Part 1 - GML Live 2026 & Google I/O
Part 1 - GML Live 2026 & Google I/O
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.
Ads in AI Mode launch with three new formats: Conversational Discovery, Highlighted Answers, and Direct Offers
Google has officially launched Ads in AI Mode, a new generation of ad formats designed for the conversational, multimodal queries that now dominate AI Mode and AI Overviews. Glenn Gabe and Ginny Marvin both flagged the launch as the headline shift from the GML keynote.
Read this update in detail →AI Brief launches as the new way to steer AI Max in your own words
AI Brief is the structural new layer in AI Max that lets advertisers steer Gemini's targeting and creative customisation through natural-language guidelines: Messaging Guidelines (what your ads should and shouldn't say, e.g., "never mention prices" or "focus on my fall collection"), Matching Guidelines (which searches to capture or avoid, e.g., "avoid searches for in-person degrees"), and Audience Guidelines (how to tailor messaging for different segments, e.g., "for people who are health conscious, highlight our clean products"). The interface previews sample assets and searches; advertisers iterate the brief until the previewed output matches the intended direction.
Read this update in detail →AI Max for Search exits beta and goes generally available globally
AI Max for Search Campaigns is officially out of beta and generally available globally as of GML 2026. Helen Gietmann shared practitioner experience from running AI Max across multiple clients: text customisation and Final URL Expansion (FUE) have delivered strong results, while search-term matching has been the more variable component.
Read this update in detail →Business Agent for Leads brings conversational lead qualification to Search ads
Business Agent for Leads is a new Search ad format that replaces the static lead form with a conversational AI agent built on Gemini. Instead of filling out a form, a prospect researching, for example, an MBA programme can click "Chat" directly within the ad to ask questions, with answers grounded in the advertiser's website content.
Read this update in detail →Direct Offers expands to bundling, native checkout, and travel
Direct Offers: the format that surfaces exclusive promotions directly within AI Mode and Search at the moment of purchasing intent: has expanded materially. New for 2026: Direct Offers move from the AI Mode product viewer to the AI Mode answer itself, allowing retailers to feature discounts alongside other products during exploration.
Read this update in detail →Leads in Google Ads centralise lead management with built-in CRM functionality
Leads in Google Ads is a new, lightweight CRM surface inside Google Ads that consolidates Google-hosted form leads into a single interface. The feature centralises lead management (no prospect falls through the cracks), syncs quality signals back into Google Ads to optimise bidding, surfaces lead-stage progression (raw → qualified → converted → lost), and feeds high-value conversion data into Smart Bidding strategies.
Read this update in detail →AI-powered Shopping ads land with Gemini-generated explainers
AI-powered Shopping ads use Gemini to identify the most relevant products for a shopper's query and instantly write a custom explainer highlighting why each product is the right answer. The mechanic transforms Shopping ads from product-only listings into product + expert summary results, replacing standard product results with a Gemini-powered shopping experience for considered purchases such as espresso machines, fridges, or TVs.
Read this update in detail →Message Ads with RCS for Business launch as a conversational lead format
Message Ads with RCS for Business is a new Search ad format that lets users move from a Search ad to a verified text thread with the advertiser via RCS (Rich Communication Services). Google AI instantly qualifies leads through text conversations, and the brand maintains visibility in the user's messaging app for ongoing nurture.
Read this update in detail →Improved click-to-call ads use Gemini for precise lead scoring
Click-to-call ads are getting a structural upgrade: Gemini now analyses what was actually said on each call to score leads more precisely, rather than relying solely on call duration as a proxy for lead quality. The system filters out misdials and low-intent calls from reporting, traces each qualified call back to the originating campaign, and feeds the lead-quality signals back into Smart Bidding so the algorithm bids for high-value callers rather than just call volume.
Read this update in detail →Journey-aware Bidding gives Smart Bidding visibility into the lead funnel
Journey-aware Bidding is a beta upgrade for Search campaigns with Target CPA that lets Google's bidding algorithm learn from every step of the lead journey: not just the biddable conversion: to sharpen predictions and improve performance. The mechanic requires advertisers to import all relevant conversion actions (phone calls, form submissions, newsletter signups, marketing/sales-qualified leads, closed deals) into Google Ads, and then Smart Bidding uses the full sequence to model conversion likelihood.
