Running Google Ads without a clear forecast can feel like guessing. You set a budget, choose bids, and hope it works. But you’re often unsure what results to expect.

That’s a common problem. Many advertisers report struggling to predict campaign performance before launch. Without data-driven planning, it’s easy to overspend or miss out on better results.

That’s where the Google Ads Performance Planner comes in. It’s a free tool from Google that helps you plan budgets, simulate outcomes, and forecast conversions based on real data. 

In this blog, we will discuss what a Google Ads Performance Planner is, how it works, and how to set it up.

What Is Google Ads Performance Planner?

Performance Planner is a Google Ads tool that helps advertisers forecast how changes in budget and bids can impact campaign performance. It uses historical data and auction simulations to predict key metrics like conversions, clicks, and CPA.

You can use it to test different scenarios, compare outcomes, and plan across Search, Shopping, or Video campaigns. It’s especially helpful for setting smarter budgets, maximize the ROI of your campaign, and preparing for seasonal trends.

In short, it lets you plan campaigns with real data instead of guesswork.

Why Use the Performance Planner? (Key Benefits)

Performance Planner helps you make better decisions before spending a single dollar. It gives you a clear forecast of what your campaigns can achieve with different budgets, bids, or targets.

Here’s why it’s worth using:

• Smarter Budget Planning: See how budget changes will likely impact clicks, conversions, or cost per action (CPA).
• Avoid Overspending or Underspending: Easily spot if you’re allocating too much or too little to certain campaigns.
• Test Scenarios Before You Launch: Try “what-if” simulations to compare strategies before making changes live.
• Plan for Seasonal Peaks: Forecast performance for holidays, sales periods, or peak industry months.
• Work Across Multiple Campaigns: Create one plan for several campaigns and manage spend across them efficiently.

Using this tool regularly helps you stay proactive, so you’re planning with confidence, not guessing.

How Does Google Ads Performance Planner Work?

Performance Planner uses machine learning and your recent campaign data to simulate how changes might affect results. Here’s how each part of the tool works:

🧠 Uses Historical and Real-Time Auction Data

The tool analyzes your past campaign performance and runs simulations based on billions of auction outcomes. This helps estimate how different budget or bid changes could affect your results in the current auction environment.

🔄 Forecasts Are Refreshed Daily

Performance Planner updates its predictions every 24 hours. That means your forecasts always reflect the latest variances in consumer behavior and market trends.

🎯 Let’s You Adjust Conversion Rate Expectations

If you expect a change in conversion rate due to upcoming sales, landing page updates, or seasonality, you can manually adjust those rates for more accurate forecasts. This flexibility is useful for planning ahead during high-traffic events or testing site improvements.

✅ Campaigns Must Meet Eligibility Criteria

Only campaigns with enough recent data (usually active for at least 7 days and with conversions) are eligible.
If a campaign doesn’t meet the criteria, it won’t appear in the tool until it has enough history to make accurate predictions.

🧩 Works Across Multiple Campaign Types

Performance Planner supports Search, Shopping, Display, App, and Video campaigns. This makes it easier to manage spend across different ad formats and align them under one unified budget plan.

Setting Up and Using Performance Planner (Step-by-Step)

Getting started with Performance Planner is simple, but using it effectively requires a few key steps. Below, we’ll walk through the process one step at a time to help you build accurate, actionable forecasts for your campaigns.

1. Access the Performance Planner in Google Ads

Log in to your Google Ads account and go to the top menu. Click on the “Tools & Settings” icon, then choose “Performance Planner” under the Planning section. If the option isn’t available, make sure your account has eligible campaigns. They need to have run for at least 7 days and recorded conversions.

2. Start a New Plan

Click the “+ New Plan” button to begin. You’ll be asked to choose the type of campaign (Search, Shopping, or Video) you want to include. This selection helps tailor the forecast to the ad format you’re working with, ensuring better accuracy.

3. Select Campaigns

Next, choose one or more campaigns to include in the plan. You can group similar campaigns together to see how their budgets and outcomes interact. Make sure each campaign has enough recent data to get an accurate prediction—Google will alert you if any campaign is ineligible.

4. Set the Date Range and Metrics

Pick a custom date range for the forecast, such as the next month, quarter, or a seasonal window. This helps you plan based on actual campaign timelines or upcoming events. You can also choose which metrics to focus on: conversions, clicks, CPA, or ROAS, depending on your goals.

5. Set a Target Goal (Optional)

If you have a specific target in mind, such as a desired number of conversions or a target CPA, enter it here. The tool will adjust forecasts and recommendations based on this input. It’s optional, but it helps Performance Planner give more customized insights aligned with your business goals.

6. Review Campaign Eligibility

Before generating your plan, Google will check whether all selected campaigns are eligible. If any campaign lacks sufficient data, it won’t be included in the forecast. Use this step to clean up your selection or adjust settings to meet eligibility criteria.

7. Create the Plan

Once everything is set, click “Create Plan” to generate the forecast. Google will simulate auction outcomes and show a performance projection based on your inputs. This may take a few seconds, especially if multiple campaigns are included.

8. Understand the Forecast Graph

You’ll see a graph showing how your performance could change based on different budget levels. It often includes a shaded range that represents best- and worst-case scenarios. Use the sliders to adjust your spend and see how conversions, clicks, or CPA may respond.

9. Review the Performance Table

Below the graph, there’s a detailed table showing projected performance for each campaign. You’ll see metrics like conversions, cost, CPA, and more, side-by-side with Google’s recommended settings. This helps you compare outcomes based on different investment levels.

10. Adjust Budget and Targets

Use the sliders and fields provided to manually tweak your campaign budgets or targets. You’ll instantly see how those changes affect your projections. It’s a great way to test out “what-if” strategies before applying them to your actual campaigns.

11. Review Keyword or Bid Suggestions

For Search campaigns, Performance Planner may also suggest changes to keyword bids or targeting. These suggestions are based on Google’s machine learning forecasts. They’re optional but can help you squeeze more value from the same budget.

12. Save or Apply the Plan

Once satisfied, you can save the plan for future reference or apply changes directly to your Google Ads account. Applying it will update the selected campaign settings, so double-check everything before confirming. If you’re unsure, saving it lets you revisit and edit without affecting live campaigns.

13. Revisit Plans Regularly

Performance Planner works best when used consistently, not just once. Campaign trends and user behavior change often, so recheck your forecasts each month or quarter. This helps you stay aligned with your goals and spot new opportunities early.

Using Performance Planner for Different Campaign Types

Google Ads Performance Planner supports various campaign types, and the way it forecasts results can vary slightly depending on the format. Here’s how it works for Search, Shopping, and Video campaigns:

🔍 Search Campaigns

Search campaigns are the most supported and detailed in Performance Planner. The tool forecasts metrics like clicks, conversions, cost-per-click (CPC), and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) based on keyword-level data and auction behavior.

You can adjust budgets, bid strategies, and even keyword match types to see how they affect performance. It’s especially helpful for managing seasonal changes, scaling up top-performing campaigns, or reallocating spend across ad groups.

🛒 Shopping Campaigns

For Shopping campaigns, Performance Planner focuses on metrics like conversion value, ROAS (return on ad spend), and product performance. It helps ecommerce advertisers plan around inventory availability, promotional periods, or category-level trends.

The tool may show insights like how budget increases impact revenue, which is useful for planning around big sales or product launches. Shopping campaigns often perform best when grouped by brand, category, or margin to allow smarter budget decisions.

📽️ Video Campaigns

Video campaigns (like TrueView for Action or Video Action campaigns) can also be forecasted using Performance Planner. The tool estimates conversions, views, and cost per view (CPV) depending on your campaign settings and goals.

You can see how changing daily budgets or target CPA affects overall video engagement and performance. While not as detailed as Search forecasts, it’s still valuable for planning YouTube ad strategies and optimizing for lead generation or brand awareness.

Actionable Tips for Maximizing Results

Want better results from Performance Planner? These tips will help you use the tool more effectively and make smarter campaign decisions:

✅ Use the Planner Regularly

Don’t just run it once. Check your plans monthly or before any major campaign change. The more often you use it, the more accurate and valuable your forecasts will become.

🎯 Group Campaigns by Goal

Combine campaigns that share the same objective, like lead generation or product sales. This makes it easier to plan budgets and measure results. Avoid mixing different goals. It can blur your data.

🧠 Trust Data but Apply Judgment

Google’s forecasts are helpful, but they don’t know your business as well as you do. Use the data as a guide, not a rule. Factor in business context, trends, or things the algorithm can’t see.

🔄 Test Multiple “What-If” Scenarios

Play with different budgets, CPA targets, and date ranges. This helps you compare possibilities and plan for best-case and worst-case outcomes. It’s a simple way to make your budget work harder.

📈 Maintain Accurate Conversion Tracking

Your forecasts are only as good as your conversion data. Make sure your tracking is set up correctly and capturing the right actions. Bad data leads to bad plans.

📊 Compare Forecast vs. Actual Performance

After running a campaign, compare what the planner predicted to what really happened. This helps you judge how reliable the tool is for your business. Adjust your next plans based on those insights.

⚠️ Avoid Common Pitfalls

Don’t plan campaigns that lack enough data. It skews your forecast. Also, be cautious of applying changes blindly. Always review what the planner recommends before updating your live campaigns. If you need guidance to get started with a performance planner, expert advice is available aplenty.

Concluding Thoughts

Google Ads Performance Planner is a way to plan smarter, spend more efficiently, and reduce guesswork. When used regularly, it can help you catch budget waste, spot new growth opportunities, and improve campaign ROI. 

The key is to use it alongside real insights and accurate tracking. While the tool simulates outcomes, your judgment shapes the strategy. Treat it as your planning companion, not a replacement for experience.

Frequently Asked Questions