Summary
Select a campaign goal. The goal chosen on the first screen of campaign creation tells Google Ads what outcome you want, and the platform then recommends the subtypes, bid strategies and settings suited to it. Skipping the goal removes those recommendations.
Nitin Batra is a Google Video Ads certified professional who plans and manages YouTube campaigns across awareness, consideration and action objectives in Google Ads.
Last updated: August 23, 2026
To get Google Ads to recommend specific features and settings during setup, the user should select a campaign goal at the start, because the goal drives which subtypes, bid strategies and options are shown.
- Link a Firebase account.
- Set the budget and campaign dates.
- Skip the goal selection.
- Select a campaign goal.
The correct answer is: Select a campaign goal.
Key Takeaways
- – Select a campaign goal at the start of setup so Google Ads recommends the features and settings that match the objective.
- – The goal you choose controls which campaign subtypes, bid strategies and ad formats appear on the following screens.
- – Goals exist to align campaign machinery with a business outcome, so awareness goals surface CPM and CPV, while sales and leads goals surface conversion bidding.
- – Choosing ‘Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance’ removes the recommendations entirely, and the goal does not by itself change how the campaign bids once settings are locked in.
What campaign goals are available when creating a Video campaign in Google Ads?
For Video campaigns you can pick Sales, Leads, Website traffic, Awareness and consideration, Product and brand consideration, or App promotion. Each one exposes a different set of subtypes on the next screen. Awareness and consideration gives you reach and views formats, while Sales and Leads give you Video action campaigns built for conversions.
Can I change the campaign goal after the campaign is running?
You can change or remove the goal from the campaign settings page, but it only affects the recommendations and reporting emphasis, not the structural choices already made. The subtype and bid strategy stay as they were unless you edit them separately. If you need a different subtype, it is cleaner to build a new campaign.
Does selecting a campaign goal force Google Ads to bid a certain way?
No. The goal narrows the list of bid strategies shown to you, but you still choose the strategy and set the targets. Selecting Leads does not automatically apply Target CPA, it simply puts conversion focused options in front of you and hides ones that make no sense for that objective.
When is it sensible to create a campaign without a goal's guidance?
Use it when you already know the exact subtype, bidding and settings you want and the goal filter is getting in the way, for example when you need a combination Google would not recommend. It is a power user option. For most advertisers, and for anyone who wants suggested features and settings, picking a goal is the better start.
6 Views