How Yandex's Unified Performance Campaign Works

In the era of digital marketing, contextual advertising remains one of the most effective tools for attracting target audiences and achieving business goals. Yandex Direct, as the leading platform in the Russian-speaking market, is constantly evolving, offering advertisers increasingly convenient and powerful solutions. One such innovative solution is the Unified Performance Campaign (UPC). Launched by the platform approximately two years ago, it continues to actively develop through 2025. It is a universal format that combines several ad types within a single campaign, enabling comprehensive solutions for performance-related tasks, from increasing conversion rates to expanding user reach.

What is the UPC? This is a Yandex Direct expert mode tool that combines text and image ads, dynamic and product ads, smart banners, and new neural ads powered by artificial intelligence. Ads are displayed in Yandex search, the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN), Yandex.Maps, and in desktop and mobile apps. Unlike traditional campaigns, EPC uses machine learning for optimization. The system analyzes user behavior, selects relevant creatives, and automatically generates ads based on the feed or website. This provides more data for the algorithms, ultimately increasing ROI and reducing management costs.

The advantages of EPC include flexible customization, multiple targeting groups, convenient KPI adjustments by group, and the ability to use A/B testing. For e-commerce, this solution is ideal for product promotion: all this can be accomplished without manually setting up each product. Speaking of services, the Unified Performance Campaign is ideal for quickly launching campaigns at different stages of the sales funnel. According to Yandex, the Unified Performance Campaign can increase the effectiveness of your existing solutions by 20-30% by combining formats and automation.

The only thing left to do is organize everything properly. Today's review will help you with that. We'll now take a detailed look at performance advertising and the Unified Performance Campaign, and how it differs from classic product and other campaigns. We'll explore the key parameters for setting up the Unified Performance Campaign, as well as practical examples. We'll highlight its main advantages and disadvantages, and offer tips on what to consider before launching it. The information provided will allow you to delve deeply into the Unified Performance Campaign (UPC) and leverage the potential of such a campaign to grow your business.

What is performance advertising in general?

To better understand how the Unified Performance Campaign works, let's first look at what performance advertising means in principle and what options are currently available in Yandex Direct. Surely many of you already know that all advertising here can be divided into two main types: display and performance. Display advertising is more about introducing people to a brand, while performance advertising is used when advertising helps sell products or services right here and now. It targets audiences already searching for the products they need, and as a result, ads appear at later stages of the buyer's journey through the sales funnel, when the user is ready to click the ad and make a purchase.

Performance advertising is placed in Yandex Search and the Yandex Advertising Network. This network includes a wide variety of partner sites, apps, and services like Yandex.News or Weather. It's suitable for any business that interacts with its audience through a website or app. The key is to feature products or services. Clear goals, such as sales or leads, are also essential. Ultimately, this type of advertising brings real results: more visitors, orders, and, consequently, more income.

Performance advertising uses two main types of ads:

1. Text and image ads (TGA).
2. Product ads.

Let's look at both of these options in more detail.

Text and image ads

TGO is the simplest, yet most common, format. These ads can be entirely text-based or complemented with images and videos, capturing audience attention. They appear in both Yandex search and the YAN. To launch them, simply select keywords—phrases that people use to search for the products and services they need. You can also use autotargeting: in this case, the system will automatically select a set of suitable phrases for the product or service you offer.

Settings are made in the "Campaign Wizard," specifically in the "Conversions and Traffic" section. This solution is extremely convenient for those just starting out with the platform, as it doesn't require in-depth knowledge. In search results, TGO will appear directly under the user's query. So, if someone searches for "buy smartphone," they'll see an ad with the store name, price, and a "Buy" button.

In YAN, the ad's appearance varies depending on the location: on a news site, it might be text with a photo, in email, a banner with a video, and in Yandex.Images or Weather, it will be a striking headline with an image. The system selects content based on the page's topic or the user's interests. So, if you previously browsed websites for winter shoes, the ad will show you similar models. This makes the ads relevant and increases the chances of a click.

