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• Google announces AI Max experiments across Search campaigns

  Google announced experiments that test budget or return-target changes across multiple Search campaigns, with a September rollout planned.

• Google tests exact and phrase match Search ads in AI Mode

  Google is running a small experiment that allows exact- and phrase-match keywords from regular Search campaigns to serve text ads in AI Mode, following tests reported by Anthony Higman.

• Google AI Overviews rolls out for dictionary queries: and follows the user's instructions

  Lily Ray has flagged that Google has rolled out AI Overviews for new query types this week, including many words that previously generated dictionary results. Typing "disregard," "ignore," or "help" no longer returns a dictionary definition: instead, it returns an obedient AI Overview that follows the instruction.

• Google allows approved cross-domain redirects from ad URLs

  Google has updated its Destination Requirements policy to allow redirects from an ad's final URL to a different domain in approved cases, effective early July. Consumer goods manufacturers can redirect to pre-approved retailer destinations.

• Google Analytics Data API alpha: cross-channel conversion reporting now programmable

  Google has opened alpha access to cross-channel conversion reporting in the Google Analytics Data API. Arpan Banerjee has surfaced the alpha along with the technical details; ADworld Experience has flagged the same release.

• Google Analytics data controls to consolidate under Google Ads Consent Mode from June 15

  Google has announced that from June 15, 2026, the Google Signals setting in GA4 will no longer control Google Ads data collection. Google Ads Consent Mode (ad_storage) becomes the single control for all ad-related data usage from the Analytics tag.

• Google Analytics highlights API management for user groups

  Google Analytics now documents programmatic user-group management through the Google Marketing Platform Admin API. The API methods date from 18 September; the Analytics note is dated 5 October.

• Google and Apple announce multi-year AI partnership for Apple Intelligence

  Google and Apple have announced a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalised Siri coming this year.

• Google announces February 2026 Discover Core update with new page experience guidance

  Google announced the February 2026 Discover Core update, an algorithmic change to improve article quality in Discover feeds. Alongside the rollout, Google updated its Discover documentation to include "Provide a great page experience": warning against overloading pages with intrusive ads and auto-playing content.

• Google back-button hijacking becomes an explicit spam policy violation, enforced June 15

  Google has expanded its spam policies to explicitly prohibit back-button hijacking: using scripts or browser history manipulation to prevent users from returning to the previous page. The practice is now classified under the malicious practices spam policy, meaning sites may face manual spam actions or automated ranking demotions from June 15, 2026.

• Google bans personalised targeting for Rummy and Fantasy Sports App campaigns in India

  Starting February 5, 2026, Google no longer allows personalised targeting for App campaigns promoting Rummy or daily fantasy sports apps in India. Only non-personalised delivery is permitted for these verticals in that market.

• Google begins a small test of healthcare ads in AI Mode

  Google has confirmed it is running a limited test of ads in AI Mode for the healthcare vertical in the United States, targeting English-language queries. Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Product Liaison, confirmed the test in a LinkedIn exchange after Ben Goldman spotted it in response to her GML 2026 takeaways.

• Google begins unifying Google tag and Tag Manager

  Google is consolidating Google Tag measurement settings with advanced Tag Manager capabilities, along with no-code event tracking, a visual map showing which platforms receive data, and an in-account container update guide. Google says the consolidation can simplify data transmission, while new integrations include Akamai, Cloudflare, Duda, Fastly, and Webflow.

• Google brings back Business Profile messaging with an AI chatbot

  Google is bringing back Google Business Profile messaging, this time with an AI chatbot, flagged by Darren Shaw. The chatbot can answer questions about a business drawn from its Business Profile, and reportedly its website, then hand the conversation off to the business owner when human input is needed.

• Google brings Preferred Sources into AI Overviews and AI Mode

  Google has expanded its Preferred Sources feature into AI Overviews and AI Mode, as announced by Google Search product manager Duncan Osborn and flagged by Glenn Gabe, Leigh McKenzie, Louisa Frahm, and Barry Schwartz across the community. Links from a user's selected sources now appear with a clear label inside AI responses, mirroring how Top Stories already highlights them.

