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• Local Services Ads are taking up more space in an observed layout

  Anthony Higman has documented a larger Local Services Ads presentation. The immediate relevance is visibility: a larger unit changes the search page around local businesses.

• McDonald’s tests a media network in company-owned restaurants

  Reporting describes a pilot across 450 US company-owned McDonald’s restaurants. That is a defined test, not access to the chain’s entire estate.

• Meta lead-form observations cover corrections and appointments

  Gupta Media’s agency-summit coverage reports email-domain correction and appointment booking from the thank-you page of an instant form, including Calendly, HubSpot Meetings and HighLevel. These are reported capabilities whose availability needs to be checked in your account.

• Meta’s Creative Health panel rates diversity across ad sets

  Peter Quadrel documents Creative Health ratings of High, Medium, Low, or Unknown for ad-set creative diversity, along with creative-fatigue indicators and imagery from similar businesses. Use the panel to identify where a creative review may be useful, then assess format, message and visual variation against business results.

• Microsoft Clarity groups bot activity by page type

  Microsoft Clarity has added Page Classification to its Bot Activity dashboard. It combines content-based classification with URL rules to group activity across page types, such as product, blog, and contact pages.

• Muse and Shopify move towards checkout inside an agent workflow

  The Shopify–Muse announcement brings product discovery and checkout into the same agent-led journey. Confirm merchant eligibility, checkout support and the customer handoff before assuming every catalogue is available.

• Muse for Mac and connectors: evaluate a concrete workflow

  Coverage of Muse’s desktop and connector expansion provides a practical productivity reference beyond the earlier general agent demonstrations. Start with a bounded task such as preparing research or gathering reporting inputs, then inspect access permissions and the resulting work.

• Prime delivery extends to eligible merchant websites through MCF

  Amazon describes a Prime delivery option for US Multi-Channel Fulfilment merchants at no additional fee; fulfilment itself remains paid. A separate pricing programme has its own eligibility and terms.

• Seller Assistant adds ongoing workflows and a plugin route

  Amazon describes persistent memory and ongoing Seller Assistant workflows, alongside a US-beta plugin for Amazon Quick and Claude. The practical opportunity is to connect analysis with recurring seller tasks.

• Seller Central starts bringing other sales channels into one workspace

  Amazon’s phased US rollout connects listings and orders across channels including eBay, Shopify, TikTok and Walmart. Distinguish the initial connections and fulfilment workflow from forthcoming editing and profitability capabilities.

• Shopify changes the session baseline, not the order total

  Shopify’s session-measurement update can change session-based metrics while leaving orders, sales and customer counts unchanged. Annotate the change in reporting before interpreting a movement in conversion rate as a marketing gain or loss.

• The CMA proposes broader search-choice prompts

  The UK Competition and Markets Authority proposes annual search-choice prompts and the inclusion of eligible AI assistants. The consultation runs to 9 October.

• Threads ads are loosening their dependency on Instagram identity

  Social Media Today reports Meta’s move to allow advertisers to run Threads activity without the previous Instagram identity dependency. Check the identity and permissions offered in your account before changing an established setup.

• Threads analytics: an older update worth separating from ad results

  Earlier coverage describes changes to Threads profile analytics. Treat the material as an organic-account reference and keep its metrics separate from paid campaign reporting.

• Trigify is closing its standalone platform after the team joins HubSpot

  Trigify’s 23 September notice says its team is joining HubSpot and the standalone service will retire. It is not a migration of the product into HubSpot.

• Verified LinkedIn Pages can tackle false employee associations

  Oscar Rodriguez’s announcement describes tools for verified Pages to remove people falsely associating themselves with a business. This is relevant brand and identity hygiene.

• YouTube tests more flexible Shopping-tag placement

  Coverage describes a test of dynamic product-tag placement in YouTube Shopping. Treat it as an experiment in how products appear alongside content, not an option every creator or advertiser can already use.

• Graphite and Similarweb Analyse the Early ChatGPT Ads Market

  Graphite and Similarweb analysed more than 95,000 ads and 8,000 landing pages, reporting early ChatGPT Ads findings alongside important methodology limits.

