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Freedom251 › Blog › AI Max

Google Ads AI Max Settings: Frequently Asked Questions

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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AI Max is an optimization layer inside Google Search campaigns, not a separate campaign type. It combines expanded search-term matching, AI-generated headlines and descriptions, Final URL expansion, location-of-interest matching, brand and URL controls, and additional reporting. Google’s setup guide says AI Max is selected by default when you create a new Search campaign; text customization and Final URL expansion are selected by default when you opt in, although you can change those choices. Final URL expansion requires text customization.

The right configuration depends on how much automation your business can accept, how tightly you control queries and destinations, and whether your conversion tracking can handle dynamically selected landing pages. Use the controls and reporting below to launch deliberately, validate the ad journey, and test an AI Max treatment against a control before applying it broadly.

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What AI Max changes in a Search campaign

AI Max adds automation to several stages of the Search ad journey. It can find additional queries through broad-match, asset-based and landing-page-based signals; generate ad text from your site and existing campaign assets; select a more relevant URL on your domain; infer geographic intent; and expose reports that connect the query, asset and landing page. These are configurable campaign features, not a new inventory type or independent campaign.

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Google describes AI Max as an optimisation layer within existing Search campaigns in its setup documentation. Conversion-based Smart Bidding is recommended so the automated features can use conversion signals. AI Max does not guarantee a particular lift in conversions, revenue or return on ad spend; evaluate it against your own business outcomes.

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AI Max settings at a glance

Setting What it does Control level Important dependency or caution
Search term matching Expands reach with broad-match, asset-based and landing-page-based technology, including keywordless matching. Campaign switch, then ad-group controls Requires campaign-level activation and conversion-based Smart Bidding; it does not work with Manual CPC.
Text customization Generates additional headlines and descriptions using your domain, landing pages, ads, keywords and assets. Campaign-level asset optimization Review generated assets and use text guidelines to restrict terms or messaging.
Final URL expansion Sends a query to a relevant page on your domain instead of always using the ad’s original final URL. Campaign-level, with URL controls Requires text customization; pinned assets may not be respected when the destination changes.
URL inclusions and exclusions Limit eligible destinations to selected pages or block pages from expansion. Inclusions can be set at ad-group level; exclusions at campaign level Check tracking templates and page suitability before launch.
Brand inclusions and exclusions Restrict traffic to queries associated with selected brands or prevent serving on those queries. Inclusions at campaign and ad-group level; exclusions at campaign level Overly narrow brand settings can reduce conversion opportunities.
Locations of interest Uses inferred geographic intent, including in keywordless matches. Ad-group level It supplements, rather than replaces, campaign location targeting settings.

How to turn AI Max on or off

Enable it on an existing campaign

  1. In Google Ads, open Campaigns and select the Search campaign you want to change.
  2. Open Campaign settings, choose the AI Max section, and opt in.
  3. Select the features you want. Google’s new-campaign flow starts with text customization and Final URL expansion selected, but you can turn Final URL expansion off while retaining text customization.
  4. Review brand, URL, location-of-interest and ad-group controls before saving.
  5. Confirm that your bidding strategy uses conversion-based Smart Bidding if you expect Search term matching and the other AI features to operate fully. The documented setup path and defaults are in Google’s AI Max setup guide.

Disable it without losing your previous configuration

Turning AI Max off disables the suite’s features, including brand exclusions. Google says that turning it back on restores the settings as previously configured. Existing broad-match campaign settings, brand settings and text customization are upgraded into the AI Max suite when you activate it.

If you disable broad match or move to AI Max, broad keywords are not treated as exact-match keywords for prioritization. If preserving exact-match prioritization matters, add exact-match copies first. Google warns that converting broad keywords removes their historical keyword statistics.

How Search term matching works

Search term matching is intended to find incremental demand beyond literal keyword matching. It combines broad-match signals with the content of your ads and landing pages, and can match without a conventional keyword. You must activate it at campaign level before managing it for individual ad groups.

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The feature depends on automated-bidding signals. Google’s FAQ states that it does not work with Manual Cost-Per-Click (CPC). A campaign using Manual CPC may therefore show only a limited part of AI Max’s potential; do not interpret that configuration as a test of the complete suite. Negative keywords remain respected, according to the official FAQ.

When to keep matching narrow

  • Use ad-group controls to exclude groups whose products, regulatory terms or margins cannot tolerate exploratory queries.
  • Keep a maintained negative-keyword list; AI Max does not override negative keywords.
  • Judge query quality and conversion value, not just additional impressions.

What text customization generates

Text customization, formerly called automatically created assets, produces additional headlines and descriptions. Google says it uses extractive techniques and generative AI grounded in your domain, landing pages, existing ads, ad-group keywords and other assets.

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Prepare the source material

  • Make sure landing-page claims, prices, availability and legal language are accurate and policy-compliant.
  • Give each ad group a clear theme so the system has relevant page and keyword context.
  • Use text guidelines to exclude specific terms or impose messaging constraints such as tone.

Review and manage generated assets

Use asset reporting to inspect AI Max headlines and descriptions, including spend and conversions. Remove generated assets that are inaccurate, off-brand or unsuitable for a particular offer. Generated text should be treated as a changeable asset, not as a permanent replacement for human review.

Google documents text customization and its controls at Text customization help and in the setup guide.

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Final URL expansion, inclusions and exclusions

Final URL expansion can route a query to a more relevant page on your domain that is thematically related to the ad group. It requires text customization. URL exclusions block selected pages; URL inclusions define eligible destinations for an ad group.

