CPV bidding
Google-only page, sourced from Google's bidding documentation.
The mechanics
You set a maximum CPV: the most you will pay for one counted view (30 seconds, full ad if shorter, or interaction Google Ads Help, video ad views, 2026). The auction then behaves like Google's other second-price-style auctions: what you actually pay clears at just enough to beat the advertiser below you, so average CPV typically runs under your max. Google publishes the mechanics but no rates, and notes most advertisers now hand bidding to automation Google, Ad tools bidding page, 2026.
Choosing a starting max CPV
- Anchor on the band: blended average $0.024 Store Growers, Google Ads Benchmarks, Q1 2026, your vertical's end of the $0.018 to $0.058 spread Store Growers, Google Ads Benchmarks, Q1 2026.
- Add headroom above the anchor rather than bidding it exactly; a max at the band average sits below half the market's clearing prices by construction, and underbid campaigns underdeliver before they underprice.
- Let the flight run, then reconcile actual average CPV against the anchor in the YouTube solver and walk the max down from evidence.
When Google charges less than your max
Almost always. The gap between max and average is your negotiating margin surfaced by the auction; a persistent zero gap means your max is the binding constraint and delivery is rationed by your bid, not your budget. Both numbers are in the campaign report; the difference between them is worth a line in the weekly deck.
Related: TrueView vs Video Views campaigns (where format-level CPV buying now lives), budget from a view target, and the lever ranking.