Google Display Network Guide: Targeting, Creative, Bidding and the 2026 Move to Demand Gen

The Google Display Network (GDN) is Google's collection of third-party websites, mobile apps and video content where image, responsive and video ads can appear. It is inventory, not a campaign type. In 2026 that distinction matters more than ever, because the way you buy GDN placements is changing: Google announced in May 2026 that Display campaigns are moving into Demand Gen.

This guide covers what the network is, the campaign types that can reach it today, how targeting, creative and bidding work, what the Demand Gen migration changes, and the checks that keep display spend on placements you actually want.

What the Google Display Network is

Google Ads Help describes the Display Network as a large collection of websites, mobile apps and video content where Display campaign ads can appear. Publishers join it through Google's publisher products, and advertisers reach it through Google Ads. In its notice on integrating the network with Demand Gen, Google describes the network as reaching over 90% of the global internet population across more than 3 million sites and apps.

Two points help put that reach in context:

• The Display Network is not the Search Network. Search ads answer a query someone just typed. Display ads appear while people read, watch or use an app, so most impressions reach people who were not looking for you at that moment.
• Scale is not the same as quality. A network that large includes premium publishers and low-attention placements side by side. Much of display management is deciding where not to show.

Ways to reach the Display Network in 2026

If your goal is display specifically, the choice today is Display campaigns or Demand Gen. Performance Max and App campaigns reach the same inventory, but as part of a mixed channel budget; our Performance Max guide explains how that allocation works, and our Google Ads for mobile apps guide covers the app side.

The 2026 change: Display campaigns move into Demand Gen

On May 26, 2026, Google announced that Google Display Ads is transitioning into Demand Gen, so advertisers manage their Display Network presence through Demand Gen campaigns. Google Ads Help's migration article sets out the sequence:

• June 2026: a migration tool starts rolling out to eligible advertisers, in phases. It updates live campaigns and carries over up to 42 days of performance history.
• Later: new display campaigns can only be created within Demand Gen, and remaining eligible campaigns are migrated automatically. Google's announcement says the transition is expected to complete by 2027.

This did not happen all at once. Demand Gen had already gained Display Network reach earlier: channel controls let advertisers choose YouTube, Discover, Gmail or the Google Display Network per ad group from March 2025, and image ads in opted-in Demand Gen ad groups began serving on the network in April 2025.

The practical catch is that not every Display feature exists in Demand Gen. Google's migration article lists items that are not supported there, including Manual CPC, viewable impressions (vCPM) bidding, pay for conversions, bid adjustments and portfolio bid strategies, combined audiences, and Brand Lift measurement for the Display Network. Uploaded HTML5 display ads and third-party ads are listed as coming soon. Before migrating, list which of these your current campaigns rely on and plan the replacement, for example moving from Manual CPC to a Smart Bidding strategy.

Targeting on the Display Network

Display targeting falls into three groups, and they combine differently depending on campaign type.

Audience targeting

Audience segments target people rather than pages:

• Your data: website and app visitors (remarketing) and Customer Match lists.
• Custom segments: people described by the search terms, websites or apps they are interested in.
• Google's segments: interests and habits (affinity), people actively researching a purchase (in-market), and detailed demographics.
• Lookalike segments in Demand Gen, which expand from a seed list to people with similar characteristics.

Content targeting

Content targeting chooses the pages and apps themselves:

• Keywords: match ads to sites and videos about those terms.
• Topics: broad content categories.
• Placements: specific websites, apps or YouTube channels you name.

Google Ads Help notes one Demand Gen detail worth knowing: when keyword or topic inclusions are enabled, ads will not serve on inventories other than the Display Network. Contextual targeting in Demand Gen therefore narrows the channel mix, not only the audience.

Optimized targeting

Optimized targeting lets Google look beyond your selected segments for people likely to convert within your campaign goal. Google Ads Help describes it as giving the campaign flexibility to explore which customers have the highest likelihood to convert. It works best when conversion tracking is solid and the goal is performance. For tightly defined remarketing or brand campaigns, review whether you want it on.

