Google will automatically upgrade all Dynamic Search Ads campaigns to its AI Max platform starting in September, eliminating the legacy advertising tool that has helped advertisers capture additional search traffic for years. The forced migration affects campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), automatically created assets (ACA), and campaign-level broad match settings. Google announced Wednesday that it will stop allowing new DSA creation through Google Ads, Ads Editor, and the Ads API once automatic upgrades begin in September.
Advertisers who don't switch voluntarily will see their campaigns converted automatically by the end of September. The company expects all eligible migrations to be completed during that month.
AI Max for Search campaigns is exiting beta after adoption by "hundreds of thousands" of advertisers globally. The platform delivers an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at similar cost efficiency when using its full feature set compared to search term matching alone, according to Google's data.
Voluntary upgrade tools roll out this week for DSA users to move campaign history, settings, and data into standard ad groups. ACA and broad match users will see in-platform prompts to switch to AI Max before the forced migration begins.
"When we talk about the new era of search, we're really talking about how people's search habits have become much more complex and difficult to predict,"
Brandon Ervin, director of product management at Google Ads, told MediaPost.
AI Max uses advertiser inputs like website content and existing ads while expanding reach to additional relevant search queries. It dynamically customizes ad copy and landing page destinations based on real-time intent data rather than relying solely on website landing page signals.
For advertisers who don't migrate manually, DSA campaigns will convert dynamic ad groups into standard ad groups with legacy settings preserved. ACA campaigns will move with search term matching and text customization enabled by default.
The transition comes as Google prepares for its annual I/O developer conference in May, where AI will dominate the agenda. The company plans to share "AI breakthroughs and updates in products across the company, from Gemini to Android, Chrome, Cloud and more" during the May 19-20 event.
Google's I/O schedule includes sessions focused on Google AI, Android 17 performance improvements, Chrome updates, and agent-first workflows from prompt to production.
