Paid Media News (Week 20)
Paid Media News (Week 20)
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.
3 days that reset H2 2026 - Microsoft Activate, Google I/O, and Google Marketing Live
This week features three major industry events over three consecutive days, with some overlapping schedules.
Read this update in detail →Pre-GML AI Max preview: Shopping, text disclaimers, and AI Brief
Ahead of Google Marketing Live on 21 May, Ginny Marvin has previewed three AI Max updates.
Read this update in detail →AI-powered customisable Dashboards coming to Google Ads ahead of GML
Google has previewed AI-powered, customisable dashboards for Google Ads, set to arrive ahead of Google Marketing Live.
Read this update in detail →Performance Max Search Partners and Display Network exclusion rolls out widely
The Performance Max Search Partners and Display Network exclusion option flagged by Thomas Eccel as a test in Week 18 has now rolled out to a broader pool of accounts. Jason King has confirmed seeing the option live in his accounts, framing the rollout as a brand-new Google Ads option now widely available.
Read this update in detail →Search Partner Network gets full placement reporting
Google Ads has rolled out full placement reporting for the Search Partner Network, which is surfaced via the PPC News Feed. Advertisers can now see specific placement-level performance data across the Search Partner Network: closing the long-standing gap where Search Partners delivered traffic with effectively no placement visibility.
Read this update in detail →Help-page update clarifies primary conversion actions not used for optimisation
Dario Zannoni has flagged a quiet but consequential update to Google's Help pages: primary conversion actions not used for bidding optimisation may be treated differently than expected. The clarification updates the public documentation to explicitly state how primary conversions feed (or don't feed) into Smart Bidding optimisation when they're not selected as the optimisation goal.
Read this update in detail →Merchant Advisor testing: Google Ads Advisor pattern lands in Merchant Centre
Barry Schwartz has flagged that Google is testing Merchant Advisor: a Merchant Centre equivalent to Google Ads Advisor, originally spotted by Tamara Hellgren on Momentic and surfaced by Hana Kobzová in her weekly digest. The product mirrors Ads Advisor's design pattern: in-context AI assistance for diagnosing feed issues, troubleshooting disapprovals, surfacing optimisation opportunities, and answering platform questions through natural-language interaction with the Gemini-powered Advisor.
Read this update in detail →Merchant Centre agency account conversion request workflow goes live
Google Merchant Centre has documented a new agency account conversion request workflow, giving agencies a structured path to convert legacy Merchant Centre accounts into the unified agency account model. The workflow lets agencies submit conversion requests for client accounts they manage, and Google reviews and processes each request to align the account with the current agency account architecture.
Read this update in detail →Merchant Centre for Agencies is now generally available worldwide
Google Merchant Centre has announced that Merchant Centre for Agencies is now generally available globally as of 11 May 2026. The product was previously generally available in the US and Canada with a pilot in other markets through March 2026; the May rollout extends full GA worldwide.
Read this update in detail →Vehicle ads expand to ATVs, UTVs, RVs, and trailers in the US
Google Merchant Centre has confirmed that vehicle ads in the United States are expanding to support All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs), Recreational Vehicles (RVs), and non-motorised trailers such as travel trailers and campers, starting May 2026. The expansion extends Google's lower-funnel, omnichannel vehicle ad format beyond traditional automobiles into the broader powersports and recreational-vehicle category.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads API v24.1 ships with AI Max experiments, classic display images, and passkey support
Google has released Google Ads API v24.1 on 13 May, with five practitioner-relevant additions. Mobile Device Platform segmentation lets queries segment campaign and customer reports by iOS or Android: a feature previously requiring workarounds for bid adjustments and OS-level performance analysis.
Read this update in detail →UploadClickConversions deprecated from 15 June: migration window narrowing
Arpan Banerjee has flagged a second hard deadline from Google: UploadClickConversions is deprecated, effective 15 June 2026. After that date, the API method for uploading click-attributed conversions will no longer be supported, and integrations still using the deprecated endpoint will break.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads will auto-link YouTube channels from 10 June: opt-out window open now
Arpan Banerjee has flagged a Google Ads auto-linking change with a hard deadline of 10 June 2026. From that date, Google will automatically link YouTube channels to Google Ads accounts unless the advertiser opts out before the deadline.
