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Standalone Google Display campaigns are being moved into Google Demand Gen campaigns, with the transition expected to be completed in 2027. The Google Display Network is not disappearing. Instead, it is becoming part of Demand Gen, where advertisers can continue running GDN-only activity or expand into YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
For Australian businesses using Display, this is not a change to leave until the final account notice appears. A planned Display to Demand Gen migration gives you time to review audiences, bidding, creative and measurement before Google automatically moves eligible campaigns.
What Are Demand Gen Campaigns in Google Ads?
Demand Gen is Google’s visual, audience-led campaign type designed to create and convert demand while people are browsing rather than actively searching.
Google says Demand Gen can run across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Google Display Network. With GDN included, advertisers can still choose Display-only delivery using channel controls, or broaden campaigns across Google’s visual surfaces.
That distinction matters. “Google Display ads retired” does not mean Display advertising itself is ending. The standalone workflow is moving into Demand Gen.
Google began a phased rollout of its migration tool in June 2026. Eligible advertisers can already move existing Display campaigns. Google says new Display campaigns will later be created only within Demand Gen, with eligible campaigns eventually migrated automatically.
If you are newer to the platform, our guide to how Google Ads work for businesses explains the broader campaign structure.
Demand Gen also adds creative formats, audience options and channel controls while retaining access to GDN. Compared with legacy Display campaigns, it can support carousel ads, product feeds, broader video formats and lookalike segments.
Demand Gen vs Performance Max: What Is the Difference?
Demand Gen and Performance Max both use Google AI, but they serve different roles.
Performance Max is designed to maximise conversions or conversion value across Google’s full inventory, including Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps. Demand Gen focuses on visual discovery and gives advertisers more control over audiences, channels and creative.
A simple way to think about Demand Gen vs Performance Max is:
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Use Performance Max when your priority is conversion performance across Google’s ecosystem with broader automation.
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Use Demand Gen when you want to create demand with visual creative and retain more control over where ads appear.
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Use both when they support different stages of the customer journey and your budget can give each campaign enough data.
For a broader comparison, see our guide to Google Ads vs social media ads.
How Do I Set Up and Migrate a Google Demand Gen Campaign?
If Google’s migration tool is available in your account, it is the cleanest starting point for an existing Display campaign.
Google’s current process is to filter your campaigns to Display, select the campaigns you want to move, open Edit, choose Upgrade to Demand Gen, review the migration notice and apply the change. Google says the tool can transfer up to 42 days of recent performance history, which helps reduce the cold-start learning period. Migrated campaigns cannot be reverted to the old Display campaign type.
Before migrating, review conversion goals, audiences, exclusions, bidding, budgets, creative assets, landing pages and channel settings.
One useful Demand Gen best practice is to keep the migrated campaign GDN-only at first if your goal is to preserve the existing Display setup. Once performance settles, you can test additional channels such as YouTube or Gmail. Google recommends this approach when trying to maintain comparable campaign settings during migration.
Also watch migration-day spend. Google notes that spend already used by the old Display campaign earlier that day is not deducted from the new Demand Gen campaign’s fresh daily budget, so temporary overspend can occur.
Is $10 a Day Enough for Google Ads?
$10 a day is unlikely to give many Demand Gen conversion campaigns enough room to learn and scale.
The right budget depends on your objective, expected CPA and bidding strategy. For Demand Gen campaigns using target CPA bidding, Google recommends setting the daily budget at least 10 times higher than the target CPA.
If your target cost per lead is $40, a $10 daily budget gives the system very little opportunity to generate regular conversions.
For smaller Australian advertisers, it is often better to fund one focused campaign properly than divide a limited budget across several campaigns. If $10 per day is your ceiling, narrow the objective or audience and assess whether Demand Gen is the right starting channel.
Our guide to how paid ads support business growth explains why advertising budgets should be tied to commercial goals rather than an arbitrary daily number.
Demand Gen Best Practices for the 2027 Transition
The upcoming Google Ads changes for 2027 are a good reason to clean up campaigns before migration rather than carrying old settings forward.
First, review your creative. Demand Gen is built around visual discovery, so assets should work naturally across image and video environments.
Second, avoid several major changes immediately after migration. Google warns that performance can fluctuate during the first few days, so monitor delivery before adjusting again.
Third, measure business outcomes. Qualified leads, sales and conversion value should decide whether the new structure is working.
If you’re into Google Ads, you should also check our new guide on: Ads inside AI Mode
Prepare Before Google Makes the Move for You
The shift from Display to Demand Gen is a useful opportunity to review targeting, creative, bidding, tracking and budget before automatic migration arrives.
If your business runs Google Display campaigns and you want a controlled transition, explore Adcept Marketing’s paid advertising services for help migrating and optimising your Google Ads around measurable business outcomes.
FAQs
Are Google Display campaigns being discontinued?
The standalone Display campaign workflow is moving into Demand Gen. GDN inventory remains available, including the ability to run Display-only campaigns within Demand Gen.
When will Google Display campaigns move to Demand Gen?
Google began voluntary migration in June 2026 and says the broader transition is expected to complete by 2027. Later account-level migration dates may vary.
Will Google automatically migrate my Display campaigns?
Yes. Google says remaining eligible campaigns will eventually be migrated automatically. Eligible advertisers can migrate earlier using the account tool.
Will I lose my historical Display campaign data?
No. Google says the original campaign will remain available in Removed status for historical reporting, while recent performance learnings can be carried into the migrated campaign.
Should I use Demand Gen or Performance Max for leads?
Either can support lead generation. Performance Max offers broader cross-channel automation, while Demand Gen provides more control over visual placements, audiences and channels. The better choice depends on whether you are primarily trying to capture existing intent or create demand earlier in the journey.
