The switch to AI Max and what you should check now

For many advertising accounts, September was like a move whilst business was still running, and Google carried the boxes itself. It’s a bit like Ash Wednesday in the Rhineland: you look at your account and wonder what on earth has happened over the last few weeks. We explained in detail back in January how AI Max works in principle and how your adverts end up in AI search spaces. What matters now is what the switch has actually changed in your campaigns and where you should make adjustments.

What Google changed in September

Two features that many accounts have been using for some time are affected: Broad Match at campaign level and standalone automatically generated assets, known as ACA (Automatically Created Assets). Google migrated both directly to AI Max within your existing search campaigns in Google Ads between 1 and 30 September. According to Google’s migration plan, the system retained equivalent settings to ensure that ad delivery continues as seamlessly as possible. Existing brand inclusions and exclusions were automatically carried over, so your previous brand rules also apply under AI Max.

In detail, the campaigns differ significantly. Former Broad Match campaigns now run with Search Term Matching – that is, AI-powered expansion to include relevant search queries beyond your keywords – whilst text customisation and URL expansion remain disabled. Campaigns using ACA also feature Text Customisation and generate ad copy using AI; Final URL Expansion is disabled here too. Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) will be rolled out in a second wave; Google has postponed their launch date to give businesses more time to make the transition.

Where to find traces of AI Max in your account

The changes are clearly visible. In the search terms report, filter the ‘Keyword option’ column by ‘AI Max’ to see every search query that came through via the AI extension. The combined ‘Search terms and ad combinations’ view also shows which ad headline and landing page were served for each query. On the Keywords page, Google groups these matches into separate total rows at the bottom of the table, such as ‘Total: AI Max expanded matches’, and you can recognise assets generated by AI by the ‘Google AI’ label in the ‘Added by’ column.

Now for the figures. According to Google, the full feature set delivers, on average, 7 per cent more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS compared to Search Term Matching alone. This is an average across many accounts; your results may be higher or lower. A comparison of the weeks before and after the switch will show you whether your account is above or below the average.

You still have control over these settings

Control freaks can breathe a sigh of relief – AI Max can be fine-tuned quite precisely. Search Term Matching, Text Matching and URL Extension require a conversion-based bidding strategy using Smart Bidding. Accurate conversion tracking is therefore the foundation for everything else, and with Consent Mode v2 set up correctly, the algorithm receives more comprehensive data. These settings are worth taking a look at:

• According to Google, Search Term Matching can be disabled at ad group level, even if AI Max is active for the campaign. This is suitable, for example, for brand ad groups or very narrow product ranges.
• In its responses regarding negative keywords, Google confirms that negative keywords continue to apply. If a search campaign and Performance Max are running for the same query, the advert with the higher ad rank will be displayed.
• You set brand inclusions at campaign and ad group level, and brand exclusions at campaign level.
• It’s best to set up URL exclusions for careers pages, legal notices or old blog articles before you enable URL extensions. Whilst you’re at it, check whether your tracking templates can handle dynamically selected landing pages.
• Using ‘Locations of Interest’, you can specify at ad group level which locations searchers will see your adverts for. This helps with location-based queries such as ‘tax adviser Düsseldorf’, even if the searcher is currently in Cologne.
• AI Max only comes into its own once the campaign has sufficient budget. For campaigns with a permanently limited budget, it’s therefore worth taking a look at the budget allocation first.
• If you disable Text Customisation, the AI assets will subsequently be listed as removed and will no longer be served.

The roadmap up to February 2027

‘Whatever will be, will be,’ as they say in the Rhineland, but you’d still be better off planning your Dynamic Search Ads yourself. In February 2027, Google will automatically migrate DSA campaigns to AI Max, so you still have around four months’ notice to prepare your structure, landing pages, exclusions and bidding strategies at your leisure. Google strongly recommends making the switch voluntarily in advance, as this allows you to control the setup yourself. At the very latest when the Ask Advisor analyses your campaigns across platforms, a tidy account structure will pay off twice over.

• The quickest way to check which campaigns Google switched over in September and which AI Max features are running on them is via the campaign settings.
• Analyse the search term report using the AI Max filter on a weekly basis for four weeks and exclude any irrelevant terms.
• Check the AI-generated ad copy against your brand guidelines and approval rules for pricing or promotional claims.
• Update the content and technical aspects of every landing page that is eligible for URL extension. You’ll later be able to see which URLs AI Max has selected in the landing pages report.
• Document every change to the AI Max settings with the date so that you can clearly attribute any effects in the reports to a specific step later on.
• Test the transition of your DSA campaigns via an experiment before February 2027 so that you have comparative data to hand.
• Adapt scripts and any custom tools that run via the Google Ads API to the new structures. Newer API versions now recognise Broad Match at campaign level and ACA only as AI Max; older versions are expected to be phased out in September 2027.

FAQs on the switch to AI Max

Which campaigns did Google switch to AI Max in September 2026?

Google has migrated search campaigns using Broad Match at campaign level and campaigns with standalone automatically generated assets (ACA). The migration took place from 1 to 30 September 2026 directly within the existing campaigns. For new campaigns, both settings have been disabled since 3 August 2026.

Which AI Max features are active following the switch?

Former Broad Match campaigns use Search Term Matching. Former ACA campaigns also use Text Customisation for AI-generated ad copy. Final URL Expansion is disabled in both cases and can be enabled if required, but this requires Text Customisation to be active.

Do negative keywords still apply with AI Max?

Yes. Google confirms that negative keywords remain effective even when AI Max is active. Well-maintained negative keyword lists therefore remain a key control tool for expanded search terms.

Can Search Term Matching be restricted?

Yes, Search Term Matching can be disabled on an ad group basis, even if AI Max is active at campaign level. You can also control ad delivery using brand inclusions, brand exclusions, URL exclusions and negative keywords. This fine-tuning is particularly worthwhile for ad groups with a narrowly defined offering.

When will Google switch Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max?

The automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads is scheduled for February 2027. Google recommends carrying out the migration voluntarily beforehand so that you can manage the process yourself. This involves transferring the dynamic ad groups to standard ad groups using AI Max.