Google Ads keeps changing, and the November 2025 updates bring some important improvements that every advertiser should know. Around November 19, 2025, Google rolled out new features in Performance Max (PMax), introduced stronger phone-number fraud rules, added better brand suitability controls, and improved incrementality testing.
This blog breaks down all updates in the simplest way—what’s new, why it matters, and what you should do next.
Key Updates
1. Performance Max Now Shows Ads on Waze + Better Channel Reporting
Google has given PMax two major upgrades:
What’s New
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Waze Integration:
If you use PMax with store goals and your business is in the U.S., your ads can now show on the Waze navigation app as “Promoted Places.” -
Automatic Setup:
No extra work needed. Google will use your existing PMax images, videos, and text. -
Channel-Level Reporting:
You can now see how each channel inside PMax performs—Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and soon Search Partners.
This is also available at MCC level.
Why This Matters
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Local businesses can drive more store visits using map-based ads.
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You finally get clarity on how PMax spends your budget.
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Helps you understand which channels deserve more creative effort or budget.
What You Should Do
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Check your PMax campaigns with store goals and track Waze results.
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Use the new reporting to see which placements perform best.
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Improve creatives for channels that return strong results.
2. Better Brand Suitability Controls for YouTube & Discover
Google has introduced new tools to help you control where your ads appear.
What’s New
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New inventory controls and content exclusions for:
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YouTube Home Feed
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YouTube Watch Next
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Google Discover
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These settings now work together across:
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YouTube
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Discover
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Display Network
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Applies to:
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Video Reach
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Video View
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PMax
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Demand Gen
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Why This Matters
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You can block ad placements that don’t match your brand’s image.
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You get more confidence when advertising on high-reach surfaces.
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No more managing separate exclusion lists for each channel.
What You Should Do
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Review your brand safety settings.
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Set or update your excluded content themes.
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Test the impact of different inventory levels (expanded, standard, limited).
3. Stricter Phone Number Policy to Reduce Fraud
Google has tightened its rules around phone numbers used in ads.
What’s New
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Phone numbers used in:
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Call-only ads
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Call assets
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Location assets
must be free from any past fraudulent activity.
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Numbers with suspicious or problematic histories may be flagged.
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Enforcement starts December 10, 2025, rolling out over 8 weeks.
Why This Matters
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Advertisers using call-based formats must clean up their data.
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Numbers linked to fraud may get disapproved.
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This improves the quality of call-based advertising overall.
What You Should Do
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Audit every phone number in your Google Ads account.
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Replace numbers with any doubtful history.
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Stay updated on Google’s policy notifications.
4. Easier & Cheaper Incrementality Experiments
Incrementality tests (lift studies) are now more accessible.
What’s New
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Lower cost barriers for running experiments.
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Cleaner, more flexible reporting.
Why This Matters
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Even smaller advertisers can now measure true incremental impact.
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Helps you clearly see which campaigns actually drive conversions.
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Makes budgeting smarter and more data-driven.
What You Should Do
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Plan an incrementality experiment for key campaigns.
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Use insights to adjust future budgets and media plans.
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Work with your analytics team to combine lift data with other metrics.
5. Shared Ads Feature to Be Removed by January 2026
This is a warning for advertisers using the Google Ads API.
What’s New
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Shared ads will no longer exist.
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Google will instead create individual ad copies per ad group.
Why This Matters
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Automation or API workflows using shared ads must be updated.
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New ads won’t carry old performance history.
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Expect a short learning phase for newly created ads.
What You Should Do
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Identify all shared ads in your setup.
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Plan a migration to individual ad copies.
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Save your historical data before the change.
Strategic Recommendations
Here’s how to take advantage of all these updates:
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Audit Your Account:
Review PMax, phone-number assets, and brand suitability settings. -
Run Incrementality Tests:
Use Google's improved experiments to identify what truly works. -
Prepare for Deprecation:
Start migrating shared ads before January 2026. -
Secure Your Phone Assets:
Validate and clean your phone numbers before enforcement begins. -
Use Channel-Level PMax Insights:
Move budgets toward high-performing surfaces like Waze or Discover.
FAQs
Q1: Is Waze integration available globally?
No. As of November 2025, it is only available for U.S. advertisers running PMax campaigns with store goals. More regions may be added in 2026.
Q2: Will my existing brand-exclusion settings apply automatically to new placements?
Yes. Your current suitability settings will extend to YouTube Home Feed and Discover.
Q3: What if my phone number gets flagged?
Google may block it from ads. You must replace it with a verified, clean number.
Q4: Will the new incrementality rules reduce my measurement costs?
Yes. These updates make lift tests cheaper and easier to run.
Q5: What should I do about shared ads being removed?
Start migrating now. Create individual ad objects for each ad group and save old performance records.
Conclusion
The November 19, 2025 Google Ads update is all about clarity, safety, and better control. With improvements like Waze integration, unified brand suitability settings, stricter fraud prevention, easier lift testing, and upcoming feature removals, advertisers need to stay proactive.
Those who adapt early—by auditing accounts, running experiments, and preparing for deprecations—will stay ahead and drive stronger results.
Alightway Solutions helps businesses keep up with every Google Ads update. Whether you need audits, optimization, or technical support, our team stays updated so your campaigns always run smoothly and stay compliant—across India and globally.
