Google Ads AI Max upgrade: September changes and the February 2027 DSA deadline

Is the AI Max deadline September 2026 or February 2027?

Google's first announcement placed Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets and the campaign-level broad match setting on a September timetable. The company later moved the DSA sunset and automatic upgrade to February 2027. The September 2026 schedule remained in place for ACA and campaign-level broad match.

There is one detail behind much of the confusion: Google stopped allowing new DSA campaigns in September 2026, but existing DSA campaigns received more time before their automatic upgrade. That is why an advertiser can encounter both dates in accurate guidance. The campaign notification inside Google Ads is the practical source of truth for an individual account.

What should an advertiser check in the account today?

Start with the outcome the campaign is supposed to create. Confirm that primary conversion actions represent real enquiries or sales, and make sure low-value actions are not being counted as equal successes. Export a baseline by campaign and landing page with the date range, spend, conversion definitions and attribution setting visible. Without that record, a later comparison becomes guesswork.

Next, inspect where AI Max can send a visitor and what it can say. Final URL expansion may select another query-relevant page on the same domain. URL inclusions and exclusions let an advertiser guide that choice. If the account uses a tracking template, Google advises testing it with a dynamically selected landing page because an incompatible template can produce a broken URL or 404.

• List campaigns using ACA, campaign-level broad match or DSA and note the message shown in each campaign.
• Record qualified conversion definitions, value, spend and current landing pages before changing settings.
• Review search terms, brand and location controls, negative keywords and generated text for relevance.
• Test tracking templates and use URL exclusions for pages that should never receive paid traffic.
• Check whether pinned wording is essential, because pinned RSA assets may not serve when Final URL expansion selects another page.

Should you turn on every AI Max feature now?

Not by default. Google recommends the full AI Max feature suite, but the right decision depends on campaign constraints and the quality of your site and measurement. In particular, Google's Final URL expansion guidance says pinned responsive-search-ad assets may not be respected when another URL is selected. That matters when approved language, a regulated claim or a fixed offer must stay attached to a specific destination.

If the campaign is eligible, an AI Max experiment can split control and treatment within the same campaign. Judge it against qualified enquiries, sales value and cost efficiency, not a temporary rise in impressions. Google lists setup limitations for some campaigns, including shared budgets, portfolio bidding and existing experiments, so check eligibility in the account before promising a test.

How should you judge the change after launch?

Use the search terms report to inspect newly reached queries, the asset report to catch off-brand wording and the landing-pages report to find destinations that miss the buyer's intent. Google's guidance recommends allowing at least two weeks after enabling AI Max before routine optimisation changes, unless a policy problem or broken page needs immediate attention.

The business still owns the offer, the landing-page experience and the definition of a useful lead. If impressions or clicks rise while qualified enquiries do not, inspect the search intent, generated message and selected destination before increasing the budget. A platform average is not a forecast for one account.