Unified performance campaign

A Unified performance campaign (UPC) is a tool for creating universal campaigns that support different ad formats and can be used to promote most products and services. It combines and expands the capabilities of the most popular and familiar Yandex Direct campaigns.

The ads are shown in search results and in the Yandex Advertising Network on desktop browsers, tablets, and mobile phones.

Upgrading current campaigns

The Unified performance campaign feature has exited beta testing and, in the next 5 months, campaigns with Text & Image ads, dynamic ads, and smart banners will be upgraded to UPCs.

  • You can create new campaigns for goals that were previously achieved via Text & Image ads, dynamic ads, and smart banners in unified performance campaigns only. Your existing campaigns will continue running as is. You will also be able to copy and launch your current campaigns.

  • July — August 2024: You'll be able to upgrade selected campaigns to UPCs using a special tool. Training progress and statistics will be saved.

  • Fall 2024: Remaining campaigns of the legacy types will be upgraded to UPCs automatically without losing statistics and training progress.

Learn more about upgrading your current campaigns to UPCs on the Ad Portal.

  1. Advantages
  2. UPC ad types
  3. Questions and answers

Advantages

General settings structure

The structure of a Unified performance campaign follows a clear and familiar logic:

  • General settings are set at the campaign level: placements (all sites, search only, Yandex Advertising Network only, product gallery), strategy, campaign dates, schedule, and advanced settings that can be applied to all groups.

  • At the group level, you configure targetings for your desired audience: impression geography, autotargeting, relevant keywords, interests and habits, retargeting lists, type of content on ad platforms, as well as settings that can be applied to all ads in the group.

  • At the ad level, you've got everything you need for managing ad layout: fields for uploading texts, images, videos, sitelinks, callouts, and contact information. For product ads, you can upload feeds and set up filters.

Product ads

A new type of ad for advertising large selections of products. It combines familiar dynamic ads and smart banners.

A single consolidated campaign for better coverage, efficiency, and strategy training

The unified structure and new product ads help consolidate your campaigns to increase ad effectiveness, as well as offer and combine different ads for the same audience, for example, to target only new users. If needed, you can merge campaigns with different targetings as part of a single portfolio strategy.

Flexible management of CPC, CPA, or cost revenue ratio

A new setting at the group level allows you to adjust targets for CPC, CPA, or cost revenue ratio for a specific audience.

Statistics

The Report Wizard can show full statistics for any cross section, including a breakdown by ad type. Currently, you can't view statistics on individual products.

Download a table with UPC vs. other campaign types comparison

UPC ad types

A single campaign can have different types of ads. We recommend you create as many variations as possible so that your ads can be served on all the available ad platforms.

Product ads

Automatic ads for product offers are created for each promoted product on your website or feed.

They are served in search results and ad networks.

How do I create a product ad?

Catalog pages

Automatic ads for catalog pages are created for the section on your site or feed that you want to promote.

They are served in search results and ad networks.

How do I create an ad for catalog pages?

Text & Image ads

A Text & Image ad with text

The ad consists of a title, ad text, and a link to the advertised site. The titles and texts of ads must be of interest to the user or offer a solution to their problem.

Ads are served in search results and ad networks.

How do I create a Text & Image ad?

A Text & Image ad with an image or carousel

A well-chosen image draws more attention to your ad and helps users instantly understand your offer.

Ads with images are served in ad networks.

How do I add images or carousel slides?

A Text & Image ad with video

Transform your ads into pay-per-click video ads.

Shoot your video and upload it when creating an ad. Ads with videos are placed in the video network and other relevant sites of the Yandex Advertising Network in the OutStream and InStream units. Users can choose to skip the video after five seconds.

How do I add a video?

Image ads

Pitch your offer in a single image. These are images you click on to get to the advertiser's site. Image ads combine the advantages of media and contextual advertising.

Image ads are only shown in ad networks.

How do I create an image ad?

