Starting September 1, 2026, Google Ads will automatically upgrade Search campaigns that use Automatically Created Assets or the campaign-level broad match setting to AI Max. Google emailed affected advertisers on August 5. If your account runs either setting, your campaign behavior changes without any action from you - unless you check your settings before the switch happens.
This is not the same migration as the Dynamic Search Ads move to AI Max, which Google delayed to February 2027. This is a separate, faster-moving change with a hard start date three weeks out, and it affects a much larger set of standard Search campaigns.
What Exactly Is Changing on September 1
Google is auto-upgrading two specific campaign configurations. First, any Search campaign using the Automatically Created Assets setting will be converted to AI Max with search term matching and text customization turned on by default. Second, any Search campaign using the campaign-level broad match setting will be converted to AI Max with search term matching turned on.
Google says it expects all eligible upgrades to conclude by the end of September. If your account has never enabled Automatically Created Assets and never used campaign-level broad match, nothing changes for you - this migration only touches campaigns with one of those two settings active.
Why This Distinction Matters for Your Account
Automatically Created Assets is a setting many advertisers turned on years ago without fully tracking what it does - it lets Google generate additional ad text variations automatically. Campaign-level broad match is a targeting setting, separate from keyword-level broad match, that many advertisers enabled during earlier Google Ads defaults pushes.
Because both settings are easy to forget about, a meaningful share of active Search campaigns will be affected by this upgrade without the account owner remembering they ever opted in. This is the core risk: campaigns changing behavior on September 1 that nobody consciously reviewed in the lead-up.
What Text Customization and Search Term Matching Actually Do
Text customization means Google can rewrite parts of your ad copy dynamically based on the search query, using AI to generate variations of your headlines and descriptions. Search term matching means Google expands which search terms your ads are eligible to show for, beyond your literal keyword list, using AI to judge relevance.
Both features reduce manual control in exchange for broader reach and, according to Google, better performance. For advertisers with tightly controlled messaging - regulated industries, precise brand language, legal review requirements - this loss of control matters more than the potential performance gain.
The 7% Conversion Claim: What It Actually Means
Google states that AI Max campaigns using the full feature set - search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion together - generate an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS, compared to campaigns using search term matching alone. This figure comes from Google's internal 2026 data and explicitly excludes retail advertisers.
Two things to note. First, this compares AI Max features against each other, not against a fully manual campaign with none of these settings enabled - so it does not tell you what changes for an account moving from zero automation straight to full AI Max. Second, average performance across Google's advertiser base does not predict what happens in your specific account, especially in narrow or regulated verticals.
What to Check Before September 1
Open each active Search campaign and look for the Automatically Created Assets setting and the campaign-level broad match setting under campaign settings. If either is enabled, that campaign is in scope for the automatic upgrade.
Review your negative keyword lists and brand exclusion settings now, before the upgrade expands your search term matching. Broader matching without solid negative keyword coverage is the most common way advertisers see wasted spend spike after an AI Max upgrade. The guide to AI Max negative keywords and brand exclusions covers exactly this setup.
If your account is already planning a broader move to AI Max, this auto-upgrade may simply accelerate a change you intended anyway. If you specifically want to avoid AI Max control changes, disabling Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match before September 1 keeps those campaigns out of this particular migration - though Google continues to push AI Max adoption across other campaign types on separate timelines, including the DSA to AI Max migration now scheduled for February 2027.
After the Upgrade: What to Monitor
For the first two to three weeks after your campaigns convert, watch search terms report volume, cost per conversion, and ad copy variations more closely than usual. AI Max campaigns generate more search term diversity, which means more opportunities for irrelevant matches to slip through if your negative keyword list has not been updated recently.
Check the Assets report to see which AI-generated headline and description variations are actually serving. Some advertisers find the generated copy diverges from brand voice in ways that need correcting through pinned assets or by adjusting text customization settings after the upgrade completes.
FAQ
Does the September 1 AI Max upgrade affect all my Search campaigns?
No. It only affects campaigns that currently have Automatically Created Assets enabled or the campaign-level broad match setting enabled. Campaigns without either setting are not touched by this specific migration.
Is this the same change as the Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max migration?
No. That migration was delayed to February 2027 and applies specifically to Dynamic Search Ads campaigns. This September 1 change applies to standard Search campaigns using Automatically Created Assets or broad match, and it is moving forward on its original timeline.
Can I opt out of the September 1 upgrade?
You can disable Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match on any campaign before September 1 to keep it out of this particular auto-upgrade. Google has not indicated an account-level opt-out for advertisers who keep those settings enabled.
What is the biggest risk after the upgrade completes?
Wasted spend from broader search term matching without updated negative keywords. Review and expand your negative keyword and brand exclusion lists before the upgrade takes effect, not after.
