously unresolved question: are individual products or the brand name driving clicks? If most clicks are Non-Product Clicks, your feed is the problem, not your budget. Add the two columns to your Shopping report as soon as they appear in your account.

    Specific Actions to Take This Week

    1. 1Set up a passkey for the Google Account that authorizes your Google Ads API connections before the rollout starting August 5, 2026, reaches your account.
    2. 2Export actual results from the last 90 days for all campaigns using target CPA or target ROAS and compare them with the specified targets. Where the gap exceeds 30 percent, adjust the target before August 17, 2026.
    3. 3Check the settings of your portfolio bid strategies to see which campaigns are linked to them. The change on August 17, 2026, now also affects these strategies.
    4. 4Update Google Ads Editor to version 2.13 and add the declaration for all AI-generated image and video assets.
    5. 5Set up a household income exclusion test in a single Performance Max campaign with a high-priced offering, and compare cost per conversion and conversion volume after 14 days.
    6. 6Filter your Shopping report by the Product Clicks and Non-Product Clicks columns as soon as they are available, and check the ratio for each product group.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    According to Search Engine Land's July 27, 2026, report, the rollout begins on August 5, 2026, and will expand to all users over the following weeks. It only affects the creation of new OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens for the Google Ads API, such as when reconnecting Looker Studio, BigQuery, Google Ads Scripts, or agency tools. Existing refresh tokens will continue working unchanged. Nothing changes for regular sign-ins to the Google Ads interface.

    Google is changing how target-based bid strategies behave: target CPA and target ROAS will consistently adhere to the specified targets instead of bidding more conservatively for budget-limited campaigns. According to adseed's July 20, 2026, report, this now also applies to portfolio bid strategies. Campaigns with the status “Limited by budget” are particularly affected. Check beforehand that your targets are realistic.

    Partially. According to Search Engine Land's July 24, 2026, report, Google is rolling out household income exclusions at the campaign level, with seven tiers ranging from the top 10 percent to the bottom half, plus a tier for unknown income. This is the first real audience control in this campaign type. It does not include other exclusions, such as specific interests or age groups.

    Yes, once you manage more than a handful of ad groups. Editor is free, works offline, and allows bulk changes that would require individual clicks in the web interface. According to Search Engine Land's July 24, 2026, report, version 2.13 also adds AI Max for Shopping campaigns and a field for declaring AI-generated assets.

    Product Clicks counts clicks directly on a product within the ad. Non-Product Clicks counts clicks on other parts of the ad, such as the store name, headline, or link to the website. Search Engine Roundtable reported on the two new metrics on July 28, 2026. For online stores, the ratio shows whether individual products or the brand are driving clicks.

    Conclusion

    August brings two dates you should not miss. Preparing for the passkey rollout starting August 5, 2026, is a simple precaution that takes ten minutes and prevents reporting from shutting down if a problem arises. The bidding change on August 17, 2026, is the substantive change because it directly affects budget-limited accounts. Everything else this week is fine-tuning: more control in Performance Max, more transparency in Shopping reports.

    If you want to know how well your campaigns are prepared for August 17, 2026, you can find our approach on our Google Ads page. For an assessment of your account, you can contact us directly. For the changes happening alongside these in organic search, see SEO News Week 32. Stroe Media GbR is an owner-managed web design and online marketing agency based in Geretsried, Bavaria, south of Munich, Germany.

    Sources

    Author: Stroe Media Editorial Team, Updated: August 3, 2026

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