Google Ads AI Max Upgrade: What Changes in September 2026, and When Dynamic Search Ads Follow

Correction, 20 September 2026. An earlier version of this post said Dynamic Search Ads would be upgraded to AI Max automatically in September 2026. That was the plan Google announced in April, but Google updated its announcement on 11 June 2026 and moved the Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) sunset and auto-upgrade to February 2027. What still happens in September 2026 is the upgrade of campaigns that use Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match. I have rewritten the post around the current dates, and corrected two other details noted below.

If you manage Google Ads for a UAE business, this is a useful moment to look at your account, because part of the change is landing this month and the rest is scheduled for early next year.

The Google Ads AI Max Upgrade: Which Campaigns Move, and When

What Google Has Announced

Google published "Google's Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max" on 15 April 2026 and updated it on 11 June 2026. The current position, from that announcement and Google's accompanying advertiser page, is:

Two more points from Google's announcement matter for planning. The upgrade is automatic for eligible campaigns, but you can opt in early, and Google says it strongly recommends doing so to keep control of your setup. Google also describes tools for DSA advertisers to carry over historical settings and data, a pop-up banner for advertisers with broad match or Automatically Created Assets campaigns, and one-click experiments to test the effect before you commit. The announcement does not mention an opt-out.

Google has already moved this date once after advertiser feedback. Treat February 2027 as the current plan, and watch your account notifications for changes.

What AI Max Is

AI Max for Search was announced at Google Marketing Live in May 2025 and rolled out in stages after that. My earlier draft said it first appeared at Google Marketing Live 2026, which was wrong. Google describes it as a set of features that expand your reach beyond your keyword list using broad match and keywordless matching, while adding controls and reporting. The parts that matter for this upgrade are:

Search term matching lets the campaign match your ads to queries that are relevant to your site and your existing keywords, beyond exact keyword lists.

Text customization is the newer name for Automatically Created Assets. Google can write headlines and descriptions using your landing pages, your existing ads, your keywords and other campaign signals.

Final URL expansion lets Google send a click to the page it judges most relevant rather than only the URL you set. Google says all three features will be enabled for DSA campaigns when they upgrade. Its page for the September upgrades names only search term matching for broad match campaigns and search term matching plus text customization for Automatically Created Assets campaigns.

Google reports that AI Max campaigns see on average 7 percent more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS when using the full feature suite. Treat that as Google's own average across many advertisers, not a forecast for your account. Your search terms, your landing pages and your Arabic and English traffic will decide what you get.

Real-Time Policy Reviews Are a Separate Change

My earlier version said ad review speeds up "under AI Max". That was inaccurate. Real-Time Policy Reviews is a separate Google Ads feature announced in April 2026. It gives feedback while you build a Responsive Search Ad and returns a policy decision the moment you save, so ads without issues can start serving almost immediately. Google says it currently covers text assets in Responsive Search Ads in the Google Ads interface and Google Ads Editor, and expects to extend it to Performance Max and Demand Gen in the second half of 2026. Mention it to clients who are used to waiting on approvals, but note that it is not part of the AI Max upgrade.

What to Check This Week (Broad Match and Automatically Created Assets Campaigns)

1. List the campaigns that will move. Filter your account for campaign-level broad match and for campaigns with Automatically Created Assets turned on. If you handle several accounts, do this for each of them today rather than finding out afterwards.

2. Save a before-state. Export the last 30 to 90 days of conversions, cost per conversion, impression share and the search terms report for each affected campaign. Without a before-state you will not be able to say whether performance changed or you simply remember it differently.

3. Look at your negative keywords and exclusions. Google's announcement does not say how existing negatives behave after the upgrade. Confirm it on a live campaign rather than assuming, and keep your brand and irrelevant-intent exclusions current. My RSA search term categories guide shows how to read the search terms report for wasted spend.

4. Read the generated ad copy in both languages. With text customization on, Google writes headlines and descriptions. If you run English and Arabic, check what it produces in each, because machine-written Arabic can be technically correct and still read badly for your audience. Bilingual setups also need care with language settings, which I covered in the language targeting removal post.

5. Check landing pages before any final URL expansion. Final URL expansion is enabled for DSA upgrades, and you may enable it earlier. Make sure every page Google could choose loads fast, carries the right language and has a clear call to action.

6. Use the experiment option. Google offers one-click experiments for testing an upgrade. On a campaign with enough volume, run one and compare it to the original before you convert the rest.

What to Do Before February 2027 if You Run DSA

Dynamic Search Ads have a few months' reprieve, not a cancellation. You have time to test rather than react. My suggestion is to pick your lowest-risk DSA campaign, upgrade it early with an experiment, and compare it against the original for four to six weeks. Note which search terms appear that DSA never matched, and check that the landing pages Google chooses are ones you are happy to send paid traffic to. Do the same audit for a high-value campaign only after you understand what the first test showed.

Also plan for the structural change Google describes: dynamic ad groups become standard ad groups. If you have reporting, scripts or naming conventions that rely on the dynamic ad group type, note them now.

What Stays True

Automation changes how queries are matched and how ads are written, not what your business needs from Google Ads: accurate conversion tracking, a clean list of exclusions, landing pages that answer the query and someone reading the search terms report every week. If those are weak, an automated matcher spends money faster. If they are strong, the same tools can find demand you were missing. My post on AI-assisted campaign building for UAE businesses covers the habits that matter most.

What to Do This Week

Audit. List your broad match and Automatically Created Assets campaigns, and your DSA campaigns.

Snapshot. Export conversions, cost per conversion and search terms for each so you have a before-state.

Read. Open the generated headlines and descriptions in Arabic and English.

Test. Pick one DSA campaign and set up an early upgrade experiment.

Watch. Keep an eye on your account notifications for changed dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

If you would like a second pair of eyes on which of your campaigns are moving and what to test first, my Google Ads management service includes an account audit, and I will send you a short list of what I would check in your account.

Related reading:

• Google Ads Is Removing Language Targeting From Search in September 2026 and What It Means for Your EN/AR Campaigns
• RSA Search Term Categories Dubai 2026: Cut Wasted PPC Spend in UAE
• How to Write Google Ads That Convert in Dubai: 2026 Copywriting Playbook