Google Locks In September and February Deadlines for AI Max Migration
- Heidi Schwende
- 12 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Summary
Google has set firm migration dates for the legacy Search campaign features it's replacing with AI Max.
Campaign-level Broad Match and Automatically Created Assets auto-migrate starting September 1, 2026, with new legacy configurations already blocked since August 3.
Dynamic Search Ads get a longer runway, migrating automatically in February 2027 after in-account notices starting this September.
Google Ads API versions released after September 1 drop support for legacy Broad Match and ACA entities entirely, though older API versions get a grace period until roughly September 2027.
Why it matters
This isn't an optional upgrade advertisers can defer indefinitely, it's a scheduled removal. Accounts still running these legacy features get restructured automatically on Google's timeline, not the advertiser's.
The API sunset is the part most teams will underweight: any custom scripts, bid tools, or reporting pipelines built against legacy Broad Match or ACA entities now have a real expiration date attached to them. For agencies and in-house teams managing accounts through anything beyond the standard interface, this turns a settings change into an engineering task with a deadline.
Google stopped talking about AI Max as a future direction and started talking about it as a calendar. That distinction matters more than most advertisers realize.
For over a year, AI Max has been positioned as the natural evolution of Search campaigns. Optional. Recommended. Something you'd get to eventually. That framing is over. Google now has a hard migration schedule for the legacy features AI Max is replacing, and it's already begun.
Google AI Max Migration Timeline: Key Dates
Two legacy Search campaign features are getting phased out on two different timelines.
Campaign-level Broad Match and Automatically Created Assets (ACA) move first. Google already blocked the creation of new legacy configurations across the Ads UI, Ads Editor, and API as of August 3. Starting September 1, every campaign still running these features gets automatically migrated to AI Max, in place, using equivalent settings. Google says the rollout happens gradually across the month and existing brand inclusions and exclusions carry over automatically.
Dynamic Search Ads get more time. That migration doesn't start until February 2027. Advertisers get in-account notices beginning this September, followed by a reminder push in mid-January, before the automatic upgrade window opens February 1.
Here's the timeline in full:
August 3, 2026:
Creation of new Campaign-level Broad Match and legacy ACA configurations blocked everywhere, UI, Editor, and API
September 1–30, 2026:
Automatic migration of Broad Match and ACA campaigns to AI Max
September 2026:
In-account notices begin for advertisers still running DSA
January 15, 2027:
Reminder notifications sent to remaining DSA advertisers
February 1–28, 2027:
Automatic DSA migration begins, new DSA ad group creation permanently removed
September 2027 (approx.):
Older Google Ads API versions supporting legacy Broad Match and ACA entities reach scheduled sunset
Why the API detail matters more than the campaign settings
Most advertisers will read this as a UI change. It isn't only that.
Any Google Ads API version released after September 1 drops support for legacy Broad Match and ACA entities entirely. If your team built scripts, bid management tools, or reporting pipelines that reference these campaign types directly, that code has an expiration date attached to it now.
Older API versions keep working until their normal sunset, expected around September 2027, but that's a grace period, not an exemption.
If you or your agency manage accounts through anything beyond the standard Ads interface, this is the part of the announcement that needs an actual audit, not a note to "look into it later."
Why the AI Max Migration Matters for Advertisers
This isn't Google adding a new tool to the shelf. It's Google removing the old ones from it.
The direction has been consistent for a while now. Performance Max absorbed Shopping and Display into one automated structure. AI Max is doing the same thing to Search. The manual, keyword-by-keyword control that defined paid search for two decades is being replaced by a system that runs on the inputs you give it, not the instructions you used to write.
That shift changes what "good at Google Ads" means. It's less about building precise campaign architecture and more about feeding the system quality signals, clean data, and clear creative direction, then knowing how to read and correct what it does with them.
What to do before September
Audit your active campaigns.
Flag anything still running Campaign-level Broad Match or standalone ACA. Those move automatically next month whether you're ready or not.
Check your API integrations.
If any internal tools, scripts, or third-party platforms reference legacy Broad Match or ACA entities, get an update plan in place before September 1.
Verify brand exclusions manually.
Google says these carry over automatically during migration. Confirm it yourself after the fact instead of assuming it held.
Start the DSA conversation now.
February 2027 feels far off. It isn't. Migration windows move fast once they open, and the advertisers who plan ahead keep more control over how their campaigns get restructured.
Waiting doesn't avoid this migration. It just means Google makes the decisions instead of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Google AI Max migration mandatory?
Yes. Advertisers can no longer create new Campaign-level Broad Match or legacy ACA configurations as of August 3, 2026, and existing campaigns using them migrate automatically starting September 1. DSA follows the same path in February 2027. There's no opt-out, only a choice between migrating on your terms now or Google's terms later.
What's the difference between AI Max and Broad Match?
Broad Match is one component AI Max uses, not a replacement for it. AI Max combines search term matching (which includes broad-match-style expansion), AI-written ad copy, and final URL expansion into a single automated layer. Migrating from Broad Match to AI Max means gaining two additional automated features, not just renaming the one you already had.
Do I need to do anything before September 1, or does the migration happen regardless?
It happens regardless. Google migrates eligible Broad Match and ACA campaigns automatically throughout September, using equivalent AI Max settings. Acting early doesn't stop the migration, it gives you control over how your account looks on the other side of it.
What happens to my Dynamic Search Ads when they migrate?
DSA campaigns convert to standard AI Max ad groups with search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion all active. Google runs a parallel period during the switch: new Responsive Search Ads are generated and submitted for policy review, and legacy DSAs keep serving until those new ads pass review and go live. There shouldn't be a traffic gap during the transition.
Will my brand exclusions and URL controls carry over to AI Max?
Google says brand inclusions, exclusions, and campaign history carry over automatically during migration. Confirm it yourself after the fact rather than assuming it held, automated carryovers are worth a manual check on any account that has custom URL rules or brand safety settings you'd notice going missing.
Should I migrate to AI Max early or wait for the automatic upgrade?
That depends on how much you want to test before Google decides for you. Migrating early lets you run a side-by-side comparison and catch issues, like final URL expansion sending traffic somewhere you didn't intend, before it's live across the account. Waiting for the automatic migration means Google makes those calls without your input.
What Google Ads API changes do I need to plan for?
Any Google Ads API version released after September 1, 2026 drops support for legacy Broad Match and ACA entities. Older API versions keep working until their scheduled sunset, expected around September 2027. Scripts, bid tools, or reporting pipelines built against those entities need an update plan before that window closes.
Does this affect Performance Max campaigns?
No. This migration is specific to Search campaigns using Campaign-level Broad Match, Automatically Created Assets, and Dynamic Search Ads. Performance Max is a separate campaign type and isn't part of this timeline.
Sources
"Google sets AI Max migration timeline for Search campaigns." Search Engine Land, August 14, 2026.
Google Ads Developers Blog. "Migrate campaign-level Broad Match and Automatically Created Assets to AI Max." August 2026.
Google Ads Help. "Set up AI Max for Search campaigns" and "How AI Max for Search campaigns works," support documentation.
Google Ads & Commerce Blog. "Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max." June 11, 2026.
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