Google AI Max Auto-Upgrade: What Changed in September and What It Means
From September 2026, Google is moving search campaigns that use automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match onto AI Max automatically. Dynamic Search Ads follow in February 2027. What advertisers and agencies should do.
Quick answer
Starting in September 2026, Google automatically moves search campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match onto AI Max. Dynamic Search Ads follow from February 2027. AI Max handles search term matching, text customization and final URL expansion, so the value of managing ads shifts to lead quality and business results.
From September 2026, Google is moving search campaigns that use automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match onto AI Max automatically. Dynamic Search Ads follow from February 2027. AI Max makes three decisions that used to belong to whoever managed the account: which searches to match, what the ad says, and which page the click lands on.
What Google changed, and when
Google announced the transition on 15 April 2026 and updated the timeline on 11 June 2026.
| Setting | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| Automatically created assets (ACA) | Auto-upgraded to AI Max | From September 2026 |
| Campaign-level broad match | Auto-upgraded to AI Max | From September 2026 |
| Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) | Sunset and auto-upgrade | From February 2027 (extended from September) |
In its June update, Google wrote: "We heard your feedback: you need more time to complete the transition from Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) to AI Max." The other two changes kept their September date.
What does AI Max actually decide?
AI Max for Search campaigns bundles three capabilities:
- Search term matching: which searches your ads appear for.
- Text customization: what your ad copy says.
- Final URL expansion: which page on your site the click is sent to.
Google's case for it: AI Max campaigns "see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS when using the full feature suite," compared with using search term matching alone.
Why this matters for anyone managing ads
Those three decisions were, for years, the visible expertise in paid search management. They filled the monthly report and justified the fee. AI Max makes them by default.
This is the same pattern we covered when OpenAI launched ad tools that turn a brief into a campaign: the platform takes over the mechanics of running ads. The difference here is that Google is not offering a new tool. It is changing the default on existing campaigns.
What to do now
- List affected campaigns. Check which accounts use automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match, and which still run Dynamic Search Ads.
- Set the controls you still have. Google points to brand and location controls within AI Max. Use them deliberately rather than accepting the defaults.
- Change what you report. A conversion lift means little if the conversions are the wrong customers. Report lead quality, cost per qualified lead and revenue, not only conversions.
- Reprice around outcomes. If your fee is justified by mechanics the platform now automates, move it toward strategy, offers and measured business results.
The work that stays valuable is the work Google cannot see: whether the leads were any good, whether the offer was right, and whether the spend made the business money. If you want your own reporting to connect ads to real outcomes, marketing automation that tracks leads past the click is where to start.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Google AI Max?
- AI Max for Search campaigns is Google's AI-driven search advertising feature suite. It combines search term matching, text customization and final URL expansion, deciding which searches to match, what the ad says and which page a click lands on.
- Is the AI Max upgrade automatic?
- Yes. Google said campaigns using automatically created assets and campaign-level broad match are auto-upgraded starting in September 2026. The Dynamic Search Ads sunset and auto-upgrade was extended and begins in February 2027.
- Does AI Max improve results?
- Google says AI Max for Search campaigns see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS when using the full feature suite, compared with search term matching alone. Results for any single account will vary.
- What should agencies do about AI Max?
- Review which client campaigns are affected, set brand and location controls, and shift reporting toward lead quality and revenue rather than clicks and conversions alone.