Google AI Max Auto-Upgrades: What to Check Before September 2026

Google is moving more Search campaign settings into AI Max.

Starting in September 2026, eligible campaigns using automatically created assets or the campaign-level broad match setting are due to begin upgrading automatically.

Dynamic Search Ads were originally part of the same September transition. Google has since delayed their automatic upgrade until February 2027.

That timing change matters.

It also means advertisers need to look at the actual settings in each campaign instead of assuming every Search campaign is moving in the same way.

What Is Actually Upgrading in September 2026

The September 2026 transition applies to eligible Search campaigns using legacy settings that are now managed through AI Max.

The two main groups are:

• Campaigns using automatically created assets, now called text customisation
• Campaigns using the campaign-level broad match setting

Google says affected accounts should receive notifications before the transition.

The upgrade is meant to mirror the legacy setup rather than turn on every AI Max feature automatically.

That is useful, but it does not remove the need to review the campaign.

When Google moves a setting into a broader automation layer, the controls, reporting and future recommendations around it change.

Dynamic Search Ads Have Been Delayed

Google initially announced that Dynamic Search Ads would also begin automatically upgrading in September 2026.

It later extended that deadline.

Dynamic Search Ads are now scheduled to begin automatic migration to AI Max in February 2027.

If you use DSA, you have more time.

Do not use that delay as a reason to ignore the account. DSA advertisers should still review page targeting, exclusions, landing pages and the AI Max controls that will eventually replace the legacy workflow.

But the urgent September check is narrower than the original announcement suggested.

How the Legacy Settings Map to AI Max

Google has outlined how the September upgrades should map.

For campaigns using automatically created assets:

• AI Max will become the management layer
• Search term matching will be enabled
• Text customisation will be enabled

For campaigns using the campaign-level broad match setting:

• AI Max will become the management layer
• Search term matching will be enabled

Google’s automatic transition is designed to preserve the existing behaviour as closely as possible.

Final URL expansion is a separate control and should not be assumed to turn on simply because a legacy campaign is upgraded. Review the actual post-upgrade settings in the account.

This is why I would not frame the change as “Google is turning every Search campaign into Performance Max”.

AI Max is still a layer inside Search campaigns. You keep Search reporting and several campaign controls, but Google expands how queries, text and landing pages can be matched when the relevant features are enabled.

The broader mechanics are covered in what AI Max means for advertisers.

What AI Max Changes

Search Term Matching

Search term matching expands beyond the keywords in the campaign.

It can use broad-match technology, ad assets and landing-page content to find additional queries Google predicts are relevant.

That can identify incremental demand.

It can also create new matching paths that need monitoring.

The search terms report now includes AI Max reporting fields, including the source of incremental matching in eligible views.

Treat those reports as part of the campaign setup, not an optional clean-up task.

Text Customisation

Text customisation is the newer name for automatically created assets.

Google can use your existing ads, landing pages and other account information to create tailored ad text for a search.

This can improve relevance when the website is accurate and the campaign is well structured.

It can create brand or compliance problems when the website contains outdated claims, vague copy or pages that were never meant to inform ad messaging.

Review the generated assets after the upgrade.

Do not assume Google’s version of a relevant message is the message you would approve.

Final URL Expansion

Final URL expansion lets Google send a user to a different page on your domain when it predicts that page is more relevant to the query.

When you opt into AI Max manually, text customisation and final URL expansion are enabled by default in the standard setup. They can be turned off individually, although final URL expansion requires text customisation.

This feature needs careful review for service businesses.

A broad website can include:

• Careers pages
• Blog posts
• Old service pages
• Out-of-area locations
• Terms and policy pages
• Services the campaign is not meant to promote
• Low-converting general pages

Use URL exclusions or keep final URL expansion off when the website structure does not support it.

Another detail matters if your responsive search ads use pinned assets.

Google states that pinned RSA assets may not be respected when a different landing page is selected through final URL expansion. If the pinned wording is legally required or central to the offer, review that setting before enabling expansion.

