AI Max for Search is a set of AI features inside Google Ads Search campaigns that widens which searches your ads match, writes extra headlines and descriptions, and can choose landing pages for you. In September 2026, Google began automatically upgrading eligible campaigns that used campaign-level broad match or automatically created assets. Brands Win, a Singapore-based performance marketing agency for consumer brands, explains what to check.

Checked against Google Ads Help and the Google Ads & Commerce blog, 8 October 2026.

What AI Max for Search is (and is not)

AI Max is an optimisation layer inside existing Search campaigns, not a new campaign type, per Google’s Set up AI Max help page.

Google’s How AI Max works page lists three core features, plus brand, location and URL controls:

• Search term matching: broad match plus “keywordless” matching from your assets and landing pages.
• Text customisation (formerly automatically created assets): extra headlines and descriptions generated from your site, ads and keywords.
• Final URL expansion: sends traffic to the page on your domain Google predicts is most relevant.

It is not Performance Max, nor AI Max for Shopping, which we touch on in Performance Max vs Shopping and our Google Shopping and Performance Max page. If a search could trigger both an AI Max Search campaign and Performance Max, the higher Ad Rank serves, per Google’s AI Max FAQs.

What changed in September 2026 (and what is next)

Google began moving eligible Search campaigns with legacy settings to AI Max in September 2026, expecting to finish by the end of that month.

Google’s announcement of 15 April 2026, updated 11 June 2026, says campaigns using automatically created assets get search term matching and text customisation on by default, while campaign-level broad match campaigns get search term matching on. Search Engine Land reported on 14 August 2026 a gradual 1 to 30 September migration, with existing brand inclusions and exclusions carried over.

Google’s announcement mentions Final URL expansion only for the Dynamic Search Ads upgrade, so check whether it is on in yours.

Dynamic Search Ads: February 2027

Google moved the Dynamic Search Ads automatic upgrade to February 2027. You can upgrade earlier from campaign settings (Set up AI Max).

Announced, not live yet

On 23 September 2026, Google announced a single reporting view of search term, creative and landing page, plus more languages for the closed beta of AI Brief (Chinese is not among them), with availability “later this year”.

AI Max for Search: a post-upgrade checklist for Singapore brands

Run these checks per campaign.

1. Find which campaigns changed. In Campaigns > Settings, AI Max settings can be filtered or added as columns (Set up AI Max). Check September’s change history too.
2. Check bidding. All three features need conversion-based Smart Bidding to work effectively (Set up AI Max), and search term matching does not work with manual CPC (AI Max FAQs). AI Max is also less effective when a campaign is limited by budget (How AI Max works).
3. Re-check keyword priority. Without the broad match campaign setting, broad keywords are no longer treated like exact match in prioritisation. If you relied on that, add exact match copies (How AI Max works).
4. Set brand controls. Brand exclusions sit at campaign level; brand inclusions work at campaign or ad group level, and ad group inclusions override the campaign’s (Set up AI Max). Lists live under Tools > Shared library > Brand lists (AI Max reporting).
5. Lock down landing pages. If Final URL expansion is on, add URL exclusions for careers, expired promotions or out-of-stock pages. Pinned responsive search ad assets are not respected when Final URL expansion or URL inclusions are on (Set up AI Max).
6. Check tracking templates. Static tracking URLs or unusual {lpurl} use can break dynamic landing pages; Google lists safe patterns such as {lpurl}? and {lpurl}& (How AI Max works).
7. Know the off switch. Turning off text customisation also turns off Final URL expansion (Google Ads Help). Turning AI Max off stops every feature, including brand exclusions (AI Max FAQs). Decide against the campaign’s performance target, not on reflex.

One more automation to check

Search Engine Roundtable reported on 5 October 2026 a Google email saying that, from 12 October 2026, offers found on your website may be added to Search and Performance Max campaigns with linked location assets and no promotion assets. It is not on a Help page, so brands with outlets should check Automated Promotions in account-level automated assets.

Keep AI-written ad text on-brand and compliant

Text customisation writes from your website, so keep pages accurate and set text guidelines.

Google’s About text customisation page says it builds assets from your domain, landing pages, ads and keywords, refreshes them at least every 48 hours, and serves them only when predicted to beat yours. They show as “Google AI” in the asset report’s “Added by” column. Accurate pages also help in AI answers; see AI search optimisation.

Text guidelines, a beta Google opened to all advertisers globally on 26 February 2026, allow up to 25 term exclusions and 40 messaging restrictions per campaign (Google Ads Help). Term exclusions are language-specific, so add English and Chinese versions if you run both. To stop prices, use a messaging restriction such as “Do not mention specific prices”. New guidelines also remove existing generated assets that break them. Asset previews show up to 10 sample headlines and descriptions, filtered by your text guidelines (About text customisation).

Singapore claims rules still apply. HSA’s cosmetic products overview says cosmetic ads cannot claim to modify a physiological process, such as reversing hair loss, or to prevent or treat a disease or medical conditions, and the ASAS Code expects claims to be capable of substantiation. Messaging restrictions help, but an overclaiming AI headline is still your ad. This is not legal advice.

Strong human-written ad copy and creative gives text customisation better material.

How to read AI Max results

Wait at least two weeks after enabling AI Max before changes such as adding negatives, as Google’s AI Max reporting help page advises. Then check:

• Search terms report: filter Match type for “AI Max” and add the Source column. Google notes this filter can undercount because it excludes “Other search terms”.
• Search terms and ad combinations: the headline and landing page behind each search term. This view is already in Google Ads and is separate from the unified view announced on 23 September.
• Keywords report: the “Total: AI Max expanded matches” and “Total: AI Max landing page matches” rows.
• Landing pages report: the “Selected by” column.

Negative keywords are still respected with AI Max on (AI Max FAQs).

Judge each campaign against its agreed performance target and cross-check with store or booking data; see why platform numbers and sales reports differ. Performance Max has its own asset tests: Performance Max A/B testing.

A 90-day way to settle AI Max into your Search account

Our Growth System 90 programme covers paid media on Meta, TikTok and Google, marketplace channels such as Shopee and TikTok Shop, influencer marketing and content strategy over 90 days (Discover, Launch, Optimise, Review), against one performance target:

• Discover: list upgraded campaigns, their bidding, and brand and URL controls.
• Launch: set text guidelines and URL exclusions; keep or switch off features per campaign.
• Optimise: after the two-week ramp, add negatives and prune generated assets.
• Review: decide per campaign and prepare Dynamic Search Ads before February 2027.

You own your Google Ads account and pay Google directly; our Google Ads and SEM work happens inside it.

FAQs about AI Max for Search