How to turn off Display Network in a Search campaign

To stop a Search campaign from showing banner ads on websites and apps, open its Settings, expand Networks and uncheck Include Google Display Network. It takes about a minute per campaign. If you’d rather keep a little Display, Google began rolling out a cap in October 2026, and from February 2027 it suggests Display at Low priority with a 50% daily budget allocation for anyone who wants things to stay as they are.

What is going on

A Search campaign is meant to show text ads when people search on Google. One setting lets the same campaign also show ads on the Google Display Network, a large group of websites, videos and apps that show Google ads, often as image or banner ads.

Google calls this Display Expansion. The checkbox in your campaign is Include Google Display Network. When it’s on, Google builds display ads from your Search ads, and Google says it may create responsive display ads automatically if you’ve uploaded image assets.

So if you see spend on websites or apps inside a Search campaign, this setting is almost always why.

Why it can cost you money

Someone searching for “emergency plumber near me” has a clear need. Someone reading a news article or playing a phone game didn’t ask for you. Display ads reach people who aren’t searching, so the clicks tend to be less ready to buy.

Google’s case for it: Display is meant to use Search budget that would otherwise go unspent. Google says cost per conversion on Display “should be similar” to Search on average, and that campaigns with spare budget can get up to 15% more conversions at a similar cost. That may hold for some accounts. Your own numbers are the only way to know for yours.

You should look closer if:

• You run a local service business that needs calls or forms from people with a need right now.
• Your budget is small and every dollar should go to searchers.
• Display clicks bring few or no conversions (a sale, call or form you count as a result).

You can relax if Display brings conversions at a cost close to Search, or your campaign often has budget left at the end of the day.

How to check it in Google Ads

1. Go to Campaigns.
2. Pick a date range of at least 30 days.
3. Click the Segment icon above the table.
4. Choose Network (with search partners).
5. Your Search campaigns now show separate rows for Google Search, search partners and the Display Network.

(If you can’t find it, search for “segment” in the Google Ads search bar.)

Look at the Display Network row. Compare its cost, conversions and cost per conversion with the Google Search row. If the Display row has real cost and few conversions, it’s worth acting on.

You can also open the campaign’s Settings, expand Networks, and see whether Include Google Display Network is checked.

How to turn it off

1. Go to Campaigns and click the campaign name.
2. Open Settings.
3. Expand Networks.
4. Uncheck Include Google Display Network.
5. Click Save.

(If you can’t find it, search for “Display Network” in the Google Ads search bar.)

Do this for each Search campaign where you want ads only on search. If you created a campaign with a guided setup, check again: the box can be checked without you noticing.

Limit Display instead of turning it off

In October 2026, Google began rolling out Channel prioritization. It’s a card in the campaign’s Settings (or in Account settings, as a default for all campaigns).

• You can set Google Search, search partners and the Display Network to High priority or Low priority. Every channel starts at High.
• Google spends on High priority channels first. Low priority channels get what’s left.
• For a Low priority channel you can set a budget allocation: a share of the campaign’s average daily budget. On a $40-a-day campaign, a 25% allocation means Google aims to keep Display at or below about $10 a day.
• Google says a 0% allocation means it won’t spend on that channel.
• The limit is “best effort,” so a single day can go over. Allocations reset daily.

(If you can’t find it, search for “channel prioritization” in the Google Ads search bar.) It’s rolling out slowly, so you may not see it yet.

What changes in February 2027

Google has announced these changes for Search campaigns with Display turned on:

• They’ll move to channel prioritization automatically. The current Display Expansion spending setup goes away, and Google warns spend may shift between Search, search partners and Display.
• To keep things close to how they work today, Google suggests setting the Display Network to Low priority with a 50% daily budget allocation.
• Display will stop serving in Search campaigns that use the Target impression share bid strategy.
• If you set channel priorities before then, they replace the old Display Expansion behavior right away.

If you simply want no Display spend, unchecking the box is still the clearest choice.

When to leave it on

Display inside Search isn’t always bad. It can make sense to keep it if:

• Your numbers show Display bringing conversions at a cost you accept.
• Your Search campaign often has budget left over.
• You track conversions well enough to judge it.

If you’re unsure, turn it off in one campaign and compare results over the next few weeks. For a similar setting, see search partners.

Check it automatically

The free SpendCanary scan splits each Search campaign’s cost and conversions by network, including Display. SpendCanary flags this when the Display Network inside a Search campaign costs at least $20 in 30 days and brought no conversions, or costs at least twice as much per conversion as Google Search.