Google Analytics unveils scenario planner and projections for smarter budgeting

Google Analytics has introduced Scenario Planner and Projections, two new tools designed to help advertisers plan and track paid media budgets across multiple channels.

These features are part of Google Analytics’ cross-channel budgeting capability, currently in beta and not yet available to all accounts.

Scenario Planner and Projections: How They Work

Scenario Planner is focused on future campaign planning. It enables advertisers to model different budget allocations across channels and estimate potential impacts on conversions, revenue, and ROI. This tool is ideal for building media plans ahead of campaign launches or planning cycles.

Projections supports active campaigns, offering insights into whether current spend is aligned with goals and identifying areas where adjustments may be necessary before the reporting period ends. It provides projected performance metrics such as budget delivery, conversions, and revenue by channel.

Google recommends using the tools together: Scenario planner for creating forward-looking budgets and projections for monitoring how live campaigns track against those plans.

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Importantly, these tools are not limited to Google Ads data. Advertisers can include campaign data from both Google and non-Google channels, as long as cost data and integrations are properly set up.

Access Requirements

Eligibility for these tools comes with certain requirements:

• At least one year of conversion data

• Channels with cost must be compatible with primary channel grouping.

• At least one year of campaign data across two or more channels (Google and non-Google)

Google emphasises that outputs are modelled estimates based on historical performance, so results are directional rather than guaranteed.

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As a beta feature, cross-channel budgeting is gradually rolling out and may not yet be accessible to all Google Analytics properties.

Why It Matters for Advertisers

Traditionally, budget planning and performance measurement happen in separate systems—spreadsheets for planning and ad platforms or Google Analytics for reporting—making real-time evaluation challenging.

With Scenario Planner and Projections, advertisers can simulate budget allocations before campaigns launch and monitor pacing while campaigns run, all within Google Analytics. This is particularly valuable for teams managing budgets across multiple paid channels, offering a broader perspective beyond a single platform’s recommendations.

However, the effectiveness of these tools depends on data quality and configuration. Incomplete cost imports, limited historical data, or inconsistent conversion tracking can reduce the reliability of projections.

Looking Ahead

For advertisers using Google Analytics as a central reporting hub, these new tools offer a more integrated approach to budgeting—allowing teams to test assumptions before and during campaigns.

The ultimate impact will depend on how many advertisers meet eligibility criteria and how consistently the forecasting proves accurate over time.