• Court Reportedly Dismisses Chegg and Penske AI Overviews Antitrust Claims Without Prejudice

  Reporting says Judge Amit Mehta dismissed Chegg and Penske Media’s AI Overviews antitrust claims without prejudice, leaving open possible amended claims.

• Reported Meta Ads Manager Monitoring rules column surfaces campaign alerts

  A reported Monitoring rules column in Meta Ads Manager shows alerts such as rising cost per result or falling ROAS in the campaigns table.

• Amazon Ads Data Manager Redesign Separates Sources, Datasets and Destinations

  Amazon’s redesigned Ads Data Manager separates sources, datasets and destinations while adding diagnostics, integrations and no-code tag configuration.

• Google documents beta workflow for AI Search campaign localisation

  Google documents a beta that localises English-US Search campaigns into supported languages and creates a separate campaign with translated assets and keywords.

• Amazon brings generative display and video creation into Ads Agent closed beta

  Amazon has placed tools that generate display ads and video from product assets inside the Ads Agent conversation, which remains an expanded closed beta.

• Amazon unifies Ads Console and DSP naming under Amazon Ads Agent

  Amazon has renamed its buying platform Amazon Ads Agent, combining former Ads Console and DSP naming while its conversational assistant remains closed beta.

• Amazon AMC Expert Tool Enters US Closed Beta for Natural-Language SQL Generation

  Amazon says its AMC Expert Tool converts natural-language requests into Amazon Marketing Cloud SQL in a US closed beta, with wider availability planned for early 2027.

• Bing sponsored-result test shows AI-written Trustpilot review lines

  A reported Bing test adds a one-line AI-written customer review from an advertiser’s Trustpilot profile to sponsored results, but its scope is unknown.

• Amazon Branded Conversations Will Bring Brand Product Knowledge to Alexa for Shopping

  Amazon says US brands will be able to supply product knowledge for Alexa for Shopping conversations triggered by Sponsored Brands prompts from January 2027.

• Google business-name exception permits recognised brands on other domains

  Google will allow some recognised brands to use a business name different from the destination domain when direct-relationship and product-sale conditions are met.

• ChatGPT adds virtual try-on and product Favourites for clothing and accessories

  ChatGPT has added a Try on option for clothing and accessory listings using a selfie, alongside product Favourites on mobile and web.

• ChatGPT Ads reporting controls expand while product-feed bulk uploads remain unresolved

  OpenAI documents attribution controls for ChatGPT Ads Insights, but reported product-feed bulk uploads conflict with the current campaign quickstart.

• Microsoft Clarity lets teams customise AI Visibility brand-term definitions

  Microsoft Clarity now supports editable brand terms in AI Visibility, making the branded versus non-branded split dependent on the maintained list.

• Anthropic Positions Claude Sonnet 5.5 for Faster, Lower-Cost Everyday Work

  Anthropic says Claude Sonnet 5.5 complements Opus 5.5, claiming more than 30% faster operation and up to 30% lower cost for most work than Sonnet 5.

• Google Ads Decoded advises gradual Demand Gen creative refreshes

  Google’s Demand Gen discussion recommends using asset reporting to guide gradual additions instead of replacing creative on a fixed timetable.

• Google expands destination-not-working examples without changing enforcement

  Google added examples to its destination-not-working policy while saying enforcement is unchanged, helping separate technical faults from some structural errors.

• OpenAI DevDay Announces GPT-6.1 Sol and Expanded Plugin Discovery

  OpenAI announced GPT-6.1 Sol and plugin improvements including sidebar homes, interactive panels and discovery in directories and conversations for all plans.

• Google Announces Vertical Video Unification in Display & Video 360

  Google says Vertical Video Unification will let DV360 advertisers buy and measure vertical video across channels in one place with centralised frequency management.

• Amazon plans DVA+ open beta after an extended US closed beta

  Amazon’s DVA+ combines display, video, audio and streaming TV, with US open beta expected in late October and wider availability targeted for Q1 2027.

• Google financial-products rules tighten for Chile and Denmark in October 2026

  Google will require local authorisation and its own certification for complex speculative financial-product advertisers targeting Chile or Denmark in October 2026.

• Performance Max observation shows finished display-banner uploads

  An account observation shows a Performance Max Image ads control accepting up to 15 finished display-banner creatives, distinct from standard image assets.