What to Check Before the Upgrade

Find Affected Campaigns

Open each active Search campaign and review its settings.

Look for:

• Automatically created assets or text customisation
• Campaign-level broad match
• AI Max notices or upgrade banners
• Existing AI Max settings
• Dynamic Search Ad groups, noting the later 2027 timeline

Create a list of affected campaigns before changing anything.

High-spend and high-lead-volume campaigns should be reviewed first.

Review Conversion Goals

AI Max features rely heavily on conversion-based bidding and campaign signals.

Check which conversion actions the campaign uses.

Primary actions should represent outcomes you genuinely want more of. Secondary actions should be observation-only unless intentionally used in a custom goal.

If page views, contact-page visits or weak micro-conversions are included in bidding, expanded matching can scale the wrong behaviour.

Fix the measurement before expanding the reach.

Check Search Terms and Negatives

Review the last 30 to 90 days of search terms.

Identify:

• Irrelevant queries
• Low-intent research themes
• Employment searches
• Unserviceable locations
• Unwanted brands
• Services outside the campaign scope

Build negatives at the correct level.

Do not wait for the upgrade to expose obvious waste that already exists.

After the transition, continue reviewing AI Max’s incremental search terms and source reporting.

Review Text Assets

Open the existing automatically created assets and check what Google has already generated.

Ask:

• Is the claim accurate?
• Does the copy match the offer?
• Is the tone acceptable?
• Is the service available in the targeted location?
• Does the wording create a compliance risk?
• Is the text based on outdated website content?

Remove poor assets and fix the source content where needed.

Text customisation learns from the information you give it. A weak website does not become a strong advertising brief because AI reads it.

Protect Important URLs

Map the pages that should and should not receive paid traffic.

If final URL expansion is used, create URL exclusions for pages such as:

• Careers
• Privacy and policy pages
• Blog posts that do not support conversion
• Sold-out or unavailable services
• Locations outside the campaign
• Existing-customer support pages
• Low-quality archive pages

For tightly structured Search campaigns, sending each service to a dedicated landing page may still be the stronger choice.

That is particularly true when the page has been built around one search intent and one action.

Check Pinned Assets and Tracking Templates

If the campaign relies on pinned RSA assets, confirm how they will behave under the selected AI Max settings.

Also review tracking templates and URL parameters.

Dynamic landing-page selection can expose broken tracking logic when templates are not compatible with changing final URLs.

Click through test URLs before the campaign depends on them.

A tracking template that produces a 404 page is not a reporting problem. It is lost revenue.

Should You Upgrade Early?

Upgrading early can make sense when you want to test the settings before Google begins the automatic transition.

But do not upgrade simply to remove a recommendation banner.

Use an experiment where available and isolate the change.

Compare:

• Search-term quality
• Conversion volume
• Cost per qualified lead
• Landing pages selected
• Generated text assets
• Lead quality
• Sales outcomes

Google’s published averages describe large groups of advertisers.

Your campaign still needs to prove the change in your account.

What I Would Do in a Service-Business Account

For a service business, I would start with control.

Before enabling or accepting more automation, I would make sure the campaign has:

• Accurate conversion tracking
• Clean search terms
• Strong negative keywords
• Clear service and location boundaries
• Landing pages built for each intent
• A process for reviewing generated assets
• Lead-quality feedback from the CRM

Then I would test AI Max features one layer at a time.

Search term matching may find useful demand.

Text customisation may improve relevance.

Final URL expansion may help a large, clean website route people more accurately.

None of those outcomes are guaranteed by switching the setting on.

The account still needs a strategy.

If you are deciding between Google’s increasingly automated campaign options, this comparison of Performance Max and Search explains where I would start on a limited budget.

Need Help Reviewing the AI Max Upgrade?

If you have received an AI Max notice and are unsure what Google is changing, book a free strategy call with Ad Partner.

