If you've ever opened your Search campaign's settings, you may have noticed a checkbox under Networks that says something like "Include Google search partners". You probably didn't tick it. It was already ticked.
Google Ads search partners are one of the quieter ways a budget gets spread wider than a store owner intended. They're not a scam, and for some campaigns they work well. But you should decide whether to use them from your own numbers, not by default.
The short answer: Google search partners are other websites and apps that show Google search ads. New Search campaigns include them by default. You can't see which partner sites your ads appeared on, but you can compare cost per sale on search partners against Google Search in your reports. If partners cost much more per sale over a fair period, turn them off for that campaign. If they're comparable, leave them on.
What are Google search partners?
Google describes its Search Network as "a group of search-related websites and apps where your ads can appear". It has two parts:
- Google Search itself, plus other Google search surfaces.
- Google search partners: other sites and apps that show Google ads, for example on their own site search results pages. On partner sites, Google says ads "can appear in different locations and placements, such as a list of search results".
When someone searches on a partner site, your ad can show if it matches the search, the same way it would on Google.
Two facts from Google's help page matter most to a store owner:
- They're on by default. "When you create a campaign for the Search Network, search partners are included by default. You can opt out of these networks at any time through your campaign settings."
- You can't see where. "Google Ads doesn't provide information detailing the website where your ad was shown on the Search Network, unless you are running a Performance Max campaign."
So in a Search campaign, search partners are all-or-nothing: on or off for the whole campaign, with no list of sites to review or exclude.
Why partner traffic can behave differently
A search on a partner site isn't always the same as a search on Google. The person might be using a site's internal search box, browsing a results page with ads mixed into other content, or arriving from a context that has little to do with shopping. Some partner traffic converts as well as Google Search; some converts much worse; it varies by account and by product.
That's the whole point of checking: there's no general rule that partners are good or bad. There's only how they perform for your store.
How to check whether search partners are worth it for your store
You can answer this in about ten minutes from your own account.
- Open your Search campaigns and set the date range to the last 30 days. If you get fewer than a few sales a week, use 90 days so the numbers mean something.
- Segment by network. In the campaigns or ad groups table, use Segment → Network (with search partners). Each row splits into Google Search and search partners. (The search terms report has the same option: Google notes you can segment it by "time, conversions, device … or Networks".)
- Compare cost per conversion and conversion value per cost for each network, not clicks or click-through rate. Cheap clicks don't matter if they never buy.
- Check the volume. If search partners spent $15 with no sales over a month, that's a small number but not yet proof. If they spent $300 with no sales while Google Search sold steadily, that's a clear signal.
A worked example
These numbers are made up but realistic. A store selling running accessories has one Search campaign. Last 30 days, segmented by network:
| Network | Cost | Clicks | Purchases | Cost per purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search | $1,140 | 980 | 38 | $30 |
| Search partners | $260 | 410 | 2 | $130 |
Search partners brought 30% of the clicks and 19% of the spend, but only 5% of the sales. Each partner sale cost more than four times as much as a sale from Google Search. If the store's break-even cost per sale is $35, partner traffic is losing money on almost every sale, and turning it off would have saved most of that $260 without touching Google Search.
Now the opposite case: if partners had brought 8 purchases for $260 ($32.50 each), they'd be performing close to Google Search, and turning them off would cost sales.
How to turn search partners off (or back on)
For a Search campaign:
- Open the campaign and go to Settings.
- Find Networks.
- Uncheck Google search partners (the exact label can vary slightly in different versions of Google Ads).
- Save.
Google's help page on the Search Network has the current steps. The change applies to that campaign only, so repeat it for each Search campaign where the numbers say so.
You can switch partners back on at any time. If you're unsure, a reasonable approach is to turn them off in the campaign with the clearest gap and compare a few weeks of results, keeping an eye on total sales, not just cost.
What about Performance Max?
Performance Max is different. It runs across all of Google's inventory, which Google describes as "YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps", from a single campaign. Google's help page now notes that in Performance Max, "Search partners and the Google Display Network can be configured with separate priority tiers and optional daily budget allocations".
If you run Performance Max through Shopify's Google & YouTube channel, look at the campaign's settings and reports to see how partner and Display inventory are configured, and judge them by results in the same way: cost per sale against your break-even.
When to keep search partners on
Leaving them on can make sense when:
- Their cost per sale is close to Google Search's. Extra sales at a similar cost are a good thing.
- Your Google Search traffic is limited. If your campaign can't spend its budget on Google Search alone (for example, a niche product with few searches), partners can add reach.
- You haven't got enough data yet. In a brand-new campaign, give it time before deciding either way.
And when to turn them off:
- Partner cost per sale is far above Google Search and above your break-even, over a fair period.
- Your budget is small and limited. When every dollar matters, it's reasonable to spend it where you can see performance best.
The bigger picture
Search partners are one of several defaults that widen where your ads show. Others include the "Presence or interest" location setting (see why Google Ads shows your store in the wrong country) and broad keyword matching. Our guide to where Shopify stores lose Google Ads budget puts them in context, and how to run Google Ads for a Shopify store covers the settings to review before a new campaign launches.
If you'd like the comparison done for you across every campaign, Advizify runs a read-only audit of your Google Ads account for Shopify stores. It measures wasted spend over the last 30 days, ranks what to fix first, and never changes your campaigns. Your first audit is free, and later audits are $19 each.
FAQ
Are Google search partners worth it? It depends on your account. Compare cost per sale on search partners against Google Search over at least 30 days. If partners are much more expensive per sale, they're not worth it for that campaign.
Are search partners on by default? Yes. Google says search partners are included by default when you create a campaign for the Search Network, and you can opt out in the campaign settings.
Can I see which search partner sites showed my ads? Not for Search campaigns. Google says it doesn't provide the website where your ad was shown on the Search Network, except for Performance Max campaigns.
Can I exclude individual search partner sites? No. In a Search campaign, search partners are included or excluded as a whole.
Who are Google's search partners? Google doesn't publish a full list. They're sites and apps that show Google search ads, for example alongside their own search results.