If your Search accounts still use Campaign-level Broad Match, Automatically Created Assets (ACA) or Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), Google will start converting those structures to its AI Max campaign format automatically. The roll-out begins September 1, 2026 and continues into early 2027 — a change that will affect campaign behavior, reporting and API integrations unless you act now.
What Google will change and when
Google will automatically upgrade Search campaigns that use Campaign-level Broad Match or standalone Automatically Created Assets to AI Max beginning September 1, 2026, with a phased migration through September. Those campaigns will be migrated in place, using equivalent AI Max settings and preserving existing brand inclusions and exclusions where possible.
Dynamic Search Ads move later. Google will start prompting advertisers about DSAs in September 2026, send reminder notices in mid-January 2027, and perform automatic upgrades for DSAs during February 1–28, 2027. After that window, creating new DSA ad groups will no longer be possible.
Key dates Google has published:
- August 3, 2026: Creation of new Campaign-level Broad Match configurations and legacy ACA campaigns disabled across the Google Ads UI, Ads Editor and API.
- September 1–30, 2026: Automatic migration of Campaign-level Broad Match and ACA campaigns to AI Max.
- September 2026: In-account prompts encouraging voluntary DSA upgrades begin.
- January 15, 2027: Reminder notifications for advertisers with legacy DSAs.
- February 1–28, 2027: Automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max; ability to create new DSA ad groups removed.
- September 2027 (approx.): Older Google Ads API versions that still support legacy Broad Match and ACA entities are expected to reach their scheduled sunset.
Why this matters for advertisers
Automatic migration reduces manual work but increases the need for validation. Google will attempt to map existing settings to AI Max equivalents, but automated conversions can miss account-specific nuances: tracking parameters, audience memberships, custom negatives, or bespoke attribution setups may not map cleanly.
Action checklist for advertisers:
- Inventory campaigns using campaign-level Broad Match, ACA or DSA and flag any with custom tracking or unusual site structures.
- Test upgrades in low-risk accounts or paused campaigns where possible.
- Validate post-migration: tracking, audiences, exclusions and top-performing asset variants.
- Keep an eye on in-account notifications from September 2026 for optional upgrade prompts and post-migration messages.
Developer implications and API timeline
Developers should plan for breaking changes to the Google Ads API. Google has blocked the creation of legacy structures as of August 3, 2026. API versions released after September 1, 2026 will remove support for Campaign-level Broad Match and ACA entities; older API versions will continue supporting them until their normal sunset (expected around September 2027).
Practical developer steps:
- Audit scripts, tools and API clients now to identify references to deprecated entities.
- Update code to use AI Max entities and mappings before your environment is migrated or before older API versions are sunset.
- Prioritize compatibility testing against newer API versions; schedule remediation around the September 2027 sunset window.
What to watch and the immediate next step
The migration accelerates Google’s move to AI Max as the default Search campaign experience. Expect edge cases: complex site architectures, bespoke tracking setups or niche negative match lists can require manual post-migration fixes. Start with a focused account audit this month, test a few voluntary upgrades where the business risk is low, and lock in a developer timeline for API updates.
Monitor Google’s in-account alerts starting in September 2026 and prepare to validate top-performing campaigns after migration windows close. That combination of proactive auditing and prioritized testing will minimize surprises when automatic upgrades reach your accounts.
