Performance Max

How do I stop Performance Max from pulling images and videos from my website and YouTube into my ads?

By The Tofu team ·

Turn both off in each campaign: open the campaign's Settings, go to Asset optimization and uncheck "Landing page images" (under Images) and "Sourced videos." From December 4, 2026, Google turns image extraction on by default for every new Performance Max campaign, even if account-level dynamic images are off, so uncheck it on each new campaign too. Google's help center says sourced videos, up to 10 per asset group from your site, linked YouTube channel and social pages, are already on by default for new campaigns. Existing campaigns keep their image setting, but check them too.

As of October 2026.

Before you start

  • Know what changes on December 4, 2026. Google's Ads API team announced on October 21, 2026 that image extraction will be on by default for new Performance Max campaigns created in the Google Ads web interface, Google Ads Editor and the API. Until then, a campaign with no setting of its own follows the account-level Dynamic images setting; after that date, that switch no longer protects new campaigns. Existing campaigns keep their current settings.
  • Know what it means for a B2B advertiser. Google scans your landing pages for images and can use them across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps. B2B pages often carry customer logos, analyst badges, team photos and old product screenshots. Your YouTube channel may hold webinars, event talks and demos of features you have since changed. Any of these can end up in an ad you never reviewed.
  • Check your image rights. Google says that when you opt into landing page images, you confirm you own all legal rights to the images on your landing page and allow Google to use them in advertising. A customer's logo on your case study page may not be yours to put in an ad.
  • Expect sourced videos in some accounts only. Google says the feature is rolling out in stages, may not be in your account yet, and needs a daily budget above $5 USD. Its help page says it is on by default for new campaigns and may have been switched on in some existing campaigns "as part of a recent platform update" (Google's API docs disagree; see Common problems). PPC Land reported on October 25, 2026 that this wording was spotted on October 21; neither dates the platform update.

Step 1: See what Google can add to your campaign

Google runs several separate automations on Performance Max creative. Two pull in content from outside your asset groups. The others change or create assets from what you uploaded.

SettingWhat it doesDefaultTurn off in
Landing page images (image extraction)Pulls images from your landing pagesFollows account-level Dynamic images; on for new campaigns from Dec 4, 2026Step 2
Sourced videosAdds up to 10 videos per asset group from your landing page, linked YouTube channel and social mediaOn for new campaigns (help center); off (API docs)Step 3
Image enhancementCrops, uncrops, animates, blurs or filters images you uploadedOnStep 4
Video enhancementMakes vertical, square or shorter versions of your videosOnStep 4
Auto-generated videosBuilds videos from your images and text when an asset group has no video you uploadedOnStep 5

To see what is already running, go to Assets in the Campaigns menu and open your Performance Max campaign. Google says sourced videos appear in that asset list, and enhanced videos show in asset group, campaign and channel reporting. Google uploads sourced videos to a dedicated Google-owned YouTube channel branded with your logo and business name, so a sourced video can serve from a channel you don't manage.

Step 2: Turn off landing page images in each campaign

  1. Go to Campaigns in the Campaigns menu.
  2. Select the gear icon beside the Performance Max campaign.
  3. On the Settings page, open the Asset optimization menu.
  4. Open the Images tile and uncheck Landing page images.

Google's API docs and its automation feature list call this "image extraction." Google says it uses the same technology as Dynamic Images, the account-level automated image assets.

Step 3: Turn off sourced videos

  1. Go to Campaigns in the Campaigns menu.
  2. Select the gear icon next to your Performance Max campaign.
  3. In the Asset group section, select the Asset optimization drop-down.
  4. Uncheck Sourced videos.
  5. Select Apply, then save your changes to the campaign.

To keep the feature but limit it, leave the box checked and select Manage sources to review and approve the URLs Google can use. Google also says any video removed from its original host, such as your YouTube channel, is removed from Google Ads automatically.

Step 4: Decide whether to keep image and video enhancements

These change your own uploaded assets rather than pull in new ones, so you may decide to keep them. To turn them off:

  • Image enhancement: in the campaign's Settings, open Asset optimization, open the Images tile and uncheck Enhancement.
  • Video enhancement: in Campaign settings, select Asset optimization, choose Video and uncheck Enhancement.

Step 5: Upload your own videos to stop auto-generated ones

Google says it turns off auto-generated videos once you upload your own. Performance Max takes up to 15 videos per asset group in horizontal (16:9), square (1:1) and vertical (9:16) formats, each 10 seconds or longer. Google recommends at least one vertical video of 10 to 60 seconds so the asset group can serve on YouTube Shorts.

Step 6: Remove single assets you don't want

If you keep a feature on but dislike one result, remove that asset:

  1. Go to Assets in the Campaigns menu.
  2. Find the asset you'd like to remove.
  3. Beside the asset name, open the Edit drop-down and select Remove.

Step 7: Change how you create new campaigns before December 4, 2026

  • In the Google Ads web interface: at the "Campaign settings" step, uncheck Landing page images in the Images tile, and uncheck Sourced videos in the Asset group section's Asset optimization drop-down.
  • In the Google Ads API or a tool built on it: Google says to set GENERATE_IMAGE_EXTRACTION to OPTED_OUT in the campaign's asset_automation_settings when you create it. To change an existing campaign, update campaign.asset_automation_settings. This field is a list, and an update replaces the whole list, so include every other setting you want to keep, such as TEXT_ASSET_AUTOMATION.
  • To audit: Google suggests querying campaign.asset_automation_settings for Performance Max campaigns. A campaign with no GENERATE_IMAGE_EXTRACTION entry is following the account-level setting today.

Step 8: Check the account-level Dynamic images setting

Google's path: go to Campaigns > Assets, open the three-dot More menu and choose Account-level automated assets, open the three-dot menu again and choose Advanced settings, then check whether Dynamic images is on or off. This setting also controls dynamic image assets on your Search ads. A campaign-level Performance Max setting overrides it.

Common problems

ProblemWhy it happensFix
No "Sourced videos" box in Asset optimizationThe feature is rolling out in stages and needs a daily budget above $5 USDCheck again later
Sourced videos are on in a campaign you never changedGoogle says a recent platform update may have switched it on in some existing campaignsUncheck it (Step 3)
Ads use a YouTube video you didn't add to the asset groupIt may be a sourced video from your linked channel, or an enhanced version of one of your videosFind it in the asset list and remove it, then turn off sourced videos or video enhancement
A new campaign uses landing page images though Dynamic images is offFrom Dec 4, 2026 new campaigns no longer follow the account-level settingUncheck Landing page images in that campaign
An API update cleared other automation settingsasset_automation_settings is replaced as a whole listRead the current list first and send every entry you want to keep
Google's pages disagree on the sourced videos defaultThe API docs (updated October 28, 2026) list AUTOMATED_VIDEO_CRAWL (sourced videos) as disabled by default; the help center says it is on by default for all new campaignsCheck the setting in each campaign, whatever tool created it

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