Gmail tests Demand Gen ecommerce ads in promotions tab

Google is experimenting with a new Gmail ad format that turns the Promotions tab into a mini shopping experience.

What’s new. A visually rich ad unit appears in the Gmail Promotions tab. The ad showcases a featured product (image + brand) upfront. On click, it expands to show multiple product tiles side-by-side, including: product image, name, price, average star rating, and promo labels such as “Free shipping.”

A screenshot shared by Thomas Eccel, head of Google Ads at JvM IMPACT, showed ads from iRobot and Wybot pool cleaners, with the Wybot product displayed in a side-by-side comparison format – similar to a mini Shopping carousel embedded inside Gmail.

Why we care. The update blends Google’s Demand Gen advertising with product-forward, Shopping-style layouts. It places ecommerce front and center in users’ inboxes. By combining Demand Gen targeting with a native Shopping-style layout, brands can showcase multiple products in a format that encourages browsing and purchase behavior.

• This creates a new opportunity for performance-focused ecommerce marketers to drive conversions in a traditionally non-transactional space.

The big picture. This update shows Google leaning harder into native-style commerce placements inside its ecosystem. Gmail already segments promotional emails, adding scrollable, shoppable ad units could affect traffic and revenue.

Between the lines. As Gmail becomes a richer space for performance advertising, expect this to appeal to DTC and retail brands focused on product visibility over text-heavy emails.

What’s next. If testing proves successful, this format could be rolled out more broadly across Gmail and potentially other Demand Gen surfaces like YouTube and Discover.