Read this update in detail →Data retention 37-month policy enforcement: final reminder before 1 June
Google Ads will enforce the 37-month data retention policy from 1 June 2026, with VIVEK GUPTA flagging the deadline ahead of enforcement. The policy was officially confirmed in the Google Ads Developer Blog (covered in Week 19) and applies to the Google Ads API, Google Ads scripts, the Google Analytics Data API, and the BigQuery Data Transfer Service.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads will auto-link to Merchant Centre: opt-out for advertisers who want isolation
Marcin Wsól has surfaced an upcoming Google Ads change: Google will automatically link Google Ads accounts to Merchant Center for advertisers running Shopping campaigns or product-feed-driven inventory. The auto-link enables product data and conversion flow between the two platforms, using the same mechanics as the YouTube auto-linking covered above.
Read this update in detail →LinkedIn CTV supports profile targeting via the Microsoft Monetise backend (Microsoft CTV does not)
Navah Hopkins has issued a clarification correcting a misunderstanding circulating in the paid-media community. The launch is LinkedIn CTV: LinkedIn's Connected TV inventory: supporting LinkedIn profile targeting (job seniority, company lists, industry, function).
Read this update in detail →AI video generator CTA appears inside Demand Gen campaigns (beta)
Thomas Eccel has spotted an AI video generator CTA appearing in Demand Gen campaigns as a beta feature: a "Create video" button in the campaign creation flow that lets advertisers generate AI-powered video assets directly in Demand Gen without going through external production tooling. The feature is in beta and not yet broadly available.
Read this update in detail →Phone support quietly reappears in the Google Ads dashboard
Jason King has spotted phone support reappearing in the Google Ads dashboard Overview: a return of a support surface that had been progressively de-emphasised in recent years. The option appears in the dashboard's contact-support pane, alongside chat and email options, for advertisers who reach the support flow via the Overview tab.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads scam emails circulating: synchronisation-error pretext
Thomas Eccel and Tamás Geiger have both flagged a wave of phishing emails targeting Google Ads advertisers, using a "synchronisation error in your Google Ads account" pretext to trick recipients into clicking a malicious link that purports to fix the synchronisation issue. The emails are sophisticated enough to bypass standard spam filters and reach advertisers' primary inboxes.
Read this update in detail →Custom audiences coming next to ChatGPT Ads
Juozas Kaziukėnas has flagged the next major feature on the ChatGPT Ads roadmap: custom audiences. The feature will let advertisers upload raw or hashed email addresses and phone numbers to ChatGPT Ads, matching them against ChatGPT user accounts to enable targeting existing customers, retargeting website visitors with known contact details, and excluding current customers from prospecting campaigns.
Read this update in detail →AI Assistant set to become a Default Channel Group in GA4
Google Analytics 4 is adding AI Assistant as a Default Channel Group: a structural addition that will let GA4 properties automatically track traffic from ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini and other AI assistants as a discrete channel rather than burying it under Referral or Direct. Brie E.
Read this update in detail →Google + Meta + LinkedIn budgets become optimisable from inside GA4
Arpan Banerjee has surfaced a substantial GA4 expansion: Google, Meta, and LinkedIn budgets are now optimisable from inside Google Analytics 4: moving cross-channel budget management from a manual cross-platform exercise into a unified GA4 surface. The update includes Projection plans (channel-by-channel expected pace), Budget allocation across channels, and Cross-channel optimisation recommendations based on GA4's attribution data.
Read this update in detail →Google Tag Gateway lets advertisers cloak their GTM container ID
Paolo Bietolini has flagged a new Google Tag Gateway feature that lets advertisers cloak the GTM container ID served to the browser. The feature: released around 8 May: serves the GTM script under a custom domain rather than the standard googletagmanager.com path, hiding the container ID from competitive scrapers and ad-blocker fingerprinting.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft Clarity AI Citation report rolls out to all users
Microsoft Clarity has rolled out its AI Citation report to all users, surfacing which Microsoft Copilot and partner AI surfaces are citing the website inside their AI-generated responses. Navah Hopkins has flagged the launch with strategic framing; Josh Silverbauer has provided the practitioner detail: the report uses Microsoft Copilot and partner data (not just Bing) to map AI citations against the website's content, giving operators visibility into AI-referral traffic that has historically been invisible inside web analytics.
Read this update in detail →Meta launches dedicated Lead Nurturing section in Ads Manager
Meta has added a dedicated Lead Nurturing section to Ads Manager, surfaced by Bram Van der Hallen. The section consolidates lead-nurture workflows: follow-up sequences, retargeting setups, and lead-quality scoring: into a single Ads Manager surface, rather than scattering them across audience setup, campaign settings, and external integrations.
