Arpan Banerjee got the message that Google Ads is changing how certain Demand Gen campaigns are billed on Discover.
Starting July 15, 2026, campaigns using view-through conversion (VTC) optimization will move from cost-per-click (CPC) billing to cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) billing on the Discover channel.
The rationale: when campaigns optimize for conversions that happen after someone sees an ad rather than clicks it, impression-based billing may better reflect the value being delivered and align more closely with the campaign’s optimization goal.
A few key points:
• The change only affects a limited number of advertisers using VTC optimization on Discover.
• Campaigns without VTC optimization are not expected to be affected.
• The transition will happen automatically.
• Advertisers who do not want to move to CPM billing can opt out of VTC optimization in their campaign settings.
For advertisers and agencies, this is a good moment to review affected campaigns, reassess CPMs and impression quality, and check whether current attribution and optimization settings still align with business objectives.
