Update (March 12, 2021): Updated the language in this post to emphasize that this change is a reorganization of existing features.
The v6 release of the Google Ads API added support for Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value bid strategies in Search campaigns. This includes a new read-only MaximizeConversions.target_cpa field. Bid strategies having either this new target_cpa field or the read-only MaximizeConversionValue.target_roas field act identically to TargetCpa and TargetRoas bid strategies, respectively. In the future, bid strategies for Search campaigns will be reorganized for simplification.

What’s changing
Starting in April 2021, the Google Ads UI will start allowing some users to create MaximizeConversions and MaximizeConversionValue bid strategies with their target_cpa and target_roas fields set, in lieu of the old-style TargetCpa and TargetRoas bid strategies. This change will gradually ramp-up to more accounts over time.

There will be no impact to bidding behavior due to these changes. The MaximizeConversions bid strategy using the new optional target_cpa setting will still behave like the TargetCpa strategy does today, and likewise, MaximizeConversionValue using the new optional target_roas setting will behave like TargetRoas.

Before After
TargetRoas MaximizeConversionValue.target_roas
TargetCpa MaximizeConversions.target_cpa


The target_roas and target_cpa fields will remain read-only to API users until a future version of the API enables mutate functionality. Be on the lookout for such an announcement in the API’s release notes.

What to do
Developers should ensure their code treats Search campaigns that have MaximizeConversions with a set target_cpa field and MaximizeConversionValue with a set target_roas field the same way it treats TargetCpa and TargetRoas bid strategies, respectively.

Developers can continue to create TargetCpa or TargetRoas bid strategies or manage existing TargetCpa or TargetRoas bid strategies, even after we introduce the new representations in April. We will publish an update on the blog when the above fields are mutable, along with several months' notice before we start moving to the new representations of the bid strategies for existing Search campaigns.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum or at googleadsapi-support@google.com.
Adam Ohren, Google Ads API Team