Google enables full placement reporting for Search Partner Network

Google announced this week that full placement reporting for the Search Partner Network (SPN) is now available for Search, Shopping, and App campaigns. According to the Google Ads Help documentation, "This highly impactful feature directly addresses advertiser feedback by offering full transparency on where your ads run, including impression data at the site level."

The announcement represents a significant shift in Google's approach to campaign transparency. For decades, advertisers have requested visibility into where their ads appear across Google's Search Partner Network, which syndicates search ads to third-party websites beyond Google's own search properties.

How the reporting system operates

The new placement reporting system mirrors the functionality previously available only for Performance Max campaigns. According to Google's documentation, "Similar to placement reporting for Performance Max campaigns, you can now determine exactly where your ads are appearing on the SPN for all your Search, Shopping and App campaigns."

The report provides a comprehensive list of all SPN sites where campaigns served ads, along with impression data for each individual site. This site-level granularity enables advertisers to analyze the specific websites where their advertising budget was allocated and make informed decisions about placement optimization.

The system generates reports that show the distribution of impressions across the Search Partner Network. Advertisers can access data showing which third-party search engines, commerce sites, and other partner properties displayed their advertisements.

Technical implementation details

The placement reporting feature builds upon Google's existing AdSense for Search infrastructure. According to court documents from the Department of Justice case, "Google currently offers an ads syndication product known as AdSense for Search or AFS, which syndicates Google search text ads from Google.com advertisers who do not opt out to Google's 'Search Partner Network,' i.e., third-party publishers."

The Search Partner Network includes various types of partner sites. According to Google's internal documentation referenced in the court filings, "AdSense for Search is a publisher product for serving search (shopping, app, etc) ads on 3rd party search engines (i.e. ask.com, startpage.com, web.de) and commerce sites (ebay.com, bestbuy.com)."

When an AFS partner requests an ad, the system provides Google with account identifiers, query information, ad style specifications, and maximum ad count parameters. Google then creates direct connections with user browsers to collect necessary data for ad delivery and measurement.

Industry response and market implications

The announcement generated a significant reaction across the digital marketing community. Anthony Higman, a digital marketing specialist, expressed surprise on social media, stating "This Is WILLLLDDDDDD!!!!!! Google Ads Is Going To Show FULL Placement Reporting On The Search Partner Network? HUGE News!" He noted that advertisers have been "Requesting For Decades" this level of transparency.

However, industry experts also expressed some skepticism about the timing. Higman added concerns about the implications: "Although this also makes me nervous. Because they saying for search, app and shopping campaigns. Watch now they gonna discontinue these campaign types or make them stop working and still no reporting on the ai campaign types where we will all be pushed."

Melissa Mackey, another marketing professional, acknowledged the historic nature of the update, commenting "We've been asking for this for 20 years!" The response indicates widespread industry recognition of the significance of this transparency enhancement.

Kirk Williams suggested potential regulatory pressure as a catalyst, referencing the Department of Justice antitrust case against Google with the comment "The DOJ is scary indeed." This observation aligns with broader industry discussions about increased transparency requirements facing major advertising platforms.

Contextual significance for digital marketing

The placement reporting enhancement addresses long-standing concerns about Search Partner Network transparency. PPC Land has extensively covered Google's gradual movement toward increased campaign transparency, particularly following advertiser feedback about "black box" automated campaign management.

The timing coincides with broader transparency initiatives across Google's advertising ecosystem. In April 2025, Google announced major transparency improvements for Performance Max campaigns, providing channel-level performance data for the first time since launch. The Search Partner Network announcement represents an extension of these transparency efforts to traditional campaign types.

The development also follows Google's implementation of advertiser verification requirements and enhanced reporting features across multiple campaign types. These changes reflect ongoing pressure for greater accountability in digital advertising placement and performance reporting.

Measurement capabilities and benefits

According to Google's announcement, the new reporting provides three primary benefits. "Full Transparency: Gain clear insights into every site where your ads are serving on the SPN." This visibility enables advertisers to identify the specific websites and search engines displaying their advertisements.

