Paid Media News (Week 16)
Paid Media News (Week 16)
Explore every update from this edition, with the original reporting and contributor credits.
A digest of the original edition. Updates and availability reflect what was reported at the time.
Dynamic Search Ads to automatically upgrade to AI Max in September 2026
Google has announced that AI Max for Search campaigns is moving out of beta, with three legacy features: Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets, and campaign-level broad match: set to automatically upgrade to AI Max starting in September 2026. Voluntary upgrade tools are rolling out now, allowing advertisers to transfer settings and data into new standard ad groups before the forced migration.
Read this update in detail →Google Merchant Centre product data specification updated for 2026
Google has published its annual product data specification update effective April 14, 2026. New delivery attributes at the product level include: handling_cutoff_time (the daily deadline for processing online orders); minimum_order_value (the minimum spend required for delivery); and two new loyalty sub-attributes: loyalty_program_label and loyalty_tier_label: for tier-specific delivery benefits per product.
Read this update in detail →Google Shopping product images: 500×500px minimum enforced from January 2027
Arpan Banerjee has flagged that Merchant Centre is already showing warnings for non-compliant product images under a new label: "Image too small for upcoming enforcement." From 31 January 2027, all product images must be at least 500×500 pixels.
Read this update in detail →Bulk ad review now supports specific campaign selection
Google has added campaign-level filtering to its bulk ad review workflow. Advertisers requesting bulk revision of policy-flagged ads can now select specific campaigns rather than submitting all eligible ads simultaneously: reducing the risk of triggering broad re-review of campaigns that are already serving correctly.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads API requires multi-factor authentication for new OAuth tokens from April 21
Google has announced that the Google Ads API will require MFA for all new OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens starting April 21, 2026, with enforcement rolling out over the following weeks. Existing OAuth refresh tokens continue to work without interruption.
Read this update in detail →Business logo and unit pricing now surfacing in Google Shopping
Thomas Eccel has spotted two Merchant Centre feed attributes gaining visible placement in Google Shopping listings. Business logos now appear next to the merchant name in sponsored product listings: a trust signal before the click.
Read this update in detail →"Destination not working" false positive disapproval wave confirmed
Anthony Higman flagged a widespread Google Ads policy glitch sending mass "Destination not working" warning emails across accounts, confirmed as false positives across the PPC community. No corrective action is required on landing pages for accounts that received these notifications.
Read this update in detail →LSA mobile one-pack format spotted
Anthony Higman has identified a new Local Services Ads mobile format that shows a single business listing (one-pack) that expands into a five-pack, then into the full LSA list.
Read this update in detail →YouTube and Discover Feed ad requirements updated to clarify election ad treatment
Google has updated the YouTube and Discover Feed ad requirements to clarify how election ads are treated within these placements. The update provides clearer guidance and does not change the scope of policy enforcement.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft PMax landing page (Final URL) reporting is now live
Landing page reporting is now available for Performance Max campaigns in Microsoft Advertising, showing performance by Final URL, including spend, impressions, clicks, conversion metrics, and ROAS. The view can be segmented by campaign, asset group, and custom parameters.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft PMax campaigns with NCA goals are now importable from Google Ads
New customer acquisition (NCA) goals for Performance Max campaigns are now importable directly from Google Ads into Microsoft Advertising, and the feature was rolled out to all advertisers this week. Google "website visitors" audience segments convert to equivalent rule-based remarketing lists; Google's auto-created "all visitors" and "all converters" lists map to Microsoft equivalents; unsupported lists such as Customer Match can be substituted with "all converters" or omitted at import.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft seasonality adjustments now available for Portfolio bid strategies
Seasonality adjustments: previously available only for individual campaigns: are now available for campaigns using Portfolio bid strategies. The feature is designed for short-term events with a temporary, significant change in expected conversion rates, such as a major promotion or seasonal peak.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft Advertising campaign names extended to 400 characters
Microsoft Advertising now supports campaign names up to 400 characters, up from the previous 128-character limit. The increase applies across the UI, API, Editor, imports, and reporting, and brings Microsoft to parity with Meta and Google.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft Ad Assist adds autogenerated assets to RSAs with incomplete text
Microsoft Advertising is rolling out autogenerated assets to Responsive Search Ads that lack the maximum number of user-supplied text assets. The feature uses AI to generate fresh, relevant ad copy for campaigns with insufficient or infrequently updated assets, which Microsoft reports underperform compared to campaigns with full asset volume.
Read this update in detail →Google Analytics data controls to consolidate under Google Ads Consent Mode from June 15
Google has announced that from June 15, 2026, the Google Signals setting in GA4 will no longer control Google Ads data collection. Google Ads Consent Mode (ad_storage) becomes the single control for all ad-related data usage from the Analytics tag.