• FTC, Utah and Nevada Allege Lens.com Used Misleading Google Search-Ad Prices

  The FTC, Utah and Nevada allege that Lens.com advertised contact-lens prices without mandatory fees and misled customers about AutoRefill enrolment.

• GA4 brings app conversions into cross-channel reporting and attribution

  Google Analytics now includes app conversions in cross-channel reporting for eligible Google Ads customers, while cross-channel budgeting remains web-only.

• Reported Gemini UTM tagging could change how AI referrals appear in GA4

  A user report, echoed by Google’s John Mueller, suggests Gemini may add UTM parameters to outbound links, but the exact values and rules are unknown.

• Amazon adds geographic penetration indices to DVA+ advanced location settings

  Amazon’s Geographic Insights and Activation compares brand and category penetration across nine markets without requiring an Amazon Marketing Cloud setup.

• Google Emphasises Manual Fact-Checking for Generative AI Content

  Google updated its guidance to stress manual fact-checking and review of AI-generated content, including titles, meta descriptions, structured data and alt text.

• Google Seeks Suspension of EU DMA Search-Data and Android AI Orders

  Reuters reports that Google asked the EU General Court to annul and suspend DMA decisions on search-data sharing and rival AI-assistant access in Android.

• Google says some out-of-area Local Services Ads are working as intended

  Google’s Ads Liaison said reported out-of-area Local Services Ads were intentional because the firms served customers seeking that legal service in the searched area.

• Instagram creators can reportedly boost live broadcasts while they are on air

  Social Media Today reports that Instagram creators can boost livestreams from the composer or schedule them at least two hours ahead for three placements.

• Microsoft expands LinkedIn company lists to 10,000 companies

  Microsoft Advertising has raised LinkedIn company-list capacity to 10,000, while LinkedIn data excludes users in the EEA, UK and Switzerland.

• LinkedIn Creator Marketplace beta adds advanced creator discovery filters

  Social Media Today reports a LinkedIn Creator Discovery beta with content, role and audience filters, while broader availability is only expected in early 2027.

• Local Services Ads may charge for some missed and follow-up calls

  From 1 October, Local Services Ads may charge for missed business-hours calls over 20 seconds and certain follow-up calls, according to reported guidance.

• Merchant Center loyalty benefits guidance distinguishes AI shopping surfaces

  Merchant Center guidance covers loyalty benefits in AI Mode and Gemini Apps, with those AI surfaces currently US-only and eligibility varying by country and surface.

• Amazon Marketing Stream v2 and Reporting API v1 Reach General Availability

  Amazon says Marketing Stream v2 and Reporting API v1 became generally available worldwide on 30 September, expanding frequent and cross-account reporting.

• Amazon Ads MCP Server Lite Focuses on Advertising Tool Discovery and Invocation

  Amazon’s MCP Server Lite offers core tools that discover and invoke further advertising capabilities, while implementers retain responsibility for access controls.

• Meta launches Muse for Small Business with ad-account connections in the US and Canada

  Meta’s Muse for Small Business connects business services and can draft campaigns, while Meta says publishing and spending still require approval.

• Amazon Ads Opens Natural-Language Analytics Closed Beta

  Amazon Ads says its natural-language analytics closed beta uses unified reporting and includes new-to-brand and long-term sales, with two access routes.

• Microsoft keeps new Advertising API features in SOAP until January 2027

  Microsoft will continue delivering new Advertising API features through SOAP and REST until SOAP’s unchanged deprecation date of 31 January 2027.

• Reported Meta upload setting could attach new media to multiple active ads

  A Meta account observation suggests Related media can be preselected during upload, potentially adding a newly uploaded image to every listed active ad.

• OpenAI Announces Dots and ChatGPT Space for Shared, Ongoing Work

  OpenAI introduced Dots, always-on agents with cloud computers and connected apps, plus ChatGPT Space for shared work, with access varying by plan and market.

• OpenAI advertising roadmap emphasises outcome bidding, measurement and user trust

  OpenAI ads lead Asad Awan described outcome-optimised bidding as a priority and prompt-driven ad creation as a direction, not a product launch.

• Microsoft Advertising makes optimisation experiments generally available

  Microsoft says optimisation experiments are generally available for Search, Shopping, Audience and Performance Max, with control and treatment traffic splits.

