Google Ads in the Media

Google Ads AI Max spotted automatically enabled in some Ad Grants accounts

Google Ads is reportedly enabling AI Max in some Ad Grants accounts, raising concerns about search relevance and click-through rates.

Google Ads Now In AI Mode With Personal Intelligence

Google confirmed it will now show ads in AI Mode results with Personal Intelligence enabled. Back in March, Google said AI Mode with Personal Intelligence turned on would be ad-free, but that is now changing. Google told Anu Adegbola last March, "There are currently no ads for people who choose to…

Google Ads To No Longer Show Featured Professionals, Headshots Are Optional

Google Ads posted a message to Local Service Ads advertisers saying that featured professionals will no longer show on your ads, and headshots will be optional and won't impact ad serving. Anthony Higman spotted the notice in his Google Ads account and posted a screenshot of this notice on X , it…

Google Ads extends Demand Gen cost adjustments to 60 days

Google Ads lengthens Demand Gen cost adjustments to 60 days, but the beta's conditional eligibility and opaque billing call for careful reporting.

Google Ads Data Manager stops requiring hashed customer data November 16

SHA-256 hashing gives way to encryption for Customer Match and enhanced conversions uploads. What happens to files that advertisers already hash is not stated.

Google Ads API v26 adds 15 Search Lift metrics to measure ad-driven searches

Local Services Performance Max campaigns can now be built by API, and non-EU campaigns can skip the political ad declaration. What breaks in travel bid code?

Google spells out what counts as sexually suggestive in Google Ads

Twerking, fruit used as stand-ins and sexualized kissing sit among restricted examples, as sexual ads stay off YouTube and Display. What did Google change?

Google Ads lets PMax advertisers set Search partner spend to 0%, Marvin says

Channel caps work in the Google Ads API at launch, Ginny Marvin wrote, while the help page says coming soon. Which of Google's own answers holds for buyers?

Hackers hide dangerous fake AI downloads behind Google ads

A fake Claude AI download scam uses Google ads and Bing redirects to trick Mac users into pasting a hidden malicious command in their Terminal.

Google Ads PM says target or budget changes cause no learning period

Bids scale in proportion to new targets on steady campaigns, Tal Akabas said on Oct 15. Re-engagement mode reaches PMax; Search and Shopping are next in line.

Google lets gambling advertisers apply for certification inside Google Ads

Online gambling is the only category in the new Admin > Policy > Account section, and existing certificates stay put. Who gets it first, and what changes next?

Google Poisoning Tracking Tools, Google AI Results Updates, Discover To Change, Google Ads, ChatGPT & SEO

For the original iTunes version, click here . Google seems to be poisoning the third-party tracking tools with fake data and paywalls; this is wreaking havoc on keyword tracking. Google launched Gemini 4 Argon and it is in…

Google Ads To Allow Certification For Online Gambling Advertisers

Google Ads will allow some advertisers to apply for certification for the category of online gambling. This started this month, October 2026, and will gradually be available to some…

Google Ads API Releases Twice Per Month Going Forward

Google Ads is planning on pushing twice as many Google Ads API updates for the remainder of this year and into 2027 compared…

Fake Chrome app gets 100,000 downloads via Google ads

Google Ads API v26 launches with Search Lift measurement and new campaign controls

Google Ads API v26 adds Search Lift measurement, new Performance Max features and a…

We analyzed 5,000+ Google Ads accounts: Seasonality adjustments backfire on Black Friday by Optmyzr

...and how AI agents can help you get ready for BFCM 2026.

Google Ads lets advertisers cap Display spend, on a best-effort basis

Google Ads now lets advertisers rank channels and cap Display and partner spend by percentage, as 40 attorneys general set terms for Character.ai's user data.

Google Ads Gives Advertisers More Control Over Where Budgets Go

Google Ads is introducing channel prioritization and budget allocation controls, giving advertisers more control over where campaign spend goes.

Google Ads lets advertisers limit Display and partner spend by percentage

Low priority channels get a daily cap set as a share of average budget, from October 15. Display Expansion on Search ends in February 2027. What will it shift?

New Google Ads Controls: Channel Prioritization & Budget Allocation

Google Ads is rolling out two new "controls" in the advertising platform…

Google Ads Search Terms & Ad Combinations As One Report

Google Ads seems to be testing a new report named the Search terms and ad combinations report. This report shows how search queries, ad creatives, and landing pages work together.

Google Ads Policies Adds Prediction Markets Section

Google added a section for prediction markets to the main Google Ads policies…

Google Ads API moves to twice-monthly releases starting with v26

Google Ads API is moving to twice-monthly releases, giving developers faster access to new…

Google Ads adds Search terms and ad combinations report for AI Max

Google Ads’ new AI Max report gives advertisers clearer insights into search terms, ad copy and…

Google Ads Data Strength Best Practices Updated

Google has revamped its Data Strength Best Practices help document with much greater emphasis on…

Google Ads tests campaign setup from an advertiser’s written goal

Google’s campaign setup experiment asks advertisers to describe a goal, while availability and the resulting controls remain undisclosed.

