Google Ads will automatically convert Search campaigns using Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level broad match to AI Max starting September 1, 2026. Google notified advertisers by email on August 5. For agencies and in-house teams running campaigns against Poland's e-commerce and services market, this changes how much control you keep over ad copy and search term matching - without you clicking anything.
Poland is one of the more competitive Google Ads markets in Central Europe, with Google holding over 95% search share. Campaigns competing for space against Allegro Ads, price comparison traffic, and marketplace listings depend on precise targeting to keep cost per acquisition under control. An automatic shift toward broader AI-driven matching is worth planning for rather than discovering on September 2.
What Changes and for Which Campaigns
Two settings trigger the upgrade. Campaigns with Automatically Created Assets enabled convert to AI Max with search term matching and text customization turned on. Campaigns using the campaign-level broad match setting convert to AI Max with search term matching enabled, without automatic text customization.
If neither setting is active on a campaign, nothing changes for that campaign on September 1. Google says the migration should be complete for all eligible accounts by the end of September.
Why Polish Advertisers Should Check Settings Before the Deadline
A large share of accounts running Polish-market campaigns were set up years ago, often by agencies managing multiple client accounts, and Automatically Created Assets was frequently left on by default rather than chosen deliberately. The same applies to campaign-level broad match, which many accounts inherited from earlier Google Ads onboarding flows.
For a Polish home services company or an online store competing on Ceneo.pl price comparisons, broader search term matching without tight negative keyword coverage can quickly pull in irrelevant traffic and inflate cost per click on a market where budgets are often smaller than in Western Europe.
The Performance Claim and What It Does Not Tell You
Google states that AI Max campaigns using the complete feature set - search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion - deliver roughly 7% more conversions or conversion value at similar CPA or ROAS compared to campaigns using search term matching alone. This is Google's own global 2026 data and excludes retail advertisers specifically.
That figure says nothing about how a Polish services or B2B account performs specifically, and it does not compare AI Max against a fully manual, tightly controlled campaign. Treat it as a general signal, not a guarantee for your account.
Preparing Your Account Before September 1
Review every active Search campaign for the Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match settings. Decide deliberately whether to let each qualifying campaign convert or to disable the setting first and keep manual control.
Update negative keyword lists and brand exclusion settings before the conversion happens. The guide to AI Max negative keywords and brand exclusions covers exactly how to set these controls up, which matters more once search term matching expands beyond your literal keyword list.
This September 1 change is separate from the Dynamic Search Ads migration to AI Max, which Google delayed to February 2027. Accounts running DSA campaigns should track that separate migration timeline independently - it does not follow the same schedule as this broad match and Automatically Created Assets upgrade.
What to Watch After the Conversion
In the first two to three weeks after conversion, check the search terms report daily rather than weekly. AI Max campaigns typically generate more query diversity, and on a market with strong price-comparison shopping behavior like Poland, that can mean more clicks from users comparing prices rather than ready to convert.
Also review the Assets report to see which AI-generated ad copy variations Google is actually serving for your Polish-language ads, and correct anything that drifts from approved brand messaging using pinned assets.
Part of a Wider Pattern, Not a One-Off Change
This is the third AI Max expansion in 2026: Shopping campaigns moved first, the Dynamic Search Ads migration was announced and then delayed to February 2027 after pushback, and now standard Search campaigns with Automatically Created Assets or broad match follow. Agencies managing multiple Polish-market accounts should expect further mandatory conversions on this same trajectory rather than treating September 1 as a one-time event to handle and forget.
Building a recurring quarterly review of which campaigns run which automation settings - across every client account, not just the largest ones - puts an agency ahead of the next forced migration instead of reacting to another email notice from Google under a three-week deadline.
FAQ
Does this AI Max upgrade apply automatically to accounts targeting Poland?
Yes, it applies to any account worldwide, including accounts targeting the Polish market, if the campaign has Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level broad match enabled. There is no market-specific exemption.
Is Poland's e-commerce competitiveness relevant to how this change plays out?
Yes. In markets with heavy price comparison shopping such as Poland, broader search term matching without updated negative keywords tends to pull in more comparison-only traffic. Reviewing negative keywords before September 1 matters more in this environment.
Does this replace the DSA to AI Max migration for Poland-targeted accounts?
No. The Dynamic Search Ads migration is a separate track delayed to February 2027. This September 1 change affects standard Search campaigns using Automatically Created Assets or broad match specifically.
What is the single most useful action before September 1?
Auditing negative keyword and brand exclusion lists on every campaign that has Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level broad match enabled, since broader matching without that coverage is the most common cause of wasted spend after conversion.
