PMax Non-Converting Search Term Alerts
Surfaces Performance Max search categories that rack up clicks without converting — the wasted-spend hiding in the PMax black box — with Google Sheet logging and email alerts.
by Nils Rooijmans·nilsrooijmans.com/google-ads-script-pmax-non-converting-search-term-alerts
Overview
You can't add negatives from a report you never see. This script mines PMax campaign search term insights for terms that exceeded your click threshold during the lookback window yet stayed under your conversion threshold, logs them to a Google Sheet, and emails you the list — ammunition for negative keyword requests, campaign-level exclusions, or asset group restructuring.
Setup
- 1Create a new blank Google Sheet and copy its URL.
- 2Open your Google Ads account and go to Tools → Bulk Actions → Scripts.
- 3Click the + button to create a new script and paste the code below.
- 4Set SPREADSHEET_URL and EMAIL_ADDRESSES, put your account name in EMAIL_SUBJECT, tune the thresholds, preview, then schedule weekly.
Configuration Variables
| Variable | Default |
|---|---|
SPREADSHEET_URL | (required) |
EMAIL_ADDRESSES | (required) |
LOOKBACK_WINDOW | 90 |
MIN_CLICKS | 100 |
CONVERSION_THRESHOLD | 0.5 |
Expected Output
Sheet rows per offending term: search term/category, campaign, clicks and conversions in the lookback window — plus an email '[PMax Alert] You've got N Non-Converting Search Terms'.
Notes
PMax negatives can't be added via scripts — use the alert list with Google's campaign-level negative keyword form or your Google rep. The author offers a paid version with (semi)automatic negative management.