Where does each Meta format go on Google?
Demand Gen is the Google campaign built for the job a Meta prospecting campaign does: image and video ads in feeds people scroll. It serves on YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Google Display Network, and Google says it can reach up to 3 billion monthly users [1]. Google's own Demand Gen creative guide tells advertisers to reuse high-performing imagery from social platforms [5]. Performance Max can use the same videos, but it blends them into Search, Shopping and Display too [4].
Two details trip people up. First, these campaigns don't take a video file: the video has to be on YouTube, and you add it by link (unlisted works) [3]. Second, a cut shorter than 10 seconds won't serve as a YouTube in-stream ad, and Google recommends more than 15 seconds [3]. Check the length of short Reels before you port them.
| Asset | Spec | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Images | 1:1, 1.91:1, 4:5, 9:16 | 9:16 is recommended for Shorts; up to 20 images per ad [2] |
| Image size | 5 MB max | Recommended 1200x1200, 1200x628, 960x1200, 1080x1920 [2] |
| Video | 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 | 1 to 5 videos per ad, all on YouTube [3] |
| Video length | 5 s minimum | Under 10 s won't serve in-stream; over 15 s recommended [3] |
| Headline | 40 characters | [2] |
| Description | 90 characters | [2] |
| PMax video | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 | At least 10 s; upload all three or Google may generate its own [4]; Shorts needs a 10 to 60 s vertical video [6] |
What transfers from Meta, and what doesn't?
The ad itself travels well. Almost everything around it has to be rebuilt.
| Piece | Transfers? | What to do on Google |
|---|---|---|
| Hook (first 2 seconds) | Yes | Keep it. On Shorts and in-feed, the opening frame does the same job it does in Reels. |
| Burned-in captions | Mostly | Move them inside the safe area of each ratio. YouTube's player buttons cover the bottom and right edge of Shorts. |
| Music | Check | A track licensed through Meta's sound library isn't automatically cleared for YouTube ads. Swap it if your license doesn't cover YouTube. |
| Primary text and headline | No | Rewrite for 40 and 90 character limits. The text has to match what the video says. |
| Landing page | Yes, with checks | Same page is fine if it is fast and matches the ad. Google's misrepresentation and destination rules apply to the page too. |
| Custom and lookalike audiences | No | Rebuild from your own data. Demand Gen lookalike segments start from your customer list or site visitors; Google is moving them to a suggestion mode during 2026. |
| Pixel, CAPI and learning history | No | Set up a Google purchase conversion. The campaign starts learning from zero. |
| Comments and social proof | No | Likes and comments stay on Meta. Put proof inside the video. |
Check policy before you port. An ad that runs on Meta can be disapproved on Google. Google bans before-and-after images that promote big changes to the body [8], miracle-cure and fast weight-loss claims [9], and many supplement and drug products [10]. If your product is health-related, Google also blocks customer lists, remarketing and lookalikes for it [11], which means Demand Gen's usual audience setup is off the table.
How do you move a Meta winner to Google, step by step?
- 01Pick winners by purchases, not by likes
Take the 3 to 5 Meta ads with the most purchases at or under your target CAC over the last 30 days. Engagement alone is a weak signal; you want ads that already sell.
- 02Check each ad against Google's policies
Meta and Google have different rules. Before you cut anything, check claims, before-and-after shots and pricing language against Google's misrepresentation and healthcare policies.
- 03Export clean masters and cut every ratio
Export each ad without Meta's on-screen UI. Keep the 9:16 cut for Shorts, and make 16:9 and 1:1 (or 4:5) cuts with captions moved inside the safe area. Pull stills at 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16.
- 04Upload the videos to YouTube
Google Ads video assets are YouTube videos. Upload each cut to your brand channel (unlisted is fine) and copy the links. Keep each cut at least 10 seconds so it can serve in-stream.
- 05Set up Google conversion tracking first
Your Meta pixel and Conversions API don't report to Google. Create a Google Ads purchase conversion and check that a test order shows up before you spend.
- 06Launch Demand Gen with the videos and stills
Put each concept in its own ad with its own headlines. Start on Maximize conversions, and move to a target CPA once the campaign has conversion history.
- 07Rewrite the copy for Google's limits
Meta primary text doesn't carry over. Write headlines of up to 40 characters and descriptions of up to 90 that say what the first second of the video says.
Demand Gen, Performance Max or a video campaign?
| Campaign type | Use it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Demand Gen | You want to test Meta creative on YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail and see results per ad. | Needs conversion volume to optimize; no Search or Shopping inventory. |
| Performance Max | You sell from a product feed and want one campaign across all of Google, with your video as one asset. | Less reporting on which video worked; video shares budget with feed and Search. |
| Video campaign | You want reach or views on YouTube with tight placement control. | Built for awareness goals; Demand Gen fits direct-response sales better. |
For a Meta-first store, the usual order is branded Search and Shopping (or a feed-based Performance Max) first, to catch people already searching for you, then Demand Gen to take your proven Meta creative to YouTube. Our Google Ads for DTC brands guide covers that sequence.
What goes wrong most often?
- Launching before Google conversion tracking works, so the campaign optimizes toward nothing.
- Uploading only the 9:16 file. Without a horizontal cut you miss in-stream, and Performance Max may generate its own video from your assets.
- Porting 6-second Reels that are too short to serve in-stream.
- Pasting Meta primary text into descriptions, where it gets cut at 90 characters.
- Porting health or before-and-after claims that Meta approved and Google disapproves.
How RunAds handles this
RunAds doesn't copy ads out of Meta automatically. Here is what it does today. You can connect your Meta ad account and see Meta campaign spend and results next to Google. In the Demand Gen wizard you paste up to 5 YouTube links per ad, and RunAds transcribes each video and drafts headlines and descriptions from what it says. You upload stills into the square, landscape and portrait (4:5) slots, and a cropper locks each one to Google's ratio. The wizard has no 9:16 image slot yet, so use your vertical cut as video.
You pick channels (YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Display) and a bid strategy (Maximize conversions, target CPA, Maximize clicks or Maximize conversion value). In RunAds the YouTube placements launch together; to run Shorts only, change the channel controls in Google Ads after launch. A pre-launch check reviews the assets against Google's requirements, and nothing goes live until you approve it. See all of it on the features page, and pricing on the pricing section: 500 free credits to start, which cover your first $100 of Google ad spend.
Try the Demand Gen wizard