Read this update in detail →Google unifying tag IDs under GT- format, retiring AW- prefix
Arjun Singh has flagged that Google is consolidating its tagging ecosystem: Google Ads, GA4, and Floodlight: under a single Google Tag using the GT-XXXXXXXX format, retiring the AW-XXXXXXXX format used for Google Ads conversion tags. The unification is intended to reduce tag conflicts, improve cross-platform data consistency, and simplify container management in GTM.
Read this update in detail →Google Tag Gateway for Advertisers launches in beta with Fastly integration
Google has launched the Google Tag Gateway for advertisers in beta, available via integration with Fastly CDN through Google Tag Manager. The gateway allows the Google tag to load from the advertiser's domain rather than a Google domain, and forwards measurement events from the advertiser's domain to Google: improving signal recovery and data privacy.
Read this update in detail →GA4 launches Tasks checklist for admin setup best practices
Kyle Rushton McGregor and Nichelle Halstrom have flagged a new "Tasks" feature in GA4, appearing above the admin navigation link. It presents a checklist of best practices for settings, including custom insights, audiences, key events, measurement protocols, and more.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI launches tracking pixel for ChatGPT ads
Juozas Kaziukėnas has confirmed that OpenAI added a tracking pixel to its ChatGPT ad manager, with syntax nearly identical to Meta's Pixel, plus an iOS and Android SDK. The pixel connects user behaviour on advertisers' websites to ad clicks: the foundational measurement infrastructure for conversion-optimised performance advertising.
Read this update in detail →Ads DevCast Episode 3: AI productivity tools for Google Ads developers
Cory Liseno and Matt Landers have published episode 3 of the Ads DevCast, covering the new Google Ads and Analytics MCP servers for cross-platform data analysis, the Google Ads API Developer Assistant for writing and debugging API integrations, new Data Manager UI diagnostics, and AdMob SDK migration tools. Available on YouTube, YouTube Music, and as a blog post.
Read this update in detail →Meta Pixel adds AI enrichment for event data; one-click CAPI setup launches in Events Manager
Meta has announced two significant updates to its advertising measurement infrastructure. An AI-powered enrichment feature for the Meta Pixel now automatically reads page content and infers product attributes: including name, price, currency, and availability: as well as business information, enriching conversion events without manual annotation.
Read this update in detail →Meta instant forms are now editable directly at the ad level
Bram Van der Hallen has spotted that Meta Ads Manager now allows advertisers to edit existing instant forms directly, rather than only Duplicate or Archive them. The edit option is accessible at the ad level in the updated interface.
Read this update in detail →Meta Related Media bug routing spends to unintended ads
Barry Hott has flagged a serious bug in Meta Ads Manager: simply opening an ad to view its settings: even without making any changes: automatically queues Related Media to publish on the next save action. One account in Hott's analysis saw 96% of spend redirected to ads other than the intended one, rendering reporting unreliable.
Read this update in detail →Meta introduces "Preview to Publish" flow in Ads Manager
VIVEK GUPTA has flagged that Meta Ads Manager has introduced a new "Preview Ad Setup" step, and renamed the "Publish" button to "Preview to Publish." The updated flow allows advertisers to review their full ad setup: including creative, targeting, and placements: in a preview window before the ad goes live.
Read this update in detail →Threads API adds ghost posts, text attachments, spoilers, GIFs, and tokenless embedding
Meta has published a major update to the Threads API. New content capabilities include: cross-sharing a Threads post to Instagram Stories; long-form text attachments up to 10,000 characters with formatting; ghost posts: ephemeral text-only posts that auto-archive after 24 hours; spoiler tags for text, image, and video; and GIF support via GIPHY.
Read this update in detail →Meta Pixel AI enrichment excluded from special ad categories; Location Fees take effect April 20
The Meta Pixel AI enrichment feature is explicitly excluded for advertisers in special ad categories: financial products and services, employment, health, and housing. Meta's existing consent frameworks and Business Tools terms continue to govern what data can be shared.
Read this update in detail →DV360 API April 2026 update adds Demand Gen beta support
Google has released the April 2026 update to the Display & Video 360 API. The update adds beta support for Demand Gen resource management: allowlisted customers can now create, update, and delete Demand Gen line items, ad groups, ads, and targeting via the API, with full general availability planned later in 2026.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Rufus gains the shopper's personalisation profile via "Tell us about you"
Ritu Java has identified that Amazon shoppers can now describe their style, hobbies, interests, and who they shop for directly in Rufus via a saved profile. The same search query produces a different product stack depending on the shopper's stated context.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Sponsored Products gains bid adjustment for video placements
Prem Gupta has flagged that Amazon has introduced the ability to adjust bids specifically for Sponsored Products video placements, enabling granular spend allocation by placement type within SP campaigns.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Bulk Operations renames all export files to "BulkSheetExport"
Alexander Swade has flagged a regression in Amazon Ads Bulk Operations: export files previously included the date range in the filename, making it straightforward to identify which timeframe a file covered. The download is now always named "BulkSheetExport" regardless of settings.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Seller Assistant can now check review sharing eligibility by variation
Amazon has added a new capability to Seller Assistant in Seller Central: sellers can now query which of their product variations are eligible for review sharing under the policy update that took effect from February 12, 2026. That policy restricted review sharing to variations with only minor differences: such as colour, pattern, or pack quantity: and removed shared reviews from variations with significant functional differences.
