If you’re managing Google Ads campaigns, then you may have noticed a small nudge within your account prompting you to use a feature called AI Max. There’s a reason for that. Google has been gradually expanding AI Max to be the base upon which all other search campaigns run. For many advertisers, using AI Max is no longer entirely optional.
Understanding AI Max and what’s evolving within it is absolutely critical to protect both your ad spend and avoid being subject to automated changes within your account.
What Is AI Max for Search Campaigns?
AI Max is a collection of different AI-powered tools integrated into standard Google search campaigns, designed to broaden how your search ads reach and connect with prospects. In lieu of using only a hand-curated keyword list and set landing page URLs, the AI in AI Max analyzes search intent, your current keywords, and your copy to connect potential customers to more relevant ads and landing pages.
The AI Max toolset can be broken out into two categories: search term matching and asset optimization. Search term matching increases your reach beyond your keyword list with a combination of broad match, landing page, and asset-based technologies, while asset optimization dynamically generates ad copy and selects landing pages based on the search inquiry.
Search campaigns have been migrating to AI Max since May of 2025, when the feature left beta and hit general availability on April 15th, 2026, after an 11-month pilot involving hundreds of thousands of advertisers across the globe. Google has continued to expand the feature since then and has more new features and broader availability to come.
The Migration Timeline: Why It Matters
For advertisers who haven’t proactively utilized AI Max in their campaigns yet, this is where it gets more urgent. Google has stated that search campaigns utilizing Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), Automatically Created Assets (ACA), or the campaign-level broad match option will be automatically upgraded to AI Max, as these earlier tools reach end-of-life.
The migration timeline has shifted recently, however. In June 2026, Google announced that DSA campaign migrations to AI Max have been pushed from September 2026 to February 2027, reportedly due to advertiser feedback and to “ensure a smooth Q4.” Creating DSA campaigns, which previously had been paused, has also been made available again.
DSA isn’t in the clear across the board, though. The September 2026 migration timeline for ACAs and campaign-level broad match has not changed, meaning campaigns using those features are still scheduled to be automatically upgraded.
Essentially, whether or not your account is already configured for AI Max, check it now. If your account is already running either automatically created assets or using campaign-level broad match, you are a candidate for automatic migration to AI Max. If you use DSA, then the timeline has become more generous for how long you’ll have to make a decision about the feature.
What’s New with AI Max, Shopping, and Disclaimers
AI Max has continued to evolve since reaching general availability, even with the recent DSA timeline adjustments. Google has introduced a brand new AI Brief tool to help businesses steer ad text and audience targeting more closely, expanded AI Max to a wider selection of Shopping campaigns and travel-specific ad types, and developed new compliance measures, such as mandatory text disclaimers for final URL expansion.
Google has acknowledged advertisers’ concerns about losing brand control by introducing new brand exclusions, URL restrictions that weren’t part of the original rollout, and, in February 2026, access to text guidelines that allow advertisers to set parameters for tone, prohibited terms, and brand safety.
Does AI Max Actually Boost Performance?
For advertisers who are questioning whether all the added automation is worth the trade-off for less granular control, Google released performance data showing real gains. According to Google data, advertisers using the full AI Max suite saw, on average, a 7% increase in conversions and/or conversion value at the same CPA/ROAS as compared to using only search term matching.
Of course, it’s important to take the vendor’s own reports with a healthy dose of skepticism. The results differ on a case-by-case basis depending on the account and industry. A poorly configured account leveraging AI Max can end up sending clicks to low-quality landing pages and showing ad copy that mismatches brand messages. An account that is well-prepared and has all brand/URL restrictions and text guidelines implemented has a much greater potential to create valuable, additional conversions.
What Advertisers Should be Doing Right Now
Here are the most important things that you can do to prepare for a future within AI Max:
Audit your search campaigns. Find out if DSA, ACA, or campaign-level broad match are in use, as these will dictate whether your accounts are headed for an automatic migration.
Configure brand and URL controls before you enable AI Max. Delaying this process after migration means the tool will get a head start in creating unauthorized ads and landing pages.
Avoid a reactive approach. Test AI Max in a small percentage of your campaigns to make sure that your results go above and beyond, versus just shifting existing conversions.
Keep up to speed on the changing timelines. The fact that Google recently shifted the DSA migration timeline means that these may change again.
Navigate AI Max with Confidence
Google’s commitment to developing the future of search campaigns around AI is undeniable. The reality that you will be operating within the AI Max system, regardless of the tool’s effectiveness, is unavoidable. The winning advertisers will be the ones who proactively adapt to this reality with the right strategy, not the ones who hold out until the deadlines push them towards automation.
At WSI Internet Partners, we offer support to help navigate these kinds of platform changes and allow you to take control with AI Max: managing your budget, protecting your brand, and ensuring automation works in your favor. Contact our team today for a review of your Google Ads accounts and to start outlining the perfect AI Max strategy for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I required to switch to AI Max?
Not yet, unless you are already utilizing automatically created assets and campaign-level broad match, both of which are scheduled to migrate in September 2026. DSA campaigns have been postponed.
Will AI Max damage my ad relevance or brand voice?
It may, if not configured properly. Google has invested “guardrails” to help prevent this in the form of text guidelines, URL restrictions, and brand exclusion tools, but these must be intentionally implemented in your campaigns in order to be effective.
Are the reported performance increases of 7% accurate?
These are Google’s averages reported for non-Retail businesses across all of the AI Max components. Individual results can vary significantly, and your own unique results will be dependent upon how your campaigns were initially constructed.
What if my campaigns aren’t configured before the deadlines?
If your campaigns fall into the DSA, ACA, or campaign-level broad match category, and you do not prepare them for AI Max before the deadlines hit, then Google will automatically migrate them with default settings. This will take away the benefit of control.
Is AI Max only for search campaigns?
No, Google has begun to expand AI Max into other campaign types, such as shopping and travel ads.
Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.
