Google rolled out brand inclusion controls for Standard Shopping campaigns, a long-requested feature that gives advertisers direct control over which brands appear in their Shopping ads — without the need for complex workarounds.
How it works. The new feature lets advertisers add or remove brand lists directly within the ad group targeting section of both Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns. Marketers can now define exactly which brands to include or exclude, preview the setup, and apply changes — all within the Google Ads interface.
Why we care. Until now, brand targeting tools were only available in Performance Max and AI Max, leaving Standard Shopping advertisers to rely on search query scripts or intricate campaign setups to manage brand visibility. This update finally allows for direct control over which brands appear in your Standard Shopping ads—something previously limited to Google’s automated campaign types.
It eliminates the need for clunky scripts or complex campaign setups, making it easier to manage brand visibility, protect budgets, and target high-value brand traffic with precision. In short, it’s a major efficiency and control win for retail advertisers.
Between the lines. For retailers and ecommerce brands, the update bridges a major gap in Shopping campaign management. It allows teams to protect brand-specific budgets, control exposure in competitive categories, and eliminate wasted spend on unwanted brand traffic — all without third-party scripts or manual segmentation.
First seen. This update was spotted by Ryan ParksSenior Search Director at Spark Foundry when he shared the new option on LinkedIn.
The bottom line. With brand inclusions now available for Standard Shopping, advertisers finally gain the same control and efficiency enjoyed in Google’s automated campaign types — a quiet but powerful upgrade for precision retail advertising.