We can review the affected campaigns, settings, tracking and search terms before the upgrade changes how the account is managed.Google is moving more Search campaign settings into AI Max.

Starting in September 2026, eligible campaigns using automatically created assets or the campaign-level broad match setting are due to begin upgrading automatically.

Dynamic Search Ads were originally part of the same September transition. Google has since delayed their automatic upgrade until February 2027.

That timing change matters.

It also means advertisers need to look at the actual settings in each campaign instead of assuming every Search campaign is moving in the same way.

What Is Actually Upgrading in September 2026

The September 2026 transition applies to eligible Search campaigns using legacy settings that are now managed through AI Max.

The two main groups are:

• Campaigns using automatically created assets, now called text customisation
• Campaigns using the campaign-level broad match setting

Google says affected accounts should receive notifications before the transition.

The upgrade is meant to mirror the legacy setup rather than turn on every AI Max feature automatically.

That is useful, but it does not remove the need to review the campaign.

When Google moves a setting into a broader automation layer, the controls, reporting and future recommendations around it change.

Dynamic Search Ads Have Been Delayed

Google initially announced that Dynamic Search Ads would also begin automatically upgrading in September 2026.

It later extended that deadline.

Dynamic Search Ads are now scheduled to begin automatic migration to AI Max in February 2027.

If you use DSA, you have more time.

Do not use that delay as a reason to ignore the account. DSA advertisers should still review page targeting, exclusions, landing pages and the AI Max controls that will eventually replace the legacy workflow.

But the urgent September check is narrower than the original announcement suggested.

How the Legacy Settings Map to AI Max

Google has outlined how the September upgrades should map.

For campaigns using automatically created assets:

• AI Max will become the management layer
• Search term matching will be enabled
• Text customisation will be enabled

For campaigns using the campaign-level broad match setting:

• AI Max will become the management layer
• Search term matching will be enabled

Google’s automatic transition is designed to preserve the existing behaviour as closely as possible.

Final URL expansion is a separate control and should not be assumed to turn on simply because a legacy campaign is upgraded. Review the actual post-upgrade settings in the account.

This is why I would not frame the change as “Google is turning every Search campaign into Performance Max”.

AI Max is still a layer inside Search campaigns. You keep Search reporting and several campaign controls, but Google expands how queries, text and landing pages can be matched when the relevant features are enabled.

The broader mechanics are covered in what AI Max means for advertisers.

What AI Max Changes

Search Term Matching

Search term matching expands beyond the keywords in the campaign.

It can use broad-match technology, ad assets and landing-page content to find additional queries Google predicts are relevant.

That can identify incremental demand.

It can also create new matching paths that need monitoring.

The search terms report now includes AI Max reporting fields, including the source of incremental matching in eligible views.

Treat those reports as part of the campaign setup, not an optional clean-up task.

Text Customisation

Text customisation is the newer name for automatically created assets.

Google can use your existing ads, landing pages and other account information to create tailored ad text for a search.

This can improve relevance when the website is accurate and the campaign is well structured.

It can create brand or compliance problems when the website contains outdated claims, vague copy or pages that were never meant to inform ad messaging.

Review the generated assets after the upgrade.

Do not assume Google’s version of a relevant message is the message you would approve.

Final URL Expansion

Final URL expansion lets Google send a user to a different page on your domain when it predicts that page is more relevant to the query.

When you opt into AI Max manually, text customisation and final URL expansion are enabled by default in the standard setup. They can be turned off individually, although final URL expansion requires text customisation.

This feature needs careful review for service businesses.

A broad website can include:

• Careers pages
• Blog posts
• Old service pages
• Out-of-area locations
• Terms and policy pages
• Services the campaign is not meant to promote
• Low-converting general pages

Use URL exclusions or keep final URL expansion off when the website structure does not support it.

Another detail matters if your responsive search ads use pinned assets.

Google states that pinned RSA assets may not be respected when a different landing page is selected through final URL expansion. If the pinned wording is legally required or central to the offer, review that setting before enabling expansion.

