If you opened your Google Ads account and wondered what “AI Max” means, you are not alone. Google has recently added an AI-powered matching and ad-creation layer to search campaigns. This layer promises advertisers “more relevant searches captured”; at the same time it hands part of the control over to the system.
In this article we explain what AI Max is, which settings it changes in search campaigns, how it differs from Performance Max and the older dynamic search ads (DSA), and which tests you should run before enabling it in your account. The information is based on Google’s own announcements; because the Google Ads interface and feature availability can vary by country and account, treat what you see in your own account as the reference.
What Is AI Max?
AI Max is an AI-powered feature package available in Google Ads search campaigns. It is not a separate campaign type; it is presented as a group of settings you can turn on and off in an existing search campaign. Three main functions stand out in Google’s announcements:
- Broader search term matching: Looking at the campaign’s keywords, ad copy and your site, the system tries to capture searches that are not in your keyword list but have a compatible intent. Especially long and very specific queries are targeted.
- Adapting ad copy: Ad headlines and descriptions can be adapted to the content of the search from the assets in your site and ads.
- Landing page selection (final URL expansion): The system can choose the page on your site that best fits the search and send the ad there.
Google later announced that it extended AI Max to Shopping and Travel campaigns and added a steering tool called “AI Brief”. This tool lets you describe in natural language how you want the campaign to behave. However, some of these features started first in English and in certain accounts; check in your account interface which ones are visible in your account in Turkey.
An important point: AI Max is not a “magic button”. Set up correctly, it can help you discover searches you could not capture before. Set up wrongly, it can spend budget on irrelevant searches. That is why testing in a controlled way is better than turning it on without understanding what it does.
What Changes in Your Search Campaign?
When you turn AI Max on, the way the campaign works changes in three ways. Without knowing them it is hard to interpret the results.
1. The keyword list is no longer the only boundary. You may be used to drawing clear lines with match types (exact, phrase, broad). With AI Max the system goes beyond your list and looks at similarity of intent. To refresh the match logic see our post on keyword match options.
2. Ad copy is not fixed. The headlines you write can be recombined and adapted by the system. Be careful with brand voice, legal wording, and price or campaign information. In sensitive sectors (health, finance) having ad copy changed by the system can create risk.
3. The landing page can change. The ad can send people to a page on your site that you did not choose. Old, incomplete or off-campaign pages on your site become visible in this case. You need to know which pages can receive ad traffic.
Against these, Google Ads also offers control tools: negative keywords, brand restrictions, page exclusions and options to turn off certain features. To update your negative keyword strategy you can use our negative keyword strategy post.
The Difference Between AI Max, Performance Max and DSA
The three structures are often confused. Knowing the difference determines which one you choose and when.
Performance Max is a separate campaign type. With a single campaign it serves on many surfaces such as Search, YouTube, the Display Network, Discover, Gmail and Maps. Instead of keywords, you provide assets (images, text, video) and audience signals. We explained the details in our Performance Max post.
AI Max, on the other hand, is a settings layer inside a Search campaign. The campaign is still a Search campaign; it runs on the search network and is keyword-based, but with AI Max matching and adaptation broaden.
Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are an older structure that automatically generates headlines from your site’s content and sends people to the page that fits the search. Google announced that eligible DSA campaigns would be upgraded to AI Max. Because the scope and dates of the upgrade can vary by account, check notifications and campaign settings in your account.
In short: Performance Max is multi-surface and asset-driven; AI Max stays in search and broadens the keyword logic; DSA is the older automation based on site content. Which one suits you depends on your goal: the needs of a high-intent service business and an e-commerce catalog are different.
Which Businesses Is AI Max Suitable For, and Which Not?
AI Max is not equally sensible for everyone. Look at these points when deciding.
Possibly more suitable: Accounts whose search campaign already works properly and whose conversion tracking is set up correctly. Businesses with a wide range of products or services whose keyword list cannot cover every query. E-commerce and service sites that get conversions from long-tail searches (very specific queries). Businesses whose site is orderly, whose pages are clear and each page serves a single intent.
Those that should be more cautious: Accounts with missing or faulty conversion tracking; the system learns the wrong signal and grows in the wrong direction. Those with many old or off-campaign pages on their site. Sectors with strict brand and legal language rules. Low-budget accounts; when the budget is small, broadening can lead to early spending on irrelevant searches.
Conversion tracking is at the center of this decision. The system learns which searches are good from the conversion you define. If you do not measure phone calls, form submissions or WhatsApp clicks, AI Max has no healthy signal to learn from. For conversion value setup see our Google Ads conversion value post.
Before You Enable It: An 8-Point Checklist
Apply this list before enabling AI Max. It does not say “enable” or “do not enable”; if you will enable it, it lowers the risk.