Product Ads

Product ads are ideal for stores with a large selection of products, as they eliminate the need to manually create ads for each individual item. They are divided into two distinct categories:

1. Dynamic. They should be used when working with online platforms and marketplaces. They appear in response to a user's search directly in Yandex search results or in a special product gallery. The main advantage is that there is no need to enter text or titles for each individual product. The system takes information automatically from your website or from a special file (feed) with descriptions, photos, and prices. The setup here is quite simple. All work is performed through the "Campaign Wizard" option, namely through the "Product Campaign", "Marketplace Sales", and "Search Sales" sections. In search, they appear as regular ads with a product photo and price. But in the product gallery, they are fully functional product cards with images. This allows the buyer to compare different options and choose the most suitable one. This is truly convenient for e-commerce: ads are always relevant, prices are updated automatically, and reach grows without any extra work.
2. Smart banners. These are also designed for product placement, but only in YAN. They literally "follow" users, following them across websites and apps. For example, if you added a dress to your cart but didn't buy it, a banner with it will appear in the news or even on social media. This reminder helps to unobtrusively win back the customer. Configuration is performed in expert mode within the Unified Performance Campaign, where you can set goals such as sales or views. Smart banners are quite simple in terms of visual design and operation. Simply upload your product feed, and the system will automatically generate the ad. They work well at the retargeting stage, bringing back customers who have previously shown interest in your website.

To summarize, it's worth saying that TGOs are ideal for text ads and quick sales. Dynamic formats are recommended for search catalogs, and smart banners are ideal for online reminders. The choice depends on your business. Generally, TGOs are sufficient for services, but for products, it's best to combine all options. This allows you to reach more people and increase the effectiveness of your existing campaigns without unnecessary effort.

What is a Unified Performance Campaign?

A Unified Performance Campaign is a convenient tool from Yandex that helps you launch ads in multiple formats simultaneously. It allows you to solve various customer acquisition challenges within a single campaign without creating multiple separate ads. This simplifies work and makes advertising more effective for businesses, regardless of their size or type of activity, whether it's a small children's eco-toy store or an online platform with hundreds of thousands of clothing, footwear, and accessories.

This campaign combines the following main ad types:

1. Text and image ads (TGA) in Yandex search. We've already discussed that these are simple texts with images that appear when a person searches for a product or service.
2. TGA with photos, videos, or carousels in the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN). They appear on partner sites to attract the attention of the target audience.
3. Image ads in YAN. Here we're talking about banners with images, which are suitable for visual advertising.
4. Product ads. These can be dynamic search ads, which automatically select products based on a search query, as well as smart banners in YAN, which remind users of products they've previously viewed.
5. Catalog pages in search and YAN. Here, the system automatically creates ads based on your website or product list to highlight store sections or services.
6. Neuro ads. These are essentially the same as TGO ads, but generated by Yandex's artificial intelligence. They use text and photos from your website to ensure the ads are always fresh and relevant.

It's important to understand that these ads are shown not only in Yandex search but also in the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN), meaning on websites, apps, and Yandex.Maps. They work on computers, tablets, and smartphones, allowing you to reach the widest possible user segment.

One of the most significant advantages here is that all formats in a single campaign provide maximum useful information about how the target audience responds to advertising. This data is ultimately used to improve recommendation selections and minimize budget. As a result, your ads generate more clicks, sales, or leads, while you spend less time setting them up.

To create such a campaign, you'll need to access Expert Mode in the Yandex.Direct Pro interface. This is the professional version of the service, offering more options for fine-tuning. If you're just starting out, consider using simpler campaigns first and then moving on to this one. It's suitable for scaling up your advertising.

What's the difference between a Single Performance Campaign and a Product Campaign in the Campaign Wizard?

A Product Campaign is a simple way to quickly launch ads for online stores. It helps display products to a wider audience and increase sales. Setting it up doesn't take much time: simply upload a list of products, and the system automatically creates ads. This is convenient for those just starting out and wanting to reach as many customers as possible through search and partner sites.