Read this update in detail →Search campaigns for travel unify travel ad formats with AI Max
Search campaigns for travel bring travel ad formats: Travel Promotion Ads, Booking Links, travel feeds: directly into the Search ecosystem with AI Max. The change consolidates what previously required multiple campaign types into a single buying door for all travel formats, with full access to AI Max's targeting and creative automation and a unified performance view across the SERP.
Read this update in detail →Demand-led budget pacing, Smart Bidding Exploration, and Campaign total budgets land in Search
Three Search-side budget and bidding upgrades land alongside the AI Max GA. Demand-led budget pacing uses Google AI to optimise spend toward consumer demand peaks: capturing more volume on high-demand days and reducing spend on slow days, while respecting daily and monthly limits.
Read this update in detail →New Customer Acquisition gets a "new prospects" mode for brand-unaware users
New Customer Acquisition has added a third bidding mode: new prospects mode. Where traditional New Customer Acquisition focused on anyone who hadn't purchased before, new prospects mode goes further: automatically excluding users who have purchased (via Customer Match & Tags), searched for brand terms, visited the website or used the app, or engaged with content or ads across Google and YouTube.
Read this update in detail →Missed opportunity reporting visualises lost growth from bid and budget constraints
Missed opportunity reporting is now generally available globally: a new reporting layer that visualises how much performance has been left on the table due to bid and budget constraints. The reporting surfaces interactive weekly charts contrasting actual performance against potential, campaign-level reporting across Search, Shopping, PMax, Demand Gen, YouTube, App, and Hotel Ads, and a Recommended Action column with real-time bid and budget suggestions tailored to current seasonality and auction dynamics.
Read this update in detail →Universal Commerce Protocol expands to hotel booking and food ordering
Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP): the open standard that makes Search, Gemini, Gmail, and YouTube into shoppable surfaces: is expanding into two new categories. Hotel booking integration is coming soon with launch partners including Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Hilton, Marriott, Trip.com, Accor, Choice Hotels, IHG, and Wyndham.
Read this update in detail →Campaign Type Attribution gives Demand Gen its own full-funnel attribution model
Campaign Type Attribution is a structural shift for Demand Gen reporting: moving beyond Platform Comparable Conversions (a reporting-only view) into an active attribution model where Demand Gen campaigns can be optimised against the full conversion value they drive, independent of other Google campaign types. Georgi Zayakov flagged it as the most interesting Demand Gen update from GML, noting it makes Demand Gen results "more directly comparable to social platforms": which is clearly where Google wants Demand Gen to sit in the marketing mix.
Read this update in detail →Demand Gen Uplift Experiments measure incremental impact alongside PMax
Demand Gen Uplift Experiments is a new automated A/B testing framework that measures the statistically significant uplift of adding Demand Gen to an existing campaign mix (PMax, App, Video, Display). The mechanic provides a turnkey way to isolate Demand Gen's impact on conversions, sales, CPA, or ROAS: answering the long-standing question of whether Demand Gen is incremental or cannibalising.
Read this update in detail →Product feeds expansion brings Vehicle feeds, video attributes, and Pause ads inventory to Demand Gen
Product feeds in Demand Gen are expanding across three structural dimensions. New verticals: Vehicle feeds become eligible for Demand Gen product feeds in Q3 2026, extending the format beyond traditional ecommerce.
Read this update in detail →Google Maps inventory joins Demand Gen as a selectable channel
Google Maps inventory is now available in Demand Gen as a selectable channel, allowing advertisers to reach high-intent users in Browse, Directions, and Entity/Place Details modes within Maps. The format uses non-disruptive Promoted Pins with channel controls to opt in or out based on brand or campaign needs.
Read this update in detail →Affiliate partnerships boost lets merchants amplify organic creator videos in Demand Gen
Affiliate partnerships boost is a new advertising solution that lets merchants discover and boost organic YouTube Shopping affiliate videos within Demand Gen campaigns. The structural value: merchants leverage existing creator trust at scale, with the licensing and discovery workflow streamlined inside Google Ads.
Read this update in detail →Creator videos appear directly in Google Ads asset picker
Creator videos in the asset picker is a new Demand Gen feature that surfaces a library of suggested creator partnership videos directly in the Google Ads asset picker during campaign setup. The system automatically identifies relevant creator content tailored to the brand, increases campaign authenticity via trusted creator voices, and reduces creative production time by pulling existing video content into the campaign.
