Google Ads is in the middle of a September migration that can change how some Search campaigns are managed even when no one in the account manually turns on AI Max.
The first phase started on Sept. 1, 2026, and is scheduled to roll out progressively through Sept. 30, according to the Google Ads Developer Blog. It affects Search campaigns using campaign-level broad match or standalone Automatically Created Assets, the legacy feature now folded into AI Max as text customization.
For advertisers, the practical issue is not whether AI Max is new. It is whether existing Search campaigns have already been moved into the newer AI Max settings structure, which features were enabled during migration, and whether reporting still lines up with campaign intent.
Which campaigns are affected in September
The September auto-upgrade applies to two legacy Search campaign setups: campaign-level broad match and standalone Automatically Created Assets. Google says those campaigns are being migrated in place to equivalent AI Max settings to support continuity and reduce performance volatility.
The settings do not map over in the same way for every affected campaign.
Legacy setting
Default AI Max setup after migration
Review point
Campaign-level broad match
Search term matching on by default. Text customization and Final URL expansion off by default. Existing brand inclusions and exclusions are preserved, according to Google.
Search term matching and text customization on by default. Final URL expansion off by default.
Review generated headlines and descriptions, asset reports, search terms, and policy-sensitive wording.
This matters because an account may show AI Max as active without every AI Max feature being active. Search term matching may be enabled while Final URL expansion remains off. Text customization may be on for one migrated campaign and off for another, depending on the legacy setting that triggered the move.
Why the change deserves an account review
AI Max for Search is not a separate campaign type. Google’s developer documentation describes it as an optimization layer for existing Search campaigns. It can expand matching, tailor creative, and optimize landing pages through a bundle of AI-powered settings.
Search term matching expands beyond existing keywords using broad match and keywordless technology. Google says it learns from current keywords, creatives, and URLs to find additional relevant searches. That can be useful, but it also changes the way campaign intent is interpreted.
Text customization uses existing ads, landing page copy, assets, and generative AI to create customized ad copy. For advertisers in regulated, high-consideration, local service, or tightly positioned B2B categories, generated messaging should be checked before performance conclusions are drawn.
Final URL expansion can send traffic to a page Google predicts is more relevant for a search. Google’s September migration mapping says Final URL expansion is off by default for the affected campaign-level broad match and standalone ACA migrations, but it still belongs on the review list because AI Max settings can be changed later and other AI Max setups may include it.
What account teams should check now
Google’s Help Center says AI Max settings can be filtered or added as columns in the campaign list view. That gives advertisers a direct way to inspect accounts without opening every campaign one by one.
Campaign list view: Account teams can add AI Max-related columns or filters and identify campaigns where AI Max is active.
Campaign settings: The AI Max panel should be reviewed for search term matching, text customization, and Final URL expansion status.
Search terms: Post-migration search terms should be compared against campaign intent, negative keyword coverage, and brand safety rules.
Assets: Generated headlines and descriptions should be checked for accuracy, compliance, brand tone, and claims that require substantiation.
Landing pages: If Final URL expansion is active in any campaign, URL exclusions and page selection should be reviewed before spend shifts to pages that were not intended for paid traffic.
Performance reporting: Teams should separate normal seasonal movement from migration-related changes by recording migration dates and reviewing enough post-migration data before making broad conclusions.
The most useful review is not a yes-or-no judgment on AI Max. It is a settings audit. Campaign teams need to know which controls changed, which features are active, and whether the campaign still matches the original business goal.
Dynamic Search Ads have a different deadline
The September migration is easy to confuse with the wider Dynamic Search Ads transition, but the timelines are different.
Google’s June 2026 developer update said the automatic upgrade of Dynamic Search Ads was postponed from September 2026 to February 2027. Google later clarified in its August developer timeline that active legacy DSA campaigns are excluded from the September auto-migrations and will continue to serve as normal for now.
For DSA accounts, the next key dates are January 15, 2027, when Google says official reminder notifications are scheduled, and Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, 2027, when DSA automigration is scheduled to begin. Google says the ability to create new DSA ad groups will be permanently removed during that February 2027 phase, and unmigrated DSA campaigns will automatically upgrade to standard Search ad groups with AI Max enabled.
Developers and scripts have a separate cleanup job
The migration is not only a user interface issue. Google’s developer update says creating new campaign-level broad match configurations or legacy ACA is now blocked across the Google Ads UI, Google Ads Editor, and all API versions as of Aug. 3, 2026.
New Google Ads API versions released after Sept. 1, 2026, are expected to remove the legacy entities used to create or manage campaign-level broad match settings and Automatically Created Assets. Older active API versions can temporarily continue to support those legacy setups until their scheduled sunset, which Google says is typically one year after introduction, around September 2027.
Agencies, in-house marketing teams, and tool providers using scripts or external systems should audit workflows that still create, edit, or report on those legacy entities. The visible campaign migration is only one part of the change; reporting and automation workflows may also need updates.
A measured response is better than waiting
Google is moving more Search campaign control into AI Max, but the September rollout is narrow enough to audit. The affected campaigns can be identified. The enabled features can be checked. Migration dates can be recorded. Search terms, assets, and landing page behavior can be monitored after the change.
For marketers tracking the wider move toward AI-assisted search experiences, Tech Help Canada has also covered how AI is changing search beyond classic keyword matching.
The accounts most exposed to surprise are the ones that no one checks until performance moves. The accounts best positioned for the change are the ones with documented settings, reviewed creative controls, current negative keyword lists, and a clear plan for deciding whether AI Max features stay on, get adjusted, or move into a controlled test.
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