Google automatically moved those campaigns onto AI Max for Search between 1 and 30 September 2026. For some advertisers, that was little more than a new label. For others, it meant ads started showing for a wider range of searches, with copy Google had written.
With Black Friday and the Christmas rush weeks away, now is the time to check what changed. Here is what happened, where to look, and the checks our paid search team is running across the accounts we manage.
What Happened on 1 September
AI Max for Search is a set of AI features that sits on top of a normal Search campaign. It can widen which searches your ads match, rewrite your headlines and descriptions, and send people to different landing pages on your site.
The migration had been coming for months:
- 15 April 2026: Google announced AI Max was leaving beta and that older features would be folded into it from September.
- 3 August 2026: Google stopped advertisers creating new campaign-level broad match settings or legacy Automatically Created Assets, across the interface, Google Ads Editor and the API (TechWyse).
- 5 August 2026: advertisers were emailed confirming the switch (Search Engine Roundtable).
- 1 to 30 September 2026: eligible campaigns were upgraded automatically, with no opt-in required.
Two groups of campaigns were affected: those using the campaign-level broad match setting, and those using Automatically Created Assets (now called text customisation).
Dynamic Search Ads were originally due to move at the same time but were given a five-month extension in June, so DSA campaigns were not part of the September switch (PPC Land). If you still run DSA, expect the same process later.
What AI Max Switched On in Your Campaigns
Google set each migrated campaign up to mirror its old configuration as closely as possible. In practice, the defaults depended on which group the campaign was in (Relevant Audience):
| Setting | Was using campaign-level broad match | Was using Automatically Created Assets |
| Search term matching | On | On |
| Text customisation | Off | On |
| Final URL expansion | Off | Off |
If you were using campaign-level broad match, very little has changed in practice. Your campaign was already matching broadly, and brand lists carried over.
If you were using Automatically Created Assets, this is the group to check first. Automatically Created Assets only ever affected your ad copy. After the migration, search term matching is also switched on, which means your ads can now appear for searches your keywords would not previously have matched. A setting that used to write headlines now also changes who sees your ads.
One more detail worth knowing: Google’s own AI Max FAQ confirms that search term matching does not work with manual CPC bidding, because it relies on signals from Smart Bidding strategies such as Maximise Conversions.
Where to Find AI Max Data in Your Reports
AI Max brings its own reporting, but some of it is not visible by default. These are the places to look (Improvado):
- Campaigns view: filter for campaigns with AI Max enabled so you know exactly which ones were migrated.
- Search terms report: there is now a “Search terms and landing pages from AI Max” view and an “AI Max” option in the match type filter. Add the Source column yourself, as it is not in the default view. It shows whether a search came from broad match expansion or keywordless matching.
- Keywords report: two summary rows at the bottom show totals for AI Max expanded matches and AI Max landing page matches.
- Asset report: text written by Google is labelled “Google AI” in the Added by column, so you can review every headline and description it created.
One caveat from Google: filtering the search terms report by the AI Max match type may show lower numbers than the true AI Max total, so use the dedicated view as well rather than relying on the filter alone.
Your Pre-Black Friday AI Max Checklist
Peak season is the worst time to discover your ads have been showing for the wrong searches. Work through these before your Black Friday budgets go up.
- List every migrated campaign. Note which group each came from, as the ACA campaigns carry the bigger change.
- Review a month of search terms. September gives you roughly four weeks of post-migration data. Look for irrelevant, low-intent or off-brand searches, and compare cost per conversion against August.
- Add negative keywords. Anything irrelevant from step 2 should be excluded now, not in the middle of a sale.
- Check brand terms. Make sure your brand campaigns and brand exclusions still behave as expected, and that AI Max is not matching your brand terms to competitor searches or the other way round.
- Read every Google-written headline. Filter the asset report for “Google AI” text and check it against your Black Friday offers, pricing and tone. Remove anything inaccurate.
- Confirm final URL expansion is off, unless you have chosen to turn it on. If you do use it, make sure every page Google could send people to is ready for peak traffic. Our guide to getting your landing pages ready for Black Friday covers what to check.
- Check your bidding. Search term matching needs Smart Bidding to work. If a campaign is still on manual CPC, decide whether to switch or switch search term matching off.
- Watch Quality Score. Wider matching can bring in less relevant clicks, which can drag down performance. Our piece on why Quality Score affects your ROI explains why that matters.
If you also run Performance Max, remember that AI Max and PMax can now compete for the same searches, with the higher Ad Rank winning. It is worth reviewing how budget is split between them, as covered in our guide to Performance Max budget allocation.
Should You Keep AI Max Switched On?
There is no single right answer, and anyone who gives you one without looking at your account is guessing. Here is the case on each side.
The case for keeping it. Google says advertisers who activate AI Max typically see 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS. That figure comes from Google’s own 2025 data for non-retail advertisers, so treat it as a best case rather than a promise (Google Ads Help). There is also a strategic reason: at Google Marketing Live in May 2026, Google confirmed that appearing in its new AI search ad formats requires AI Max for Search or Performance Max with text customisation (PPC Land). Switching it off may limit where your ads can show as AI Mode grows.
The case for caution. Wider matching means less control. A December 2025 study reported AI Max broadening exact and phrase match keywords and, in some cases, matching brand terms to competitor brands. For businesses with tight budgets, niche products or strict compliance needs, such as legal or financial services, that loss of control can cost more than it gains.
Our view: test rather than assume. Google’s AI Max experiments let you split traffic within an existing campaign between AI Max on and off, which gives you a fair comparison on your own data. For most accounts we would keep AI Max running through peak season with tight negatives and close monitoring, rather than switching it off mid-campaign and losing learning. But that depends on what your search terms report shows.
Getting AI Max Peak-Ready
The September migration was automatic, but managing its effects is not. If your campaigns used Automatically Created Assets, your ads may already be reaching searches you never targeted, with copy you never approved. A month of data is enough to spot problems, and there are still a few weeks to fix them before Black Friday.
If you would like an expert to check your account, our free Google Ads audit reviews your search terms, settings and spend. Or find out more about how our Google Ads management works.