Read this update in detail →Meta renames Detailed Targeting to Advantage+ Detailed Targeting
Meta has renamed the Detailed Targeting option to Advantage+ Detailed Targeting, aligning the audience-targeting feature with Meta's broader Advantage+ branding. VIVEK GUPTA has flagged the rename with its strategic framing: this aligns with Meta's broader Advantage+ direction, where the system suggests interests, behaviours, and demographics aligned with campaign goals: but advertisers retain control over the configuration.
Read this update in detail →Meta's free one-click Conversions API setup is now visible in more accounts
Meta's free, one-click Conversions API setup (first flagged in Week 18) is now appearing in materially more Meta Ads Manager accounts, surfaced by Ulusal Çağdaş Çalım with the practical visibility note: advertisers without an existing advanced CAPI configuration are now seeing the one-click setup option directly in Ads Manager. The launch has progressed from limited availability to broader rollout in the past month.
Read this update in detail →Meta Ads handling of spending-limited ad sets gets smarter
Matias Axel Ramayo has flagged a quiet but consequential Meta Ads behavioural change: when an ad within an ad set reaches its spending limit (delivery, frequency, or budget cap), Meta now redistributes the remaining budget to the higher-performing ads in the same ad set rather than splitting it equally. The change is part of Meta's broader auction-mechanic refinement and isn't formally announced.
Read this update in detail →Meta image-asset uploads get updated handling in the refreshed interface
Bram Van der Hallen has flagged an important Meta image-asset update: when uploading multiple image assets in the refreshed Meta Ads interface, the system handles asset grouping and rotation differently than the previous interface: with implications for advertisers who have been running structured creative tests across image variants.
Read this update in detail →Meta Content Features are activated by default at the account level: campaign-level opt-outs are no longer enough
Matias Axel Ramayo has surfaced a quiet but consequential Meta Ads default change, with the original spot credit going to Carolina Arjona Moyano. Content Features: the Meta setting that lets the system apply AI-driven creative improvements to image and video assets (enhancements, edits, automated variations): is now automatically activated at the account level for all advertisers.
Read this update in detail →Meta AI Developer Assistant goes live for Business Messaging
Meta has launched the Meta AI Developer Assistant for Business Messaging: a new developer-facing AI assistant that helps developers build, debug, and optimise code for WhatsApp Business and Messenger integration. The assistant runs within the Meta for Developers environment and surfaces contextual help, code suggestions, and troubleshooting guidance for the Business Messaging APIs.
Read this update in detail →DV360 × YouTube collaboration extends programmatic access to premium inventory
DG Media Network has announced a new collaboration with Google Display & Video 360 and YouTube, expanding how brands programmatically access premium YouTube inventory through the DV360 buying surface. The partnership extends programmatic targeting and bidding controls into YouTube inventory that has historically been less accessible through DV360, particularly for advertisers running cross-channel programmatic strategies.
Read this update in detail →Costco joins Google's Commerce Media Suite
Google Marketing Platform has confirmed that Costco Retail Media is officially joining Google's Commerce Media Suite, letting brands connect with Costco Wholesale's first-party audience data through Google's commerce media stack. The partnership extends Google's retail media network: which already includes major partners across grocery, big-box, and pharmacy: into Costco's distinctive membership-based audience.
Read this update in detail →Instagram launches Instants for share-in-the-moment content
Meta has launched Instagram Instants, a new content surface for share-in-the-moment posts that sit between Stories and Reels in the Instagram content ecosystem. Instants are positioned as ephemeral content with a longer shelf life than Stories but shorter than Reels, designed for casual real-time sharing rather than polished content production.
Read this update in detail →WhatsApp launches incognito chat with Meta AI
Meta has launched incognito chat with Meta AI inside WhatsApp: letting users interact with Meta AI in a private mode that doesn't surface in chat history, doesn't influence Meta AI's memory of the user's preferences, and doesn't feed back into Meta's training data. The launch aligns with WhatsApp's broader privacy positioning and addresses user concerns about Meta AI's data handling on the messaging surface.
Read this update in detail →YouTube Brandcast 2026: AI-driven creative, Shoppable formats, and Connected TV expansion
YouTube has run its annual Brandcast 2026 advertiser event, with Google publishing the full set of advertiser-facing announcements alongside the consumer-facing Brandcast highlights. The announcements span three structural pillars.
Read this update in detail →LinkedIn launches paid power-user advice product
Matt Navarra has flagged a new LinkedIn product: power users will soon be paid to give advice. The launch positions LinkedIn power users as paid advisors inside the LinkedIn platform: answering questions, providing tactical guidance, and earning revenue directly from the advice they share, in a model similar to Substack's paid newsletters or Cameo's celebrity messaging.
