If you manage YouTube campaigns, you've noticed massive changes in 2025. Video Action Campaigns disappeared. Demand Gen replaced them overnight. Shorts exploded to 2 billion users. And last week Google launched "Shoppable CTV."
The reporting challenge: Demand Gen spans YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Display Network, four separate data sources instead of VAC's single platform. Each source reports metrics differently, requiring manual reconciliation if you're exporting to spreadsheets.
Here's what actually changed with YouTube Ads reporting in 2026, which metrics matter now, and how to track performance without manual exports.
Video Action Campaigns Don't Exist Anymore
Google force-migrated every Video Action Campaign to Demand Gen in July 2025. Your old VAC settings are gone.
What's different:
- Runs across YouTube + Discover + Gmail (not just YouTube)
- Combines video + image assets in one campaign
- Product feeds show shoppable carousels in ads
- Channel controls let you target Shorts-only or CTV-only
Performance data: Nielsen analysis found Demand Gen delivers 58% higher ROAS than VAC. LG Electronics reported 24% higher conversion rates vs Meta campaigns using Demand Gen.
If you haven't explored Demand Gen settings, that's your first task this week.
Three New Ad Formats to Track
1. Shoppable CTV Ads (Launched January 22)
Google officially rolled out shoppable Connected TV ads this month. Viewers on TV can add products to cart without switching devices.
Early reporting shows +7% conversions at the same ROI vs standard video ads.
Why tracking CTV separately matters: YouTube viewing on TV surpassed mobile in 2024. CTV is YouTube's primary screen now.
Available in: Performance Max, Demand Gen, DV360
Setup requirement: Product feed via Google Merchant Center
Key metrics to track: CTV impression share, CTV conversion rate, CTV vs mobile CPV
2. YouTube Shorts Ads Performance
Shorts hit 2 billion monthly users, more than TikTok (1.59B) or Instagram Reels (1.8B).
Benchmarks to track:
- CPM: $4 average
- CPV: $0.10-$0.30 range
- CTR to long-form: 4.5%
- Channels combining Shorts + long-form: 41% faster growth
What works in reporting: Entertainment content leads (17% of views). Track completion rates. Lo-fi user-generated creative outperforms polished TV ads by 3-4x.
3. Bumper Ads Still Deliver
Six seconds forces message clarity. Samsung's Galaxy S8 campaign remains the benchmark: one benefit, visual repetition, clear CTA.
When to use bumper ads:
- Reach and frequency campaigns (CPM-based)
- Retargeting with focused message
- Brand awareness at lower CPV
When to skip them:
- Complex product explanations
- Multi-benefit messaging
- Campaigns requiring engagement beyond impressions
YouTube Ads Benchmarks by Industry (2026)
Based on Google Partner data from thousands of accounts:
Overall averages: $3.53 CPM, $0.026 CPV, 31.9% view rate, 0.65% CTR
Most important metric: First 5-second retention predicts performance better than CTR. High early retention = 2-3x lower CPV consistently.
Five Mistakes in YouTube Ads Tracking
1. Not segmenting by placement
CTV, mobile, and Shorts perform completely differently. Track them separately or your data is useless.
2. Ignoring assisted conversions
YouTube often assists rather than closes. Track view-through conversions and cross-channel attribution.
3. Checking performance monthly instead of daily
Ad fatigue hits after 7-10 days. By the time you check monthly, you've wasted 3 weeks of budget.
4. Not tracking first 5-second retention
This single metric predicts CPV better than anything else, but most advertisers ignore it.
5. Missing attributed branded searches
New Attributed Branded Searches metric shows search volume generated by your YouTube campaigns. Crucial for understanding brand lift.
How to Track YouTube Ads Performance: Essential Metrics
Campaign-level metrics:
- Impressions and reach by placement
- CPV and CPM by format (Shorts, CTV, mobile)
- View rate and completion rate
- Click-through rate on CTAs
Conversion tracking:
- Direct conversions by campaign
- Assisted conversions (critical for YouTube)
- View-through conversions
- Attributed branded searches (new in Demand Gen)
- Cross-channel contribution
Creative performance:
- First 5-second retention by ad
- Completion rate at 10s, 25s, 50%, 75%, 100%
- Skip rate
- Engagement rate (clicks, expansions, interactions)
Audience insights:
- Performance by demographic
- Performance by device (CTV vs mobile vs desktop)
- Geographic performance
- Time of day patterns
For advanced tracking setups, see our complete guide on Looker Studio dashboard updates for 2026.
Best Practices for YouTube Ads Reporting
Daily monitoring essentials:
Track these daily to catch problems early:
- CPV by campaign (flag 20%+ increases)
- View rate trends
- First 5-second retention
- Conversion rate by placement
Weekly analysis:
- Creative performance comparison
- Audience segment analysis
- Geographic performance
- Device breakdown
Monthly strategic review:
- Cross-channel attribution
- Assisted conversion impact
- Brand lift measurement
- ROI by format and placement
What Top Advertisers Track Differently
Sequential campaign reporting:
Track awareness, consideration, conversion stages separately. Measure how each stage feeds the next.
Format-specific KPIs:
Different success metrics for Shorts (completion rate), bumper ads (reach and frequency), CTV (conversion rate), in-stream (view rate).
Cross-device journeys:
Users discover on mobile, convert on desktop. Track the full path, not just last-click attribution.
AI-driven anomaly detection:
Set up automated alerts for unusual patterns. Sudden CPV spikes, view rate drops, conversion decline.
Creative fatigue monitoring:
Track performance degradation over time. Most ads need refresh after 7-10 days.
Your YouTube Ads Reporting Checklist
Setup (do once):
- Connect conversion tracking properly
- Set up attributed branded search tracking
- Create placement-segmented reports (CTV, mobile, Shorts)
- Configure cross-channel attribution
- Set up automated daily alerts
Daily tasks:
- Check CPV and view rate trends
- Monitor first 5-second retention
- Review conversion performance
- Flag creative needing refresh (10+ days old)
Weekly tasks:
- Analyze audience performance
- Review geographic data
- Compare creative variants
- Check assisted conversions
Monthly tasks:
- Full cross-channel attribution analysis
- ROI by format and placement
- Brand lift measurement
- Strategic adjustments based on trends
Long-Term: How to Improve YouTube Ads Performance
Test systematically:
Run controlled experiments on creative, targeting, bidding. Track results in standardized format.
Build historical baselines:
Compare current performance to past quarters, not just last month. Seasonal patterns matter.
Invest in creative:
Top performers allocate 30-40% of budget to creative production and testing, not just media spend.
Automate repetitive reporting:
Manual exports waste 5-10 hours weekly. Automation lets you focus on analysis, not data gathering.
Share insights cross-functionally:
YouTube data informs SEO (branded search lift), product (what features resonate), sales (which messages convert).
The State of YouTube Ads in 2026
Google reported over 1 billion conversions from YouTube Ads in the past 12 months. The platform converts when tracking is set up correctly.
What separates winning advertisers from struggling ones:
Winners do this:
- Track performance daily with automated dashboards
- Segment by placement (CTV, mobile, Shorts)
- Monitor attributed branded searches
- Refresh creative every 7-10 days
- Use cross-channel attribution
Losers do this:
- Check performance monthly via manual exports
- Treat all placements the same
- Only track last-click conversions
- Run same creative for months
- Judge YouTube in isolation
The platform changed fundamentally in 2025. Your reporting needs to change too.
