What Is Ad Group?
Also written as ad groups, adgroup, Google Ads ad group.
Definition
An ad group is a container inside a Google Ads campaign that holds one or more ads with similar targets. In a Search campaign, it holds keywords and the ads written for them. For an ecommerce store, one ad group might cover dog beds and another cat trees, each with its own matching ad copy.
Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Written by the ZenoX team from the accounts we run. Definitions are general; the numbers in examples are maths, not client results.
Ad Group, Explained
Google says "an ad group contains one or more ads that share similar targets" (checked 5 November 2026). A Search campaign has at least one. It is the level between the campaign and the ad.
The point of an ad group is relevance. Say a pet store runs Search. One ad group holds dog bed keywords, and its ad talks about dog beds and links to that collection. Another holds cat tree keywords, with its own ad and page. A person searching for a cat tree should not read about dog beds.
Settings work top down. Budget and location sit on the campaign, while keywords and ads sit in the ad group. Many bids can sit here too, though with automated bidding Google sets the bid for each auction.
Not every campaign uses them the same way. Standard Shopping has ad groups with product groups inside. Performance Max has asset groups. So if you open a PMax campaign and look for ad groups, you will not find them.
Avoid one giant ad group with every keyword inside. Then one ad has to talk to everyone, and it fits none of them. Hundreds of tiny groups with no data fail too. Group by theme. If two keywords can share the same ad and page, they can share the group.
How We Use It at ZenoX
We keep ad groups simple. Our brand Search campaign is about one thing, the store's name, so it does not need a long list of themes. Most of our product work sits in listing groups and asset groups on Shopping and Performance Max, not in Search ad groups. Structure stays lean.
Questions People Ask About Ad Group
What Is the Difference Between a Campaign and an Ad Group?
A campaign holds the big settings, such as budget and location. An ad group sits inside it and holds ads with similar targets, plus keywords in a Search campaign. One campaign can hold several ad groups, so different product themes can share one budget.
Does Performance Max Use Ad Groups?
No. Performance Max uses asset groups. An asset group holds your images, text and videos, plus a listing group that says which products can show. In a feed-only setup, the listing group does most of the work and the feed supplies the ads.
Related terms
- CampaignA campaign is the main building block of a Google Ads account.
- Asset GroupAn asset group is the building block inside a Performance Max campaign.
- Listing GroupA listing group is a filter that says which products in your Merchant Center feed can serve inside a campaign or asset group.
- Search CampaignA Search campaign is a Google Ads campaign that shows text ads on search results when someone types a search that matches your keywords.
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