Google Ads AI Max is becoming the default framework for Search Network campaigns. From 1 to 30 September 2026, Google scheduled the automatic migration of two former settings to this set of features. If you have not opened your account since the summer, some settings may therefore have changed without any action on your part.
This change is neither a catastrophe nor a formality. It shifts the advertiser’s work instead: fewer keyword lists, but more control over terms, texts and landing pages.
Key points
- Since 3 August 2026, Google no longer allows creating a campaign with the campaign-level broad match or with the former automatically created assets.
- Google then scheduled the automatic migration of these campaigns to AI Max between 1 and 30 September 2026.
- Search Network dynamic ads (DSA) will follow later, in February 2027.
- Advertisers nonetheless keep control: brands, negative keywords, excluded URLs and the ability to disable each feature.
Migration to AI Max: the timetable announced by Google
- 15 April 2026: Google announces the move of dynamic ads to AI Max and opens voluntary migration tools.
- June 2026: Google postpones the automatic migration of DSA to February 2027. According to Search Engine Land (12 June 2026), advertisers asked for more time and Google wanted to protect the fourth quarter.
- 3 August 2026: end of the creation of campaigns with campaign-level broad match or with the former automatically created assets.
- 1 to 30 September 2026: automatic, gradual migration of these two settings.
- 15 January 2027: reminder to accounts still using DSA.
- Finally, 1 to 28 February 2027: automatic migration of DSA.
Search Engine Land detailed this timetable on 14 August 2026. The site notes that Google is carrying over equivalent settings to limit disruption, and that it keeps brand inclusions and exclusions.
What AI Max changes in a campaign
AI Max brings together three features. Google Ads help describes them as follows:
- Search term matching extends delivery beyond your keywords. It combines broad match with a keyword-free technology that relies on your ads and pages.
- Text customisation generates headlines and descriptions from your ads, pages and assets. Google previously called this feature “automatically created assets”.
- Final URL expansion sends the user to the page the system judges most relevant. It does, however, depend on text customisation.
After migration, a campaign that used automatically created assets activates the first two features by default. A campaign that used campaign-level broad match, however, activates the first one.
Google highlights an average gain of 7% in conversions or conversion value, at comparable cost per acquisition or return on ad spend. This gain appears when advertisers activate all three features rather than search term matching alone. This figure comes from Google and remains an average. It does not predict the result for a given account.
What to check in your account
- Campaign settings. First open the AI Max section, then note which features are active.
- The search terms report. It shows an “AI Max” match type. Then add off-topic terms as negative keywords.
- Landing pages. Exclude URLs with no commercial interest, for example recruitment, legal notices or old articles.
- Text guidelines. List prohibited terms and the messages that must be respected.
- Brand settings. Check your inclusion and exclusion lists.
- Conversion tracking. An algorithm that receives wrong data optimises in the wrong direction.
- Budget. According to Google, AI Max works poorly in a campaign limited by its budget.
Google also offers a one-click experiment to compare a campaign with and without these features. This test provides a firmer basis than a general impression.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting it run unchecked. Automation reduces data entry, not oversight.
- Switching everything off by reflex. Test first, then decide with your own figures.
- Judging after a few days. Give the system time to learn before comparing two periods.
- Forgetting the website. Final URL expansion nonetheless reveals weak pages: slow, vague or without a call to action.
- Not reviewing generated texts. An ad must not promise anything your offer cannot deliver.
AISYSNEXT’s view
Our conviction: automation rewards well-prepared accounts. Three elements make the difference: correctly measured conversions, clear landing pages and exclusions kept up to date.
The marketing manager’s role therefore evolves. They spend less time on bids and more on the quality of signals and content. A Tunisian SME investing a modest budget has every reason to keep this control, because every off-target click weighs heavily.
Our digital marketing team runs paid search along this logic. Our web development teams improve landing pages, while our AI and BI activity builds monitoring dashboards. All our services are listed on the services page.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI Max be disabled after migration?
Yes. Google Ads help describes a switch in the campaign settings, as well as a setting for each feature. Be aware: turning off text customisation also turns off final URL expansion.
Do DSA campaigns change right now?
No. Google has postponed their automatic migration to February 2027. You may, however, migrate voluntarily before that date, which leaves you the choice of timing and settings.
Does AI Max remove keywords?
No. On the contrary, your keywords, ads and pages serve as signals for the system. Negative keywords remain available and gain importance.
Want your account reviewed after this migration? Describe your needs in our free quote request: we will then propose an audit of your campaigns.
Sources
- Google, Google’s Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max (15 April 2026)
- Google Business, We’re upgrading Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max
- Search Engine Land, Google sets AI Max migration timeline for Search campaigns (14 August 2026)
- Search Engine Land, Google delays Dynamic Search Ads migration to AI Max (12 June 2026)
- Google Ads help, How AI Max for Search campaigns works
- Google Ads help, Set up AI Max for Search campaigns