• Google brings shopping checkout buttons back to Search via UCP

  Google has rolled out shopping checkout buttons in Google Search results: the first native checkout shopping experience in Search since the original "Buy on Google" surface was killed in 2023. Juozas Kaziukėnas has flagged the launch and traced its mechanics: the checkout flow is powered by Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), the same payment infrastructure that has been running in Gemini and AI Mode for the past two months.

• Google Ads Promotion Mode: Arpan Banerjee reports beta access

  Arpan Banerjee's public post of 9 September describes receiving access to Google Ads Promotion Mode. His account observation adds practical detail to the Promotion Mode beta previously included in…

• Google Business Profile bans staff review solicitation and name mentions

  Darren Shaw and Ben Fisher have flagged that Google updated its GBP review guidelines on April 17, explicitly prohibiting: asking customers to mention specific employees in reviews; and requiring staff to collect a set number of reviews. Both are now classified as rating manipulation.

• A business-photo verification option appears in Google profiles

  Ben Fisher shared a Google Business Profile verification screen offering “Submit a business photo”, with requirements for the business name on a permanent fixture and the storefront in one frame.

• Google Business Profile is gaining a native link to Google Analytics

  Google has documented a native integration between Google Business Profile and Google Analytics, allowing local engagement metrics to appear alongside website data in GA4. Once linked, advertisers can track calls, bookings, direction requests, website clicks, and total interactions in one dashboard, with roughly six months of profile data available.

• Google Business Profile verification flow update spotted

  Google is updating the Business Profile verification flow. The new interface asks users to self-identify their business model before proceeding.

• Google clarifies call and offline conversion setup guidance

  Barry Schwartz reported additions to Google’s conversion-measurement help page covering call reporting, call-duration checks and offline-import troubleshooting. The current Google page includes the cited guidance. This is a documentation clarification, not evidence of a newly launched conversion feature or a new blanket requirement.

• Google changes the budget "warning buttons" again.

  Anthony Higman noted that Google Ads has again redesigned the budget-warning buttons in their interface. This has elicited an amused response from the community: it seems the solution to flat budgets is more about redesigning the buttons rather than addressing the core issue.

• Google clarifies acceptable ad formats in its alcohol policy

  Google has updated its Alcohol policy help article to give clearer information on acceptable ad formats. Google states the update does not change how the policy is enforced.

• Google clarifies AI Max is an upgrade, not a new campaign type

  Google has published an FAQ for AI Max for Search campaigns, describing it as an evolution of DSA and Performance Max rather than a separate campaign type. It sets out how AI Max differs from each, how assets are generated, and what changes when a campaign turns it on.

• Google clarifies election ad treatment in YouTube and Discover feed requirements

  Google has updated the ad requirements for its YouTube and Discover feeds to clarify how election ads are treated. The update is documentation-only: no changes were made to the policy enforcement scope.

• Google Cloud publishes ROI of AI 2025 report

  Google Cloud has published its AI ROI 2025 report, based on a survey of 3,466 senior leaders. Key findings: 52% of organisations using generative AI already deploy AI agents in production, 39% have launched more than 10 AI agents, 74% report ROI on at least one generative AI use case, and 88% of early adopters see positive ROI.

• Google Commerce Media Suite adds Best Buy and Shipt audiences to Display & Video 360

  Best Buy and Shipt are now sharing commerce audiences across publishers and exchanges in Display & Video 360 as part of Google's Commerce Media Suite. Best Buy audiences target consumers with electronics and tech intent, while Shipt audiences reach in-market shoppers for groceries, beauty, and essentials.

• Google confirms AI matches Shopping ads to long-tail queries and tailors copy

  Google says its AI now matches Shopping ads to natural-language, long-tail searches, not just exact product terms. Ad copy is tailored using Merchant Center feed details, confirmed in updated PMax documentation.