At the same time, the Unified Performance Campaign in Expert Mode can solve similar problems—promoting products and attracting customers. However, it still offers more comprehensive capabilities for fine-tuning the process. Here are just the highlights:

• You can choose where to display your ads: only in Yandex search or only in the Advertising Network;
• You can create multiple ad groups within a single campaign to tailor ads to different products or audiences;
• More options for choosing who to show: by location, interests, or those who have already visited the site;
• A variety of ways to manage your budget and goals, such as the number of clicks or purchases;
• The ability to change the cost of important actions, such as the cost per purchase, separately for each ad group, which helps you better control your expenses and focus on what brings value;
• A convenient statistics report with all the details: how many clicks, sales, and where people are coming from, which can help you improve your ads, such as adding more photos for popular products or changing the text to encourage more purchases;
• The ability to link several of these campaigns into one larger one A group for shared management to simplify work on a large project.

The Unified Performance Campaign makes it easy to make changes to multiple groups or ads at once, without wasting time managing each one individually. This means that the Unified Performance Campaign is suitable not only for a simple launch, but also for long-term operations where you need to analyze and adjust everything on the fly. If you have a store with a large product range, this solution can save you time and money.

How does the Unified Performance Campaign differ from other campaigns in Expert Mode?

In Yandex Direct's expert mode, in addition to the Unified Performance Campaign, you can also launch contextual banners. These are ads with images that appear directly in search engine results. There are also reach campaigns, which help increase brand awareness across the widest possible consumer market segment by displaying ads on various websites and apps.

The Unified Performance Campaign stands out from these solutions with several key features that make it convenient for those who want to sell products or services. Here are just the highlights:

1. The Unified Performance Campaign brings all ad types together in a single campaign. This means you can combine simple text ads, photo banners, and even automated product ads. This means your ads run in multiple places simultaneously—in search results, on partner sites, and in product galleries—without having to create separate campaigns for each. This makes it easier to manage everything and spend your budget more efficiently, as the system learns from data across all formats.
2. You can set the cost per important action, such as a purchase or lead. This can be done separately for each ad group. This helps you better plan your spending. You see how much one customer costs in different parts of your ad and make adjustments to avoid wasting money. Ultimately, it becomes much easier to monitor whether a campaign is delivering results and change your approach in real time if something isn't working or yields weak results. For businesses, this is a tool for precise control, attracting as many people as possible, and optimizing costs.
3. The unified performance campaign will continue to evolve. Yandex plans to add new ad delivery methods and further implement smart technologies to improve the quality and effectiveness of advertising. For example, with the help of artificial intelligence, the system will be able to more quickly select suitable ads for each individual user. Thanks to this, the Unified Performance Campaign (UPC) will gradually become an increasingly convenient and effective tool for attracting customers, helping websites scale sales effortlessly.

If you're already using other campaigns in the Yandex ecosystem, you should also try the UPC. You'll see for yourself how much simpler and more effective your work will be.

UPC Settings

If you've already set up simple text ads with images, then creating a Unified Performance Campaign (UPC) will be relatively easy. All the steps are fairly similar. That is, you choose what to advertise, where to display it, and how to manage costs. The structure itself is simple: first, you create the campaign itself, then add ad groups and the text or photos. In practice, you're literally putting together a puzzle: each piece fits into place, resulting in a fully functional, working ad. If you need detailed instructions with images, you can find them in the official Yandex help section. It literally describes everything step by step, so you don't get confused and implement everything correctly.

Even though the campaign is called "Unified," you don't have to launch all the ad types at once. You can choose only those that suit your business and the goals you currently have. Alternatively, if you sell clothing, start with search and then add banners to networks later. This can be done in several ways:

• Mixed type. This type of ad runs simultaneously in search, in the product gallery, and on partner sites. This is convenient if you want to reach the maximum target audience in different ways: those searching for products and services directly, as well as those who might accidentally see your banner.
• Separately for search and networks. Here, two campaigns are launched in parallel: one for search and product galleries, which will show specific items based on search queries, and the second – only for chains, to remind users of products on third-party sites.
• Everything separately. In this case, three campaigns are created: one specifically for search, one for products, and one for chains. This makes it easier to test which one will work more effectively in practice.

