Google Pushes Search Ads Auto-Migration Deadline to February 2027

Google has pushed back the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaigns to AI Max by more than four months, from September 2026 to February 2027. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin announced the change on LinkedIn, according to Search Engine Journal.

Google said it adjusted the timeline based on advertiser feedback and to avoid disrupting account management during the busy Q4 season. Not everything is being delayed, though — Automatically Created Assets (ACA) and campaign-level broad match settings will still transition on schedule in September 2026.

AI Max is now the default setting for newly created Search campaigns. Google cited testing that showed campaigns with AI Max enabled achieved faster first conversions, particularly within the first two weeks after launch.

Google designated June 2026 through January 2027 as a voluntary transition window, during which advertisers can still create new DSA campaigns if they choose. Even so, the company recommended using manual upgrade tools rather than waiting for the automatic transition.

Advertisers should also watch for reporting changes tied to the items still migrating in September. Google added a new field that classifies search terms into three sources — advertiser-provided keywords, AI Max broad match, and AI Max keywordless — but explicitly warned that the two search-term views "are not mutually exclusive" and that summing their metrics will inflate click counts beyond the campaign total. Google also noted that Final URL expansion can silently serve a different page than the one configured, with no error thrown, meaning UTM parsing and page-level reporting pipelines need to read the expanded final URL rather than the originally configured one.

In Korea

For advertisers running DSA campaigns in Korea, a later deadline doesn't mean migration itself can wait. Google recommends a manual transition specifically because reviewing your own settings during the move is what limits performance loss. If you have Q4 promotions coming up, it's safer to start testing an AI Max migration now and compare results before the February 2027 automatic cutover.