PMax workaround for Brand Activator

Brand Activator works differently depending on whether you run Shopping Ads alongside your PMax campaigns.

Option 1: If you don’t run Shopping Ads, simply apply the Brand Activator Negative Keyword List to your PMax campaigns.

Option 2: If you do run Shopping Ads and apply the Negative Keyword List directly to your PMax campaign, it will block both Search and Shopping Ads, but there's a simple workaround outlined below.

PMax with Shopping Ads workaround

Apply brand exclusions within PMax but for Search only, not Shopping. This ensures:

• Shopping Ads remain live on your brand queries (so you always have a carousel presence)
• Search Ads are controlled by Brand Activator, which toggles them on/off depending on competitor presence