Migrate Campaign-level Broad Match and Automatically Created Assets to AI Max

The legacy automigrations are divided into two separate phases:

1. Campaign broad and ACA auto-migration: September 1 – September 30, 2026

On September 1, 2026, Google Ads will begin automatically upgrading Search campaigns using Campaign-level Broad Match (CB) or standalone Automatically Created Assets (ACA) to AI Max. The migration job will roll out progressively throughout the month.

To find the campaigns that have been migrated at any point during the month: 

   SELECT
      campaign.id,
      campaign.name,
      campaign.aca_migration_date_time,
      campaign.broad_match_migration_date_time
    FROM campaign
    WHERE campaign.aca_migration_date_time > '1970-01-01 00:00:00'
      AND campaign.broad_match_migration_date_time > '1970-01-01 00:00:00'

Default migrated configurations

To support campaign management continuity and minimize performance volatility, campaigns will be migrated in-place to equivalent AI Max settings.

  • Campaign-Level Broad Match (CB):
    • Text Customization (TC): OPT_OUT (OFF)
    • Final URL Expansion (FUE): OPT_OUT (OFF)
    • Search Term Matching (STM): true (ON) by default
    • Brand Lists: Existing brand inclusions and exclusions are preserved and moved into the new setup in-place.
  • Standalone Automatically Created Assets (ACA):
    • Text Customization (TC): OPT_IN (ON) by default
    • Final URL Expansion (FUE): OPT_OUT (OFF)
    • Search Term Matching (STM): true (ON) by default

2. API creation blocks and legacy cleanup

To prevent the creation of new legacy structures ahead of the auto-migration, strict enforcement blocks are now in place across the developer surfaces:

  • Legacy creation end of life (August 3, 2026): Creating new Campaign-level Broad Match configurations or legacy Automatically Created Assets (ACA) is now blocked across the UI, Google Ads Editor, and all versions of the API.

3. API versioning lifecycle and support grace period

How you manage these features depends on the API version your integration targets:

New API versions (post-September 1, 2026)

Any new versions of the Google Ads API released after September 1, 2026, will completely remove the legacy entities used to create or manage:

Older API versions (grace period)

  • Active support: Previously released API versions that are currently active will temporarily continue to support legacy ACA and Broad Match settings.
  • Sunset timeline: You can continue to edit and manage these legacy setups through older API versions until those specific versions reach their standard scheduled sunset (typically one year after their introduction, around September 2027). At that point, all remaining legacy entities will be permanently removed.

4. Dynamic Search Ads automigration February 2027

Your active legacy DSA campaigns are excluded from the September auto-migrations and will continue to serve as normal. However, prepare for the upcoming DSA timeline:

  • September 2026: Google will launch in-account pre-migration banners in the UI to warn unmigrated advertisers of the upcoming transition and encourage voluntary one-click upgrades by selecting “Upgrade Your Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) to AI Max” under Campaign Settings | Dynamic Search Ads setting.
  • January 15, 2027: Official MSA reminder notification will be sent to all impacted accounts.
  • February 1–28, 2027: Automigration begins. The ability to create new DSA ad groups will be permanently removed, and unmigrated DSA campaigns will automatically upgrade to standard Search ad groups with AI Max enabled.

Developer action plan

  1. Audit your integration: Identify any scripts, external tools, or client libraries still attempting to create or edit campaign-level broad match settings or legacy ACA.
  2. Move to standard entities: Begin updating your campaign construction workflows to use standard Search campaigns with the AI Max settings bundle (Uber Toggle, Text Customization, and Search Term Matching).
  3. Handle grandfathered read-only entities: Be prepared to handle API error codes if your integration attempts to modify (rather than pause or delete) legacy Expanded Dynamic Search ads (eDSAs) or criteria once they transition to standard ad groups.

Bob Hancock, Google Ads API Team