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Paid · 1 min read22 April 2026

Google Kills Dynamic Search Ads, Forces Migration to AI Max by September

Google is retiring Dynamic Search Ads and auto-upgrading all campaigns to AI Max for Search by September 2026. Migration tools are live now.

Google is retiring Dynamic Search Ads and forcing all advertisers onto AI Max for Search by September 2026, with migration tools live now.

What happened

Google announced AI Max for Search is out of beta and will replace Dynamic Search Ads for all advertisers, with remaining DSA campaigns auto-upgrading in September 2026.

Why it matters

Advertisers who wait until September lose control over how their DSA settings transfer, because Google will make every migration decision for them.

🇦🇺AU angle

Australian advertisers running DSA campaigns face the same global deadline with no regional extension, so the voluntary migration window is closing fast.

Who cares

Any business or agency running Dynamic Search Ads in Google Ads, particularly ecommerce and lead generation accounts with large keyword footprints.

Risk

Delaying migration means Google auto-converts your campaigns with default settings, which could spike CPA or misallocate budget across ad groups.

Your move

Audit all campaigns currently using DSA and use Google's migration tools to port settings into standard ad groups on your terms

Test AI Max features (search term matching, text customisation, final URL expansion) before September and monitor CPA weekly during transition

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Filip Ivanković
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