Read this update in detail →Demand Gen gets AI-assisted campaign creation from existing PMax campaigns
AI-assisted Demand Gen campaign creation is a new workflow that uses account-level intelligence to pre-fill Demand Gen campaigns with optimal budget, bidding, and audience settings based on existing Performance Max campaigns. The system uses historical performance to recommend campaign best practices, provides a clear rationale for each setting, and reduces manual entry errors.
Read this update in detail →Demand Gen in Commerce Media Suite unlocks retailer first-party data activation
Demand Gen campaigns are now generally available within Commerce Media Suite: letting brands use retailers' first-party data to reach high-intent shoppers across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. The integration enables brand-retailer collaboration on YouTube and Demand Gen surfaces, with conversion and sales optimisation powered by retailer first-party data flowing through Google AI.
Read this update in detail →Multimodal Video Creation in Asset Studio: from prompt to storyboard to final production
Multimodal Video Creation lands inside Asset Studio, letting advertisers go from creative brief to storyboard to final video production in a single workflow: powered by Gemini, Veo, and Nano Banana. The capability streamlines Google's AI models into a single workspace for ideating, storyboarding, and generating video campaigns.
Read this update in detail →Checkout Links expand to 9 new markets and Shorts in-feed placement
Checkout Links: the format that routes Demand Gen viewers directly to a merchant's checkout page: is generally available in the US, CA, GB, DE, JP, IN, with rollout coming to AU, KR, ID, MX, AR, FR, IL, CH, PL. Checkout Links have also expanded to YouTube Shorts and in-feed ads in Demand Gen.
Read this update in detail →Product videos at scale unlock the GMC video library inside Demand Gen
Product videos at scale eliminate the previous 5-video upload limit, enabling Demand Gen campaigns to leverage the entire Google Merchant Centre video library. The system dynamically serves product-specific videos based on real-time user intent and interest, reducing creative overhead and improving relevance through AI-driven video-to-user matching.
Read this update in detail →View-through conversion (VTC) optimisation arrives in Demand Gen bidding
View-through conversion optimisation is a new bidding enhancement for Demand Gen that lets campaigns include and optimise for view-through conversions alongside click-based conversions. The mechanic accelerates results by capturing conversions when users see an ad and convert later without clicking; scales conversion volume by allowing Google AI to bid on users most likely to convert via either path; and drives strategy alignment by adopting comparable approaches to paid social platforms, where view-then-buy behaviour is prevalent.
Read this update in detail →Meridian arrives inside Google Analytics 360, harmonising MMM, MTA, and incrementality
Google Analytics 360 is integrating Meridian: Google's open-source marketing mix modelling solution: bringing advanced cross-channel budget forecasting into the GA360 surface. Luka Cempre, Brais Calvo Vázquez, Mehdi Oudjida, and Google Analytics all flagged the launch as a structurally significant move.
Read this update in detail →Qualified Future Conversions: an AI-powered metric to predict long-term revenue from upper-funnel campaigns
Qualified Future Conversions (QFC) is one of GML 2026's most discussed measurement launches. Thomas Eccel ranked it #1 in his top five GML picks; Georgi Zayakov flagged it as the most intriguing new measurement feature.
Read this update in detail →Attributed Branded Searches connects YouTube ad exposure to branded search lift
Attributed Branded Searches (ABS) is now generally available globally as the "always-on" metric that connects YouTube ad exposure to subsequent branded searches. The metric counts users who saw a YouTube ad and subsequently performed a branded search, serving as a rapid leading indicator for campaigns aimed at driving brand interest and market share.
Read this update in detail →Data Manager goes universal with new integrations, map view, and IAB-standard API
Data Manager: Google's first-party data connection and management hub: becomes universal as part of GML 2026. The UI is now accessible directly across Google Ads, Search Ads 360, and Campaign Manager 360 (with Google Analytics coming soon).
Read this update in detail →Meridian GeoX launches as Google's open-source geo incrementality solution
Meridian GeoX is Google's new open-source geo incrementality measurement framework, designed to power transparent, cost-effective geo experiments and calibrate Marketing Mix Models. The structural features include Native Multi-Cell Execution (comparing multiple treatments against a common control group in a single study, reducing total cost and time-to-insight), Time-Based Regression with Stratified Sampling for budget-efficient lift detection (with Synthetic Control and Synthetic Difference-in-Differences coming), a Flexible Design Wrapper for choosing methodologies, and integration with Meridian MMM for calibrated prior generation.
