Critical Update: Google Ads to Purge Short-Term Performance Data Starting June 1, 2026
Google Ads Announces Major Shift in Data Retention Policy
Digital marketers and advertisers are facing a looming deadline as Google prepares to implement a significant update to its data retention policies. Starting June 1, 2026, Google Ads will begin deleting short-term performance data that exceeds a specific age threshold. This move marks a strategic shift in how Google manages granular reporting data, potentially impacting long-term historical analysis for many businesses.
What Data is Being Deleted?
The new policy specifically targets high-granularity performance metrics. According to the official notice in the Google Ads advertiser portal, hourly, daily, and weekly reporting data will now only be retained for 37 months. Once this window expires, the data will be permanently purged and will no longer be accessible via the Google Ads user interface or the Google Ads API.
What Remains Available?
To provide some balance, Google is maintaining its long-term archival capabilities for broader reporting periods. Performance data aggregated at the monthly, quarterly, and annual levels will continue to be available for 11 years. This ensures that year-over-year growth analysis and high-level strategic reviews remain intact, even as the granular day-to-day details disappear.
Special Exceptions: Reach and Frequency Metrics
Advertisers should be particularly cautious regarding reach and frequency metrics. Unlike the standard 37-month window for short-term data, these specific metrics will only be available for 3 years. This includes:
- Unique users
- Average impression frequency per user
- Average impression frequency per user (7-day and 30-day windows)
- Frequency distribution (1+, 2+, 3+, 4+, 5+, 10+)
Action Plan for Advertisers
Because this data will be completely inaccessible after the cutoff, Google strongly recommends that advertisers take proactive steps to secure their historical records. If your business relies on deep-dive analysis of daily or hourly trends from several years ago, you must download and export this data into a third-party warehouse or local storage before the June 2026 deadline.
Why This Matters for SEO and SEM
For agencies and in-house marketers, granular data is the backbone of optimization. Losing daily performance trends can make it difficult to identify specific seasonal anomalies or the exact impact of a campaign change made years prior. By moving toward a shorter retention window for granular data, Google is likely optimizing its storage infrastructure, but it places the burden of long-term data archiving on the end-user.