Google confirmed it on 15 April 2026 and clarified it on 11 June: from September 2026, Search campaigns still running Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match will automatically switch to AI Max. For Belgian advertisers managing bilingual Google Ads campaigns, this change is worth a closer look before Google handles it for you.
1. What's switching, and when
The switch covers three legacy setups: Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), automatically created assets (ACA) and campaign-level broad match. From September 2026, these campaigns automatically upgrade to AI Max, and it will no longer be possible to create a new DSA campaign, whether through Google Ads, Google Ads Editor or the API. An 11 June 2026 update, however, pushed the final sunset of existing DSA campaigns to February 2027: only the automatically created assets and the broad match setting still switch this month as planned.
2. +7% more conversions on average, a figure worth qualifying
Google reports an average 7% increase in conversions or conversion value, at a similar cost per action or return on ad spend, when the full AI Max feature suite is enabled: search term matching, text customisation and final URL expansion. That figure, more cautious than the 14% claimed at the 2025 launch, deserves the same caution: independent testing across more than 250 retail campaigns, published in November 2025, found the opposite, a return on ad spend around 35% lower than traditional match types. In other words, results depend heavily on the account, the sector and the negative keywords already in place.
3. What this means for bilingual Belgian campaigns
For an advertiser running campaigns in French and Dutch, sometimes English too, the automatic switch applies each campaign's legacy settings by default, but without replicating fine-grained decisions. AI Max adds controls that classic DSA did not have: brand controls, location controls and text guidelines. Setting these before the switch prevents an automatically generated ad from mixing languages or drifting from brand tone, especially on sites with content structured by language.
4. A window still open to stay in control
The voluntary phase is already under way: migration tools let DSA users carry over their settings and history to AI Max, and a banner offers the switch to ACA or broad match users. The automatic phase begins in September, and Google expects eligible switches to be completed by the end of the month. Migrating now, rather than waiting, lets you check negative keywords, allowed final URLs and brand controls before a model sets them for you.
The AI view, humans first
AI Max does not replace SEA strategy, it changes the dashboard. Bidding, keyword expansion and ad generation are run by Google's models. But choosing brand controls, setting exclusions and deciding which accounts switch ahead of the automatic date remain human decisions, as does a critical reading of an average gain announced by the very platform selling the feature. AI executes the targeting. Expertise decides, and checks that the switch does not dilute budget on off-topic queries.
This week
Open your Google Ads campaigns and spot the ones still running Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match. Set your brand controls, location controls and negative keyword list before the automatic switch in September.
At Vistalaro Reach, we steer the switch to AI Max for the Google Ads accounts we manage, brand controls and exclusions included. Vistalaro Pilot then adjusts the wider SEA strategy so this platform change serves your goals, not the other way round.
Are your Google Ads campaigns affected by the switch?
Let's review your Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets and broad match settings before Google handles it for you.
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