When building a Performance Max (PMAX) campaign in OTTO PPC, you need at least 6 sitelinks to reach Google's highest Ad Strength rating. Each sitelink text field has a 25-character limit and each description line has a 35-character limit — OTTO PPC validates both before letting you advance.

## ⚠️ Minimum Sitelink Requirement for PMAX Campaigns

Google requires a minimum of 6 sitelinks in a PMAX campaign to achieve the highest possible Ad Strength score. OTTO PPC enforces this minimum — the **Next** button on the Sitelinks step stays inactive until you have saved at least 6 sitelinks. After filling in all three fields for a sitelink, click **Save** (or **Add**) to confirm it. The sitelink count increments only after each individual sitelink is saved — sitelinks are not saved automatically.

If you try to advance with fewer than 6 saved sitelinks, the **Next** button remains greyed out and unclickable. A helper message below the button indicates how many additional sitelinks are still needed to meet the minimum.

Ad Strength measures how well your creative assets combine to reach your audience across Google's networks. Providing fewer than 6 sitelinks limits the number of ad combinations Google can test, which directly lowers your Ad Strength rating and can reduce campaign reach.

## ✏️ Character Limits for PMAX Sitelink Fields

Every sitelink in OTTO PPC has three fields, each with its own character limit:

- **Sitelink text** — up to and including 25 characters
- **Description line 1** — up to and including 35 characters
- **Description line 2** — up to and including 35 characters

OTTO PPC displays a live character counter beside each field. The counter shows a normal state at exactly the limit (for example, 25/25 for sitelink text is valid) and only turns red if you exceed the limit — that is, 26+ characters for sitelink text, or 36+ characters for either description line. Shorten your text until the counter clears to save the sitelink successfully.

## 🤖 AI-Generated Sitelink Suggestions

OTTO PPC can generate sitelink suggestions for you — click the **Generate Sitelinks** button in the Sitelinks step to have AI draft titles and descriptions, which you can then edit before saving. This is a time-saving alternative to writing every sitelink title and description by hand.

## 🚀 How to Add Sitelinks to a PMAX Campaign in OTTO PPC

1. Open **OTTO PPC** and start or continue a PMAX campaign.
2. Navigate to the **Sitelinks** step in the campaign creation flow.
3. Click **Add Sitelink**.
4. Enter the **Sitelink text** (up to 25 characters). The live counter tracks your remaining characters as you type.
5. Enter **Description line 1** (up to 35 characters).
6. Enter **Description line 2** (up to 35 characters).
7. Click **Save** to confirm the sitelink. The saved sitelink count increments by one.
8. Repeat steps 3–7 until you have at least **6 saved sitelinks**.

Once 6 or more sitelinks are saved, the **Next** button activates and you can advance to the next step in the OTTO PPC PMAX campaign creation flow.

## 📋 What Are PMAX Sitelinks?

Sitelinks are additional links that appear beneath your main ad and direct users to specific pages on your site. In a Performance Max (PMAX) campaign, Google uses sitelinks as creative assets when assembling ad combinations across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps.

Each sitelink consists of three fields:

- **Sitelink text** — the clickable label users see in the ad
- **Description line 1** — supporting copy displayed below the link
- **Description line 2** — additional supporting copy

Providing more sitelinks gives Google more creative combinations to test, which improves Ad Strength and campaign performance over time.

## 🛠️ Troubleshooting PMAX Sitelink Validation Errors in OTTO PPC

### The Next button on the Sitelinks step is disabled

You have fewer than 6 saved sitelinks. The button remains greyed out and unclickable until 6 or more sitelinks are saved, and a helper message below the button shows how many more are needed. Add more sitelinks until your total reaches 6. The **Next** button activates automatically once the minimum is met — no page refresh needed.

### A sitelink field is marked invalid

The character counter next to the field has exceeded the limit. The counter only turns red when you go over — exactly 25 characters for sitelink text and exactly 35 characters for each description line are still valid. Shorten your text until the counter clears:

- Sitelink text: 25 characters or fewer (26+ triggers an error)
- Description line 1: 35 characters or fewer (36+ triggers an error)
- Description line 2: 35 characters or fewer (36+ triggers an error)

### Ad Strength is lower than expected after the campaign launches

Open the campaign in **OTTO PPC** and review the Sitelinks section. Confirm that at least 6 sitelinks are saved and that every field is within its character limit. Edit any incomplete or over-limit sitelinks and save your changes to resolve the issue.

**🎯 You now know the two key rules for PMAX sitelinks in OTTO PPC: save at least 6 sitelinks and keep sitelink text within 25 characters and each description line within 35 characters. To continue your campaign setup, see [Creating a PMAX Campaign in OTTO PPC](#).**