Read this update in detail →Meridian Studio pilots a Cloud-based UI for MMM at enterprise scale
Meridian Studio is a new Google Cloud-built enterprise platform that empowers measurement teams to build, manage, and customise Meridian models at scale through a UI-based workflow. The platform offers faster compute, enterprise-level model deployment, and the ability to run hundreds of models simultaneously: maintaining the open-source Meridian methodology while adding data security, automation, and ease-of-use features.
Read this update in detail →Google Tag Gateway expands with new CDN integrations
Google Tag Gateway: the first-party server-side tagging architecture: is expanding with new in-UI integrations to Google Cloud (beta), Fastly, Akamai, Webflow, Duda, and Cloudflare. The integrations enable advertisers to upgrade tags to serve from their site's own server without retagging, improving measurement signal performance and resilience while adding confidential computing by default.
Read this update in detail →Enhanced Conversions, Google Tag Manager gets major upgrades
Two foundational measurement tools get GA-level upgrades. Enhanced Conversions is being unified: combining the previously separate web and lead conversion tools into a single streamlined Enhanced Conversions module with end-to-end diagnostics, flexible setup via website tags or API imports, and a unified workflow.
Read this update in detail →Lead Intent Scores and Lead Journey Mapping arrive in Google Ads
Two new lead-management tools are now available alongside Leads in Google Ads.
Read this update in detail →Store Sales measurement eligibility expands via AI modelling
Store Sales measurement: which connects digital ad investments to offline sales: is expanding eligibility to advertisers of all sizes through AI-modelled, privacy-safe insights. Previously, Store Sales required high traffic volumes and complex data setups; the new eligibility pilot uses Google AI to generate high-fidelity reporting even for accounts that didn't previously meet eligibility requirements.
Read this update in detail →Universal Cart launches as Google's intelligent agentic shopping cart
Universal Cart is Google's new agentic shopping cart, announced at Google I/O on 20 May. Brodie Clark and Juozas Kaziukėnas both flagged the launch as the standout I/O ecommerce announcement.
Read this update in detail →AI Max for Shopping campaigns launches with a one-click upgrade from standard Shopping
AI Max for Shopping campaigns is rolling out to retailers, bringing the AI Max toggle to standard Shopping campaigns as a one-click upgrade.
Read this update in detail →Ask Advisor lands in the Merchant Centre as the merchandising expert assistant
Ask Advisor in Merchant Centre launched in closed beta in the US in English: a Gemini-powered conversational assistant that diagnoses account and feed issues, surfaces performance and audience insights, and provides a roadmap to improve Store Quality Score. The advisor offers performance reporting and insights tailored to business goals, product listing and issue-resolution guidance for disapprovals, and personalised, actionable recommendations such as promotion opportunities or title optimisations.
Read this update in detail →AI Performance Insights in Merchant Centre reveals brand visibility in AI surfaces
AI Performance Insights is a new Merchant Centre reporting suite that shows how products are being discovered on AI Mode, Gemini, and AI Overviews. The reporting includes brand Share of Voice vs. similar brands, journey-stage breakdown (discovery, evaluation, purchase), product term popularity, and structured attribute completeness scoring.
Read this update in detail →Conversational Attributes in Merchant Centre: the new product data layer for AI surfaces
Conversational Attributes are a new set of Merchant Centre product data fields designed specifically for discovery in AI Mode and conversational commerce surfaces. The new attributes include Question & Answer, Additional Variants, Popularity Rank, Related Products, Document Link, and Item Group.
Read this update in detail →Commerce Media Suite adds SKU-level reporting, cross-brand insights, and in-store bidding
Commerce Media Suite is expanding with four new capabilities. SKU-level reporting lets brands see precise campaign impact on retail sales per product, including YouTube, and is available in Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Search Ads 360.
Read this update in detail →Product value adjustments + new visual-rich Search formats round out the Commerce chapter
Product value adjustments let retailers strategically adjust conversion values for specific products based on business priorities: profit, seasonal sell-through, best-sellers: with the bidding algorithm optimising in real-time. Adjustments apply across products and attributes (brands, categories) without altering campaign structure.
