DSA to AI Max: Check the Updated Timeline and Your Campaign Controls
Google changed the Dynamic Search Ads transition timeline. Its June 11, 2026 update says DSA sunset and automatic upgrades will begin in February 2027. Automatically created assets and campaign-level broad match retain a September 2026 start. Check which features your account uses rather than treating them as one deadline.
Find the affected settings
AI Max is an optimization layer within Search campaigns, not a separate campaign type. Google's setup instructions describe the upgrade notice in Dynamic Search Ads settings. Inspect those settings and Dynamic ad groups, and read account notifications before deciding what needs to change.
Save a record of the existing campaign, targets, URL rules, budget, bidding, location settings, and conversion goals. This provides a baseline for checking a transition; it is not evidence that Google will erase those settings.
Understand the documented migration
Google's announcement describes carrying settings and data into AI Max with legacy URL controls preserved. It does not say that automatic migration necessarily deletes exclusions or resets conversion history.
The setup documentation explains that Dynamic ad groups become standard groups and Dynamic Search Ads become Responsive Search Ads. Read the confirmation carefully: some legacy URL rules, such as rules based on page titles or page content, become read-only and cannot be edited or recreated after the upgrade.
Review the resulting configuration and ad eligibility. Compare it with your saved baseline and investigate discrepancies before expanding spend.
Review destinations and generated text
Check the available search-term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion controls. Confirm which settings are enabled in your campaign rather than assuming that every account has the same configuration.
Choose exclusions according to the campaign's purpose and the pages you want customers to reach. Do not exclude every informational page simply because it is a blog post or an About page. Examine whether each destination accurately serves the inquiry and offers an appropriate next step.
Review generated assets and the underlying website claims. Correct outdated service areas, unsupported offers, and misleading availability statements. Placing a city in the first sentence is not a guarantee of the wording an ad will display.
Evaluate the change with reliable measurement
Confirm that conversion goals represent the outcomes you intend to optimize. Keep qualified inquiries and completed jobs distinguishable from raw form submissions or other interactions.
If you use an experiment, check the current AI Max experiment instructions and the options available in your account. Define the question, budget, evaluation metrics, and stopping conditions before starting. A fixed number of days does not guarantee enough evidence, and an experiment does not eliminate advertising risk.
Use Google's AI Max reporting guidance to review search terms, assets, and landing pages. Compare actual spend and qualified outcomes, allowing for conversion delays and other changes. Treat vendor averages as context rather than a forecast for your business.
Plan the transition from current account notices and verified controls. The goal is a documented, measurable change, not a rushed migration driven by an outdated deadline.