Google schedules AI Max migration for ACA and broad-match campaigns

What changed

Natasha Kaurra shared a Google Ads email describing automatic upgrades beginning on 1 September 2026. The saved notice names two affected configurations: Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match. It says the resulting AI Max setup is intended to resemble the legacy configuration. The notice should therefore be read against the campaign’s actual settings, rather than as a universal migration date for every Search campaign.

The screenshot distinguishes the defaults. Campaigns using Automatically Created Assets move with search term matching and text customisation enabled; those using the campaign-level broad-match setting move with search term matching enabled. This distinction is more useful than treating AI Max as one undifferentiated switch. A review should identify which capabilities were present before the upgrade and which are enabled afterwards.

Because the announced start date has passed, the immediate task is to inspect the account notice, change history and current configuration. A preparation checklist written before September should not imply that the same pre-migration choice is still available now. Where a team had already opted in or changed the legacy settings, retain those decisions as part of the record rather than assuming the platform made every change.

Why it matters for advertisers

The account’s labels may change while much of its intended behaviour is preserved, but that needs verification. Compare generated assets, matched queries and destinations with a saved baseline, then evaluate conversion quality. If another team changed budgets, tracking or landing pages during the same period, document that before explaining a movement in results. A migration review is most useful when it distinguishes platform changes from the advertiser’s own actions.