Read this update in detail →eMarketer: Meta to overtake Google in global digital ad revenues in 2026
eMarketer has published a forecast projecting Meta's global net ad revenue at $243.46 billion in 2026, ahead of Google's $239.54 billion: the first time Meta is forecast to lead globally. Meta's year-on-year growth rate is 24.1%, roughly double Google's 11.9%.
Read this update in detail →Shopify releases ChatGPT app for product search across all merchants
Juozas Kaziukėnas has reported that Shopify has released a ChatGPT app that enables product search across millions of Shopify merchants and links directly to product pages. The app does not yet support checkout or shopping carts.
Read this update in detail →Google Posts repeat option now officially live in Google My Business
Barry Schwartz has confirmed that the Google Business Profile Posts repeat option: which allows businesses to republish or repeat an existing post: is now officially live.
Read this update in detail →Google Business Profile bans staff review solicitation and name mentions
Darren Shaw and Ben Fisher have flagged that Google updated its GBP review guidelines on April 17, explicitly prohibiting: asking customers to mention specific employees in reviews; and requiring staff to collect a set number of reviews. Both are now classified as rating manipulation.
Read this update in detail →Google 2025 Ads Safety Report: 8.3 billion ads removed, Gemini catches 99% before they run
Google has published its 2025 Ads Safety Report. Gemini-powered detection tools blocked or removed over 8.3 billion ads and suspended 24.9 million advertiser accounts: including 602 million ads and 4 million accounts associated with scams.
Read this update in detail →Google back-button hijacking becomes an explicit spam policy violation, enforced June 15
Google has expanded its spam policies to explicitly prohibit back-button hijacking: using scripts or browser history manipulation to prevent users from returning to the previous page. The practice is now classified under the malicious practices spam policy, meaning sites may face manual spam actions or automated ranking demotions from June 15, 2026.
Read this update in detail →CNIL publishes final recommendations on tracking pixels in emails
France's data protection authority (CNIL) published its final recommendations on tracking pixels in emails on April 14, 2026, following a public consultation. The recommendations clarify the roles of each actor involved in deploying tracking pixels: including senders, ESPs, and analytics providers: and draw a clear distinction between pixels that require user consent and those that are exempt.
Read this update in detail →Meta launches Muse Spark, the first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs
Meta has launched Muse Spark, the first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs led by Alexandr Wang. Muse Spark is a natively multimodal reasoning model with visual chain of thought, tool use, and multi-agent orchestration, built from a ground-up rebuild of Meta's AI infrastructure over nine months.
Read this update in detail →Claude Opus 4.7 launches with stronger software engineering and cybersecurity safeguards
Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4.7, which is generally available across all Claude products, the API, Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, and Microsoft Foundry. The model delivers improved performance over Opus 4.6 in advanced software engineering: particularly for complex, long-running tasks: with better vision capability (more than three times the resolution) and higher-quality output in professional documents, slides, and interfaces.
Read this update in detail →Claude Code Routines launch in research preview
Anthropic has launched Routines in Claude Code in research preview across all paid plans. Routines allow a prompt, repository, and connectors to be configured once and run on a schedule, triggered by an API call, or fired by a GitHub webhook.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft Copilot for Word now tracks changes and leaves comments inside documents
Satya Nadella has announced that Copilot in Microsoft Word now tracks changes and leaves comments directly inside documents, operating as a collaborative in-document coworker rather than a separate assistant pane. The feature is grounded in an enterprise context via Work IQ.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI launches ChatGPT Skills in Excel with finance workflow templates
OpenAI has released ChatGPT Skills and Apps in Excel in beta. Two default skills are available at launch: a Corporate Finance / FP&A Spreadsheet Skill for budgets, forecasts, and KPI packs; and a Financial Modelling Skill for three-statement models, DCFs, LBOs, and comparables.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI Codex gains full computer use across macOS and Windows
OpenAI has released a major update to Codex. Codex can now work across your computer, use apps and tools, generate images, remember preferences, and handle repeatable background tasks.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI Agents SDK gains sandbox execution, filesystem tools, and MCP support
OpenAI has updated its Agents SDK with a more capable harness for building agentic workflows. New capabilities include: configurable memory, sandbox-aware orchestration, filesystem tools, MCP tool use, shell execution, and file editing support.
Read this update in detail →The advertiser takeaway
Each update reflects the source reporting at the time. Open an individual update for its full description, original links and media.
Explore the original edition
Every update from this edition is linked above. Explore the original newsletter for its full context, contributor credits and reporting links.
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