It depends on your goals and account structure, but here’s the breakdown of whether to run Shopping and Performance Max (PMax) together or pause Standard Shopping:
When to Pause Standard Shopping and Run Only PMax
Recommended if:
You want to maximize automation across all Google networks (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail).
You don’t need strict control over keywords, placement, or bidding.
You're already seeing strong performance from PMax (ROAS, conversions).
You want to simplify account management and avoid campaign overlap.
Why?
PMax is designed to prioritize itself over Standard Shopping. Even if you set equal budgets, PMax will eat traffic first—causing Shopping campaigns to under-deliver or stop triggering altogether.
When You Might Run Both Together (With a Strategy)
Use both only if you:
Want to segment high-performing products into Standard Shopping (for tighter control).
Need more visibility into search terms, which PMax doesn't provide directly.
Use manual bidding or Smart Shopping tactics to test against PMax performance.
Want to run Shopping internationally and PMax is limited in that region.
Pro Tip:
If you run both, use campaign priorities and negative keyword exclusions strategically to avoid competition between campaigns.
Best Practice Setup
PMax – Run full catalog except your top performers.
Standard Shopping (High Priority) – Run only top-selling or controlled SKUs.
Exclude those SKUs from PMax using listing groups or product exclusions.
If You Do Nothing?
Google will let them overlap, but PMax will dominate. This often leads to: