What are Google search partners?
Google search partners are other websites and apps that show Google search ads alongside their own search results or related content. They include Google properties such as YouTube search and many third-party sites, among them search arbitrage pages. Advertisers reach them when the "search partners" setting is on, which is the default for search campaigns.
The search partner network is the advertiser-facing name for search syndication. An ad on a partner site enters a similar ad auction and is billed per click, with the partner receiving a share.
For years advertisers could not see which partner sites showed their ads. That changed after a November 2023 Adalytics report alleged ads had appeared on unsuitable sites, which Google disputed. Google then allowed opt-outs across campaign types and, from 2024, added placement reporting and account-level exclusions for Performance Max, extending impression-level reporting to Search, Shopping and App campaigns in 2025 according to trade press. Parked domains, once part of the network, were removed as a surface in February 2026.