Navigating Google’s “AI Max” Features for Search Campaigns

Google is in the middle of retiring several legacy Search campaign features in favor of AI Max, and the rollout is happening automatically, in-account, whether or not anyone on your team is watching for it. If your campaigns use campaign-level Broad Match or Automatically Created Assets, this isn't a future consideration. It's an active migration window that opened September 1, 2026.

Here's what AI Max actually is, the exact timeline, and what to check before the automatic upgrade reaches your account. Our Google Ads management team is actively auditing client accounts against this exact checklist right now.

What Is AI Max for Search Campaigns?

AI Max is Google's bundle of AI-driven features for standard Search campaigns, built around three components:

• Search term matching: uses AI signals from your keywords, ads, and landing pages to serve your ads on relevant queries beyond your actual keyword list
• Text customization (previously called Automatically Created Assets): generates headlines and descriptions automatically from your landing page content
• Final URL expansion: can redirect a click to a more relevant page on your site than the specific final URL you set, similar to how Dynamic Search Ads behaved

AI Max reached general availability in April 2026 after a beta period, and Google has been actively encouraging voluntary adoption since, with the automatic migration acting as the deadline for advertisers who haven't moved on their own.

The Auto-Upgrade Timeline

What Changes: ACA Campaigns vs. Campaign-Level Broad Match Campaigns

The default configuration after the upgrade differs depending on which setting triggered it:

Existing brand inclusions, exclusions, and URL controls carry over automatically in both cases, and Google has stated campaigns are migrated in place using equivalent settings to minimize disruption.

Is Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) Affected Too?

Yes, but on a separate, later timeline. DSA's automatic migration was originally planned alongside the September 2026 wave but was pushed back to February 2027 after advertiser feedback. If you're running DSA campaigns, you have more runway, but the direction is the same. DSA is being retired in favor of AI Max, not maintained as a separate legacy option long-term.

The 7% Performance Claim: What It Actually Means

Google states that campaigns running the full AI Max feature set (search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion together) see roughly 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS, compared to running search term matching alone. Two things worth knowing about that number: it's Google's own internal 2026 measurement, not an independent benchmark, and it specifically excludes retail advertisers. Treat it as a directional data point worth testing in your own account, not a guaranteed outcome.

What to Check Before the Upgrade Reaches Your Account

• Identify affected campaigns first: open each Search campaign's settings and check specifically for the campaign-level Broad Match setting and Automatically Created Assets. If either is on, that campaign is in the upgrade queue
• Audit negative keywords before, not after: broader search term matching without solid negative keyword coverage is the single most common cause of wasted spend following an AI Max transition
• Review brand controls and exclusions: confirm these are current, since they'll carry over automatically but won't be re-evaluated as part of the migration
• Check your conversion tracking completeness: AI Max optimizes based on the conversion data it receives, and browser-based tracking alone can miss a significant share of actual conversions. Feeding it complete, server-side data through a properly configured Google Analytics Services setup before the upgrade matters more than any control setting
• Review recent search terms reports: get a sense of your current query match quality as a baseline, so you can actually tell whether AI Max's broader matching is helping or hurting after the switch

Should You Opt Out or Move Early?

There's no permanent opt-out. You can disable the triggering settings (campaign-level Broad Match or ACA) before your campaigns are swept into the September migration, but the direction Google is moving is unambiguous, and legacy options are being phased out entirely on their own delayed timeline. Moving voluntarily, on your own schedule, gives you the chance to configure AI Max's controls deliberately (brand terms, location controls, URL rules) before it goes live, rather than reviewing an automatically-applied default configuration after the fact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not Sure If Your Accounts Are in the Upgrade Queue?

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