Pinned RSA assets and destination changes

When Final URL expansion or URL inclusions select a different page, pinned responsive-search-ad assets may not be respected because those assets could be incompatible with the new destination. If a specific pinned headline or description must always appear with a controlled page, Google’s FAQ advises against using Final URL expansion and URL inclusions for that setup. See Final URL expansion documentation and the AI Max FAQ.

Prevent tracking-template 404 errors

Dynamic destinations can expose an incompatibility in an existing tracking template. Before enabling expansion on a campaign that uses one, test a dynamically selected landing page and verify that the template correctly handles the page URL and parameters. Google specifically documents {lpurl}?, {lpurl}&, {lpurl}# and {lpurl} patterns. A template that assumes one fixed path can otherwise produce a 404 response.

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Choose URL controls deliberately

  • Use exclusions for pages that should never receive paid traffic, such as account, support, checkout or incomplete-content paths.
  • Use inclusions when an ad group must stay within a defined set of product or service pages.
  • Inspect the Landing pages report after launch to see which pages AI Max selected.

Brand settings and locations of interest

Brand inclusions and exclusions

Brand inclusions restrict Search traffic to queries associated with selected brands. Brand exclusions prevent serving on queries associated with selected brands. Google lists inclusions at campaign and ad-group level and exclusions at campaign level. Its separate brand-settings guidance cautions that these controls should be used only when needed because they can limit conversion opportunities.

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Locations of interest

The location-of-interest control operates at ad-group level. It can reach people whose searches indicate interest in a geography, including keywordless matches. This inferred intent is different from the campaign’s location-targeting configuration, so check both when location eligibility matters. Google’s AI Max overview explains the control but does not provide a quantified reach estimate.

How existing campaigns behave when you change AI Max

Activating AI Max brings existing broad-match behavior, brand settings and text customization into the suite. Disabling AI Max turns off the suite’s features rather than merely hiding a reporting label. Brand exclusions are disabled while it is off; re-enabling restores the prior configuration.

Plan any keyword-structure change separately. Broad keywords do not become exact-match keywords for prioritization after broad match is disabled or the campaign is moved to AI Max. Add exact-match copies if that prioritization is essential, and remember that converting broad keywords removes their historical keyword data.

Reporting: how to inspect the AI Max ad journey

Google documents several reporting additions:

  • The Search terms report includes AI Max as a match type for incremental terms and a source column that distinguishes broad-match expansion from keywordless matching.
  • A combined view connects the search term, headlines and URL, making it possible to inspect the full ad journey.
  • The Keywords report adds AI Max summary rows.
  • The Landing pages report adds a Selected by column for pages chosen by AI Max.
  • Asset reporting shows AI Max asset performance, including spend and conversions, and lets you remove generated assets.

Use these views to check query intent, destination relevance, copy accuracy, conversion value and tracking—not merely the volume of incremental traffic. The feature descriptions are in How AI Max works.

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How to test AI Max before a full rollout

Google provides an experiment flow that compares a control campaign with an AI Max treatment. You choose campaign-level asset settings, split traffic through the experiment, review results, then either apply the treatment or end the experiment and return to the pre-experiment state. The documented process is at AI Max experiments.

Pre-launch checklist

  1. Define the business metric you will use, such as conversion value, qualified leads or profit, rather than relying on conversion count alone.
  2. Confirm conversion tracking and conversion-based Smart Bidding are functioning.
  3. Audit landing-page content, generated-copy eligibility, URL exclusions and brand rules.
  4. Test a dynamic destination with your tracking template and investigate any 404 response.
  5. Check experiment eligibility. Google lists exclusions including campaigns with text customization already enabled, Display Network targeting, portfolio bidding, shared budgets, bidding exploration or another active experiment.
  6. During the test, inspect search terms, selected URLs, asset performance and conversion value in the AI Max reports.
  7. Apply the treatment only if the results meet your pre-defined business criteria; otherwise end the experiment and retain the control configuration.

Eligibility can vary by account and campaign, so rely on the options shown in the Google Ads interface when creating the experiment.

Common configuration questions

Can I disable Final URL expansion but keep text customization?

Yes. Text customization and Final URL expansion are separate choices in the setup flow, but Final URL expansion cannot remain enabled without text customization.

Where do I add URL exclusions?

Open the campaign’s AI Max settings and use the URL controls to exclude pages. Use ad-group URL inclusions when you need to define the eligible destination set for a particular ad group.

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How can I stop AI-generated copy from using a term?

Add the term to text guidelines and set the applicable messaging restriction, then review asset reporting and remove any generated asset that still fails your requirements.

Does AI Max respect negative keywords?

Yes. Google’s FAQ states that negative keywords are honored.

Does AI Max respect pinned responsive-search-ad assets?

Not necessarily when URL expansion or inclusions choose a more relevant destination; pinned assets may no longer match that page.

What happens with Performance Max or other campaigns?

AI Max changes the Search campaign in which it is enabled. It is not a replacement for Performance Max, and campaign overlap and prioritization should be evaluated using your account’s existing structure and reports rather than assuming AI Max will alter every campaign.

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API and Editor availability

The AI Max FAQ page still contains an older statement that AI Max was not yet available in the Google Ads API and Editor and that support was expected later in 2025. That page does not establish availability as of October 2026. If you manage campaigns programmatically or through Editor, verify current Google Ads release documentation before treating support as present or absent.

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