It's important to understand that the choice of display locations directly impacts your budget management. If your ads are running on networks or partner sites, manual bid control is unavailable. This means the system automatically determines how much to pay per click. Instead, you can use simpler options like "Maximum Clicks" to maximize your ad's exposure, or "Maximum Purchases," which allows you to spend your advertising budget only on those who are ready to buy your product. These methods can be used in mixed campaigns or for networks only. The advantage is that they automatically adjust to your budget.

If you disable networks and only use search, you can set your own CPCs. This is useful when you want to precisely control your spending on specific queries. This solution is especially useful when selling high-priced and exclusive products. This makes your ad campaign flexible: you start with the simplest possible setup and then add new details as your campaign grows.

We'd also like to draw your attention to the "Adjustments" feature. This is a convenient way to make changes to your pricing: you choose how much to pay for impressions in different situations. They work at two levels: for the entire campaign or for a specific ad group. For a campaign, everything works like with regular ads: you can increase the price for mobile users or decrease it for later times of day. This helps your ads appear where they're most effective.

A relatively new feature has also recently been added at the ad group level: target adjustments. If you've set a limit on the purchase or click price, you can change it for a specific ad group. For example, you could set a higher price for a group featuring expensive jewelry to show it more often to wealthy customers. It depends on your goals when defining your strategy: the system simply enhances the desired metric.

Another useful feature is product reminders. It displays items a person viewed but, for various reasons, didn't purchase. It works when a campaign includes ads with products, such as a photo of a jacket in a shopping cart. This helps bring visitors back and increase sales without extra effort.

Also, the retargeting section now features two separate fields: one for search and one for networks. The key here is that the rules work differently. In search, the conditions narrow the range, showing ads only to those who meet all the criteria at once. In networks, however, they expand and include those who match at least one of the parameters you specified. This makes advertising more precise. In search, it targets those who are ready to make a purchase, but in networks, it's more targeted. to ensure broader consumer market reach.

If you use automated strategies, it's a good idea to follow the official advice from Yandex on their Telegram channel. It provides fairly simple recommendations on how to set a budget and when to change ad copy. This will help you avoid mistakes and improve your advertising. So, at this stage, we can say that the Unified Performance Campaign is... It's a kind of "smart assistant": you set it up just once, and then the system automatically improves the results.

You might be interested in learning about "UTM tags and their role in tracking advertising traffic."

The nuances of setting up a Unified Performance Campaign

To better understand how the UPC works in practice, we'll now give a few examples of its creation. Here we'll focus on two campaign options:

1. Mixed EPC.
2. Search EPC.

Mixed EPC

Here we're talking about running a Shopping ad to display ads in different formats, meaning both in search and on partner sites. To do this, you need to follow these steps:

