How do I set budget limits for multiple PMax campaigns?

In 2026, the most effective way to “group” PMax budgets is by linking them to a Portfolio Bid Strategy. This allows multiple campaigns to work toward a single ROAS or CPA goal while sharing a collective “brain.”

  1. Go to Tools: Click the Tools icon (spanner/wrench.

  2. Open Budgets and Bidding: Select Tools > Budgets And Bidding > Bid strategies.

  3. Create Portfolio Strategy: Click the      button and choose your strategy (e.g., Target ROAS).

  1. Include Campaigns: Select all the PMax campaigns you want to group together.

  1. Set Shared Constraints: Here is the “limit” part: You can set a Maximum Bid Limit and a Shared Budget (if your account version allows PMax in shared budgets).

    • In 2026, Google started allowing some PMax campaigns to use Shared Budgets only when paired with a Portfolio Bid Strategy.



Technical Budget Rules

Feature

PMax Rule in 2026

The “3x Rule”

Your daily budget should be at least 3x your Target CPA. If your goal is £50/lead, your budget must be £150/day.

Daily Fluctuations

Google can spend up to 2x your daily budget on high-traffic days, as long as the monthly average stays consistent.

Campaign Total Budget

New for 2026: You can now set a “Total Budget” for PMax if the campaign has a specific start and end date (perfect for seasonal promos).



The “Shared Budget” Trap

Historically, PMax campaigns were incompatible with Shared Budgets because they need stable, dedicated funding to feed the AI. If you force PMax into a shared budget with a standard Search campaign, the PMax campaign will often “eat” the entire budget before the Search campaign even gets a chance to show an ad. 

Recommendation: Only share budgets between PMax campaigns that have the same product margins and goals.


Last Updated 2nd February 2026.

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