Paid Media News (Week 9)
Paid Media News (Week 9)
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.
Text guidelines are now available globally in the AI Max beta
Google has expanded beta access for text guidelines to all advertisers globally in AI Max for Search and Performance Max campaigns. The feature allows advertisers to define specific terms to exclude or concepts to avoid using natural language rules, such as "don't imply our products are cheap" or "don't use language like 'only for'."
Read this update in detail →VEO 3 to be integrated for free into Google Ads Asset Studio
Google is planning to integrate VEO 3, its latest video generation model, into Google Ads Asset Studio at no additional cost. This will allow advertisers to generate AI-powered video assets directly within their campaign workflow.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads now supports passkeys for enhanced security
Google has published a help page confirming that passkeys are now supported in Google Ads as a passwordless, phishing-resistant login method. Passkeys are required for sensitive actions, including changes to user access and account linking updates.
Read this update in detail →Help Centre now displays your assigned support representative
Google has refreshed its Help Centre homepage to display your assigned Google Ads support representative's contact details, including their email address and a direct call scheduling option. The change streamlines how advertisers connect with support, removing previous barriers to finding the right contact point.
Read this update in detail →The video assets section is now actively populating in the Merchant Center
The Video Assets section in Google Merchant Centre, first announced at Google Marketing Live 2025, is now actively populating with content from external sources, such as YouTube. Previously appearing empty in many accounts since its September launch, videos are now being automatically pulled in.
Read this update in detail →[From Prev. Editions] Creator Partnerships is now populated with a searchable creator database
Google's Creator Partnerships section in Google Ads is now populated with searchable creator profiles, making it a free influencer marketing platform. The feature includes search filters by keyword and views, a centralised dashboard for creator communications, and built-in access to email addresses.
Read this update in detail →AI Max is showing CTR improvements in Google Ad Grants accounts
Jason King, a Google Ad Grants consultant, has observed steady improvements in CTR across 20 Ad Grants accounts since the AI Max rollout. Average CTR has risen from 4.8% in mid-December to 8.2% currently, the highest since AI Overviews launched in August 2024.
Read this update in detail →Ginny Marvin on why asset breadth leads to more relevant ads
In the latest Ads Decoded newsletter, Ginny Marvin interviewed Abby Butler (Product Manager, Ads UI) and Adam Bullock (UX Design Lead, Search Ads) about how Google tests new Search ad designs. Key takeaways include: new "content-forward" ad experiences are coming that use AI to synthesise information from advertisers and third-party sources; Google is experimenting with third-party endorsement badges in ads below the description; and every test follows a "five in the box" protocol with input from product, engineering, UX design, UX research, and data science.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads API v23.1 adds text guidelines, YouTube video uploads, and frequency metrics
Google has released v23.1 of the Google Ads API with several notable features. Text guidelines support is now available for Performance Max and Search campaigns, allowing programmatic control of AI-generated text assets.
Read this update in detail →$5 minimum daily budget coming for Demand Gen campaigns
Starting April 1, 2026, the Google Ads API will enforce a minimum daily budget of $5 USD (or local currency equivalent) for all Demand Gen campaigns. Google states this ensures campaigns have adequate budget to navigate the initial learning phase.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads API Developer Assistant v2.0 brings agentic troubleshooting
Google has released v2.0 of the Google Ads API Developer Assistant, a major upgrade to the Gemini-powered extension. The update includes agentic conversion troubleshooting with a new /conversions_support_data command that analyses your conversion setup and generates diagnostic reports.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads to allow licensed gambling ads in the UAE
Google Ads will update its Gambling and games policy for the United Arab Emirates on March 10, 2026. The update will allow entities authorised by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) to advertise internet gaming and sports wagering services in the UAE.
Read this update in detail →In-account certification application now rolling out
Google is introducing the ability to apply for certain certifications directly within your Google Ads account, starting February 2026. The feature covers cryptocurrency exchanges and software wallets, cryptocurrency hardware wallets, cryptocurrency coin trusts, and complex speculative financial products.
Read this update in detail →EU Political Ads Regulation enforcement tightening on April 1
Google announced that its Ads API and Google Ads scripts will introduce stricter account-level enforcement for the European Union Political Ads Regulation, with changes taking effect on April 1, 2026. If a Google Ads account contains campaigns that have not declared their EU political advertising status, all mutate calls related to campaign management will fail with an MutateError.EU_POLITICAL_ADVERTISING_DECLARATION_REQUIRED error.
Read this update in detail →New location asset view spotted in Google Ads
A new interface for viewing location assets has been spotted in Google Ads, suggesting updates to how location extensions are displayed and managed.
Read this update in detail →Bing updates Shopping ads design
Microsoft has updated the visual design of its Shopping ads with a refreshed layout. The update was spotted in the wild, though Microsoft has not officially announced the specific changes.
Read this update in detail →Maximise Conversions is now broadly available for App Store advertisers
Apple has made Maximise Conversions campaigns broadly available for App Store advertisers. The feature uses AI-powered tools to place optimal bids and make intelligent keyword matches at a target CPA you set.
Read this update in detail →Apple Search Ads is removing the CPA cap at the campaign level
Apple is discontinuing the ability to set CPA caps at the campaign level in App Store search campaigns. Advertisers must now use account-level caps instead.
Read this update in detail →Consent Mode now visible in Conversion Diagnostics
Google has added new insights for Consent Mode directly within Conversion Diagnostics, making consent status measurable within the Google Ads interface. This provides advertisers with clearer visibility into how consent settings affect their conversion tracking.
Read this update in detail →Shopify Smart Data Protection pauses inactive marketing pixels
Shopify has launched Smart Data Protection, a feature that automatically pauses data sharing with marketing apps and pixels that are no longer driving results. The system quietly identifies forgotten or inactive pixels that are collecting customer data in the background and shuts them down automatically.
