Google Analytics has launched Scenario Planner and Projections, two new features designed to help advertisers plan and monitor paid media budgets across all channels.
The rollout is part of Google Analytics’ Multi-Channel Budgeting feature, which is still in beta and not yet available for all Google Analytics properties.
Read on to learn more about the tools, who is eligible, and how advertisers can use them.
Overview of Scenario Planner and Projections
The deployment includes two distinct tools designed for different stages of campaign planning.
Scenario Planner is designed for future planning. It allows advertisers to model different budget allocations across different channels and estimate the impact of these changes on conversions, revenue or ROI. The tool is intended to develop media plans before the launch of a campaign or defined planning periods.
Projections are designed for active campaigns. It helps advertisers assess whether current spending matches selected goals and whether adjustments may be necessary before the end of the reporting period. This includes visibility into planned budget execution, conversions, and revenue by channel.
Google says the tools are intended to be used together. Scenario Planner can be used to develop a forward-looking budget plan, while Projections can be used to monitor how campaigns are tracking against that plan once they go live.
The functionality is not limited to Google Ads data. Advertisers can integrate campaign data from Google and non-Google paid channels, as long as cost data and integrations are set up correctly.
However, certain requirements may limit access. According to Google, eligibility requirements include:
- At least one year of conversion data
- Pay channels are mandatory and must be compatible with the main channel grouping.
- At least one year of campaign data from at least two channels (Google and non-Google)
Google also notes that both tools rely on modeled estimates based on historical performance, meaning the results are directional rather than guaranteed.
Cross-channel budgeting is currently labeled as a beta feature, and Google notes that it may not be available for all Google Analytics properties yet, but is working on expanding it to more accounts.
Why it matters to advertisers
For many teams, budget planning and performance analysis still happen in separate places.
Planning often resides in internal spreadsheets or forecasts, while performance is measured after the fact on advertising platforms and in Google Analytics. This separation can make it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of budget decisions in real time.
These tools integrate part of this planning flow into Google Analytics.
Advertisers now have a way to model budget allocation before campaigns begin and check cadence while campaigns are in progress, using the same data source they rely on for performance reporting.
This could be useful for teams managing spend across multiple paid channels, especially when trying to compare performance beyond a single platform’s recommendations.
At the same time, the usefulness of the feature will depend on the quality of the data and configuration. Advertisers with incomplete cost imports, limited historical data, or inconsistent conversion tracking may be unable to fully utilize the tools or see less reliable projections.
What comes next
For advertisers who already use Google Analytics as their central reporting tool, Scenario Planner and Projections can offer a more convenient way to test budget decisions before and during campaign execution.
The usefulness of the tools in daily planning will likely depend on the number of advertisers eligible for access and the reliability of forecasts over time.