An ad may be served in a combined format that integrates multiple ad types. For example, a text & image ad for a store and product ads or an ad for catalog pages and product ads. To enable this, add different types of ads to a single group: text & image ads, product ads, and ads for catalog pages. Set up targetings, such as keywords, for the group and they will be used as display criteria. To make sure the combined format contains catalog page ads and product ads, both ad types must be generated based on the same source: a feed or site.

Questions and answers

Can I view my campaigns in the old Yandex Direct interface?

Viewing campaigns is not available in the old interface. You can revise campaign settings on the campaign page by switching between campaigns, groups, and ads (using tabs at the top), or within a specific campaign (in the side menu).

Can I create a campaign with only dynamic ads for impressions in search results?

Yes, you can. Unified performance campaigns support all ad impression options. For example, to create dynamic ads, simply select “Yandex Search” in the ad placement, set up targetings at the group level, and choose Product ads, generating them from a feed or site.

The placement is set for all ads in the campaign at once: you can't manage them separately for each ad type.

Which strategies can I choose?

Unified performance campaigns support all strategies, except for manual bid management in ad networks and mixed campaigns (served both in search results and the Yandex Advertising Network). On top of that, we will add support for portfolio strategies, which allow combining multiple unified performance campaigns, for example, with different placements or ad types.

What are the main differences between a Unified performance campaign and the Campaign Wizard or a product campaign?

The main difference is the capabilities offered by the Expert mode:

  • Option to serve ads exclusively in Yandex Search or in the Yandex Advertising Network, as opposed to mixed campaigns.
  • Multiple groups within the same campaign.
  • CPA adjustment at the group level.
  • More flexible customization of strategies and targeting.
  • Ability to combine multiple UPCs into portfolio strategies.
  • Detailed Report Wizard statistics.
  • Bulk actions.
What are the main differences between a Unified performance campaign and other Expert mode campaign types?
  • Ability to create product ads within the same campaign with Text & Image ads and image ads.
  • Additional flexibility in configuring campaign KPIs offered by the ability to adjust targets at the group level.
  • Ongoing development of new ad formats and features.
How do I test the effectiveness of a UPC if I have currently running campaigns?

If you have active Text & Image ads, dynamic ads, or smart banner campaigns, you can go to “Experiments” and run an A/B test by splitting the traffic into equal parts and comparing the effectiveness of your campaigns once they are trained.

You can't run an A/B test if you have active Campaign Wizard campaigns or product campaigns.

What's the right way to migrate campaigns to a UPC?

We recommend migrating your traffic gradually, reducing it in the least effective campaigns. For the most seamless switch to a UPC, migrate your product campaigns either one product category or one region at a time:

  1. In the UPC, create an ad group with ads belonging to a certain product category or region from the product campaign.
  2. Wait for the ad campaign to start generating impressions.
  3. If this brings positive results, remove the selected category or region from the product campaign.

Repeat these steps until the campaigns are fully migrated: a gradual migration allows you to assess the effectiveness of the launched campaigns more accurately.

Will the spending limit of no more than 35% per day from an automatic strategy still work in a UPC?

Yes, you will continue to spend the same amount as usual.

Can I split my budget at the group level?

No, there is currently no such feature. If you prioritize advertising in different ad placement locations and normal budget spending to solve your business tasks, then you can create separate campaigns.

Can the offer retargeting criteria be met if it's enabled at the group level but there are no product ads?

Product-based retargeting is used to serve ads to users who have already interacted with certain products from your website or app. If you haven't created any product ads, the retargeting criteria will be undefined and no ads will be served.

Does offer retargeting combined with other retargeting criteria use “AND” or “OR” operator?

All targetings in the Yandex Advertising Network except for geotargeting settings use the logical “OR” operator. Ads are served to users who meet at least one of the criteria.

Does adding negative keywords affect autotargeting both in search results and in the Yandex Advertising Network?

Yes, negative keywords apply to ads both in search results and in the Yandex Advertising Network.

Have questions?

Attention. Our customer service can help you with the campaigns created under the same login that you use to contact us. You can see your current login in the upper-right corner of the screen. Our team can access your data only when processing your request.