- Verify conversion tracking. Check that a real test conversion appears in the account. If there are several conversion actions, clarify which ones are “primary”.
- Record current performance. Write the clicks, cost, conversions and cost per conversion of the campaign for the last 30-60 days in a table. This is the data you will compare against.
- Update negative keywords. Exclude irrelevant queries (free, job listing, second-hand and so on) in advance.
- Set the brand rule. Keep searches for your brand name in a separate campaign so that AI Max does not mix brand spend into the picture.
- Review the pages. Make sure the pages the ad can send people to are current, fast and correct. Exclude the pages you do not want it to send people to.
- Set limits on ad copy. Pin headlines containing legal wording, prices or campaign details; turn off the adaptation feature if necessary.
- Set up a test campaign. Instead of switching the existing campaign entirely, duplicate it with AI Max on and split the budget.
- Write down the evaluation date. Wait at least 4-6 weeks or enough conversion volume for a decision. Do not decide based on the fluctuating results of the first week.
To handle the overall health of your account together with this list, see our Google Ads account audit checklist.
How to Set Up the Test and Read the Result
The safest method for AI Max is a comparative test. With campaign experiments in Google Ads, or a duplicate campaign with the budget split, you can run the two structures in the same period. Sequential comparison over time (first off, then on) is misleading because of seasonality; run the test simultaneously if possible.
When reading results, look at these indicators:
- Cost per conversion and number of conversions: These are the main criteria. An increase in clicks or impressions alone is not success.
- Search terms report: Look at the intent of the newly captured queries. Useful new searches or irrelevant ones? Add the useful ones as separate keywords and exclude the irrelevant ones.
- Landing page report: Which pages did traffic go to? If a page you did not expect is bringing conversions, good news; if it performs badly, exclude it.
- Conversion quality: Whether conversions are real customers. If form submissions rise but none turn into sales, looking only at the number of conversions misleads you.
Do not change campaign settings often during the test; every change can restart the learning period. When you see a problem, look at the search terms report first; the problem is usually visible there. For general budget decisions you can read our Google Ads vs SEO post.
Common Mistakes
Most mistakes with AI Max come not from the feature itself but from setup and expectations.
Enabling it without conversion tracking. The system grows without knowing what counts as success; it rewards the easiest conversion (for example a page view).
Deciding after the first week. Results are volatile in the new expansion period. Turning it on and off before enough data is collected teaches nothing.
Raising the budget suddenly. Increasing the budget along with the expansion makes a wrongly set up structure expensive. First a controlled test, then scaling.
Mixing brand and non-brand searches. Brand searches already convert at a high rate; if these conversions look like AI Max’s success, the decision will be wrong. Evaluate branded and non-branded searches separately in reports.
Ignoring page quality. Whichever page the system sends people to becomes the face of the ad. A weak page wastes a good ad.
Expecting guaranteed results, or trusting those who promise them. No advertising automation guarantees fixed results. Be cautious with offers that make firm promises such as “your sales will increase with AI Max”.
What Does Soft Ajans Do on the Google Ads Side?
At Soft Ajans we run analysis, keyword and ad structure, conversion tracking, reporting and optimization work on Google Ads accounts. Our approach to new features like AI Max is the same: first we check the account and conversion tracking, identify the risks, set up a controlled test plan and share the results with you transparently. We do not guarantee results; we proceed with measurement and data.
For an assessment of your account, take a look at our Google Ads service page or, for Istanbul-based work, our Istanbul Google Ads agency page, and you can request a free preliminary analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AI Max a separate campaign type?
No. It is a settings layer you can turn on and off inside a search campaign. The campaign remains a Search campaign; some behaviors such as matching, ad copy adaptation and landing page selection are broadened with AI.
Are AI Max and Performance Max the same thing?
No. Performance Max is a separate campaign type that serves on many Google surfaces. AI Max works inside a Search campaign and broadens the keyword-based structure with AI.
What will happen to my DSA campaigns?
Google announced that eligible DSA campaigns would be upgraded to AI Max. Check the notifications and campaign settings in your account, and record current performance before the upgrade.
Will enabling AI Max improve performance?
There is no guarantee. In accounts with correct conversion tracking and a clean campaign structure it can capture new and relevant searches; with a poor setup it can create irrelevant spend. A comparative test is the safest way.
Does it make sense to use it with a small budget?
If the budget is very low, broadening can cause early spending on irrelevant searches. With a small budget it is safer to first settle negative keywords and tight matching, and then run a controlled test.
When should I evaluate the results?
You need at least 4-6 weeks or enough conversion volume. Do not decide based on fluctuations in the first week; look at cost per conversion and conversion quality.