• Performance Max asset A/B testing appears in additional Google Ads accounts

  Google documents a Performance Max asset-testing beta comparing two sets in one asset group, while a new observation suggests visibility in more accounts.

• Reported Meta Muse and Instinct Tests Show Experimental Multi-Item Cart Building

  Juozas Kaziukėnas reports that Meta’s Muse and Instinct can build multi-item carts from one request, but calls the feature experimental and presently unusable.

• Publisher Ad-Tech Claims Against Google Proceed After Summary-Judgment Denial

  Judge P. Kevin Castel denied Google summary judgment on main ad-tech claims from Gannett, Daily Mail and a publisher class, allowing the dispute to continue.

• Research Finds More Google AI Overviews on Sampled Branded Queries

  Chris Long found AI Overviews on 93 of 100 enterprise brand names tested, while DemandSphere and Ahrefs reported rises using different methods and query sets.

• Amazon expands Responsive eCommerce Creative with video, carousels and Alexa prompts

  Amazon has added in-banner video, multi-image carousels and Alexa for Shopping prompts to Responsive eCommerce Creative, with availability varying by feature.

• Amazon plans Review Requests ads for eligible US products below 1,000 reviews

  Amazon’s Review Requests format will invite verified buyers to leave ratings or reviews, but its pages give conflicting late-October and November US timings.

• WebKit Bug Report Documents Blocked Ad-Tech and Identity Requests on iOS 27 Safari

  A WebKit bug report filed on 21 September documented blocked requests involving adsrvr.org and identity domains on iOS 27; Apple said it was investigating.

• Google Search ads observed with separate URL and headline menus

  One observed Google Search ad carried two three-dot menus that opened the landing page and “Why this ad” information, but the test remains unconfirmed.

• Merchant Center policy rewrites stress catalogue fixes before bulk appeals

  Reported rewrites to seven Merchant Center policy pages emphasise account-level consequences, removing violations before bulk appeals and a standard fix path.

• ShopMy connects affiliate creator discovery with TikTok Spark Ads authorisation

  TikTok says ShopMy is the first affiliate platform integrated with its Content Suite API, connecting post discovery, permission and Spark Ads activation.

• Sitelinks observed within a Google AI Mode text ad

  One observation shows sitelinks attached to a text ad in Google AI Mode, but Google has not confirmed availability, eligibility or separate reporting.

• Google Smart Bidding guidance returns to one-to-two conversion cycles

  Google’s Smart Bidding page has returned to a typical one-to-two conversion-cycle learning period after briefly referring to roughly 50 conversion events.

• US Amazon Sponsored Products Campaigns Can Select Up to 10 Audiences

  Amazon’s updated help page says US Sponsored Products campaigns can select up to 10 Amazon or AMC audiences for bid boosts; elsewhere the limit remains one.

• Google Shopping test places sponsored products in an organic-style grid

  A reported Google Shopping test replaces the top carousel with a grid headed “Sponsored products”, bringing paid and free-looking presentations closer together.

• Amazon Sponsored Services Brings Local Service Ads to Shopping and Order Pages

  Amazon says Sponsored Services places local home and auto service ads on shopping and post-purchase pages, initially for eligible US Yelp advertisers.

• Three reported Bing ad-presentation tests highlight changing search labelling

  Three individual sightings suggest Bing is testing a results separator, a Minority-owned ad label and a blue treatment for sponsored Shopping listings.

• Google Ads Setup columns provide a practical campaign-health view

  The Google Ads Campaigns column picker’s Setup group surfaces ad, keyword and asset diagnostics, although an observer disputes that the grouping is new.

• Merchant Center mileage allowance field applies to German vehicle finance listings

  Google documents an optional mileage_allowance field for German vehicle instalment listings, linking finance or lease mileage caps to advertised payment terms.

• Amazon DSP adds muted full-screen autoplay video to Alexa+ Echo Show

  Amazon DSP’s 15-second Assets Based Creative videos can autoplay full screen and muted on Alexa+ Echo Show home screens in the US, Germany and UK.

• WhatsApp service-message charges begin with a free-entry-point exception

  Meta confirms per-message charges from 1 October, while delivery remains free inside eligible click-to-WhatsApp free-entry-point windows.

