Starting the week of December 1, 2026, campaign-level Display targeting (network_settings.target_content_network true) for newly created Demand Gen campaigns. Display network targeting will be managed directly at the ad group level using channel controls (demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.display
You will no longer be able to disable Display targeting for Demand Gen campaigns at the campaign level by setting network_settings.target_content_network to false. Setting this field during campaign creation or update will result in an OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED_FOR_CONTEXT
Previously, disabling Display targeting at the campaign level overrode the Display targeting setting at the ad group level. Managing Display targeting exclusively at the ad group level eliminates this dual-level configuration, ensuring consistent channel representation across the Google Ads API, Google Ads UI, and Google Ads Editor.
Overview of changes and backfill
Default value alignment: When you create new Demand Gen campaigns without explicitly specifying target_content_network, the default value changes from false to true. Because ad group-level channel controls default to turning off Display targeting, the overall default targeting behavior remains unchanged (targeting owned and operated inventory unless explicitly opted in).
Existing campaign backfill: Existing campaigns currently set to target_content_network = false will be updated to target_content_network = true alongside automatic transformations applied to their ad groups:
No-op ad groups: Where Display is opted out at both campaign and ad group levels, target_content_network is updated to true with no ad group changes required.
Channel strategy pushdown: Ad groups using the ALL_CHANNELS ALL_OWNED_AND_OPERATED_CHANNELS Channel control pushdown: Ad groups targeting Display alongside other channels will have their selected_channels.display field set explicitly to false.
Unservable corner case: Ad groups that only target Display (while Display was opted out at campaign level) will have their status updated to PAUSED, preserving their non-serving status while leaving channel controls intact. This is because Demand Gen ad groups must target at least one channel, so turning off Display would leave them with no active channels, which is an invalid configuration.
None of the existing campaigns being backfilled will change their serving behavior, as the impacted campaigns are already opted out of Display.
How to manage Display targeting in the Google Ads API
Display targeting is now controlled at the ad group level using channel_controls.selected_channels. The following example shows how to configure or opt out of Display targeting during ad group creation or updates in the Google Ads API.
Example: Manage Ad Group Channel Controls {
"adGroup": {
"resourceName": "customers/1234567890/adGroups/9876543210",
"status": "ENABLED",
"demandGenAdGroupSettings": {
"channelControls": {
"selectedChannels": {
"youtubeInStream": false,
"youtubeInFeed": false,
"youtubeShorts": true,
"discover": false,
"gmail": false,
"display": false
}
}
}
}
}
You can also set the channel_strategy field to ALL_OWNED_AND_OPERATED_CHANNELS as a high-level way to opt out of Display without having to explicitly enumerate every individual channel.
Recommended actions
Review campaign creation payloads: Verify API integrations and automated workflows for campaign creation. Update your application to rely on ad group channel controls (channel_controls.selected_channels.display) rather than campaign-level network_settings.target_content_network flags.
Audit existing campaigns: Check ad group channel configurations for Demand Gen campaigns to confirm that ad group channel selections accurately reflect intended channel reach:
SELECT
campaign.id,
campaign.advertising_channel_type,
campaign.network_settings.target_content_network,
ad_group.id,
ad_group.status
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.channel_config,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.channel_strategy,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.youtube_in_feed,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.youtube_in_stream,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.youtube_shorts,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.discover,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.display,
ad_group.demand_gen_ad_group_settings.channel_controls.selected_channels.gmail
FROM ad_group
WHERE
campaign.advertising_channel_type = 'DEMAND_GEN'
If you have any questions or want to discuss this change, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server .
Mattia Tommasone
Google Ads API team
