Countdown to the end of Google's Dynamic Search Ads

Here's what's going to happen when Google makes the shift (whether you like it or not) from DSA to AI Max.

If you’re running Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) in Google Ads, the clock is ticking. Google officially announced on April 15, 2026 that DSAs are being retired in favour of AI Max - and if you don’t act before September, the transition will happen automatically, whether you’re ready or not.

Here’s what’s changing, what you stand to lose, and what you need to do now.

What were Dynamic Search Ads and why did they work?

DSAs have been a genuinely strong performer for many advertisers. Rather than building out exhaustive keyword lists, they crawled your website and dynamically matched search queries to relevant landing pages, generating headlines on the fly to fit the search.

Crucially, DSAs were text-only. They added headlines and descriptions - nothing else. No automatically generated images, no videos, no visual assets you didn’t approve. For advertisers who needed reach without sacrificing control over what their ads looked and sounded like, that was a meaningful advantage.

DSAs were particularly effective at capturing long-tail traffic, covering keyword gaps, and scaling coverage across large product catalogues. For a lot of accounts, they have been a consistent, reliable source of incremental conversions. Replacing something that works is always a risk - and that’s exactly what Google is doing.

Enter AI Max

AI Max is Google’s next-generation AI-powered campaign feature for Search. It goes significantly further than DSA by pulling in broader intent signals, automatically generating creative assets, and expanding URL coverage based on what Google’s AI determines is most relevant.

Starting September 2026, the following legacy features will automatically transition to AI Max:

• Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs)
• Automatically Created Assets (ACA)
• Campaign-level broad match settings

The rollout is happening in two phases:

Phase 1 - Now (Voluntary): Google has rolled out upgrade tools this week allowing advertisers to port historical settings and data into new standard ad groups. If you’re running ACAs or campaign-level broad match, you’ll see an in-platform banner prompting you to upgrade.

Phase 2 - September 2026 (Automatic): Any remaining eligible campaigns will be force-migrated. From September onward, you will not be able to create new DSA campaigns via Google Ads, Google Ads Editor, or the Google Ads API.

There is no formal opt-out.

Some accounts will be hit sooner

Not all accounts will transition at the same time. Historically, Google’s forced migrations have prioritised higher-spending accounts first - the same pattern was seen during the Smart Shopping to Performance Max transition in 2022. Accounts with dedicated Google reps may be pushed to upgrade earlier, and advertisers running a high volume of DSA campaigns or using the Google Ads API programmatically will face additional operational friction that needs resolving before September.

If you’re a larger spender or running DSAs at scale, assume your window is shorter than September.

What are the real limitations of AI Max?

Google’s headline number - a 7% lift in conversions - is narrower than it reads. That figure compares full-feature AI Max against matching-only AI Max, not against DSA. Independent testing has shown much wider variance: one agency reported a cost per conversion of over $100 under AI Max versus $44 under phrase match over the same period.

Here are the limitations you need to understand before the switch:

1. Asset approval delays and brand risk

This is one of the most significant shifts for brands with tight creative guidelines. Unlike DSAs, which only generated headlines and descriptions, AI Max can automatically create images and video assets as part of your campaigns. Google’s AI does not know your brand standards - it pulls from your website and generates what it judges to be relevant. For brands with specific visual identities, strict tone-of-voice guidelines, regulated industries, or simply a low tolerance for off-brand creative, this is a genuine problem. Asset approvals still go through Google’s review process, which can be slow and unpredictable, and disapprovals can disrupt live campaigns with little warning.

1. Reduced transparency

You get less visibility into why targeting or creative decisions are made. Search term reporting exists, but the reasoning behind the AI’s choices is largely a black box.

1. Learning periods

Migrated campaigns need time to re-establish performance baselines. Expect volatility in the short term - particularly risky if your transition happens close to a peak trading period.

1. Less granular targeting control

AI Max casts a wider net by design. Advertisers who used DSA with specific page feeds and tight URL filters to control which products or services were being advertised will find that level of precision harder to replicate. Google offers brand controls and text guidelines (25 term exclusions and 40 messaging restrictions per campaign) but that is a different kind of control - guardrails rather than direction.

1. Worse results for some verticals

Independent analysis of 250+ retail campaigns found AI Max delivering 35% lower ROAS than traditional match types. Google itself notes the published performance benchmarks exclude retail advertisers. If you’re in e-commerce or retail, treat the performance claims with particular scepticism.

As a brand, what should you do now?

Don’t wait for September. Campaigns migrated early will have had their learning period behind them before the forced cutover - exactly what didn’t happen for advertisers who waited during the Smart Shopping to PMax migration in 2022 and hit learning-period volatility during peak spend.

Before you migrate:

• Export all DSA performance data and reporting benchmarks now, before historical data potentially becomes harder to access post-migration
• Review which DSA campaigns are driving profitable conversions and which aren’t - there’s no point migrating underperformers
• Set up brand controls, term exclusions, and messaging restrictions in AI Max before campaigns go live
• Review and audit any automatically generated assets immediately after migration to check they’re on-brand