This article is part of our AI Ads hub. Want help applying it? Talk to eSEOspace.
AI Max for Search is a set of Google AI targeting and creative features that you turn on inside an existing Search campaign. Turning it on lets Google match more searches, adjust your ad text and choose other landing pages on your site.
It can also change how much control you have, so it is worth understanding first. This guide is part of our AI ads hub. It was checked against Google's documentation on 9 November 2026.
Key Takeaways
- AI Max is not a new campaign type, and Google describes it as a layer on Search campaigns.
- Turning it on enables search term matching, text customization and final URL expansion, and each can be turned off.
- Final URL expansion needs text customization to be on.
- You keep controls such as URL exclusions, brand settings and locations of interest.
- Google's 14% conversion figure is its own internal number, for non-retail advertisers, with no sample size given.
What AI Max is
Google's AI Max Help page answers the key question directly: "No, AI Max is not a new campaign type." You turn it on inside a Search campaign you already run.
It is built around two parts. One expands which searches you can match, and the other optimizes your ad assets.
The three features
| Feature | What it does | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Search term matching | Uses broad match, asset-based and landing page-based technology to reach more searches | On by default at the ad group level once AI Max is on |
| Text customization | Creates ad copy tailored to searches, using your ads, landing pages and assets | Campaign |
| Final URL expansion | Sends traffic to other relevant pages on your site | Campaign |
Each one can be switched off separately. There is one dependency, in Google's words: "Final URL expansion requires text customization to be turned on to ensure that the ad copy matches the landing page."
What you keep control of
Google lists these controls on the same Help page.
- URL inclusions: add pages that final URL expansion missed, at the ad group level.
- URL exclusions: remove pages from serving as landing pages, at the campaign level.
- Brand settings: brand inclusions at the campaign and ad group levels, and brand exclusions at the campaign level.
- Locations of interest: reach people based on geographic intent, even on keywordless matches, at the ad group level.
Google says that existing account guardrails, such as negative keywords and asset pinning, continue to apply on its AI surfaces. Pinning has a limit, though. On the AI Max page, Google says pinned responsive search ad assets are not respected when final URL expansion is in use.
What to check before you turn it on
Your budget. Google says: "AI Max won't be effective if campaigns are limited by budget."
Your landing pages. Final URL expansion can send people to other relevant pages, so exclude any you would not want used. Our guide to landing pages that match ad intent can help you sort them.
Your tracking. Google warns that dynamic landing pages can return 404 errors with incompatible tracking templates. Verify them before you enable AI Max.
Your keywords. Google says that "when turning off the broad match campaign setting or moving to AI Max, broad keywords are not treated as exact match keywords in prioritization." To keep exact match priority, it suggests adding copies of your exact match keywords to the AI Max campaign. It also warns that converting broad keywords to exact removes historical keyword stats.
Your generated text. Google's page on generated images says advertisers should review generated or suggested assets for accuracy, and the same check makes sense for text. It also says: "Don't rely on generative AI features in Google Ads for medical, legal, financial or other professional advice."
What Google claims about results
Google's AI Max guide says advertisers who activate AI Max will typically see 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS. CPA means cost per acquisition, and ROAS means return on ad spend.
Read the footnote too: "Source: Google internal data, 2025; for non-retail advertisers." The page gives no sample size or method, and Google sells the ads. Treat it as a claim to test in your own account.
How to test it
Google offers AI Max experiments, which split traffic and budget inside a single campaign. The control keeps AI Max off, and the trial turns it on.
Some campaigns cannot use this flow, including any that:
- Already have text customization turned on.
- Target the Display network.
- Are part of a portfolio bidding strategy.
- Use shared budgets or bidding exploration.
- Have another active experiment.
Google does not give a recommended run time. Decide your success measure and your test length before you start.
How to read the reports
The search terms report adds an "AI Max" match type and a source column. The landing pages report adds a "Selected by" column. Asset reports show how AI Max assets are optimized.
Those reports do not separate AI answers from regular search. Google says metrics for ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode are included in aggregate in standard reports.
AI Max and ads in AI answers
Google lists AI Max as one of the AI-powered targeting options eligible for both contextual matching and direct query matching. Contextual matching looks at the question and the AI response together. Exact and phrase match keywords are not eligible for contextual matching on broader exploratory questions.
So AI Max is one route to those placements, but it is not a separate way to buy them. Our guide on how ads work in Google AI Mode covers this in depth.
If you do nothing, some of this may happen anyway
Google's June 2026 update says Dynamic Search Ads will begin to sunset and auto-upgrade in February 2027. It says campaigns using automatically created assets, and the campaign-level broad match setting, will continue to be auto-upgraded starting in September 2026.
Automatically created asset upgrades get search term matching and text customization on by default. Broad match upgrades get search term matching on by default. Check your settings, even if you never chose AI Max.
Our AI Max migration plan walks through it.
Shopping is separate. Google's AI Max for Shopping page describes it as a beta, and says: "Text customisation is currently limited to English feeds."
Next step
Open one Search campaign and review its AI Max status, URL exclusions and search terms. If you want help testing it, see our paid search management.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new campaign for AI Max?
No. Google says it is not a new campaign type. You turn it on inside a Search campaign.
Can I turn off parts of AI Max?
Yes. Search term matching, text customization and final URL expansion can each be turned off separately. Final URL expansion needs text customization, so turning that off affects both.
Does AI Max replace keywords?
Google's AI Max guide mentions broad match, asset-based targeting and keywordless technology. You can keep keywords, and Google suggests keeping copies of exact match keywords if you want their priority.
Will AI Max get me into AI Overviews?
It makes a campaign eligible for contextual matching there. It does not guarantee a placement, and you cannot target AI Overviews on their own.
Is AI Max worth it?
We cannot give a general answer, and Google's own figure is limited to non-retail advertisers. Run an experiment and judge it on your own conversions and costs.
