What is changing with Google Smart Bidding on August 17?

Google is ending target overperformance for Target CPA and Target ROAS campaigns starting August 17, according to Search Engine Journal. The exact mechanics of the change haven't been fully detailed in available reporting, but it's tied to a specific date and applies to advertisers using these two bidding strategies.

Which campaigns are affected by this Smart Bidding change?

Campaigns running Target CPA or Target ROAS bidding strategies are the ones affected. Advertisers using other bidding strategies, like Maximize Conversions without a target, aren't the focus of this particular change based on current reporting.

What should I do before the August 17 deadline?

Identify which of your active campaigns use Target CPA or Target ROAS bidding so you know what's affected. Search Engine Journal's coverage points toward checking campaign settings ahead of the change, though specific recommended adjustments aren't spelled out in the summary available.

Google Cuts Target Overperformance Allowance August 17: Audit Your Smart Bidding Now

Why this matters to you

If you manage paid search accounts on Target CPA or Target ROAS, mark August 17 on your calendar. Google is changing how Smart Bidding handles these strategies, and campaigns you haven't touched in a while could be affected once the change takes effect. This is the kind of update that's easy to miss in the noise of platform changelogs, but it directly touches the bidding logic behind live budgets. Waiting until after the deadline to check your account means finding out about any impact after the fact instead of before.

What's changing

Search Engine Journal reports that Google is ending target overperformance in Smart Bidding starting August 17. The change affects Target CPA and Target ROAS campaigns specifically, and Search Engine Journal's guidance centers on identifying which of your campaigns use these bidding strategies and reviewing them ahead of the cutoff.

Beyond that, the specifics of exactly how "overperformance" has worked up to now and what changes mechanically on Google's end aren't detailed in the summary available at the time of writing. What's clear is the direction: this is a deadline-driven change tied to a specific date, not a rolling rollout, and it applies to advertisers actively running Target CPA or Target ROAS campaigns.

What to do before August 17

The practical takeaway for marketers running paid search accounts is straightforward: know which of your active campaigns are set to Target CPA or Target ROAS, and don't assume they'll behave identically after the 17th just because they've been stable so far. Pull a list of campaigns using these strategies now, so you're not scrambling to identify them after the change is already live.

Beyond identifying affected campaigns, Search Engine Journal's coverage points advertisers toward checking what settings may need updating before the deadline, though the specific adjustments aren't detailed in the summary available here. If you manage client accounts or multiple properties, this is worth flagging to your team or clients directly rather than assuming it'll be a non-event.

The bigger picture

Smart Bidding changes tend to arrive with limited lead time and can quietly shift performance if nobody's watching. Whether or not this particular update ends up being significant for your accounts, it's a useful nudge to build a habit of checking Google Ads changelogs on a regular cadence rather than reacting only when a headline like this crosses your feed.