PPC news for the week of November 5, 2026 is mostly about getting ready for Black Friday: Google documented a new Promotion mode for sales periods, launched a free brand-lift metric for video advertisers, and added household income exclusions to Performance Max. Meta’s revised ad terms are still in limbo after a UK regulator stepped in, and a new on-device pixel measurement setting switches on November 12 for advertisers outside the EU and UK.
Below is what changed, where it was reported, and what we would do about it in a small or medium account this week. For last week’s items, including ads in AI Mode and Meta’s product browsing rollout, see our PPC news for the week of November 2.
Google Ads documents “Promotion mode” for sales periods
On November 4, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google Ads published a help document for Promotion mode, a setting that temporarily lowers your Target ROAS during a promotional window and can add an optional extra daily budget for the same period (source). The idea is to let Smart Bidding spend more aggressively during a sale without you manually editing targets and then forgetting to change them back.
What to do: if you run a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale on Target ROAS, check whether Promotion mode is available in your account before you touch your targets by hand. If it is not, the old approach still works: lower tROAS by 10–20% and raise budgets two or three days before the sale, then restore them after. Either way, set a calendar reminder for the reset.
In the same recap, a new “Promotion offers” section inside Promotions lets you filter offers by offered, expired, and invalidated status (source), which is useful for cleaning up stale promotion assets before the season.
“Attributed Branded Searches”: a free brand metric for YouTube and Demand Gen
Google launched Attributed Branded Searches, an always-on measurement that counts users who searched for your brand on Google or YouTube after seeing a Demand Gen or YouTube video ad. Common Thread Collective reported it on November 3 and notes it appears under Goals, then Summary, then Consideration (source); Search Engine Land covered how to use it the following day (source).
What to do: if you have been struggling to justify video spend because last-click conversions look thin, this gives you a Google-reported number for the “people saw the ad, then searched for us” effect. It is not a substitute for revenue tracking, but it is a better argument than view-through conversions. We covered the budgeting side in YouTube ads for small business.
Performance Max gets household income exclusions
Common Thread Collective reported on November 2 that Performance Max now supports campaign-level household income exclusions across all placements, confirmed through Google Ads API v26.1 (source). Household income targeting has long been a US-only feature in Search and Display, so this mainly matters for US advertisers selling higher-ticket products.
What to do: if you sell premium goods in the US and your Performance Max search terms report shows a lot of “cheap” and “discount” queries, excluding the lowest income tiers is a cleaner lever than fighting it with negative keywords. Test it in one campaign first; exclusions shrink reach and PMax needs volume. Our Performance Max optimization tips cover the other campaign-level controls worth reviewing before peak season.
Up to four ads in a single AI Mode response
Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google can show up to four ads in an AI Mode response for one query (source). The article points out that four ads per results page has been the norm in classic Search since 2016, so this may be alignment rather than expansion. Still, with AI Mode ads now live in many more countries and no opt-out for Search and Shopping campaigns, it is one more reason to watch your search terms and placement reports for changes in CPC and conversion rate over the next few weeks.
Google Data Manager drops the SHA-256 requirement from November 16
According to CMe Media’s November roundup, Google Ads Data Manager will stop requiring SHA-256 hashing of customer data from November 16, 2026; it will accept encrypted data by default and decrypt it in an isolated environment before matching, which Google says should improve match rates for Customer Match and offline conversion uploads (source). We have seen only this one secondary report so far, and it does not say whether existing SHA-256 uploads keep working, so verify against the notice in your own Data Manager before changing any upload pipeline. If you use Customer Match for retargeting, read our conversion tracking guide for how offline uploads fit with GA4.
Meta’s new ad terms: November 20, or later
Meta’s revised Commercial Terms and Self-Serve Ad Terms, which among other things make advertisers responsible for AI-generated edits to their ads, were originally due October 30 and were pushed to November 20 (source). Since then the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation, and reports now disagree on status: a UK guide published November 3 still lists November 20 as the effective date while describing the rollout as on hold under CMA scrutiny (source), and Common Thread Collective’s tracker says implementation is paused with no new date. The terms preview itself is on Meta’s site (source).
What to do: nothing changes in your account today. But if you use Advantage+ creative enhancements, including the Image Animation feature Meta added on November 2 that turns static product photos into video ads, review the AI-generated versions before they run, because whatever the final date, the direction is that you own what the system produces. This is also a good moment to revisit your creative testing process so AI variants are tested, not just switched on.
Meta: on-device conversion measurement starts November 12 (not in the EU/UK)
A pixel setting called “Measure conversions on customer devices” is now on by default in Events Manager, with measurement starting November 12, 2026, according to Meta’s help page (source). Per the reporting we have seen, it excludes the EU and UK, sites without a login, and iframe or image-only pixels (source). Meta positions it as a stronger signal for optimization.
What to do: if you advertise in the US or other non-EU markets, expect attributed conversions to shift in the days after November 12. Avoid big structural changes to campaigns in that window so you can tell what the measurement change did versus what you did. If you are in the EU or UK, your setup stays as it is, and the usual advice stands: keep the Conversions API running alongside the Pixel, as covered in our Meta Conversions API guide.
This week’s checklist
- Check your Google Ads account for Promotion mode; plan tROAS and budget changes for Black Friday either way.
- Clean up expired promotion assets using the new Promotion offers filter.
- If you run YouTube or Demand Gen, find Attributed Branded Searches under Goals and note the baseline before peak season.
- US premium brands: test household income exclusions in one Performance Max campaign.
- Verify the Data Manager hashing notice in your own account before November 16; do not rebuild upload pipelines on a single report.
- Review Advantage+ creative enhancements and any AI-animated versions of your ads before November 20.
- Non-EU Meta advertisers: freeze major campaign changes around November 12 and compare attribution before and after.
FAQ
What is Google Ads Promotion mode?
A setting, now documented in Google Ads help, that temporarily lowers your Target ROAS and can add an optional extra daily budget during a defined promotional period, so Smart Bidding can spend harder during a sale and revert afterward.
Where do I find Attributed Branded Searches?
In Google Ads under Goals, then Summary, then Consideration. It reports users who searched for your brand on Google or YouTube after seeing your Demand Gen or YouTube video ads.
Are Meta’s new ad terms in effect?
As of this week, no. The effective date was moved from October 30 to November 20, and after a UK CMA investigation reports describe the rollout as on hold; some trackers say there is no new date. Watch for a notice in Ads Manager.
Does Meta’s on-device measurement apply in Europe?
Based on current reporting, no. The November 12 rollout excludes the EU and UK, as well as sites without a login and image-only or iframe pixels.
Do I need to change how I hash Customer Match data?
Not yet. One roundup reports Google Data Manager will stop requiring SHA-256 from November 16, but confirm the notice in your own account first and keep existing uploads running until Google states they will stop working.
Need help with your campaigns?
Peak season is three weeks away. If you want someone to check your bidding, budgets, and tracking before Black Friday, our Google Ads Audit covers Search, Shopping, and Performance Max, and Meta Ads Management handles the creative and measurement changes above on your behalf.
Prefer a quick look first? Request a free mini-audit or book a free 30-minute call.