R.I.P. Dynamic Search Ads. AI Max is here. And if you're still running DSA, the clock is ticking

Google has officially announced that Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are being retired. AI Max for Search — which has been in beta with hundreds of thousands of advertisers — is now exiting beta and will automatically replace DSA, automatically created assets (ACA), and campaign-level broad match settings starting in September 2026.

This isn't a small tweak. It's the most significant structural change to Google Search campaigns in years. Here's what's happening, what it means for your campaigns, and what you should do right now.

What is AI Max, exactly?

Think of AI Max as DSA's smarter, more capable successor. DSA has always been used as a catch-all — it expanded traffic beyond keyword campaigns by pulling headlines and landing pages from your website. Useful, but limited to what's on the page.

AI Max goes further. It combines your ads and website content with broader, real-time intent signals to find untapped queries that DSA would have missed. And crucially, it gives you more control — not less. Brand controls, location targeting controls, and text guidelines let you steer the AI with precision rather than just hoping for the best.

The transition timeline

What happens if you do nothing?

Google will migrate your campaigns automatically in September — but the settings will be configured to mirror your legacy setup, not necessarily what's optimal for AI Max. You'll lose the opportunity to configure the new controls from scratch.

Here's specifically what Google will do per campaign type if you wait for the auto-upgrade:

DSA campaigns will transition dynamic ad groups to standard ad groups, with all three AI Max features enabled — search term matching, text customisation, and final URL expansion — with legacy URL controls preserved. ACA campaigns will have search term matching and text customisation enabled by default. Broad match campaigns will have search term matching enabled by default.

The risk isn't that it will break — Google has said performance stability is the goal. The risk is that you miss the window to properly set up brand controls, location rules, and text guidelines on your own terms.

Why you should migrate now, not in September

Google's own recommendation is direct: don't wait. By migrating now, you can port your settings deliberately, test the new controls before they're the only option, and use one-click experiments to measure the performance impact against your current setup before committing fully.

For most advertisers, the transition will be relatively painless. For accounts running sophisticated DSA setups — multiple URL rules, complex ad group structures, aggressive negative keyword lists — now is the time to audit and map those settings into AI Max while you have the breathing room to do it carefully.

What to do this week

• Audit which campaigns are currently running DSA, ACA, or campaign-level broad match

• In Google Ads, look for the upgrade tool (rolling out now) or the pop-up banner for ACA/broad match

• Run a one-click experiment to test AI Max performance against your current setup

• Review the new AI Max controls — brand controls, location controls, text guidelines — and configure them before migrating

• Check the Google Ads Help Center for the full feature mapping and eligibility breakdown

The bigger picture

This isn't just a feature retirement — it's Google signalling a strategic direction. The era of manually curated keyword lists as the primary traffic lever is giving way to AI-driven search term matching that operates at a scale no human can maintain. DSA was a stepping stone. AI Max is where Google is putting its weight.

For advertisers who embrace it properly — configuring the controls, testing the features, and letting the AI optimise within well-defined guardrails — the upside is real. Seven percent more conversions at a similar CPA is meaningful. The question is whether you get there on your own timeline, or Google's