• In the general campaign settings, select "Search and Yandex Advertising Network." This will allow you to reach more people. Some potential buyers will find your product by searching, while others will see it on a news site or in an app. This way, advertising runs wherever it's convenient for your business, attracting more visitors with minimal effort.
• At the ad group level, first specify where you'd like to display your ads. This could be limited to your city, region, or the entire country. This helps you focus your advertising budget on those closest to you and most likely to make a purchase.
• Add autotargeting. This will allow the system to automatically select the keywords that will ultimately trigger your ad. Yandex recommends including all categories to ensure maximum reach. However, it's best to start with keywords to avoid wasting budget on unnecessary impressions. If you include everything at once, your ads may be targeted at too broad an audience, which will ultimately significantly worsen your results.
• Add keywords. Here, we're talking about all the phrases people enter into search engines when searching for products and services. It's also crucial to include negative keywords—those that aren't relevant to your search. This will help avoid unnecessary clicks. Since we're talking specifically about product ads, be sure to leave the "Offer retargeting" option enabled. This shows products to people who previously viewed them but didn't buy them. This will act as a reminder in the shopping cart and increase the chances of a sale, since the person is already interested.
• At the ad level, select the "Product Ad" type. This means the ad will appear with photos and prices of the products, not just text. Now, specify where to get the product information. If you have a ready-made file with detailed descriptions, photos, and prices, upload it via the link or from your computer. The system will automatically update the data. If you don't have a file, you need to use the "Site Feed" option. In this case, Yandex will automatically find products on your site and create ads. For a small store, you can use the manual method. Here, you simply list all the products you want to advertise, adding links, names, and images. This is fairly simple, but for a large selection it's extremely inconvenient: it's better to use a feed here, as this will ensure automatic updates.
• Write the ad text itself and add specific details, such as "free shipping," "cash on delivery," etc. It's also worth adding quick links to other pages on the site. You can use one of two options for text: automatic and manual. In the first case, the system will generate the headings automatically, and the main text will be taken from your description by default. The second option requires you to fill in all the required fields yourself. This option is recommended for products that allow you to add details, such as names or prices. These details will then be automatically inserted into the title and description, making the ad personal. It's important to ensure the text is short and engaging— People click on things they understand intuitively.

By following these recommendations, you can make your ads lively and useful, and you'll also open up new opportunities to increase sales without much difficulty.

Search EPC

Here we'll look at the specifics of product and text-and-image ads for display in search and in product galleries. Use the following recommendations:

• If you want product ads to appear only in Yandex search and in a special product gallery, you need to go to the general campaign settings and select "Manual settings." Be sure to uncheck "Yandex Advertising Network." This means your ads won't appear on other sites, but only where people are actively searching for the products they need. This way, you'll spend your advertising budget more accurately, targeting ads to those who are ready to buy right now, while avoiding unnecessary impressions.
• At the ad group level, first define where to show your ads. This could be your region or the entire country. This helps attract local shoppers who can quickly get to the store or receive delivery.
• Specify the categories you want to apply autotargeting to. This way, the system will automatically find similar queries, thereby expanding your reach without the need for manual work. Yandex recommends including everything, but it's best to select 2-3 keywords to avoid wasting your budget on irrelevant impressions.
• Add keywords. Here, it's important to use only relevant phrases. For example, if you sell smartphones, you need phrases like "buy a smartphone." You'll also need to include irrelevant terms, like "repair," in the negative keyword blocks. This will make your ads more targeted and save you money.
• At the ad level, create a product listing ad. Here, it's worth following the recommendations we outlined in the previous section. This means you need to specify a source with products, text, and photos. This will show actual products with prices in search results.
• Add a text and image ad with an image and price. It will work in the product gallery, where people browse options, like in a catalog. To do this, write a short text, add an image of the product, and enter the price. The system will then automatically pull the details from your list.

Following these tips, you can correctly configure the Unified Performance Campaign and create a truly engaging and informative ad, including information about the photo, price, and description. This will immediately compel people to click. As a result, the ad works in two places: in search for precise queries and in the gallery for comparison. These are the factors that can increase your chances of making a sale.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Unified Performance Campaign

A unified performance campaign has a number of significant strengths that make it useful for advertising products and services. These advantages help businesses attract more customers without unnecessary work. Specifically, we discuss the following points here:

1. Using different ad types and placements gives the system more information about how people respond to ads. For example, when ads are shown in search results, product galleries, and on partner sites, the Yandex.Direct algorithm learns from all the data at once. This means impressions become more accurate, and ads generate more purchases or leads over time. Ultimately, you spend less on clicks that don't work.
2. Ads can be shown in several formats: with text, photos, videos, or as product cards. This is convenient when reaching a wide audience. So, one person will see an ad in a search query, and another will see a banner on a website. This approach reaches more people at different stages, from search to casual viewing, which significantly increases the chances of a sale.
3. As a business owner, you receive detailed statistics for each ad placement: how many clicks in search, how many in the product gallery, or on websites. This helps you understand where your ads are performing best and make adjustments to the text or photos if necessary.

