Short answer: Auction insights is a Google Ads report that compares your ads with other advertisers in the same auctions. For Search campaigns it shows impression share, overlap rate, outranking share, position above rate and how often each ad reaches the top of the page. You open it from a campaign, ad group or keyword.
What the auction insights report shows
Google says the report lets you compare your performance with other advertisers taking part in the same auctions as you. It can help you make decisions about bidding and budgeting by showing where you’re succeeding and where you may be missing opportunities.
It is available for Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. The report doesn’t show insights when impression share is less than 10%, and search partners aren’t included in its data.
Impression share, yours and theirs
Impression share is the number of impressions you received divided by the estimated number you were eligible to receive. Eligibility depends on your ads’ targeting settings, approval statuses and Quality Scores; our Quality Score guide explains that last part.
In the report, a competitor’s impression share is measured against the auctions where that competitor was eligible to show. Google notes it may differ from what the competitor sees in their own report.
The statistics that compare you with each advertiser
| Statistic | What it tells you | Example from Google |
|---|---|---|
| Overlap rate | How often the other advertiser’s ad showed when yours did | 60% means 6 out of every 10 times |
| Outranking share | How often your ad ranked higher, or showed when theirs didn’t | 20% means 2 out of every 10 auctions you entered together |
| Position above rate | How often their ad showed above yours when both showed | 5% means 5 out of every 100 times |
Our summary of Google Ads Help, read November 5, 2026.
Two more statistics show where the ads appeared. Top of page rate is how often an ad showed above the unpaid search results. Absolute top of the page rate is how often it was the very first ad above them. Those, with position above rate, exist for Search campaigns only.
Google’s help page on top and absolute top metrics adds a caution about the metrics that show where your ads appear. It doesn’t recommend using them as a target to set your bids, because they may decrease as bids increase. Higher bids may let you enter more competitive auctions in a worse location.
Search, Shopping and Performance Max
Search campaigns get all the statistics, for keywords, ad groups or campaigns that meet a minimum threshold of activity. You can segment the results by time and device.
Shopping campaigns get impression share, overlap rate and outranking share. For Performance Max, the report splits the data into Search and Shopping ads at the account and campaign level; our Performance Max guide explains those campaigns.
How to read your auction insights report
- Go to Campaigns, Ad groups or Search keywords within the Campaigns menu.
- Check the box next to the campaign, ad group or keyword you want to compare.
- Select Auction insights to open the report.
- Pick a date range with enough activity, and segment by time or device if you need to.
- Read your own impression share first, then each competitor’s.
- Use overlap rate to see who shows up with you most often.
- Compare outranking share, position above rate and the top of page rates.
Before you change bids because of it
- Your impression share is at least 10%, so the report has data.
- The period you picked has enough activity.
- You compared the same period and device.
- You know search partners aren’t in the data.
- You read a competitor’s share as a share of their own auctions.
- You aren’t using the top of page rates as a bid target.
RememberAuction insights tells you who you meet in the auction and how often you win the better spot. Read your own impression share first, then the competitors who overlap with you most.
Bids and budgets are where these numbers usually lead. Our Smart Bidding guide covers the automated strategies, and our guide to keyword match types covers which searches your keywords enter.
If you’d rather someone else run your search campaigns, our Google Ads service does that, and the ad account stays in your name. Write to us on WhatsApp or through the form.
Quick answers about auction insights
Why can’t I see auction insights for my keyword?
Google says the report doesn’t show insights when impression share is less than 10%. Keywords, ad groups and campaigns also need a minimum threshold of activity for the time period you select.
Which campaigns have auction insights?
Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. Search gets the full set of statistics, Shopping gets impression share, overlap rate and outranking share, and Performance Max splits its data into Search and Shopping ads.
Why does a competitor’s impression share look different in their account?
Google says the share you see for a competitor may differ from what they see in their own report. Their eligible impressions may overlap with only part of yours.
Does auction insights include search partners?
No. Google says search partners don’t distinguish between top and other positions, and they aren’t included in the auction insights data. Google’s help on impression share says they aren’t in that data either.
What does outranking share mean?
How often your ad ranked higher in the auction than another advertiser’s ad, or showed when theirs didn’t. At 20%, your ad won over theirs in 2 out of every 10 auctions you entered together.
Sources
All read on November 5, 2026. Google Ads Help: Use auction insights to compare performance. About impression share. About top and absolute top metrics.