Read this update in detail →Amazon retires Rufus and replaces it with Alexa for shopping: the AI assistant goes agentic
Amazon has retired the Rufus AI shopping assistant and replaced it with Alexa for shopping, in a structural pivot that turns the AI shopping experience from passive Q&A to agentic recommendation and execution. Christian Umbach has flagged the launch with the most detailed structural read; Roger Dunn captures the strategic significance ("Amazon just turned Rufus into an agent"); Vanessa Hung provides additional context on Amazon's long-running voice-commerce strategy dating back to 2014.
Read this update in detail →Amazon walks back FBA fee increases after seller pushback
Amazon has walked back a portion of the FBA fee increases announced last year, with Jason Mclellan flagging the change as "a big win for everyone in the Amazon community." Last year, Amazon announced plans for material FBA fee increases that would have meaningfully tightened seller margins through 2026; the walk-back reverses or softens specific fee categories in response to community feedback and seller pushback.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Ads introduces Dynamic TV Creative for Prime Video
Amazon Ads has introduced Dynamic TV Creative for Prime Video: a new capability that automatically personalises TV ad creative based on viewer signals, environment, and contextual data. The format brings dynamic, creative, and optimisation patterns familiar from display advertising into the Prime Video CTV inventory, enabling brands to serve materially different versions of the same base creative to different viewer segments.
Read this update in detail →Amazon launches AI-driven Full Funnel campaign type for 1P Vendors
Amazon is rolling out an AI-driven Full Funnel campaign type for 1P Vendor accounts, surfaced by Saumitra Pandey. The new campaign type automates budget allocation and bidding across the full funnel: upper-funnel awareness through to lower-funnel conversion: for Amazon Vendor (1P) sellers, with Amazon's AI handling the cross-tactic budget orchestration that has historically required manual setup across separate Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and DSP campaigns.
Read this update in detail →Publicis acquires LiveRamp to accelerate data collaboration platform play
Publicis Groupe has entered into an agreement to acquire LiveRamp, the global data collaboration platform: the largest agency-side acquisition of a data infrastructure provider in recent memory. The deal accelerates Publicis's data collaboration strategy and brings LiveRamp's identity-resolution, data-clean-room, and audience-collaboration infrastructure under Publicis Groupe's ownership.
Read this update in detail →Google publishes official guidance on optimising for generative AI search
Google has published its first major piece of official guidance on optimising websites for generative AI features on Google Search: including AI Overviews, AI Mode, and the broader generative AI experiences. Aleyda Solís and Charly Wargnier have both flagged the publication as having practitioner framing: this is the canonical reference Google has been deferring to for over a year, finally formalising what Google expects from websites that want to be cited or surfaced in AI-generated responses.
Read this update in detail →Shopify data: AI-referred shoppers convert at nearly 50% higher rates
Juozas Kaziukėnas has surfaced Shopify data showing AI-referred shoppers convert at nearly 50% higher rates than non-AI-referred traffic, with 14% higher average order value. The data is sourced from Shopify's aggregate platform statistics across its 7-million-store base and represents one of the first systematic measurements of AI-referral commercial performance.
Read this update in detail →Claude Platform on AWS goes generally available
Anthropic has confirmed that the Claude Platform on Amazon Web Services (AWS) is now generally available, giving AWS customers full access to the Claude Agent SDK, the full Claude model lineup (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku), and the broader Claude Platform tooling directly inside the AWS environment. The launch removes the previous limited-access barrier and makes Claude a sanctioned AI platform option for any AWS customer.
Read this update in detail →Shopify deploys llms.txt files across 7 million stores
Lee Woodman has flagged that Shopify has rolled out llms.txt files across its entire 7-million-store portfolio. The llms.txt standard: analogous to robots.txt for traditional crawlers: gives AI crawlers (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) a structured signal about which content can be used for AI training and citation purposes.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI Codex arrives on the ChatGPT mobile app in preview
OpenAI has launched Codex in preview on the ChatGPT mobile app, letting developers remotely control It from their phones. Developers can now start new coding work, review outputs, steer execution, and approve next steps directly from the ChatGPT mobile app: the AI coding assistant is becoming a fully mobile-accessible product rather than a desktop-only tool.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI hosts ChatGPT Enterprise workspace agents webinar on 19 May
OpenAI for Business is hosting a webinar on building and running workspace agents in ChatGPT Enterprise on Monday, 19 May at 11 am PT: the same day as Microsoft Advertising Activate and one day ahead of Google Marketing Live's I/O kickoff. The webinar covers how to build agents that operate inside ChatGPT Enterprise to automate workflows across team document review, research, and process tasks.
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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