However, along with these advantages, the EPC also has its weaknesses. In particular, it doesn't provide the ability to manually adjust ad display frequency in one location. The system itself decides how to spend the budget: in search, gallery, networks, or Maps. This is convenient for beginners because it eliminates the need for guesswork and planning. However, it also significantly limits your control over the advertising campaign. If you want to spend more on search ads and less on network ads, you'll need to create separate campaigns. Ultimately, an EPC is good for simplicity, but for precise results, you may need to combine it with other tools.

What to Consider Before Launching an EPC

When considering how to set up an EPC, consider our recommendations:

• Evaluate the performance of other ad formats and audience targeting methods. Don't immediately combine all possible options—this can be confusing and may not yield good results. It's better to plan how your advertising will work in advance. Ask yourself simple questions: where exactly should ads appear—in search, on websites, or everywhere? How should I split my campaign? How do I track costs and adjust settings? Which ads should I use—text, photos, or products? Preparing such a plan will help you avoid mistakes and make your advertising more useful and effective.
• Avoid adding images or banners if you're running a search-only ad campaign. This is because they're only shown on partner sites. In a mixed campaign, where ads run in both search and on sites, don't expect interest-based settings to work in search. These options only work on sites, ensuring ads are shown to people similar to your customers. It's better to rely on direct queries in search, and on sites, on behavior.
• Display placements are selected for the entire campaign at once. This applies to absolutely all ad groups. However, results can vary greatly. Search bids are often cheaper and better because people are looking for exactly what they need. On sites, however, traffic may be broader but of lower quality, resulting in more views but fewer purchases. Some product categories, such as clothing, sell well in search, while others, such as gadgets, produce better results on sites with photos. The system automatically decides where to display ads more often and may prioritize one location if it generates more clicks. You won't be able to change this with adjustments, as everything is automatic.
• It's also important to remember that not all products are created equal. Expensive items, like furniture or appliances, require more effort to sell than simpler ones, such as clothing or accessories. Different products have different profit margins—some generate a lot of money, others little. Popularity will also vary: hits sell easily, while rare ones do not. If your store has a wide variety of these ads, don't put them all in one campaign. It's better to split them into separate campaigns, running one for cheaper items and another for more expensive ones. This will make your ads more targeted, and your budget will be spent on what's most profitable. As a result, the campaign will launch smoothly and sales will increase.

Follow these recommendations, and you'll get the most out of your Unified Performance Campaign (EPC) with minimal management effort.

Summary

The Unified Performance Campaign (EPC) is a convenient way to consolidate different types of advertising in one place in Yandex Direct. Yandex is actively promoting this tool and plans to add new features to make advertising easier and more effective for everyone. In today's review, we've examined the main advantages of such campaigns, highlighted their shortcomings, provided practical recommendations for launch, and discussed areas of application, highlighting those where they can deliver maximum results.

To ensure smooth development and launch of an EPC, especially with location and device settings, it's worth using mobile proxies. They allow you to test how your ads look from different cities or phones, without having to travel or change devices. This helps quickly identify weaknesses and improve campaign accuracy, increasing sales. Mobile proxies from MobileProxy.Space are the best solution here. Thanks to their flexibility in IP-address and geolocation spoofing, they will help you bypass any regional restrictions and access blocks, ensure high privacy and security, and simultaneously handle a large number of ads as if you were in a specific city or country.

You can test this product for two hours before purchasing it, completely free. More information about mobile proxies can be found at https://mobileproxy.space/en/user.html?buyproxy. Our 24/7 technical support specialists are also at your service. Contact us if you encounter any difficulties or problems. They will do everything to ensure you can return to full online operation as quickly as possible, without risks or restrictions.

Comparte el artículo: