The changes that matter to advertisers, with the sources behind them and a practical next step. Pick a topic and catch up at your own pace.
Industry
Google has introduced a Stores menu item in the Shopping tab that displays stores with integrated local inventory feeds. In the US, results show local pack listings with "sold here" labels.
Google Ads
Arben Kqiku has published a guide on decision frameworks for data-driven marketing, addressing the gap between abundant data and clear decision-making. The article covers how to structure choices using potential (opportunity size) and efficiency (execution quality) dimensions, with practical examples from financial industry funnel analysis.
OpenAI
Shopify emailed merchants that checkout in ChatGPT will launch by the end of March 2026. However, The Information reported last week that OpenAI is abandoning in-chat checkout.
Google Ads
Amazon is moving Sponsored Products prompts and Sponsored Brands prompts from open beta to general availability in the US on March 25, 2026. Prompts are an AI-powered enhancement that automatically surfaces relevant product information to shoppers during their journey.
Google Ads
A large recommendation card promoting AI Max is now appearing in the Recommendations tab in Google Ads. The panel highlights the potential benefits of enabling AI-driven optimisation for Search campaigns and allows advertisers to activate AI Max, Text customisation, and Final URL expansion directly from the recommendation.
Google Ads
Google is introducing new Financial Services verification requirements for advertisers promoting financial services in Malaysia. Advertisers must complete verification through an external compliance partner, G2, and then apply for financial services verification with Google.
Google Ads
Google Merchant Centre now allows US merchants to list alcohol subscriptions, such as wine clubs, under its Physical Goods Subscriptions policy. Offers must follow Alcoholic Beverages policies and use product category "Alcoholic Beverages" (ID 99676).
Google Ads
Google will temporarily pause new certification applications for online gambling aggregators in Indiana starting March 31, 2026. This affects content promoting online gambling within the state.
Google Ads
Google updated its billing policy to let certified US Online Pharmacies promote prescription subscriptions, drug-plus-service bundles, and recurring consultation models. Requirements include maintaining certification, using subscription_cost in Merchant Centre, and disclosing all fees.
Google Ads
Google introduced multi-party approval, a security feature that requires a second administrator's authorisation before high-risk account changes take effect. Actions that trigger approval requests include adding, removing, or changing user roles.
Google Ads
Starting April 1, 2026, the Google Ads API will stop accepting new Customer Match adopters. Developers who haven't uploaded data to a Customer Match list from October 2025 to March 2026 will encounter a CUSTOMER_NOT_ALLOWLISTED_FOR_THIS_FEATURE error.
Google Ads
Google's Government Documents and Services policy updates on March 17, 2026. Advertisers targeting India with business identifiers don't need to qualify as government providers but must apply for a policy exclusion to prevent ad disapproval.
Microsoft Advertising
Microsoft Bing has been spotted testing an "Asian owned" business tag on Shopping ads, similar to other business attribute labels.
Microsoft Advertising
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.
Google Ads
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.
Google Ads
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.
Google Ads
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.
Google Ads
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.
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.
Apple Ads
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.
YouTube
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.
Google Ads
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.
Apple Ads
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.
Google Ads
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.
Apple Ads
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.
Google Tag
Google has released v1.5 of the Data Manager API, introducing end-to-end user list management and expanded audience ingestion capabilities. The UserListService now allows advertisers to manage the complete lifecycle of user lists: create, retrieve, update, and delete: entirely through the API, providing full control over audience management workflows without leaving the programmatic environment.
Microsoft Advertising
New advertisers can now sign up for Microsoft Advertising using their Google accounts, available globally except in mainland China and India.
Google Ads
Advertisers can now add negative keywords to PMax campaigns directly via Campaigns → Negative keywords. This addresses one of the key control gaps that has frustrated advertisers in Google's PMax implementation.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console's AI-powered configuration feature is now available to everyone. The feature provides automated assistance with Search Console setup and configuration, making the tool more accessible to users who may not have deep technical SEO expertise.
Google Ads
The new customer acquisition goals, previously in open beta, are now generally available globally for advertisers using "purchase" conversion goals.
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