Creative: responsive display ads first

Most Display Network ads are responsive display ads. You upload assets and Google assembles ads that fit each placement. The specifications in Google Ads Help:

Practical guidance:

• Supply both image ratios and both logo shapes. Missing formats limit where the ad can serve.
• Keep text out of images. Headlines and descriptions are separate assets; text baked into images gets cropped or becomes unreadable in small placements.
• Write headlines that stand alone. Any headline can appear with any description.
• Add video if you are moving to Demand Gen. Demand Gen combines image, video and carousel formats in one campaign.

Bidding and budgets

Display and Demand Gen both support Smart Bidding strategies such as Maximize conversions, Target CPA, Maximize conversion value and Target ROAS, plus Maximize clicks. Our Smart Bidding guide covers how they learn, and Target CPA vs Target ROAS helps you choose between them.

Three display-specific points:

• Manual CPC, vCPM and pay for conversions are Display-only. If your campaigns depend on them, they are the first thing to rethink before migration.
• Display budgets can spend fast. Inventory is large, so broad targeting can use a daily budget quickly. See our guide to Google Ads budget pacing for how daily budgets are spent across a month.
• Quality Score is a Search keyword diagnostic. It does not work the same way for display. For display performance, look at conversions, placement quality and creative, not Quality Score. Our Quality Score guide explains where it applies.

Keep spend on placements you want

Because the network is so large, placement hygiene is an ongoing task, not a setup step:

1. Check where your ads showed. The placement report in Google Ads lists the sites, apps and videos that served your ads. Review it weekly while a campaign is new.
2. Exclude what does not fit. Add placement exclusions for sites and apps that bring clicks without conversions, and use content exclusions for topics that do not suit your brand. Account-level exclusion lists apply across campaigns, including Performance Max.
3. Watch mobile app placements closely. Accidental taps in apps can produce clicks with very short sessions. Compare engagement and conversion rates by placement type before scaling.
4. Separate prospecting from remarketing. They behave differently in cost and conversion rate; mixing them in one campaign hides both.
5. Decide how to treat view-through conversions. Display can record conversions from people who saw but did not click an ad. Report them separately from click-through conversions so you know what drove each result.

A setup checklist

• Conversion tracking works and the primary conversion reflects real business value.
• Remarketing audiences are collecting data before launch.
• You have chosen between a Display campaign and Demand Gen, knowing that new display buying is moving to Demand Gen.
• Responsive display ad assets include both image ratios, both logo shapes and at least several headlines and descriptions.
• Account-level placement and content exclusions are in place.
• A weekly placement review is scheduled for the first month.
• If you run Display campaigns today, you have a list of features that will not carry over to Demand Gen.

Common mistakes

• Treating the Display Network like Search. Display reaches people who were not searching; expect lower click-through rates and judge it on conversions and assisted value.
• Launching broad without exclusions. The default reach is enormous; exclusions are what make it usable.
• Uploading one image size. Missing ratios limit reach and weaken ad quality.
• Building new strategy around Manual CPC or vCPM. Those options do not carry into Demand Gen.
• Ignoring the migration timeline. Waiting for automatic migration means changes happen on Google's schedule rather than yours.

FAQ

What is the difference between the Google Display Network and the Search Network?

The Search Network shows ads on Google search results and search partner sites in response to a query. The Display Network shows ads on third-party websites, apps and video content while people browse, so it builds awareness and remarketing reach rather than answering an active search.

Is the Google Display Network going away?

No. The network itself continues. What is changing is how you buy it: Display campaigns are migrating into Demand Gen, where the Google Display Network is one channel alongside YouTube, Discover and Gmail.

Can I choose which websites my display ads appear on?

Yes. Placement targeting lets you name specific websites, apps or YouTube channels, and placement exclusions let you block ones you do not want. You can also review the placement report to see where ads actually served.

Do Performance Max campaigns show ads on the Display Network?

Yes. Performance Max serves across Google's channels, including display inventory, but you do not get separate display targeting or budget. Use Display or Demand Gen when you need direct control over display placements.

What are responsive display ads?

They are ads that Google assembles from the images, logos, headlines and descriptions you provide, adjusting size and format to fit each placement on the Display Network.