Google Ads now lets you multiply new customer values from 1.1x to 5x across Search, Shopping, PMax and Demand Gen, with new retention modes. Here is how to set it up before Black Friday.
01Google Ads customer lifecycle goals now offer a “Multiply by” option that scales new customer conversion value from 1.1x to 5x.
02Google says the multiplier is rolling out globally in October 2026 across Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen in Google Ads and SA360.
03High Value mode is rolling out to Google Shopping campaigns, and Re-engagement, Loyalty and Retention-only modes are rolling out to Performance Max, Search and Shopping.
04A percentage multiplier scales with basket size, so a 1.2x setting adds more value to a large first order than to a small one, unlike a flat bonus.
Google Ads now lets you multiply the value of a new customer by anywhere from 1.1x to 5x, instead of adding a flat amount to every first order. The change is rolling out globally in October 2026 across Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen, alongside new retention modes and High Value mode for Shopping.
If you run e-commerce campaigns, your customer lifecycle goals are probably set with a flat bonus you picked a year ago. With Black Friday and the year-end sale season weeks away, that setting now decides how hard Google bids for the shoppers you want most.
Google Ads added a “Multiply by” option to new customer acquisition goals, letting advertisers scale a new customer’s conversion value from 1.1x to 5x. Google also said High Value mode is coming to Shopping campaigns, and three customer retention modes are rolling out to Performance Max, Search and Shopping.
The news came on 22 October 2026 through a thread from Google’s Ads Liaison account on X, as reported by PPC Land. Google described the multiplier as rolling out “globally this month” in both Google Ads and Search Ads 360 (SA360).
Until now, the customer acquisition setting worked as a flat add-on. You told Google a new customer was worth, say, an extra $20, and that $20 was added to every first purchase regardless of basket size. Google’s Ads Liaison pointed out the flaw: a fixed bonus can be too aggressive on a small cart and too timid on a big one.
The multiplier ties the extra value to the order itself, so a bigger predicted cart earns a proportionally bigger bid. At 1.2x, Google’s example turns a $100 purchase into $120 and a $500 purchase into $600. A flat bonus would have added the same amount to both, overpaying for small orders.
Here is how the two settings compare on rupee orders. The flat ₹300 bonus is a PingTalks illustration, not a Google figure.
| First order value | Flat “Increase by” ₹300 | “Multiply by” 1.2x | Which is smarter? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹500 | ₹800 (+60%) | ₹600 (+20%) | Multiplier avoids overbidding |
| ₹1,500 | ₹1,800 (+20%) | ₹1,800 (+20%) | Same result |
| ₹5,000 | ₹5,300 (+6%) | ₹6,000 (+20%) | Multiplier bids harder for big carts |
If your order values swing a lot, flat bonuses quietly push budget toward cheap first orders.
A flat new customer bonus is a tax on your best first orders. A multiplier fixes that.
High Value mode, which bids more for new customers Google predicts will be worth more over time, is rolling out to Shopping campaigns. Google’s help page already lists it for Search and Performance Max. The three retention modes are rolling out across Performance Max, Search and Shopping, according to Google’s Ads Liaison.
That is a big widening. Google’s current help documentation still shows Re-engagement and High Value Re-engagement as Performance Max only, and loyalty members as Performance Max and Shopping. Expect the help pages to catch up as the rollout lands in your account.
| Setting | What it does | Campaigns (after October 2026 rollout) |
|---|---|---|
| New customer value (multiplier) | Bids higher for new customers, now as a percentage | Search, Shopping, PMax, Demand Gen |
| High Value mode | Bids higher for new customers predicted to be high value | Search, PMax, now Shopping |
| Re-engagement mode | Bids higher for lapsed customers | PMax, Search, Shopping |
| Loyalty mode | Bids higher for loyalty programme members | PMax, Search, Shopping |
| Retention-only mode | Bids only for chosen existing customer segments | PMax, Search, Shopping |
Watch out: Google’s examples only cover new customer acquisition. Google has not said whether percentage multipliers also apply to retention goals, so check the options in your own account before planning around it.
Yes. Both acquisition and retention settings depend on Google knowing who your existing customers are, so you need Customer Match lists or conversion data that separates new from returning buyers. Google’s help page also requires at least one Purchase conversion goal and value-based bidding for most of these settings.
Value-based bidding means Target ROAS or Maximize conversion value, though “New customer only” also works with Target CPA. If your purchase tracking is shaky, fix that first. Our guide to PPC conversion tracking in 2026 covers the setup.
For Indian brands, one more check matters. Upload only customer data you collected with clear consent, and make sure your privacy notice covers ad matching. A stale or messy list makes every lifecycle setting less accurate.
Most retailers with varied basket sizes should switch, but carefully and early. Changing conversion values shifts what Smart Bidding optimises for, and bid strategies usually need time to settle. Make the change now, not on the morning of a sale.
Give Smart Bidding at least two weeks on the new values before peak traffic. That puts your practical deadline in the first half of November.
If your orders cluster around one price, the two settings behave almost the same. Browse the rest of this year’s changes in our Google Ads updates 2026 tracker.
Open the customer acquisition setting in your campaign, switch the adjustment from “Increase by” to “Multiply by”, and choose a multiplier. PPC Land’s description of Google’s screenshot shows the panel labelled “Setting for customer acquisition” with a “Calculate your value” button. Your account view may differ while the rollout completes.
Pro tip: Work out your multiplier from margin, not gut feel. If a new customer is worth roughly 30% more to you than a repeat order over a year, start near 1.3x and adjust after you see two weeks of data.
This is the most useful lifecycle goals change Google has shipped in a while. Flat bonuses never made sense for stores with mixed basket sizes, and multipliers fix that with one dropdown. The catch is timing: any value change resets what bidding chases, so retailers who switch in early November will be in far better shape than those who switch during the sale. Start at 1.2x, keep High Value and retention in separate campaigns, and let the data tell you whether to go higher.
It is a “Multiply by” option in the customer acquisition setting that scales a new customer’s conversion value by 1.1x to 5x. It replaces a flat added amount, so the extra value grows with order size.
Google says the multiplier is rolling out across Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. It is available in both Google Ads and Search Ads 360.
Google has not confirmed this. Its published examples only cover new customer acquisition, so check the options shown in your own account.
You need at least one Purchase conversion goal and, for most settings, value-based bidding such as Target ROAS or Maximize conversion value. You also need Customer Match lists or data that separates new from existing customers.
Switch as early as possible, ideally at least two weeks before a major sale. Changing conversion values changes what Smart Bidding optimises for, and it needs time to settle.
Google described the rollout as global during October 2026, so Indian advertisers should see it. Rollouts are gradual, so some accounts may get it later than others.
Digital Evangelist and Entrepreneur at Clickseek Digital. A results-oriented marketing leader with an 18+ year track record driving transformative growth for diverse global businesses. Expert in performance marketing, demand generation, customer acquisition, strategic partnerships, and market expansion within B2B SaaS, Consumer-Tech, Fintech, Travel/Hospitality, and CRM/ITES Solutions sectors. IIM alumnus with a strong analytical background and a string of accolades, including "Top 50 Most Influential E-Commerce Professional of India" and "Top 100 Digital Marketer of India."
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