You open your Google Ads account and there it is again: a prompt to turn on AI Max. Or you find out your agency already switched it on, and now the search terms report shows phrases you never picked. Google Ads AI Max can match your ads to new searches, write extra headlines and send visitors to a different page on your site, so the worry about paying for the wrong clicks is fair. Some campaigns can also be upgraded to it without anyone clicking a button. The good news is that every part of it can be checked, and most parts can be limited or switched off one at a time. What changed in September 2026 is smaller than the headlines suggest, and what matters more is what your own account is doing today. You can find that out in one sitting.
Key Takeaways
Campaigns that used automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match began upgrading to AI Max automatically in September 2026, so look before you assume it is off.
Search term matching, text customization and Final URL expansion each have their own control, plus URL and brand exclusions.
Google expanded the AI Brief closed beta to seven more languages and announced a unified report, with availability details promised later in 2026.
The Search terms report, the Search terms and ad combinations view, the Landing pages report and the asset report already show what AI Max chose.
It comes from Google's internal 2026 data for non-Retail advertisers, so judge AI Max on your own calls, forms and sales after at least two weeks.
Your first job is finding out whether AI Max is already on
Before deciding whether AI Max is good or bad for you, find out what it is doing in your account right now. That answer may surprise you in either direction.
Google announced in its post on upgrading Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max, first published April 15, 2026 and updated June 11, 2026, that the automatic upgrade for Dynamic Search Ads campaigns moved from September 2026 to February 2027 after advertiser feedback. One group did not get the extension. Search campaigns that use automatically created assets or the campaign-level broad match setting still auto-upgrade to AI Max starting in September 2026. If either of those was on in your account, AI Max may be running now even though you never accepted a prompt.
To check, open each Search campaign and go to its Settings, then the AI Max section. Write down whether AI Max is on. Then look under Asset optimization for Text customization and Final URL expansion, and check Search term matching at the campaign or ad group level. Google's help page on how AI Max for Search campaigns works lists where each control sits.
If an agency manages your account, ask for the same list in writing: which campaigns have AI Max on, which of the three features are active, and when each was turned on. That record is yours to keep, and it matters later if results change. Our post on what to do when an agency won't give you your Google Ads account covers why your own access to that history is worth having.
September's AI Max news is two announcements, and neither is live for you yet
On September 23, 2026, Google published new AI Max features in two parts. Some news reports dated the story September 24 or 25, but Google's own post carries the September 23 date.
The first part is AI Brief. It lets advertisers guide AI Max in their own words, with details about the business, the audience and the key messages. Google said the closed beta of AI Brief is coming to Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. It is still a closed beta, so it is not a setting you can switch on today.
The second part is reporting. Google announced a single, unified view of each Search ad click from start to finish: the search term, the ad assets a person saw and the landing page they reached, in one place. Google said it would share additional details and availability later in 2026.
So, what should you change because of the September 23 news? Nothing yet. The change that can affect your account this month is the automatic upgrade described above, not the new announcement. The AI Max reporting you need to review your account is already in Google Ads, and the next sections show where.
AI Max controls three things, and each has its own switch
AI Max is not a new campaign type. It is a set of features added to your existing Search campaigns. Google's help page describes three main parts, and knowing which one caused a problem tells you which switch to use. Each part below has its own control, so you can keep one and restrict another.
Search term matching widens the searches you can show for
Search term matching can show your ads on searches beyond the keywords you added yourself. Google says it does this through broad match, asset-based matching and landing-page-based matching. It is set at the ad group level, so you can keep it on for one service and off for another. This is the part to check first if you worry about irrelevant searches, because it decides which searches you pay for.
Text customization writes extra headlines and descriptions
Text customization can generate headlines and descriptions from your existing ads, your landing pages, your keywords and your other assets. Google's page on text customization in Search campaigns ties it to what used to be called automatically created assets. It is set at the campaign level. Generated text can be removed one asset at a time, and text guidelines can limit what it writes.