Read this update in detail →Meta is changing how CTA buttons display on existing posts
Meta is changing how call-to-action buttons appear on existing posts. The update affects how CTAs are rendered on previously published content, potentially impacting engagement metrics and user interaction patterns.
Read this update in detail →LinkedIn Ads Brand Kits spotted for AI-generated creatives
LinkedIn Ads is testing Brand Kits, a feature that allows advertisers to set brand colours, typography, and voice guidelines for AI-generated creatives. The feature was spotted in the wild and signals LinkedIn's move toward automated creative generation within brand parameters.
Read this update in detail →Meta adds AI-powered automatic budget increase scheduling
Meta has added a feature that lets AI schedule automatic budget increases during periods when it predicts ads will perform better. The feature appears as a budget scheduling option, suggesting when to increase spend based on Meta's performance predictions.
Read this update in detail →Clay Ads launches with LinkedIn CPL dropped from $250 to $25
Clay has launched Clay Ads, a product that enables B2B advertisers to sync exclusion lists directly to Salesforce, so ads reach only prospects who can buy. The product enriches contacts with personal emails before audiences hit Meta, achieving 60%+ match rates.
Read this update in detail →Amazon shifts OTDR penalties from account-wide to listing-specific
Amazon is changing its On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) deactivation logic for seller-fulfilled accounts, effective February 28, 2026. Previously, falling below 90% OTDR triggered the simultaneous deactivation of all seller-fulfilled listings.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Seller Challenge launches for AHA-enrolled sellers
Amazon has rolled out the Seller Challenge under Account Health for sellers enrolled in Account Health Assurance (AHA) in the US. The feature provides a guaranteed 48-hour response window for listing enforcement appeals that remain unresolved after multiple attempts.
Read this update in detail →Amazon completely removes buyer identity from seller data
Amazon has removed the obfuscated buyer email from seller data, completing its transition to fully anonymous buyer relationships. Buyer names and addresses were removed years ago; the obfuscated email was the last remaining identifier useful for calculating lifetime value.
Read this update in detail →Amazon restricts review visibility and scraping to limit AI data extraction
Amazon has closed review visibility and scraping capabilities, a move linked to concerns about AI training data. The review cap prevents tools from pulling unlimited review data to train models or build competitive intelligence systems on Amazon's data without compensation.
Read this update in detail →Amazon and OpenAI announce $50 billion strategic partnership
Amazon will invest $50 billion in OpenAI, starting with $15 billion and followed by $35 billion upon meeting certain conditions. The partnership includes several components: AWS becomes the exclusive third-party cloud distribution provider for OpenAI Frontier, the enterprise platform for building and managing AI agents.
Read this update in detail →Reddit is surging in coupon search visibility
Reddit now ranks for over 360,000 coupon-related queries according to Semrush data, with visibility increasing. Analysis by CouponBirds found that, for the 59 query brands where both Reddit and CouponBirds rank, Reddit provides valid coupon codes for 25% of brands, compared to 54% for CouponBirds.
Read this update in detail →Google patent reveals AI-generated landing pages that could replace yours
Google has been granted a patent, US12536233B1, for generating AI-built landing pages that replace yours when your site doesn't meet their quality threshold. The system calculates a "landing page score" based on conversion rate, bounce rate, CTR, page design quality, and content quality.
Read this update in detail →AWS UAE data centre hit amid Iran strikes, mec1-az2 offline
Amazon Web Services reported that one of its UAE Availability Zones (mec1-az2) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 region went offline after "objects struck the data centre, creating sparks and fire." The fire department shut off power while extinguishing the fire, with AWS stating restoration will take several hours.
Read this update in detail →Anthropic CEO warns of AI "tsunami on horizon"
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, warned that AI models are approaching human-level intelligence sooner than society recognises. In an interview on the WTF Is podcast, Amodei said: "It's as if this tsunami is coming at us, and it's so close we can see it on the horizon.
Read this update in detail →Google is actively auditing cookie banners and consent settings
Google is actively auditing cookie banners and consent settings across advertiser websites. Advertisers who are not compliant with consent requirements by the deadline risk having their conversion tracking blocked.
Read this update in detail →Google to test vertical search changes in Europe ahead of EU fines
According to Reuters, Google plans to test in Europe search changes that display results from competing vertical search services alongside its own. Top-ranked vertical search engines will be displayed by default, with hotels, airlines, restaurants, and transport services showing real-time data from feeds positioned below or above the vertical search list.
Read this update in detail →Nano Banana 2 combines Pro capabilities with Flash speed
Google has launched Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), combining Nano Banana Pro's advanced world knowledge and quality with Gemini Flash speed. Key features include real-time web search grounding for accurate subject rendering, precision text rendering and translation for marketing mockups, subject consistency for up to 5 characters and 14 objects, and production-ready specs from 512px to 4K.
Read this update in detail →Circle to Search now supports multi-object search
Google has updated Circle to Search to explore multiple objects in an image simultaneously. Users can circle an entire outfit to identify all its components, or circle multiple items in any image to get information about each.
Read this update in detail →Google Opal adds an agent block with native tool calls and memory
Google Opal, the experimental no-code agent builder, has added a programmable agent block that can be configured in plain English. The update includes native Google tool calls (Nano Banana, Veo, web search, and more), memory to save information between sessions, and conditional logic.
Read this update in detail →Claude launches Import Memory to migrate from other AI providers
Anthropic has launched Import Memory for Claude, allowing users to bring preferences and context from other AI providers with a single copy-paste. The feature updates Claude's memory so users can continue where they left off without rebuilding their context.
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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