Google Is Retiring Dynamic Search Ads in September 2026

If your business runs Google Ads, there is a significant change coming in September 2026 that you need to be aware of — especially if your campaigns have been running for a while without a recent audit.

On 15 April 2026, Google officially confirmed that Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) will be retired as a standalone campaign type. From September 2026, any campaigns still using DSA will be automatically upgraded to Google’s new AI-powered system: AI Max for Search Campaigns.

In this post I’ll explain exactly what is changing, who it affects, and what you should be doing about it — in plain English, without the jargon.

I’ve been managing Google Ads accounts for over 20 years, and I’ve seen a few of these forced migrations now. The businesses that act early almost always come out better than those who let Google handle it automatically. This one is no different.

What Is Google Changing — and Why?

Dynamic Search Ads have been a staple of Google Ads for years. Instead of bidding on specific keywords, DSA campaigns crawl your website and automatically match your ads to relevant search queries based on your page content. For many businesses, they were a useful way to capture traffic beyond their main keyword lists.

But search behaviour has changed. People are searching in longer, more conversational ways — often through AI-assisted search tools — and the queries are less predictable than they used to be. Google’s position is that DSA, which relies on website crawling alone, can no longer keep up with this complexity.

AI Max is Google’s answer. It combines the best of DSA with a broader set of real-time intent signals, AI-generated ad copy, and smarter URL routing — all within a standard Search campaign structure.

What Is AI Max for Search Campaigns?

AI Max is not a completely new campaign type — think of it more as an intelligent upgrade layer added to your existing Search campaigns. It works across three core features:

• Search Term Matching — expands the range of search queries your ads can appear for, using broader real-time signals beyond your keyword list.
• Text Customisation — automatically generates ad headlines and descriptions using your website content and the user’s search intent.
• Final URL Expansion — can route users to the most relevant page on your website, rather than always the specific URL you set in the ad.

Google reports that advertisers using the full AI Max feature set see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar cost per acquisition or return on ad spend — compared with using search term matching alone. That figure comes from Google’s own internal data for non-retail advertisers, published in the official announcement.

Worth noting: independent analysis across more than 250 retail campaigns found AI Max delivering around 35% lower return on ad spend than traditional match types. Results depend heavily on how well your conversion tracking is set up — which I’ll come back to.

Who Is Actually Affected by This Change?

This is an important distinction that a lot of coverage glosses over. Not every Google Ads account is being automatically switched to AI Max.

The automatic migration in September applies to three specific campaign types:

1. Campaigns containing Dynamic Search Ad (DSA) ad groups — this is the primary group
2. Campaigns using Automatically Created Assets (ACA)
3. Campaigns using the broad match setting at campaign level (as opposed to keyword level)

Standard Search campaigns running Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with keyword-level targeting are not being automatically migrated. Exact match keywords are not being retired. If you’re not sure which campaign types you’re running, ask your agency to check.

Why You Shouldn’t Just Wait for Google to Do It

Google says the automatic migration will preserve your settings. In our experience — and based on what happened during similar past transitions — that’s true in the broad sense, but the nuance often gets lost.

When Google migrated Smart Shopping campaigns to Performance Max in 2022, advertisers who waited for the automatic upgrade regularly experienced two to four weeks of performance instability. Those who migrated proactively, tested in parallel, and configured their settings carefully avoided most of that.

With AI Max, the specific risks of waiting include:

• Negative keyword lists not transferring completely
• Carefully structured ad group setups being flattened
• Final URL expansion defaulting to a broader setting than you intended
• The AI learning from scratch rather than from a controlled starting point you’ve defined

The voluntary migration window is open right now until August — that’s your opportunity to move on your terms, test in parallel, and get the settings right before September forces it.

The Most Important Thing: Your Conversion Tracking Must Be Right

This is the piece that matters most, and it’s the one most business owners aren’t aware of.

AI Max’s AI optimises entirely based on your conversion data. It uses that data to decide which searches to show your ads for, which headlines to write, and which pages on your site to send people to. If your conversion tracking is broken, incomplete, or measuring the wrong things, the AI is essentially flying blind — and you’ll pay for it.

In our work auditing Google Ads accounts for clients across multiple sectors, we regularly find conversion tracking issues — form submissions firing on page load rather than actual completions, phone call conversions not tracking at all, or GA4 goals imported into Google Ads that don’t reflect real commercial actions. These are exactly the kinds of problems that become critical once AI Max is making autonomous decisions based on that data.

Before you migrate — or before September forces your hand — make sure:

• Your Google Ads conversion tag is installed correctly and firing on the right actions (not just page views)
• Phone calls, form submissions, and booking completions are all being recorded
• You’re not relying solely on GA4-imported goals, which use a different attribution model and can undercount conversions

What Should You Do Before September 2026?

Here’s a straightforward action list, whether you manage Google Ads yourself or through an agency:

1. Check which campaign types you’re running. Log into Google Ads and look at your campaign list. If you see DSA campaigns, ACA enabled, or campaign-level broad match, you’re in the affected group.
2. Audit your conversion tracking. This is non-negotiable before any AI-driven system takes over your bidding decisions.
3. Review and strengthen your negative keyword lists. AI Max expands the range of searches your ads appear for — which makes a strong negative list more important, not less.
4. Consider a voluntary upgrade now. Use Google’s in-platform upgrade tools to migrate at a time you choose, carry over your historical data, and run a side-by-side experiment before fully committing.
5. Configure AI Max controls properly. Set brand controls, location controls, and text guidelines immediately after upgrading.
6. Monitor closely for four to six weeks after migration. Set a clear performance baseline now so you have something meaningful to compare against.

If you are evaluating how this change affects your broader paid search strategy, our complete guide to Google Ads for Service Businesses covers campaign structure, match types, and how to build campaigns that are not dependent on automated targeting formats like DSA.

Final Thoughts

Google’s direction of travel is clear: fewer campaign types, more AI automation within each, and less manual control over individual settings. AI Max is not the end of that journey — it’s the latest step.

That doesn’t mean handing everything over to the algorithm and hoping for the best. The businesses that get the most from AI-driven advertising are the ones that give it the best inputs: accurate conversion data, well-maintained exclusion lists, strong website content, and clearly configured controls.

If you’re unsure whether your campaigns are affected, or you’d like us to review your conversion tracking and campaign structure before the September deadline, get in touch with us at UpOnline Media. We’ve been managing Google Ads accounts for over 20 years and we’re happy to give you a straight answer about where you stand.