How to Maintain Creative Control in Google’s Fully Automated Performance Max Campaigns

For fast paced city of business Mumbai, where the time cost and speed makes a whole lot difference in every click counts so does in competition there ad automation is revolution as well as challenge. Welcome to the "Black Box" EraWe are officially in the black box era, where Google’s AI is at the helm of your account deciding who sees your ad, and what exactly they see, what headline, etc.

Performance max campaigns (PMax) are key to this evolution. For a lot of brand managers and executives, PMax is counterintuitive: It feels like relinquishing control. How do you make sure your brand voice isn’t swallowed by the deluge of machine-generated adjectives? As you let the algorithm do the heavy lifting, how do you preserve the ability to hustle that life in Mumbai requires?

Mad Result is the leading performance marketing agency in Mumbai, and has invested countless hours decoding PMax. The reality is: Automation doesn't eliminate the marketer; it redefines his/her role. Here’s how to get your creative groove back without giving up the benefits of AI.

The Pmax Paradox: Why "Automation" Isn't "Autopilot"

The most common blunder is when brands consider performance max campaigns as a “set it and forget it” response. Google’s AI is very good at finding conversions, but it doesn’t have a “brand soul.” It doesn’t know your unique value proposition, or the special cultural complexities of the Indian consumer.

To do well in 2026, you’ve got to go “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” Garbage in, garbage out: If you feed the AI bad images and generic text, it will produce bad output. Current creative control focused in 6 years, not on manual bidding.

1. Mastering the "Asset Group" Architecture

With traditional search ads, you dictate the precise combination of Headline A and Description B; With PMax, you feed in a “pool” of assets (images, videos, headlines, descriptions), and the AI will then mix them.

How to Maintain Control:

• Thematic Separation: Charles Schwab—Don’t put all the products in one bucket (Asset Group). Build dedicated Asset Groups for different themes or lines. This avoids the situation where the AI pairs a “Luxury Watch” headline with a “Casual Strap” image.

• The “Ad Strength” Trap: Google will so strongly nudge you to fill all available assets slots for an Excellent rating. But it’s a lot better to possess 5 high-quality, on-brand images than 20 stock photos that water down your brand identity.

• Video Control: Don’t want to give Google a good video, they’ll make their own from your images. These frequently resemble low-budget slide shows. Always upload a custom, professional video to keep creative control. It’s a non–negotiable for any best performance marketing agency.

2. Using Brand Settings and Exclusions

One of the most common complaints is that google ads automation can serve ads in searches you don't want, or alongside content that is not a fit for your brand.

Google has now added beefier "Brand Settings" in 2026.

• Brand Exclusions: Now you can eliminate the PMax campaigns to be served on your own brand name (if you want to not cannibalize your organic traffic) or for specific competitors.

• Negative Keywords (Account Level) Although you can't add negative keywords directly to a PMax campaign, you can add them at the account level. This is obv needed so your "Luxury Real Estate" ad does not appear in searches like "Cheap apartments in Mumbai" etc.

3. The Power of Audience Signals

Consider the “Audience Signals” as a little head start for the AI. You’re not saying: “The AI must target these people.” You’re saying to it: “Start looking here.”

By uploading your first-party data (customer lists) or creating custom segments based on search terms they know your competitors are using, you guide the AI to reach the correct creative context. While the AI is aware that it is looking for HNWIs within South Mumbai, it will bias itself towards your group as if you've included other 'premium' assets in this list.

4. Reading the "Asset Detail" Reports

The “Black Box” is not so black anymore. The best performance marketing agency tactics include deep diving into the Asset Detail Report on a weekly basis.

Google provides you with performance labels: “Low,” “Good” and “Best.”

• The Strategy: Do not delete the “Low” ones only. Analyze why they failed. Was the copy too aggressive? Was the image too cluttered?

• The Cycle: Swap “Low” assets for fresh versions of your best players. This is the way you “human-train” it to know your brand’s aesthetic.

5. Controlling the "Final URL Expansion"

By default, PMax will navigate users to the page on your own site it deems most relevant. Although this may surface new traffic, it can also direct visitors to your “Terms and Conditions” page or a “Careers” page.

To maintain control:

• Filter URLs: Use this setting to filter all non commercial URLs out of your campaign.

• Specific Landers: If you have a banging landing page tailored for a Mumbai context and that converts really well, simply turn off URL Expansion in order to direct 100% of your traffic to the (specific) place you want them at.

Why Partner with a Performance Marketing Agency in Mumbai?

The complexity of performance max campaigns is growing by the day. These campaigns require a mix of data science and creativity a balance that’s hard to achieve in-house when you’re also running a business.

Here at Mad Result, we are more than just a google ads automation agency, we are builders. We assist brands in Mumbai and beyond:

• Create PMax-specific video and static assets designed for high conversion.

• Use "Conversion Value Rules" to teach the AI which of the leads it is receiving, are actually worth more.

• Be vigilant in testing and your brand will never appear "automated".

When everyone is running the same AI, your creative idea may be all that’s left between you and anyone else on earth.

Conclusion: The Future belongs to the "AI-Orchestrator"

By feeding it rigorous inputs, establishing brand guardrails and continually iterating your asset pool based on data, you too can leverage the efficiency of Google’s AI without sacrificing the "Human Touch" that gives your brand its identity.

The “black box” doesn’t need to be a scary one, as long it is operated by someone who knows what they are doing.