Skip to content
GetProfit
Log in

← All terms

ROAS tolerance

ROAS tolerance is the share by which Google Ads may let a campaign's return fall below its target ROAS in exchange for traffic it has not been winning.

How it works

You keep your target ROAS and add a tolerance as a percentage. In the Google Ads API, a 10% tolerance means ROAS may fall by up to 10% of the target. Google uses that room to go after converting searches the campaign has not been winning, without changing its targeting.

The tolerance is the setting behind Smart Bidding Exploration. You set it on the campaign’s bid strategy or on a portfolio bid strategy. In June 2026 Google opened exploration to Performance Max without a product feed, with a beta for Shopping ads.

Promotion mode changes the tolerance for scheduled dates only. A seasonality adjustment and a campaign total budget are the other tools for a short promotion.

Formula

Lowest expected ROAS = target ROAS × (1 − tolerance)

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop’s Search campaign has a target ROAS of 450%. With a 10% tolerance, ROAS may fall to 450% × 0.9 = 405%. Per 10,000 of spend, that is 40,500 of conversion value instead of 45,000.

How GetProfit reads it

GetProfit’s rule covers target ROAS, not tolerance. It allows a step of up to 15%, no more than once every 1–2 weeks, and a 10–15% cut two weeks before a seasonal peak. A tolerance lets ROAS fall by the same kind of share: 10% fits in one step, 30% would take two. Target ROAS changes appear in the portal’s change log.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “A 10% tolerance is the same as cutting the target by 10%.” Right: the lowest expected ROAS is the same, but a lower target changes the goal for all traffic. Google describes the tolerance as room for searches the campaign has not been winning.

Sources