• Google confirms conversion-based customer lists from 17 June

  Google is enabling conversion-based customer lists for eligible accounts as of 17 June 2026. The feature applies to advertisers already using both Enhanced Conversions and Customer Match and automatically builds audience lists from conversion data.

• Google confirms Search Console impressions inflated since May 2025 due to a logging error

  Google has admitted that a logging error has been preventing Search Console from accurately reporting impressions since May 13, 2025. The error involved third-party scrapers: including tools such as SerpApi used by AI systems to scrape Google organic results: being incorrectly logged as impressions.

• Google confirms the fix for the Shopify product ID bug

  Google has confirmed a fix for the Shopify product ID issue that threatened merchants with lost product history. This closes the caveat first raised in Week 25 alongside the server-to-server integration.

• Google documents Search and PMax eligibility for Conversion Lift

  Google lists Search and Performance Max as supported Conversion Lift campaign types. Account eligibility and the requirement to contact a Google representative still apply.

• Google Customer Reviews is now natively installable in Shopify

  Emmanuel Flossie has flagged that Google Customer Reviews can now be installed natively and free of charge inside Shopify, removing the third-party connector requirement that has historically been the friction point for Shopify merchants. Google Customer Reviews provides seller ratings that appear on Shopping ads and free listings: a meaningful trust signal that Shopify merchants often leave unconfigured because the installation path is cumbersome.

• Google Data Manager adds Google Drive as a supported source for offline conversions and Customer Match

  Google has expanded the supported data sources in Data Manager to include Google Drive. Advertisers can now use files stored in Google Drive to import offline conversion data or upload customer lists via direct connection workflows.

• Google Ads Data Manager documents a direct Klaviyo connection

  Google Ads Data Manager now lists Klaviyo as a direct data source for Offline Conversions Import and Customer Match.

• Google introduces Data Strength Uplift for recovered conversions

  Google's 10 September measurement announcement introduces Data Strength Uplift, a metric for conversions recovered through first-party data. It gives advertisers another way to examine measurement…

• Google DeepMind launches Deep Research and Deep Research Max

  Neil Hoyne has flagged the launch of Deep Research and its larger sibling, Deep Research Max, by Google DeepMind. Both are AI research assistants that work through web sources, user-uploaded files (PDFs, spreadsheets, audio, video), and specialised databases.

• Google delays the forced DSA migration to February 2027 and makes AI Max the default

  Google has pushed back the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max from September 2026 to February 2027, as confirmed by Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin in response to advertiser feedback requesting more time. The ability to create new DSA campaigns is being restored from 15 June, reversing an earlier phase-out, and Google is adding account-level reporting for final URL expansion alongside a fuller slate of metrics.

• Google Demand Gen adds Shoppable CTV, Attributed Branded Searches, and Travel Feeds

  Google has announced three Demand Gen features now in general availability.

• Google tests Animated Images for Demand Gen assets

  An Animated Images beta adds motion to static Demand Gen assets and is reported as enabled by default.

• Google's Display transition brings Demand Gen channel controls into focus

  The newsletter revisits Google's move to bring standalone Display campaigns into Demand Gen, including channel controls and a Display-only option.

• Google expands financial advertiser verification across the EU and EEA

  Google is rolling out its mandatory financial-services advertiser verification programme to every member state of the European Union and the European Economic Area, announced on the Ads & Commerce blog by Keerat Sharma, VP & GM of Ads Privacy and Safety. The programme requires advertisers promoting financial services to verify their identity and authorisation before running ads, aiming to stop scams before they reach users.

• Google expands its Limited Ad Serving policy across Search

  Google has expanded its Limited Ad Serving policy to cover more Search scenarios. Rolling out from June 2026 and fully implemented by 2028, the policy lets Google throttle impressions on searches it judges likely to create negative user experiences, targeting unqualified advertisers.

