Performance Max without flying blind

The main criticism of Performance Max is not that it does not work. In plenty of accounts it does. The criticism is that you cannot understand why it worked, so you cannot repeat it.

That is partly fair. But there are fewer genuine blind spots than most accounts leave in place.

What you can still look at

The search terms you actually showed up for. Not a complete list, but the large items are visible. If a competitor's name is in there, or a term that has nothing to do with you, you have work to do.

Asset group performance separately. If one asset group spends the budget and another one brings the revenue, the system will not volunteer that. You have to pull it.

Brand traffic split out from non brand. This is the single most important one. If PMax is counting traffic on your own brand name, the apparent ROAS is measuring the fact that people already know you. That is not growth.

New versus returning customers. If the system keeps selling to people who already bought, the data looks good while the business does not grow.

What to ask for if someone else runs it

Three questions that reveal whether the account is being managed or merely watched.

1. What is the result on non brand traffic, reported separately from brand?
2. Which asset group brings the revenue, and which one spends the budget?
3. Which exclusions are in place, and when were they last touched?

If there are no answers to those, Performance Max is not the blind spot.

The takeaway

An automated campaign type does not mean there is nothing left to decide. It means the decisions moved up a level: inputs, exclusions, data structure, offer. All of those sit on your side.