Google Analytics has launched Scenario Planner and Projections, two new features designed to help advertisers plan and monitor paid media budgets across channels.
The rollout is part of Google Analytics’ cross-channel budgeting feature, which is still in beta and not yet available to every Google Analytics property.
Read on to learn more about the tools, who’s eligible, and how advertisers can use them.
Introducing Scenario Planner and Projections
The rollout includes two separate tools built for different stages of campaign planning.
Scenario Planner is designed for future planning. It allows advertisers to model different budget allocations across channels and estimate how those changes may impact conversions, revenue, or return on investment. The tool is intended for building media plans ahead of campaign launches or defined planning periods.
Projections is designed for active campaigns. It helps advertisers evaluate whether current spend is pacing toward selected goals and where adjustments may be needed before the reporting period ends. This includes visibility into projected budget delivery, conversions, and revenue by channel.
Google says the tools are meant to be used together. Scenario Planner can be used to build a forward-looking budget plan, while Projections can be used to monitor how campaigns are tracking against that plan once they are live.
The feature is not limited to Google Ads data. Advertisers can incorporate campaign data from both Google and non-Google paid channels, provided cost data and integrations are properly configured.
There are, however, some requirements that may limit access. According to Google, eligibility requirements include:
- At least one year of conversion data
- Channels with cost are required and must be data compatible with Primary 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 outputs are directional rather than guaranteed.
Cross-channel budgeting is currently labeled as a beta feature, and Google notes that it may not yet be available to all Google Analytics properties, but is working on expanding to more accounts.
Why This Matters For Advertisers
For many teams, budget planning and performance analysis still happen in separate places.
Planning often lives in spreadsheets or internal forecasts, while performance is measured inside ad platforms and Google Analytics after the fact. That separation can make it harder to evaluate whether budget decisions are working in real time.
These tools bring some of that planning workflow into Google Analytics.
Advertisers now have a way to model budget allocation before campaigns begin and check pacing while campaigns are still running, using the same data source they rely on for performance reporting.
That could be useful for teams managing spend across multiple paid channels, particularly when trying to compare performance beyond a single platform’s recommendations.
At the same time, the usefulness of the feature will depend on data quality and setup. Advertisers with incomplete cost imports, limited historical data, or inconsistent conversion tracking may not be able to fully use the tools or may see less reliable projections.
What Comes Next
For advertisers already using Google Analytics as a central reporting tool, Scenario Planner and Projections may offer a more practical way to pressure-test budget decisions before and during campaign execution.
How useful the tools become in day-to-day planning will likely depend on how many advertisers qualify for access and how reliable the forecasting proves to be over time.