• Google expands local inventory ads and free local listings to more regions

  Google has expanded the availability of local inventory ads and free local listings to additional regions, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable. Local retailers in the new markets gain shoppable local surfaces.

• Google explores allowing sites to opt out of AI Overviews and AI Mode

  Google is exploring ways to let websites opt out of AI generative search features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. No specific mechanism has been confirmed yet.

• Google fixes its Shopify integration to report order volume and value server-side

  Google is updating its Shopify integration (the Google & YouTube app) to use server-to-server events, fixing a long-standing gap in how order volumes and values are reported, flagged by Maz Darvish. Until now, the app relied on client-side, browser-based tracking that routinely missed purchases: an estimated 10–40% lost to ad blockers, privacy browsers, iOS restrictions, and shoppers closing the tab before the confirmation page loaded.

• Google I/O 2026 set for 19–20 May with livestreamed keynotes and sessions

  Google has confirmed Google I/O 2026 for 19–20 May, with livestreamed keynotes, technical sessions, and the standard set of product announcements that frame the year's developer roadmap. The event sits one day before Google Marketing Live on 21 May, creating a three-day window for major Google product announcements that will shape paid-media practice through the rest of 2026.

• Google introduces AI-qualified call leads to replace duration-only measurement

  Google has published guidance for AI-qualified call leads, a new conversion classification system that replaces call duration as the primary signal of lead quality. The system uses Google AI to evaluate call recordings for intent signals: such as a customer inquiring about specific services, scheduling a consultation, or demonstrating readiness to purchase: and counts only qualified calls as conversions.

• Google introduces the Business Agent feature in the Merchant Centre for agentic shopping

  Google is rolling out Business Agent in Merchant Centre Next for US accounts. The feature lets retailers claim their brand and customise an AI agent to answer customer questions, recommend products, and more.

• Google introduces the Open Knowledge Format for AI agent knowledge

  Google has introduced the Open Knowledge Format (OKF), a vendor-neutral open specification for giving AI agents the curated context they need, flagged by Charly Wargnier. Published by Google Cloud on 12 June and available on GitHub, OKF v0.1 represents knowledge as a directory of plain Markdown files with YAML front matter, with no runtime, SDK, or build step: "just markdown, just files."

• Google introduces Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-powered checkout

  Google has announced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), enabling AI agents to execute purchases on behalf of users. Instead of providing links, Gemini can now find items, verify stock, apply shipping preferences, and handle checkout without leaving the conversation.

• 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.

• Google is expanding its creative toolkit with rich media assets

  Google Ads is expanding its creative toolkit within the platform with a notification that reads "More rich media available for your Google Ads." Google-owned assets, including photos, videos, icons, 3D assets, and text elements, will now be available directly in the platform.

• Google is offering a $600 credit for activating conversion tracking

  Google is reportedly offering some advertisers $600 in ad credit for activating conversion tracking. The promotion appears targeted at accounts that haven't yet set up conversion measurement: a friction remover for small businesses who have been putting off the technical setup.

• Google is reportedly committing up to $40 billion to Anthropic in a landmark AI investment

  Linas Beliūnas has flagged that Google is reportedly committing up to $40 billion to Anthropic: Alphabet's largest single AI investment to date. The structure: $10 billion upfront at a $350 billion valuation; another $30 billion tied to performance milestones; and deeper access to Google's TPU-powered infrastructure for Anthropic.

• Google is sending deprecation emails for Call Ads: transition to Location Assets required

  Google is sending deprecation emails to advertisers using Call Ads, signalling the format is being phased out. Advertisers should ensure Location Assets are set up to maintain call functionality after the transition.

• Google is testing AI-generated replies for Business Profile reviews

  Google is running a test of AI-generated reply suggestions inside Google Business Profile, allowing businesses to respond to customer reviews with AI-drafted text that they can review, edit, and submit. The feature was first observed and shared by Darren Shaw of Whitespark, based on a screenshot from Chandan Mishra showing a "Use Google AI to create personalised replies" prompt within the Business Profile interface.

