Video Action Campaigns: What They Were and What Replaced Them

1 November 2026. By Ads Daddy.

Video action campaigns (VAC) were Google's one-campaign shortcut to getting YouTube video ads to drive sales and leads. They no longer exist as a separate campaign type. Google has upgraded them all to Demand Gen, so if you're searching for "VAC", you're really looking for how to run Demand Gen well.

Good news: most of what made VAC work still applies. Clear goal, clean conversion tracking, a hook in the first few seconds, and bids that don't get fiddled with every Tuesday.

Let's break it down.

TL;DR

• VAC was an automated YouTube campaign type built to drive conversions on and off YouTube, using skippable in-stream and in-feed video ads with a call-to-action.
• Google has upgraded every VAC to Demand Gen. Same video-first DNA, but with more placements (Discover, Gmail, Google Display Network) and more formats.
• Google reported that mixing image and video assets in Demand Gen delivered 20% more conversions at the same cost per action than video alone.
• Feed the machine properly: accurate conversion tracking, enough budget, patient testing (4 to 6 weeks), and bid changes of no more than 15% at a time.
• Creative still decides everything. Hook in the first 5 to 10 seconds, then tell people exactly what to do next.

Table of Contents

• What video action campaigns actually were
• Where VAC ads showed up
• Why Google retired VAC
• VAC vs Demand Gen: what changed
• How to set up a conversion-focused YouTube campaign today
• Creative that earns the click
• Judging results without panicking
• Mistakes that quietly drain budgets
• Our perspective
• Want someone else to run this?
• FAQ

What video action campaigns actually were

Think of VAC as a set-and-nudge dating app for your ads. You told Google who you wanted (a purchase, a lead, a site visit), handed over a video, and the algorithm did the swiping.

The official description is simple: VAC was a cost-effective way to drive more conversions on and off YouTube, all in a single automated campaign. The ads were skippable in-stream and in-feed video ads, each with a call-to-action button and a headline.

You picked one of three goals:

• Sales, for e-commerce and Shopify stores.
• Leads, for service businesses and finance brokers.
• Website traffic, for when you needed eyeballs on a landing page first.

Then you set a budget, chose a bidding strategy, added audience signals and uploaded the video. That was it. No juggling separate bids for each placement.

That last bit is why people loved it. Running across mobile, desktop and TV without separate bids and budgets for each inventory source saved a lot of admin. It also meant you had less control. Hold that thought, because it explains why Google moved on.

Where VAC ads showed up

Your ad could land in several spots across YouTube and Google's video partners:

• YouTube Home feed, the scroll-and-stumble zone.
• Watch Next, the suggestions beside and below a video.
• YouTube Search results.
• The watch page itself, as an in-stream ad before or during a video.
• Google video partner sites and apps.

On connected TV, VAC added a neat trick: automatically generated QR codes. A viewer on the couch could scan the code with their phone and act straight away, and Google counted those scans as clicks.

The launch pitch was about helping advertisers combine reach and conversion on a limited budget. For a small Aussie business that can't afford a separate brand campaign and a separate performance campaign, that was the appeal. One video, one budget, a shot at both.

Why Google retired VAC

Google announced in 2024 that VAC, also known as video conversion campaigns, would be upgraded to Demand Gen. A manual migration tool arrived in early 2025, and automatic upgrades of the remaining campaigns followed. By May 2026, Google's own help page said all video action campaigns had been upgraded.

Google's reasoning: shoppers don't consume one format any more. They bounce between video, images and feeds while researching and buying. Demand Gen is built for that.

If your old VAC got upgraded automatically, you've already got a Demand Gen campaign running. The job now is making sure it's set up properly rather than just inherited.

VAC vs Demand Gen: what changed

The headline: Demand Gen does everything VAC did and adds more places to show up and more ways to show up there. You also get more say about placement, which control freaks (hi) appreciate.

Google reported that advertisers using both image and video assets saw 20% more conversions at the same cost per action than those using video alone. That's Google's figure, not a promise for your account, but it's a loud hint. Don't upload a single video and call it a day.

If you want a straight like-for-like move with no new features, Google recommended using its migration tool for a video-only transition. If you want the extra juice, add images and test.

How to set up a conversion-focused YouTube campaign today

The VAC setup flow lives on in Demand Gen in spirit. Here's the sequence we'd follow.

1. Fix tracking before you spend a cent

Bad tracking is like cooking with a broken oven thermometer. You'll never know why dinner's raw.

Make sure your purchase or lead conversion fires correctly. Then add "lighter" actions too, such as add to cart, so the system has more signals when your main conversion volume is thin. Google's own guidance for low-history campaigns says exactly this.

2. Pick one clear goal

Sales, leads or traffic. Not all three. Mixed goals make for mushy results.

3. Choose your bidding strategy

The VAC-era options still map neatly across:

• Maximize conversions, when you want volume and don't have a firm CPA target yet.
• Target CPA, when you know what a lead or sale is worth.
• Target ROAS or Maximize conversion value, when order values vary. Value-based bidding for VAC needed at least 30 conversions in the previous 30 days, which is a handy benchmark for when you're ready.

Not sure which to choose? Our guides on bidding strategy and Smart Bidding walk through the trade-offs in plain English.

4. Set a budget the algorithm can learn on

This is where small budgets get burned. For campaigns with little conversion history, Google recommended a budget of 15 times your target CPA for tCPA bidding, or 10 times your expected CPA for Maximize conversions.

Worked example: if a lead is worth A$40 to you and you set a A$40 tCPA, that's a A$600 daily budget by Google's rule. If you'd rather start smaller, Maximize conversions with an expected CPA of A$40 points to A$400. Can't stomach that? Then start with a lighter conversion event or a single tight audience and be honest about how slowly it will learn.

5. Add audiences as signals, not fences

Give the system a head start with your customer lists, website visitors and interest segments. Think of these as directions to the party, not a guest list bolted at the door.

6. Upload creative, with a call-to-action

Pick a call-to-action that matches the goal: Buy Now, Learn More, Download. Then give the platform variety to work with, including a vertical video if you want it to show up well on mobile.

Creative that earns the click

The algorithm finds the people. Your creative decides whether they care.

What consistently worked in VAC, and still works now:

• Hook in the first 5 to 10 seconds. Skippable ads mean you've got moments, not minutes.
• Action-oriented, bespoke messaging. Speak to one problem for one buyer.
• Clear branding early. If they skip at second six, they should still remember who you are.
• One next step. "Get your quote" beats "Learn more about our range of solutions".

A quick sport analogy: a good ad is a kick-off, not a warm-up lap. Start with the thing the viewer cares about, and save the company history for the About page.

For more on the role video plays in a paid mix, see our pieces on video creatives in digital marketing and video ads for Australian SMEs.

Judging results without panicking

The fastest way to wreck a campaign is to poke it daily.

Google's guidance for Demand Gen testing is a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. Bid changes should stay within 15% and be spaced about a week apart. Bigger, faster swings reset the learning and muddy your data.

Judge the campaign against the KPI that matches its goal and bidding strategy:

• Lead campaign? Cost per qualified lead, not clicks.
• Sales campaign? Conversion value against spend.
• Traffic campaign? Engaged visits, then what they do next.

If you've migrated from an old VAC, don't compare raw numbers one-to-one and declare victory or doom. Demand Gen reaches more surfaces, so impressions, view rates and click patterns will look different. Compare against the marketing objective instead. Our ROI optimisation steps and ad performance guide show how we think about it.

Mistakes that quietly drain budgets

• Treating an inherited campaign as finished. Upgraded is not the same as optimised. Review assets, audiences and conversion actions.
• One video, no variety. Add images and a few video cuts so the system can test combinations.
• Counting every conversion equally. A newsletter sign-up and a booked consult are not the same win. Set your conversion actions accordingly.
• Starving the budget. A campaign that gets three conversions a month can't learn. Use lighter events or lift the budget.
• Changing bids every other day. See the 15% rule above.
• Ignoring the landing page. The ad earns the click. The page earns the money.

Our perspective

Here's what we see when small and medium businesses come to us after a rough run with YouTube ads: it's almost never the platform. It's the plumbing.

Tracking that doesn't fire. A single video made on a Friday afternoon. A budget too small for the algorithm to learn from. A bid changed four times in a week.

The VAC to Demand Gen shift doesn't change that. If anything, it raises the stakes. More placements and more formats mean more room to win, and more room to waste money if nobody is watching the account.

That's why we manage campaigns hands-on across Google, YouTube, Meta, LinkedIn and Microsoft, with tracking and lead delivery wired in from day one. Our view: business owners shouldn't have to become ad platform nerds to get ROI. You run the business. We'll run the ads.

Adrian

Want someone else to run this?

If you'd rather spend your week on the business than on bid strategies and asset groups, that's literally what we do. We build, manage and optimise campaigns across Google, YouTube, Meta, LinkedIn and Microsoft, with tracking and reporting set up so you can see what each dollar is doing.

Looking for leads rather than clicks? Our lead generation service is built around exactly that. For finance businesses, our pay-per-lead options start from A$70 per consumer car finance lead and A$170 per commercial ABN finance lead. Book a call and tell us your target cost per lead. We'll tell you straight whether it's realistic.

FAQ

What is a video action campaign?

A video action campaign was an automated Google Ads campaign type that used skippable in-stream and in-feed video ads to drive conversions, such as sales or leads, on and off YouTube. It ran across mobile, desktop and TV without separate bids for each placement. It has since been upgraded into Demand Gen.

Can I still create a video action campaign?

No. Google upgraded all video action campaigns to Demand Gen, and its help page confirms that as of May 2026 the upgrade is complete. To run conversion-focused video ads on YouTube, you now set up a Demand Gen campaign with video, and ideally image, assets.

How much budget do I need for YouTube conversion campaigns?

There's no magic number, but Google's guidance for campaigns with little conversion history is a budget of 15 times your target CPA for tCPA bidding, or 10 times your expected CPA for Maximize conversions. A$500 a month budget will struggle to feed the algorithm unless your cost per conversion is very low. Tracking a lighter action, such as add to cart, can help it learn on a smaller spend.

How long should I test before changing things?

Google recommends at least 4 to 6 weeks when testing Demand Gen, and keeping bid changes within 15% intervals. Making bigger or more frequent changes can hurt performance because the system keeps having to relearn.

Is Demand Gen better than VAC?

Demand Gen reaches more surfaces (YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Google Display Network) and supports more creative formats, with more control over placement. Google reported that advertisers mixing image and video assets got 20% more conversions at the same cost per action than those using video alone. Your results will depend on your tracking, creative and budget.

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