Final URL expansion can send a click to a different page
Final URL expansion can replace the page you chose with another page on your own domain that Google judges more relevant to the search. It cannot send people to another website. It can, however, pick an old blog post, a thin page or a page without a clear way to contact you. Google also warns that when Final URL expansion picks a different page, your pinned responsive search ad assets may not serve. Turning off text customization also turns off Final URL expansion.
The settings worth reviewing, feature by feature
A blanket "turn it all off" throws away any part that might be working. A better approach is to match each control to the problem you actually see in the reports. The table below pairs each setting with where it lives and when it helps.
| Control | Where it is set | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Search term matching | Ad group | Searches in the report do not match what that ad group sells |
| Text customization | Campaign | Generated headlines misstate your offer, area or terms |
| Final URL expansion | Campaign | Clicks land on pages that are old, thin or hard to contact you from |
| URL exclusions | Campaign | A few specific pages should never receive ad traffic |
| URL inclusions | Ad group | You want expansion limited to pages you picked |
| Brand exclusions | Campaign | Your own brand searches are mixing with new customer searches |
| Brand inclusions | Ad group | An ad group should show only for certain brand searches |
Google's AI Max setup page also says conversion-based Smart Bidding is required for key AI Max features to work well. That makes conversion tracking the setting under all the others. If your account counts weak actions as conversions, such as page views, duplicate form fills or calls that last a few seconds, AI Max learns from those signals. Check that your primary conversion actions are real inquiries or sales before judging anything else.
Brand traffic deserves a second look. Searches for your own business name usually convert well, and when they mix into the same campaign as new customer searches, the numbers can make AI Max look better than it is. Brand exclusions keep those two groups apart so each one can be judged on its own.
Advertising law still applies to any text Google writes for you. The Federal Trade Commission's advertising and marketing basics say claims in ads must be truthful and backed up. If you work in a field with rules about what an ad may promise, review generated headlines closely or turn text customization off for those campaigns.
AI Max reporting already shows you what it chose
You do not have to wait for the unified report Google announced. Google's page on reporting in AI Max for Search campaigns lists the views that exist now. Each one answers a different question about your account, and together they take about ten minutes to read.
The search terms report shows which searches AI Max matched
Open the Search terms report for the last seven days. Add the Source column and filter the Match type for "AI Max." Those rows are the searches AI Max matched that your keywords alone would not have. Mark any that have nothing to do with what you sell, and add them as negative keywords. The Keywords report also includes summary rows for AI Max expanded matches and AI Max landing page matches.
Search terms and ad combinations joins the query, headline and page
This view puts the search, the headline shown and the landing page side by side. It is the quickest way to see a full click the way a customer saw it. If a search for one service landed on a page for another, you will see it here.
Landing pages and asset reports show what Google picked or wrote
In the Landing pages report, the "Selected by" column marks pages AI Max chose. In the asset report, the "Added by" column marks text Google generated, and an Expanded final URL assets tab lists pages added through expansion. Remove any generated headline that states something you do not offer, and add URL exclusions for pages that should not take paid traffic.
Give each change time. Google recommends waiting at least two weeks after enabling AI Max before making major changes, and one day of data can swing either way.
Google's 7% figure is a Google number, so test on your own results
Google's June 11, 2026 update says AI Max for Search campaigns saw an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar cost per acquisition or return on ad spend when using the full feature set, compared with search term matching alone. Google labels this as its own internal data from 2026, for non-Retail advertisers. It is not an independent study, and no independent benchmark has yet shown a typical lift for a small business. Google also says hundreds of thousands of advertisers use AI Max, without publishing how it counted.
What that means for you: treat the 7% as Google's average, not a forecast for your account. Your own test is the one that counts. Google's help page on AI Max experiments describes how to run AI Max against your current setup, so you can compare the two over the same weeks.
Judge the result on the outcomes your business records: qualified calls, completed forms, bookings and sales. More impressions or more clicks do not tell you whether AI Max helped. If the leads that come in are worse, our post on why ads bring junk leads walks through what to check before blaming the ads themselves.
A healthy account may only need a short review
The common problems with AI Max are practical ones, and each has a fix of a known size. The list below is a risk order, not a measured ranking, since Google publishes no data on which failure happens most.