• Google Labs launches Pomelli, an AI creative agency

  Google Labs has launched Pomelli, a free AI marketing tool built in partnership with Google DeepMind. The tool extracts brand voice, colour palette, fonts, and imagery from a website URL to create a "Business DNA" profile.

• Google launches Ads Decoded Newsletter on LinkedIn

  Google has launched an Ads Decoded newsletter on LinkedIn as a companion to the recently relaunched podcast. Each edition provides deeper analysis and actionable tips from podcast episodes, including priorities for measurement and data strategy.

• Google launches Ads DevCast podcast for the ads technical community

  Google's Advertising and Measurement Developer Relations team has launched Ads DevCast, a bi-weekly vodcast and podcast hosted by Developer Relations Engineer Cory Liseno, covering technical updates across Google Ads, Google Analytics, Display & Video 360, Meridian, and related tools. The series is aimed at developers and marketing technologists rather than campaign practitioners: a deliberate complement to Ginny Marvin's Ads Decoded, which covers strategy and product for marketing teams.

• Google launches Advertising and Measurement Developers Hub

  Google has launched a unified hub at developers.google.com/ads that consolidates documentation, community resources, and developer tools across the full Google advertising and measurement product stack: including the Google Ads API, Analytics APIs, AdMob, Ad Manager, and tagging products. The hub introduces a products directory browsable by category, a streamlined Discord and support connect page, and a media and podcast section hosting the Ads DevCast playlist.

• Google launches Ask Ad Manager, a conversational AI agent for publishers

  Google has introduced Ask Ad Manager, a conversational AI agent built with Gemini, within Google Ad Manager, as announced by Ginny Marvin. Aimed at publishers, it answers questions and automates manual processes directly in the interface: diagnosing why a line item is not delivering and providing fix steps, answering complex performance questions such as how top bidders are performing, and surfacing insights without manual report-building.

• Google launches Direct Offers pilot for exclusive deals in AI Mode

  Google has introduced Direct Offers, a new Google Ads pilot that lets advertisers present exclusive discounts to high-intent shoppers directly in AI Mode. The feature works alongside PMax and Standard Shopping campaigns, using AI to determine when to display offers based on shopper intent.

• Google launches Disco, an experimental AI browser with GenTabs feature

  Google has released Disco through Google Labs, an experimental AI-powered browser built on Gemini 3. The browser's GenTabs feature creates interactive web apps from your open tabs and browsing context, turning research sessions into structured dashboards without coding.

• Google launches Gemma 4, its most capable open-source agentic model

  Google has released Gemma 4, a family of fully open-source models under Apache 2.0 built on the same research as Gemini 3. The family spans four sizes: 2B (on-device), a 26B Mixture of Experts model (activating 3.8B parameters during inference), and larger models up to 31B dense: all with native multimodal reasoning across video, images, OCR, and charts.

• Google launches Google Finance with AI portfolio tracking

  Google has launched a rebuilt Google Finance, flagged by Joseph Michael. The new version tracks portfolios with AI assistance and is available globally on the web and Android, with an iOS app to follow.

• Google launches Performance Max A/B testing for assets [Beta]

  Google has released A/B testing for assets within Performance Max campaigns. You can now test two different creative sets (A vs B) inside the same asset group while keeping shared assets running in parallel.

• Google launches Project Genie for interactive text-to-world generation

  Google's Project Genie uses the Genie 3 model to create full navigable 3D environments from text prompts. Users can walk through, explore, and remix generated worlds in real time, with physics and interactions simulated on the fly.

• Google launches the May 2026 core update

  Google Search Central confirmed on 21 May that the May 2026 core update has begun rolling out to Google Search. The rollout may take up to two weeks to complete.

