Google has updated its AI Max Search reporting documentation with new guidance on performance reporting, best practices for optimization and an important timeline for Dynamic Search Ads advertisers.
The most notable addition: Google says that campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) will be automatically upgraded to AI Max from February 2027.
What’s going on. Google has updated its AI Max help documentation for search campaigns, expanded reporting guidance and provided more information on how advertisers should evaluate campaign performance.
The update doesn’t introduce new product features, but it does provide insight into how Google wants advertisers to manage and translate AI Max campaigns going forward.
Why do we care. The text update provides an indication as of now of Google’s long-term plans for AI Max and the end of Dynamic Search ads. With DSA automation scheduled for February 2027, marketers have more visibility into how their search strategies may need to evolve over the next year.
The subject changes. Google has officially documented the upcoming transition from Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max.
According to the updated help page, campaigns using DSA will be automatically upgraded to AI Max starting in February 2027 as Google works to increase adoption of its AI-powered Search campaign format.
What’s new in reporting: Google has added new reporting views that allow advertisers to analyze performance across sites:
- Search terms.
- Search terms and landing pages from AI Max.
- Search terms appear in Dynamic Search Ads.
- Search terms and landing pages appear in Dynamic Search Ads.
The company also clarified that search term reports show where users are directed after clicking on an ad and highlighted new options to exclude search terms that don’t perform as expected or landing pages using wrong keywords and wrong URLs.
Travel marketers are getting a new direction. Google also introduced a new section dedicated to Search Travel Campaigns.
The documentation explains how reporting combines performance data from all campaign components for a unified view, helping marketers analyze search terms, listing performance and conversion results.
Travel marketers can also segment reports by ad format to compare performance across Travel Promotion Ads, Booking Links and travel feed-based ads.
A change in the philosophy of improvisation. The updated best practices place greater emphasis on intent-based targeting rather than strict keyword matching.
Google now advises advertisers to:
- Focus on conversion rates rather than keyword relevance.
- Update the search term and item group performance every one to two weeks.
- Use negative keywords sparingly.
- Avoid multiple filters that could benefit from AI-driven objective matching.
Bottom line. Google’s docs update provides more than reporting guidance—it provides guidance on how marketers should prepare for the future of AI Max as Dynamic Search Ads approach retirement.
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