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Direct Offers is a Google Ads pilot that shows a special deal, such as a discount, inside AI Mode. It targets shoppers who look ready to buy. You set up the offer, and Google uses AI to decide when it is relevant to show.
Google launched the pilot in January 2026 and expanded it in May 2026. It is still described as a pilot. This explainer is part of our AI ads hub and was checked against Google's pages on 9 November 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Google calls Direct Offers a pilot that presents "exclusive offers for shoppers who are ready to buy" directly in AI Mode.
- You set the offer in campaign settings, and Google's AI decides when it is relevant to display.
- Google says AI Max and Performance Max advertisers can create Direct Offers in the Google Ads interface and set value limits.
- In May 2026, Google moved offers from the AI Mode product viewer into the AI Mode answer and added native checkout for UCP merchants.
- Google's May post listed bundling and travel offers as "coming soon"; its Direct Offers page describes bundling in the present tense but gives no launch date, and still says travel is coming "soon."
What Direct Offers is
Google introduced Direct Offers on 11 January 2026. Its announcement said: "This new Google Ads pilot allows advertisers to present exclusive offers for shoppers who are ready to buy — like a special 20% off discount — directly in AI Mode."
The idea is simple. A shopper asks AI Mode a detailed shopping question, sees relevant products, and may also see a deal from a retailer. Google's example was a search for an easy-to-clean rug for a dining room.
Google's January post described the flow as labeled "Sponsored deal." It said the pilot would start with discounts and later support offers such as bundles and free shipping.
How it works
Google's January post says: "With Direct Offers, retailers set up relevant offers they want to feature in their campaign settings and Google will use AI to determine when an offer is relevant to display."
That means you do not choose the exact moment. You decide what the offer is, and Google decides when to show it.
Google's Direct Offers page on Accelerate with Google adds a setup detail: "AI Max and PMax advertisers can now natively create Direct Offers within the Google Ads UI and set value limits to ensure deals stay active without overspending." It also says retail and hotel advertisers can manage offers from Merchant Center and Hotel Center.
What changed in May 2026
At Google Marketing Live on 20 May 2026, Google said: "Since launching the Direct Offers pilot in January 2026, brands like Chewy, Gap and L'Oreal have surfaced highly relevant deals as shoppers explore their options."
Google listed four changes in that post and on its Direct Offers page.
| Change | What Google said | Status in Google's wording |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded placement | From the AI Mode product viewer to the AI Mode answer | "will now naturally surface in the AI Mode response" |
| Promotion bundling | Upload discounts, giveaways and local coupons; Gemini builds a deal | "coming soon" |
| Native checkout | Native checkout integration for UCP merchants | "We've added" |
| Travel expansion | Travel partners surface offers in AI-assisted trip planning | "Soon" |
The bundling item uses Google's own words: "They'll soon be able to supply their eligible products and guardrails and use AI Brief to reach the right audiences." We found no later Google page saying bundling or travel offers are live.
Native checkout and UCP
The native checkout piece connects Direct Offers to Google's Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP. UCP is an open standard for agentic commerce. Google uses it to power checkout on its own surfaces while the retailer remains the seller of record.
Google says native checkout "gives shoppers a faster way to secure promotions". Only UCP merchants get it, and UCP checkout itself is limited to select merchants. Our article on UCP checkout for advertisers explains the requirements.
Who can use it
Google's pages describe it as a pilot. Google names retailers and brands in its examples, plus Shopify merchants in January.
The Direct Offers page says AI Max and Performance Max advertisers can create offers in the Google Ads interface. It also mentions retail and hotel advertisers managing offers from Merchant Center and Hotel Center.
We found no Google Ads Help article for Direct Offers when we checked. That means some details are not on a Google page we could open:
- A country list for Direct Offers.
- How offers are reported, and whether they appear as a separate asset in reports.
- Whether Standard Shopping campaigns can use them.
Trade press has reported some of these details. Search Engine Roundtable's January coverage includes a statement that Direct Offers "works alongside PMax and Standard Shopping campaigns", and it attributes that statement to Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin, posting on X in January. Ask your Google rep to confirm before planning around it.
How Direct Offers differs from automated promotions
Google already has a feature called automated promotions. Its Help page says Google Ads identifies and sources promotions from your website landing pages and attaches them to eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns.
Direct Offers is different in where it appears and how it is set up. Google describes it as delivering promotions "directly within AI Mode and Search," and you create the offer and its limits yourself. Automated promotions pull deals from your site and show on eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns that have location assets attached.
If both are relevant, keep your website's promotions accurate. Google says automated promotions are only eligible on campaigns with no manual promotions running.
Should you care yet?
If you are a retailer running AI Max or Performance Max, Direct Offers may be worth asking about. It targets shoppers who are close to buying, which is where a discount has the most effect.
Keep three cautions in mind. It is a pilot, the reporting is not documented on a Help page, and AI decides when your offer shows. Set value limits before you start.
The rest of the AI Mode setup still applies. Read how ads work in Google AI Mode and what AI Max for Search is.
Next step
If you run Shopping or Performance Max and want help preparing offers and feeds for AI Mode, see our paid search management service. For store setup, see our Shopify hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Direct Offers available to everyone?
No. Google describes Direct Offers as a pilot, though its page says AI Max and Performance Max advertisers can create offers in Google Ads. Check access for your account with Google.
Where do Direct Offers appear?
In AI Mode. Google said in May 2026 it was expanding Direct Offers from the AI Mode product viewer to the AI Mode answer.
Does Google make up the discount?
Google says you set the offers in your campaign settings, and its AI decides when to show them. For the bundling feature, Google says you supply eligible products and guardrails, and Gemini constructs the deal.
Can I control how much a deal costs me?
Google's Direct Offers page says advertisers can set value limits so deals stay active without overspending.
Is there a Direct Offers report?
We found no Google Help page that describes Direct Offers reporting. Ask Google how offers appear in your account's reports before you start.