• Google removes the $50,000 lead-form threshold from its guidance

  Google’s lead-form documentation no longer lists the $50,000 lifetime-spend route. Other eligibility and format-specific requirements remain, so the change does not mean every advertiser can use every lead-form experience.

• Google lets Text Guidelines be copied between campaigns

  Google has added the ability to copy Text Guidelines from one campaign and paste them directly into another, flagged by Thomas Eccel. Term exclusions (up to 25) and messaging restrictions (up to 40) now carry across with one click inside the Text Guidelines beta section.

• Google announces Local Services Ads migration into Google Ads

  Google announced an August migration for selected US home-service categories, placing Local Services Ads within Performance Max with pay-per-lead billing.

• Google Maps adds Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation

  Google has introduced Ask Maps, a conversational AI layer built on Gemini that answers complex real-world questions. Users can ask questions like "Where can I charge my phone without waiting in line for coffee?"

• 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.

• Google Marketing Platform NewFront scheduled March 23rd

  Google Marketing Platform has announced a NewFront event to introduce the Gemini advantage across its ecosystem. The presentation will cover how Gemini models are being integrated into the platform.

• Google Merchant Centre adds free AI video generation from product images.

  Google has launched AI-powered video generation directly inside Merchant Centre, allowing advertisers to convert static product images into short videos at no cost. The tool auto-generates an initial prompt when you upload a photo.

• Google Merchant Centre automatic import shows significant update delays

  Testing reveals that Google Merchant Centre's automatic import feature, which claims 24-hour updates, is showing 9-10-day delays. Product data was last updated on January 4th and checked on January 13th.

• Google Merchant Centre expands promotion types with subscriptions, abbreviations, and Brazil payment methods

  Google Shopping has updated its promotion policies to support additional promotion types starting January 2026. New supported promotions include subscription fee discounts (e.g., "Get first month free" or "95% off for 2 months"), common abbreviations such as BOGO, B1G1, MRP, and MSRP, and, in Brazil only, payment method-specific promotions, including cashback to digital wallets.

• Google Merchant Centre is beginning to roll out Business Agent.

  As previously mentioned, Google has added a Conversational AI Customer Journey feature called Business Agent in Merchant Centre, enabling an AI Business Agent to represent your brand in Google's AI-led shopping conversations. The agent recommends products based on customer intent, answers shopper questions, and guides users from query to purchase.

• Google Merchant Centre loyalty programme expands to 14 countries, and AI Mode surfaces

  Google has extended its loyalty programme features in Merchant Centre to 14 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• Google Merchant Centre moves logo upload to the new Marketing section

  Google has relocated the logo upload location in Merchant Centre, causing confusion for merchants and agencies. The logo setting has moved from Settings > Business Info > Logo to Settings > Marketing > Brand > Logo.

• Google Merchant Centre product data specification updated for 2026

  Google has published its annual product data specification update effective April 14, 2026. New delivery attributes at the product level include: handling_cutoff_time (the daily deadline for processing online orders); minimum_order_value (the minimum spend required for delivery); and two new loyalty sub-attributes: loyalty_program_label and loyalty_tier_label: for tier-specific delivery benefits per product.

• Google Merchant Centre renames "Destinations" to "Marketing methods"

  Google Merchant Centre has updated its terminology, renaming "Destinations" to "Marketing methods." The change aims to better reflect the options merchants have to control product visibility and distribution across Google's surfaces.

• Google Merchant Centre sets 18 August deadline for Merchant API migration

  VIVEK GUPTA has flagged that Google has announced 18 August 2026 as the final date for migrating Google Merchant Centre integrations to the Merchant API. The Merchant API is becoming the future direction for product data management and integrations within Google's ecosystem, replacing the legacy Content API workflow.

• Google Merchant Centre surfaces product description improvement recommendations

  Google Merchant Centre is now surfacing recommendations to improve product descriptions, highlighting specific attributes customers search for that are missing from your feed. The suggestions include attributes not yet available as standard feed fields, such as recommended age, playtime, genre, and maximum players for games.