What to Check Before the Upgrade

Find Affected Campaigns

Open each active Search campaign and review its settings.

Look for:

• Automatically created assets or text customisation
• Campaign-level broad match
• AI Max notices or upgrade banners
• Existing AI Max settings
• Dynamic Search Ad groups, noting the later 2027 timeline

Create a list of affected campaigns before changing anything.

High-spend and high-lead-volume campaigns should be reviewed first.

Review Conversion Goals

AI Max features rely heavily on conversion-based bidding and campaign signals.

Check which conversion actions the campaign uses.

Primary actions should represent outcomes you genuinely want more of. Secondary actions should be observation-only unless intentionally used in a custom goal.

If page views, contact-page visits or weak micro-conversions are included in bidding, expanded matching can scale the wrong behaviour.

Fix the measurement before expanding the reach.

Check Search Terms and Negatives

Review the last 30 to 90 days of search terms.

Identify:

• Irrelevant queries
• Low-intent research themes
• Employment searches
• Unserviceable locations
• Unwanted brands
• Services outside the campaign scope

Build negatives at the correct level.

Do not wait for the upgrade to expose obvious waste that already exists.

After the transition, continue reviewing AI Max’s incremental search terms and source reporting.

Review Text Assets

Open the existing automatically created assets and check what Google has already generated.

Ask:

• Is the claim accurate?
• Does the copy match the offer?
• Is the tone acceptable?
• Is the service available in the targeted location?
• Does the wording create a compliance risk?
• Is the text based on outdated website content?

Remove poor assets and fix the source content where needed.

Text customisation learns from the information you give it. A weak website does not become a strong advertising brief because AI reads it.

Protect Important URLs

Map the pages that should and should not receive paid traffic.

If final URL expansion is used, create URL exclusions for pages such as:

• Careers
• Privacy and policy pages
• Blog posts that do not support conversion
• Sold-out or unavailable services
• Locations outside the campaign
• Existing-customer support pages
• Low-quality archive pages

For tightly structured Search campaigns, sending each service to a dedicated landing page may still be the stronger choice.

That is particularly true when the page has been built around one search intent and one action.

Check Pinned Assets and Tracking Templates

If the campaign relies on pinned RSA assets, confirm how they will behave under the selected AI Max settings.

Also review tracking templates and URL parameters.

Dynamic landing-page selection can expose broken tracking logic when templates are not compatible with changing final URLs.

Click through test URLs before the campaign depends on them.

A tracking template that produces a 404 page is not a reporting problem. It is lost revenue.

Should You Upgrade Early?

Upgrading early can make sense when you want to test the settings before Google begins the automatic transition.

But do not upgrade simply to remove a recommendation banner.

Use an experiment where available and isolate the change.

Compare:

• Search-term quality
• Conversion volume
• Cost per qualified lead
• Landing pages selected
• Generated text assets
• Lead quality
• Sales outcomes

Google’s published averages describe large groups of advertisers.

Your campaign still needs to prove the change in your account.

What I Would Do in a Service-Business Account

For a service business, I would start with control.

Before enabling or accepting more automation, I would make sure the campaign has:

• Accurate conversion tracking
• Clean search terms
• Strong negative keywords
• Clear service and location boundaries
• Landing pages built for each intent
• A process for reviewing generated assets
• Lead-quality feedback from the CRM

Then I would test AI Max features one layer at a time.

Search term matching may find useful demand.

Text customisation may improve relevance.

Final URL expansion may help a large, clean website route people more accurately.

None of those outcomes are guaranteed by switching the setting on.

The account still needs a strategy.

If you are deciding between Google’s increasingly automated campaign options, this comparison of Performance Max and Search explains where I would start on a limited budget.

Need Help Reviewing the AI Max Upgrade?

If you have received an AI Max notice and are unsure what Google is changing, book a free strategy call with Ad Partner.

We can review the affected campaigns, settings, tracking and search terms before the upgrade changes how the account is managed.