What AI Max is, in plain words

A regular Search campaign shows ads for the keywords you chose. AI Max adds three features to it, and each one can be turned on separately:

  • Search term matching: Google also shows your ads for searches that are not in your keyword list if it thinks they mean something similar.
  • Text customization: the system writes extra headlines and descriptions based on your ads and your website copy.
  • Final URL expansion: Google may send people not to the page you set but to another page on your site that it thinks fits the search better.

Put simply, you hand some decisions to the algorithm in exchange for more reach.

What happens to Dynamic Search Ads (DSA)

Google announced that DSA is moving into AI Max for Search campaigns. The switch was first planned for September 2026 and then postponed. According to Search Engine Roundtable, creating new DSA will no longer be possible from January 2027, and the automatic upgrade of existing DSA campaigns starts in February 2027.

If you run a DSA campaign, it is better to upgrade it yourself before February. That way you set the limits you need instead of getting the defaults.

When AI Max helps

  • The campaign already brings steady conversions and needs to scale.
  • Conversions are tracked correctly, because that is what the algorithm learns from.
  • The site has many service or product pages that keywords alone cannot cover.
  • There is budget for a test of at least 3-4 weeks.

When it is better not to turn it on

  • A small budget and a new campaign with no conversion history: the expansion will spend money faster than the system learns anything.
  • Conversions are set up wrong or count the wrong things, so the AI optimizes for the wrong goal.
  • Legal, medical and other niches where ad text and landing pages must be approved word for word. Automatic text and page choice are risky there.
  • A one-page website: there is nowhere to expand the URL to.

How to turn AI Max on safely

  1. Check conversion tracking: forms, calls, purchases. Do not turn on anything automatic without it.
  2. Run it as an experiment on part of the traffic, not on the whole campaign at once.
  3. Add exclusions: negative keywords, brand exclusions and pages ads must not lead to (cart, careers, blog, privacy policy).
  4. If ad text must be approved, turn off text customization and keep search term matching.
  5. Review the search terms report every week and add irrelevant searches as negatives.
  6. Compare cost per lead with a control campaign, not the number of clicks.

My approach

For new accounts I first launch a regular Search campaign with manual control over search terms, and test AI Max once conversions are steady. That shows what the algorithm actually added: new leads or just more expensive clicks.

FAQ

Is AI Max a separate campaign type?

No. It is a set of settings you turn on inside a regular Search campaign. Each of the three features can be turned on and off separately.

Do I need to do anything about DSA right now?

Ideally, upgrade your DSA campaign to AI Max yourself before February 2027 and set up exclusions. Otherwise Google will upgrade it automatically with default settings. Google has already moved these dates once, so watch the notices in your account.

Is AI Max a good fit for small businesses?

Yes, once the campaign already brings conversions and there is budget for a test. When starting from zero with a small budget, begin with a regular Search campaign.

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