"Enhanced Control: Use the site and impression data to make more informed decisions and align with your brand's suitability needs." The site-level data allows advertisers to evaluate whether partner placements align with their brand safety requirements and campaign objectives.

"Optimized Performance: With this new transparency, you can better optimize placements for stronger campaign results." Armed with detailed placement information, advertisers can make strategic decisions about excluding underperforming sites or scaling successful partnerships.

The reporting system provides impression data as the primary metric, similar to the Performance Max placement reporting implementation. Mike Ryan, a retail marketing specialist, noted this limitation: "I mean, good step but also, it's the PMax version: impression data only."

Regulatory context and compliance

The announcement occurs amid increased regulatory scrutiny of digital advertising practices. Court documents from the ongoing Department of Justice antitrust case reveal advertiser demands for greater transparency and control. According to testimony, "multiple small advertising agency search advertising experts have told him that they want more information on ad placement, performance, and additional metrics."

The case documents also highlight advertiser concerns about automated bidding and placement decisions. Experts testified that "trust in Google Ads has dropped 5% between 2022 and 2023 . . . we speculate that this may be related to perceived loss of control over time."

These transparency enhancements may address some regulatory concerns while maintaining Google's automated optimization capabilities. The placement reporting provides visibility without requiring fundamental changes to auction mechanics or automated bidding systems.

Additional Search Partner Network developments

The placement reporting announcement accompanies several other Search Partner Network enhancements implemented throughout 2025. In April 2025, Google introduced a Pre-Screen Solution providing "curated exclusion lists for your verification needs" through partnerships with DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Sciences, and Zefr.

Google also implemented geographic targeting improvements to "more closely aligning area-of-interest and area-of-presence targeting with advertiser expectations" and Smart Bidding system enhancements for better performance on inventory-constrained traffic.

The company upgraded safety measures including "enhanced sampling and measurement of the network" and blocked "ads from adult domains." Additionally, Google implemented "Default opt-out of Parked Domains for new campaigns" with plans for gradual expansion to all campaigns by the end of 2025.

Campaign management implications

The placement visibility enables new optimization strategies for search campaign management. Advertisers can now identify high-performing partner sites and potentially negotiate direct partnerships or adjust bidding strategies based on site-specific performance data.

The transparency also supports brand safety initiatives by revealing the complete ecosystem where advertisements appear. Marketing teams can evaluate whether partner sites align with brand values and corporate policies, particularly important for advertisers in regulated industries or those with strict content guidelines.

For agencies managing multiple client accounts, the placement data provides granular insights for client reporting and strategic recommendations. The site-level visibility enables more sophisticated performance analysis and competitive intelligence gathering.

Timeline

• February 2025: Google enhances Smart Bidding system for Search Partner Network with improved bidding processes for inventory-constrained traffic
• April 2025: Google introduces SPN Pre-Screen Solution with third-party brand safety exclusion lists and geographic targeting improvements
• April 30, 2025: Google announces major Performance Max transparency enhancements including channel-level reporting and search terms visibility
• May 2, 2025: Google updates Ads Transparency policy introducing payer name identification requirements
• May 30, 2025: Performance Max channel reporting begins rolling out to advertiser accounts after month-long wait
• August 6, 2025: Google Ads API v21 introduces enhanced transparency tools and campaign management features
• August 19, 2025: Google announces full placement reporting for Search Partner Network across Search, Shopping, and App campaigns

Summary

Who: Google announced the placement reporting feature for advertisers using Search, Shopping, and App campaigns on the Search Partner Network

What: Full placement reporting providing site-level transparency and impression data for all Search Partner Network placements, similar to existing Performance Max campaign reporting

When: The announcement was made in August 2025, with the feature addressing advertiser requests spanning multiple decades

Where: The reporting covers all Search Partner Network sites including third-party search engines, commerce websites, and other partner properties that display Google search advertisements

Why: Google implemented the feature to "directly address advertiser feedback" and provide transparency demanded by the marketing community, while potentially responding to regulatory pressure from ongoing antitrust proceedings