Dynamic Search Ads are being retired in favour of AI Max for Search. Auto-upgrades begin in September 2026 and the broader DSA sunset runs into 2027. AI Max is more capable, but it hands more to the machine - so the job now is knowing which controls to keep your hands on, and reading your search terms report like you mean it.
Dynamic Search Ads have been the quiet workhorse of a lot of paid search accounts - a way to catch relevant queries you hadn't built keywords for. Google is now folding that capability into AI Max for Search, which has moved out of beta with better targeting, generated creative and, importantly, more controls than the early version had.
Not sure how an AI Max migration would land on your account? That's the kind of thing our paid search team plans before anything auto-upgrades.
What AI Max actually is
AI Max isn't a new campaign type - it's a set of features you switch on inside a standard Search campaign. Three things do the heavy lifting: search term matching finds relevant queries beyond your keywords; text customisation generates and adapts headlines and descriptions to the query; and final URL expansion sends traffic to the most relevant page on your site rather than the one you hard-coded.
Google reports campaigns using the full suite see around 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS, versus search term matching alone. Treat any vendor number with the usual caution - but the direction of travel is real, and it's not optional for much longer.
The timeline that matters
- September 2026: campaigns using Automatically Created Assets and the campaign-level broad match setting start being auto-upgraded to AI Max.
- February 2027: the broader Dynamic Search Ads sunset and auto-upgrade begins. Dynamic ad groups transition to standard ad groups, with settings and data ported into AI Max, and your legacy URL controls preserved.
The shape of the AI Max transition, and when it stops being a choice.
Source: The Digital Lighthouse, from platform announcements and client work.What to keep control of
More automation doesn't mean hands-off. The levers that still matter, and that we keep tight on every account:
- URL controls and page exclusions - final URL expansion is powerful and occasionally sends traffic somewhere you'd rather it didn't. Exclude the pages that shouldn't take paid traffic.
- Brand and irrelevant-term exclusions - search term matching casts wide. Negative keywords, now available at campaign level in Performance Max too, are your steering wheel.
- The search terms report, weekly - this is the single most important habit. AI Max earns trust by showing you what it matched, and you keep it honest by pruning.
- Creative guardrails - text customisation writes to the query. Give it strong, on-brand source assets so what it generates sounds like you.
AI Max for Search is also one of the surfaces now eligible to show ads inside AI Overviews and AI Mode. Switch it on and your ads can appear in places you can't fully see in the old reports - another reason to watch search terms and landing pages closely rather than setting and forgetting.
If you want a clear read on how an AI Max migration would land on your specific account - what to keep manual, what to hand over, and where the risk is - that's a typical strand of a strategic review.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI Max for Search?
AI Max is a set of features inside a standard Google Search campaign - search term matching, text customisation and final URL expansion - that let Google's AI find queries, write creative and choose landing pages beyond what you've manually set. It replaces the job Dynamic Search Ads used to do.
When do Dynamic Search Ads go away?
Auto-upgrades for campaigns using Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match begin in September 2026. The broader DSA sunset and auto-upgrade starts in February 2027, with settings and data ported into AI Max.
Will my DSA settings carry over?
Largely, yes. Dynamic ad groups transition to standard ad groups, settings and data are ported into AI Max, and legacy URL controls are preserved - but you should review exclusions and search terms closely after the switch.
Should I switch to AI Max now?
If you rely on Dynamic Search Ads or broad match, testing AI Max ahead of the auto-upgrade lets you learn the controls on your terms rather than Google's timeline. Keep negative keywords and URL exclusions tight and review search terms weekly.