Google is quietly rolling out a new Performance Max feature that lets advertisers upload video files directly inside the “Edit assets” panel — no YouTube channel or Shared Library required.

Driving the news. The feature, spotted in the Google Ads UI, adds a simple “Upload” tab during asset creation in PMax campaigns.

A highlighted upload box now appears in the YouTube ad setup workflow, guiding users to drop in a video file and move on — significantly reducing friction for new video advertisers.

Direct Video Uploads And Social Video Imports 1

How it works. Uploaded videos are stored in a Google-managed house channel, not the advertiser’s YouTube account.
That means the assets can be used in ads, but they don’t function like normal YouTube uploads.

Why we care. The update streamlines campaign setup for advertisers who don’t have a YouTube channel or want a faster way to get video assets live. But the convenience comes with major trade-offs — no analytics, no remarketing lists, no metadata, and no appeals—meaning advertisers risk losing valuable performance insights and long-term asset ownership. It’s a convenient option, but one that should be used carefully and not as a replacement for uploading through a proper brand channel.

The catch. Videos uploaded this way come with strict limitations:

  • No YouTube Analytics
  • No remarketing audiences
  • No metadata editing
  • No custom thumbnails
  • No ability to appeal rejections or restrictions
  • No brand-channel presence or long-term asset ownership

First seen. This update was first seen by Web Marketing Consultant, Dario Zannoni, who shared the new feature on LinkedIn.

The bottom line. The feature is a useful shortcut for advertisers in a rush or without a YouTube footprint.
But best practice hasn’t changed: upload through your official YouTube brand channel whenever possible to preserve analytics, audience data, and full creative control.

Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.

Anu AdegbolaAnu Adegbola

Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.

In 2008, Anu started her career delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast.

She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more.