ScaleyDemand Gen Campaigns in Google Ads
Google's campaign for image and video ads on YouTube, Discover, Gmail and now the Display Network. How it works, who it suits, and what changed in 2026.
Written and reviewed by Christopher Krassnig
Published Last checked
Demand Gen is a Google Ads campaign type for image and video ads on YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Google Display Network. It is built to create interest, not catch searches. From June 2026, Google began moving Display campaigns into Demand Gen, so new display ads will be built here.
Also called: Demand Gen campaigns, demand generation campaigns, Discovery campaigns (old name)
How Demand Gen Works
Google describes Demand Gen campaigns as campaigns that "capture engagement and action across YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps, and the Google Display Network." Google says they can reach "up to 3 billion monthly active users". That is Google's own figure.
You bring images, videos, headlines and descriptions. You pick the audience. You can choose which channels to run on, for example YouTube Shorts only for a vertical video. You can also add a product feed, so your products show in the ads.
Bidding options Google lists for Demand Gen: Clicks, Conversions and Conversion Value.
Before You Start
Google's own checklist for a new Demand Gen campaign comes down to three things:
- Tracking first. Google says to "set up conversion tracking on your website and make sure that the Google tag is working properly."
- Enough budget. With target CPA bidding, Google "recommends setting a budget that's at least 10 times your target CPA."
- Plenty of assets. Google says "you'll increase your chances of achieving optimal performance by including more assets."
Where Demand Gen Fits Next to Search and Performance Max
Google's own comparison, in one line each:
| Campaign | Google says use it to |
|---|---|
| Search | Maximize performance across Google Search. |
| Performance Max | Maximize performance across all of Google's channels and surfaces. |
| Demand Gen | Generate demand and deliver business results on Google's most visual, entertaining surfaces. |
Search catches people who already want the product. Demand Gen shows the product to people who did not search for it yet. For a deeper side-by-side with Performance Max, see what Performance Max is.
Display Campaigns Are Moving into Demand Gen
Google says Display campaigns "have a new home as Google Display Network (GDN) in Demand Gen." The timeline from Google's help page:
- June 2026: a migration tool starts rolling out, so eligible advertisers can move existing Display campaigns.
- Later: new Display campaigns "can only be created within Demand Gen".
- Later: remaining eligible Display campaigns are migrated automatically.
Google says the tool carries over up to 42 days of performance history, so learning takes about 1 to 2 days. Migrated campaigns cannot be switched back. You can still run Display-only campaigns inside Demand Gen.
Lookalike Segments
Lookalike segments find people similar to a seed list, like your customers. Google says they are "only available in Demand Gen campaigns". Through 2026, Google is turning lookalikes into a "suggestion mode": the seed list becomes a signal, and the system may reach people outside the old 2.5%, 5% or 10% similarity limits.
Example: A Fitness Brand Launches a New Product
Made-up numbers, to show the method. A fitness brand launches a new kettlebell. Nobody searches for it by name yet, so Search alone will not find buyers.
It runs a Demand Gen campaign with a 15-second vertical video for YouTube Shorts, 6 product photos, and its product feed. The audience is a lookalike of past buyers plus an in-market segment for fitness equipment. Bidding: Conversions.
Two weeks in, it checks whether branded searches for the kettlebell are rising in its Search campaign. That is the sign Demand Gen is creating the demand Search then catches.
Common Mistakes
Judging Demand Gen like Search
People did not ask for your product, so expect fewer direct sales per click. Also watch the branded searches it creates.
Weak creative
Demand Gen runs on images and video. Google's setup advice is to use your best images and videos, with little text and good light.
Ignoring the Display move
New Display campaigns will be built in Demand Gen. Plan your display ads there.
Questions People Ask
Image and video ads that run on YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Google Display Network, built to create interest in a product.
Google's Own Pages We Quoted
Every rule, limit and size on this page comes from these pages, read on 8 October 2026. Google changes them, so check the page itself before you act.
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