- Weak conversion tracking: Google optimizes toward whatever you count. Fixing tags, call tracking, duplicate leads and primary actions is usually a medium job.
- Searches that drift off topic: Adding negatives, brand exclusions and tighter search term matching is a small to medium job that repeats over time.
- Clicks landing on poor pages: URL exclusions, URL inclusions or better pages fix this, usually a small to medium job.
- Generated text that misstates the offer: Removing assets one by one or setting text guidelines is generally a small job.
- Changes nobody wrote down: A simple change log and shared reports close this gap, a small job.
- Judging too early: Nothing to fix here except patience, since a fair test needs more than a few days.
If your conversions are real, your search terms look sensible and your landing pages are the ones you would pick, the right move may be to keep your setup and check the reports every week or two. You do not need a rebuild or a new management contract because Google added AI Max. Outside help makes sense when tracking is unreliable, when there are too many searches to review, when landing pages need rework or when nobody has time to keep up the review.
Check what you know about AI Max
Pick an answer to begin.
1. If you turn off text customization in an AI Max campaign, what else turns off?
2. Where can Final URL expansion send a click?
3. What is Google's 7% AI Max figure based on?
Frequently Asked Questions About google ads ai max
What is AI Max for Search campaigns?
It is a set of features added to existing Search campaigns: search term matching, text customization and Final URL expansion, plus brand and URL controls. It is not a separate campaign type, and it is a different product from Performance Max.
Did Google turn AI Max on automatically in September 2026?
For some campaigns, yes. Google says campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match auto-upgrade starting in September 2026. The Dynamic Search Ads auto-upgrade moved to February 2027.
Can AI Max change my ad headlines?
Yes, if text customization is on. It can write headlines and descriptions from your ads, pages, keywords and assets. The asset report marks this text in the "Added by" column, and you can remove it.
How do I stop AI Max from sending clicks to certain pages?
Add URL exclusions for those pages, use URL inclusions to limit expansion to pages you choose, or turn off Final URL expansion. Turning off text customization also turns off Final URL expansion.
What is AI Max AI Brief?
AI Brief lets you describe your business, audience and key messages in your own words to guide AI Max. On September 23, 2026, Google said its closed beta is coming to seven more languages, with more availability details later in 2026.
Where do I find AI Max reporting?
Use the Search terms report with the AI Max match type and Source column, the Search terms and ad combinations view, the Landing pages report's "Selected by" column and the asset report's "Added by" column.
What This Means for You
AI Max is three separate features, and each one can be checked in reports that already exist. Your first step is finding out whether it is on, since some campaigns began upgrading automatically in September 2026. The September 23 announcement adds language support to a closed beta and a future report, so it changes little for you this month. What matters is what your search terms, generated headlines and landing pages look like right now.
Once you have looked, you can keep the parts that bring real inquiries, limit the parts that do not, and judge the result on calls, forms and sales after a fair test. That keeps you in charge of what you pay for, whatever Google adds next.
If you would like a second set of eyes, Web Leveling can review your AI Max settings, search terms, generated text and landing pages with you, then write down what we changed and why. Our Google Ads management work starts with conversion tracking, because every AI Max decision depends on it, and if your account is already in good shape we will say so and leave it running. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Send us what your search terms report is showing, and we will tell you what we would keep and what we would limit.
Terms
AI Max words in this post
Tap a term to see what it means.
AI Max. A set of Google Ads features added to Search campaigns that widen matching, write extra ad text and can choose landing pages.
Search term matching. The AI Max feature that shows ads on searches beyond your own keywords.
Text customization. The AI Max feature that writes additional headlines and descriptions from your ads, pages and keywords.
Final URL expansion. The AI Max feature that can send a click to a different page on your own domain.
AI Brief. A closed beta tool for describing your business, audience and messages in your own words to guide AI Max.
URL exclusion. A setting that stops AI Max from sending ad clicks to a specific page.
Brand exclusion. A setting that keeps searches for chosen brand names out of a campaign.