• YouTube Shorts recommendations may favour original content over re-uploads

  Secondary reports say YouTube Shorts will further prioritise original content, potentially reducing distribution for channels dominated by minimally changed re-uploads.

• 👋 Welcome to Part 2 of the Week 21 edition.

  If you're joining here directly, Part 1 covered Google Marketing Live 2026 and Google I/O: more than 30 launches reshaping Search, YouTube, Commerce, Measurement, and Creative. Catch up on Part 1 →

• WhatsApp Business AI agent launches in Mexico

  WhatsApp has expanded its native AI agent to business chats in Mexico. The tool responds to customer chats in real time and learns from each conversation in the account.

• WhatsApp Business API ends its free reply window from 1 October

  Meta will charge for WhatsApp Business API conversations that were previously free, with the 24-hour free reply window ending on 1 October. Meta Business Agent AI messages change pricing from 1 August.

• Meta introduces WhatsApp Business Tools MCP for development and testing

  Meta is rolling out WhatsApp Business Tools MCP to help coding agents set up accounts, templates and test messages. The release targets development and testing, not production sending at scale.

• 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.

• WhatsApp Status ad placement rolling out automatically via Advantage+ Placements

  Bram Van der Hallen has confirmed that the WhatsApp Status ad placement is now being automatically enabled for Traffic campaigns optimising for link clicks, daily unique reach, or impressions when Advantage+ Placements is active at the ad set level. Meta also added an option to include WhatsApp users whose age is unknown, which may increase reach at the cost of defined audience composition.

• WhatsApp to introduce usernames and business-scoped user IDs in 2026

  WhatsApp will allow users to communicate via usernames instead of phone numbers, with rollout expected throughout 2026. Businesses using WhatsApp API must update CRM systems, chatbots, and workflows to support the new Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) by June 2026.

• WhatsApp usernames roll out with business reservations open

  WhatsApp usernames are coming for all users, and businesses can already reserve theirs. Usernames replace phone numbers as the public point of contact.

• While-viewing video ads take half the screen on YouTube mobile

  A new ad format appears while a video plays on mobile in horizontal mode, occupying half the screen: the opposite of a Pause Ad. YouTube is also testing image ads in horizontal mobile playback.

• Why the Bing AI Performance report matters for paid media

  Navah Hopkins made the case this week for why paid media professionals should pay attention to the AI Performance report in Bing Webmaster Tools. The report shows how often pages are cited by AI assistants and reveals the queries those assistants run in the background when responding to human questions.

• X publishes AI-powered algorithm code revealing "For You" feed mechanics

  X released its latest 'For You' feed algorithm on GitHub, confirmed by Elon Musk as 'purely AI' since November via xAI servers. The feed includes Thunder (posts from followed accounts, ranked by engagement) and Phoenix (AI recommendations analysing your last 128 engaged posts).

• X restores native lead-generation ads after a decade

  X has revived a native lead-generation format that lets users submit their details without leaving the platform, with later forms able to reuse saved information. The form can accompany image, video, carousel, and Timeline Takeover placements.

• Yelp licenses its reviews to OpenAI for ChatGPT recommendations

  OpenAI is licensing Yelp's reviews, ratings, photos, and business data to power real-time local recommendations in ChatGPT, per Axios. Human experience data becomes a key input for AI search.

• You can now unsubscribe from Google Ads sales reps

  Google has added a way to opt out of contact from Google Ads sales representatives. Advertisers have long asked for relief from unsolicited optimisation calls.

• YouTube tests alternative local retailers for affiliate product tags

  YouTube is running a small shopping experiment that can show the same creator-tagged affiliate product from a different eligible local retailer.

• YouTube and Discover Feed ad requirements tighten

  Google updated its YouTube and Discover Feed ad requirements in August, revising what creative qualifies for feed placements. For you, this means feed-eligible assets are subject to fresher standards, so check the updated requirements before your next creative refresh.

• YouTube audio ads get official documentation

  Google published a help page for YouTube audio ads. The format is not new, but the documentation formalises specs and availability.

• 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.

• YouTube adds audience controls for disclosed branded content

  YouTube is updating its branded-content disclosure label and adding manual age and location controls when creators declare paid promotion.