Read this update in detail →Asset Studio becomes the unified creative hub powered by Gemini, Veo, Nano Banana, and soon Gemini Omni
Asset Studio is launching as the centralised creative hub inside Google Ads: bringing existing brand assets together, generating new creative with Google AI, and enabling one-click testing. The 2026 expansion includes four structural additions: Brand Guidelines (PDF Upload): upload free-form marketing briefs and PDFs to act as a permanent anchor for the brand's style, colour, and business info; Google Assets ingestion from Merchant Center, YouTube Studio, and Pomelli; Third-Party Assets integration with Adobe and Canva via the Google Ads API; and Asset Generation in the Google Ads API for programmatic integration into custom campaign platforms.
Read this update in detail →Ask Advisor unifies the per-product advisors into a single agentic experience
Ask Advisor is being unified across Google's marketing surfaces: Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Centre, Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360, and soon more: into a single agentic experience that travels with the user across products. The unified advisor remembers business goals and context, surfaces the right product for each conversation, and proactively suggests next steps.
Read this update in detail →Ask Advisor in Google Ads: revamped homepage, intelligent reporting, 24/7 security monitoring
Ask Advisor in Google Ads is upgraded with five 2026 additions: Gemini 3 model upgrade, mobile app availability, instant certifications that replace weeks of manual paperwork with instant approvals (Anthony Higman flagged the certification surface this week appearing inside the Google Ads account), 24/7 security monitoring with personalised dashboards (flagged domains, dormant user review), and a revamped homepage with intelligent reporting and AI-powered data visualisation. The visualisation surface lets advertisers transform complex data into clear visualisations with a single prompt.
Read this update in detail →Multimodal asset generation: text, images, and video from a single prompt
Google's cited stat: advertising creative drives nearly 49% of incremental sales and remains the most critical driver of advertising effectiveness (Circana research).
Read this update in detail →Creative insights and one-click A/B testing in Asset Studio
Creative insights and experimentation capabilities land inside Asset Studio with three structural additions: One-Click "Save and Set Experiment" turns any PMax ad or asset group edit into a structured A/B test automatically; Creative Capabilities in Ask Advisor provide real-time asset-performance diagnostics and thematic-coverage analysis; and Asset Optimisation for Demand Gen delivers proactive AI-driven nudges, asset suggestions, and one-click AI fixes for issues like logo placement, video trimming, and aspect ratio coverage.
Read this update in detail →App Connect unifies web-to-app workflows with agentic implementation
App Connect (formerly Web to App Connect) becomes the unified suite of tools that transforms apps into high-performance growth engines connected to Google Ads. The 2026 expansion includes agentic implementation workflows: intelligent assistants that find opportunities to improve setup and guide advertisers through automated processes for tracking, bidding, and deep linking.
Read this update in detail →iOS App campaign advancements expand bidding, measurement, and signals
iOS App campaigns are getting comprehensive 2026 advancements: improved on-device conversion measurement using event data, deeper Integrated Conversion Measurement (ICM) visibility, an expanded bidding suite (Maximise Conversions, Target ROAS, Ads Revenue Optimisation), bidding-strategy model enhancements, integrated on-device conversion data in Google Ads reporting, and ICM measurement coverage expansion (including EEA, UK, Switzerland users plus web-to-app journeys and view-through conversions).
Read this update in detail →Google Search box gets its biggest upgrade in 25 years
Google announced what it calls the biggest upgrade to the Search box in more than 25 years at Google I/O. The new AI-powered Search box dynamically expands so users can describe what they need in more detail, suggests better ways to formulate questions (beyond traditional autocomplete), supports multimodal inputs (text, images, files, videos, Chrome tabs), and preserves context as users explore through AI Overviews and AI Mode follow-up questions.
Read this update in detail →Google Search is now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash globally
Google announced at I/O that AI Mode is now using Gemini 3.5 Flash globally as its default model. The model upgrade brings improved reasoning capability, faster response generation, and broader language coverage to AI Mode users worldwide.
Read this update in detail →Google Search gains information agents and improved agentic experiences
Google announced new information agents at I/O: letting users delegate ongoing research tasks like price monitoring directly to Search. Sander Roose's read: pricing transparency shifts from reactive to proactive, with every shopper getting a personal scraper running 24/7.
Read this update in detail →Gemini Spark and Gemini Omni introduced as next-generation models
Google introduced Gemini Spark and Gemini Omni at I/O. Gemini Omni is the unified multimodal model that natively handles text, images, and video in a single workflow: flagged by Endrit Restelica as a step change in generative AI capabilities.
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.
Read Part 1 - GML Live 2026 & Google I/O on LinkedIn