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Smart Bidding Exploration

Smart Bidding Exploration is a Google Ads setting that lets a target ROAS campaign accept a lower return for conversions from searches it has not been winning.

How it works

With a target ROAS, Smart Bidding favours the searches it already knows will meet the target. Exploration keeps the target and adds a ROAS tolerance, so bidding can go after searches the campaign has not been winning, without changing targeting. In the Google Ads API, a 10% tolerance means ROAS may fall by up to 10% of the target. With a 200% target, ROAS may drop to 180%.

Google reports the effect as traffic diversity: unique search query categories with conversions. It launched Exploration for Search in May 2025 and in June 2026 extended it to Performance Max campaigns without a product feed. For Shopping ads in Shopping campaigns and in Performance Max with a feed, it is in beta, available on request through your Google account team.

Only the beta reaches campaigns with a product feed. Performance Max runs in 141 of 146 stores in GetProfit data and takes a median 95.7% of their budget (June 2025 – June 2026). Trading some ROAS for new traffic explains when it pays off for a store.

How GetProfit reads it

GetProfit judges a bidding change by comparing the 14 days after it with the period before, as the portal’s change log does. The change has worked when ROAS rises by more than 20% and at least 80% of the conversions remain. It has harmed when ROAS falls by more than 20% or conversions more than halve.

ROAS 10% lower with conversions 15% higher meets neither condition. A tolerance above 20% can, on its own, take ROAS past the “harmed” line.

Not to be confused with

  • Target ROAS — the target itself. Lowering it changes the goal for all traffic; exploration keeps the target and adds a tolerance for searches the campaign has not been winning.

Sources