• Google Merchant Centre updates multi-channel product system for unified inventory management

  Google Merchant Centre is updating how multi-channel products work, unifying online and in-store inventory into a single product listing instead of separate records. The change affects users of the Content API, Merchant API, and BigQuery Data Transfer.

• Google Merchant Centre "Use AI to add products" launches in beta

  Google Merchant Centre has rolled out a new product source option: Use AI to add products (currently in beta): that lets Google's AI automatically scan an advertiser's website and populate the product catalogue without manual feed files or API integration. Arpan Banerjee has flagged the launch (sourced from Barry Schwartz); the option appears in Merchant Centre's Add Product Source flow alongside the existing "Add products from a file" and "Use Google Sheets" routes.

• Google merges enhanced conversions for web and leads into one toggle

  Google has unified enhanced conversions for web and enhanced conversions for leads into a single setting, flagged by Matteo Zambon. From June 2026, the long-standing distinction between the two disappears from the Google Ads interface, with one toggle now controlling both.

• Google confirms global availability of Meridian GeoX

  Google's 10 September announcement describes Meridian GeoX as generally available globally. The update adds an availability milestone to earlier coverage of Google's open-source geographic…

• Google + Meta + LinkedIn budgets become optimisable from inside GA4

  Arpan Banerjee has surfaced a substantial GA4 expansion: Google, Meta, and LinkedIn budgets are now optimisable from inside Google Analytics 4: moving cross-channel budget management from a manual cross-platform exercise into a unified GA4 surface. The update includes Projection plans (channel-by-channel expected pace), Budget allocation across channels, and Cross-channel optimisation recommendations based on GA4's attribution data.

• Google moves the GA4 Measurement Protocol into maintenance mode

  Google has quietly placed the GA4 Measurement Protocol into maintenance mode, flagged by Vlad Simion and Nichelle Halstrom. No sunset date has been announced, so this is not a shutdown notice, but Google has signalled that no future enhancements are planned and is pointing server-side event collection toward the Data Manager API instead.

• Google NewFront 2026: DV360 goes Gemini-powered with new CTV inventory, identity, and agentic tools

  Google used NewFront 2026 at Pier 57 on March 23 to reposition Display & Video 360 as a Gemini-powered end-to-end media buying platform: the "Gemini Advantage": framing it as the only ad tech stack where the same AI model that powers the products also owns the inventory.

• Google now highly recommends 1500x1500 images for product feeds

  Google has updated its image recommendations to strongly recommend 1500x1500-pixel images for product feeds, up from previous guidance. For you, this means reviewing your product image specifications and updating them to higher-resolution assets where possible.

• Google offers free ad credits to current advertisers

  Google Ads is offering free ad credits to existing advertisers to increase their budgets, not just new accounts. For you, this means incremental budget may be sitting in your notifications, so check eligibility before dismissing promotional banners.

• 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.

• Google open-sources Agent Skills repository for production agent workflows

  Google has open-sourced an Agent Skills repository providing a one-command install of seven production-ready skills into Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, or Antigravity. The skills cover the full agent lifecycle: ADK Python (agents, tools, state management), scaffold (project creation and version upgrades), eval (metrics and LLM-as-judge scoring), deploy (Agent Runtime, Cloud Run, or GKE), publish (Gemini Enterprise registration), observability (Cloud Trace and logging), and workflow (model selection and dev loop).

• Google opens Alberta gambling ads to AGLC-licensed operators from 4 May

  From 4 May 2026, Google Ads will allow online gambling advertisements in Alberta, Canada, for entities authorised by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC). The change covers lotteries, sports betting, online casinos and fantasy sports, with brand awareness campaigns only at launch and strict geo-restriction to the province.

• 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.

• Google tests channel value controls for Performance Max

  Google is testing channel-level conversion value adjustments in Performance Max. The alpha changes bidding signals without reserving a budget for each channel.