What is AI Max for Search, and should you turn it on?

AI Max for Search is a set of Google Ads settings inside a normal Search campaign. It turns on three things: search term matching (broad match and keywordless matching), text customisation (ad text written by Google's AI) and final URL expansion (Google picks the landing page). Google says new Search campaigns have it "turned on by default". Our rule: leave it off unless tracking is accurate, the campaign bids to conversions, budget is not limiting, conversions are steady and broad match already works. Otherwise, check new campaigns and switch it off.

What does AI Max turn on?

AI Max also adds controls: brand inclusions (campaign and ad group), brand exclusions (campaign only), locations of interest (ad group), URL inclusions (ad group) and URL exclusions (campaign).

It works as a layer inside an existing Search campaign (Google: it "is not a new campaign type").

Is it on in my campaigns?

New Search campaigns have AI Max selected by default when you build them. Campaigns that already used the broad match campaign setting, brand settings or automatically created assets are "fully upgraded" into AI Max once it is turned on. Google has also been moving campaigns that used the broad match campaign setting or automatically created assets to AI Max, so check older campaigns too, not just new ones.

To check: Campaigns, then Settings. Google says AI Max settings "can be filtered or added as columns in the campaign list view".

What does AI Max need to work?

1. Conversion-based bidding. Google says search term matching "will not work with manual CPC bidding". Search term matching, final URL expansion and text customisation "require conversion-based Smart Bidding strategies in order to function effectively".
2. A budget that is not limited. Google says "AI Max won't be effective if campaigns are limited by budget".
3. Accurate conversion tracking. Smart Bidding learns from your primary conversions. In our experience, if those are wrong, AI Max finds more of the wrong traffic. See Google Ads conversions not tracking.

What changes when it is on?

• Pinned assets can be ignored. With text customisation and final URL expansion both on, Google says "pinning of RSA assets will not be respected". The same applies when URL inclusions are set.
• Landing pages change. Final URL expansion can send people to other pages on your domain. Google warns that dynamic URLs with a badly set up tracking template "can sometimes lead to broken expanded landing pages with a 404 error". Check it uses {lpurl} correctly.
• Negative keywords still apply. Google says "Negative keywords will be respected even with AI Max turned on."
• New reporting. The search terms report shows "AI Max" as a match type, with a source column for broad match expansion or keywordless matching.
• Generated assets can't be edited. Google says "these assets will be fully automated". You can remove them, or steer them with text guidelines.

How do you turn AI Max off?

Campaigns, then Settings, select the campaign, then AI Max, and toggle it off. You can also switch each part off on its own: text customisation and final URL expansion at campaign level, search term matching for the whole campaign or per ad group. Turning off text customisation also turns off final URL expansion.

One catch: Google says turning AI Max off disables "all of the AI Max features", including brand exclusions. Turning it back on restores them as they were.

How do we decide?

We leave AI Max off on lead generation accounts unless all five of these hold:

1. Conversion tracking is accurate and counts real leads or sales.
2. The campaign bids to conversions.
3. The campaign has a steady flow of conversions (we look for about 30 a month).
4. No impression share is lost to budget.
5. Broad match is already profitable in the account.

When all five hold, we test it on a few non-brand ad groups that already convert, using an AI Max experiment so it runs against a control, with brand exclusions set first, and judge it on real leads, not platform conversions.

How do you check this across accounts?

With Google Ads connected to Claude, ask: "Which Search campaigns have AI Max, text customisation or final URL expansion on, what bid strategy does each use, and is any of them limited by budget?" See 40 Claude prompts for Google Ads.

Nudge reads campaign settings and search terms on any connected account when you ask in Claude, and changes only what you approve.

Questions

Is AI Max on by default?

Yes, for new Search campaigns. Google says the option "will be selected by default" when you create one.

Does AI Max work with manual CPC?

Not fully. Google says search term matching "will not work with manual CPC bidding".

Does AI Max respect negative keywords?

Yes. Google says negative keywords are respected with AI Max on.

Does AI Max respect pinned assets?

Not when final URL expansion or URL inclusions are on. To keep pins, turn both off.

Is AI Max the same as Performance Max?

No. AI Max is a set of settings inside a Search campaign. When a search could match both, Google says "the one with the highest Ad Rank will serve".

Sources

All read on 27 October 2026, Google Ads Help:

• About AI Max for Search campaigns: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15910187
• Set up AI Max for Search campaigns: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15909989
• Frequently asked questions about AI Max: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15913066

Google Ads API documentation:

• AI Max for Search campaigns: developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/campaigns/ai-max-for-search-campaigns/getting-started

Related: Presence or interest location setting · Turn off auto-apply recommendations · Google Ads audit checklist