Google Ads API moves to two releases a month starting with v26

API developers get 21 releases in 2027, but only four are breaking majors, each retiring about 13 months after launch. Does the migration workload grow too?

Google Ads tests AI-powered campaign creation using natural language

Google Ads is testing an AI-powered campaign setup that lets advertisers describe their goals in…

Google Ads tests automated bidding for Video Reach campaigns

Google Ads is testing automated bidding for Video Reach campaigns, allowing advertisers…

Google Ads lets business names differ from domains under 3 conditions

Resellers, booking intermediaries and affiliates are excluded from the October 2026 change. How will Google verify the advertiser-domain link it now demands?

Hackers use Bing redirects in Google ads for fake Claude installers

Hackers are employing a sophisticated technique called "Adception" to distribute malware by abusing legitimate Bing search-result redirects within Google search ads.

Search campaigns drop to 41% of Google Ads clicks in Brainlabs data

Organic sessions fell 10.5% across 54 Brainlabs clients and AI visits made up only 5% of the loss. Can paid search price a click whose decision it never saw?

Google Ads Point to Bing, Then to Fake Claude Installer: Inside the Latest ClickFix Campaign

Attackers buy Google ads displaying bing.com as destination to deliver fake Claude macOS installers. The chain uses Bing redirects, a compromised retailer site, and cloaking to…

Google Ads opens Colombia to online lottery ads from October 21

CNJSA-authorized lotteries become the 8th product Colombian operators can certify, and a Google application is still required. Does the Coljuegos rule apply?

Google Ads faces criticism over budget as a performance lever

Budget-limited status now shapes how Google bids, and two practitioners say spend has replaced relevance. Is Quality Score, launched in 2005, still the lever?

Google Ads adds automatic text overlays to Demand Gen video ads

Google Ads is adding automatic text overlays to Demand Gen videos, giving advertisers new…

Google Ads Enables Text Customization Asset Previews

Google Ads now lets you preview the assets generated by Google AI for your Google Ads AI Max campaigns. Google added these details to the About text customization in Search campaigns help page under a new section named "Text customization asset previews."

Google Ads adds previews of up to 10 AI Max text assets

AI Max’s text preview lets advertisers inspect representative generated copy before activation, while live asset review remains necessary.

Google Ads AI Max Columns: Brand Inclusion, Commission, Locations Of Interest & Optimized Targeting

Google Ads is adding new AI Max related columns to the Google Ads reporting console. The columns include brand inclusions, locations of interest, commission and optimized targeting.

Google Ads Self-Services Conversion Lift Measurement

Google Ads now lets advertisers set up Conversion Lift measurement themselves. Google updated its help documentation to say that you no longer need a Google Ads representative to set up Conversion Lift measurement; you just need at least 1,000 observed conversions and a $5,000 budget.

Google Ads adds new AI Max columns for deeper campaign analysis

New AI Max reporting columns give advertisers more visibility into targeting, location…

Google Ads tests new Direct Offer asset for AI Mode promotions

Google Ads’ new Direct Offer asset lets advertisers serve targeted promotions to high-intent shoppers…

Google Ads Now Translates Profit Margins Into ROAS Targets

Google is testing a Target ROAS calculator that converts profit margins into suggested bidding targets and shows projected profit. The feature helps align automated bidding with…

Google Ads tests Video Campaign Groups for cross-campaign reach and frequency

Google Ads’ new Video Campaign Groups help advertisers manage reach and frequency across…

Guardrails for Google Ads AI

What we tell AI to exclude is as important as what to target.

Google Ads will auto-apply website coupons to some campaigns from October 12

Search and Performance Max campaigns with location assets are enrolled by default, with sourced offers re-checked within 24 hours. Who reviews what goes live?

Flagged by the Machine: How Google Ads Suspended an Open-Source macOS Term as Malicious

Przemyslaw Alexander Kaminski created RACE, a Rust terminal multiplexer on an infinite canvas that detaches child shells into background processes. When he launched an ad…

Google Ads To Automated Promotions For Search & PMax Campaigns Soon

Google Ads sent an email notifying some advertisers that it will automatically identify and extract high-quality promotions from your website and apply them directly to your campaigns…

Google Ads With Doubled About This Ad Button

Google seems to have a bug of sorts where sometimes it can show the three dots about this ad or search result button twice, instead of just once. I can replicate this for some…

Google Ads AI Campaign Localization Tool (Beta)

Google Ads has a new AI campaign localization tool for Search campaigns (beta), at least according to a…

Google Ads loosens business name rules for some advertisers

Google is giving eligible advertisers more flexibility to use recognized brand names that don’t exactly…

Google Ads brings A/B testing to Performance Max asset groups

You can now run controlled creative experiments in PMax to measure whether changes to creatives…

Google Ads will automatically pull promotions from advertisers’ websites

Google will soon automatically turn eligible website deals and coupons into promotion assets…

Google Ads adds AI-powered campaign localization for international expansion

Google's Generative AI can now translate Search campaign assets, keywords, images and…

Google Ads: Have At Least One Asset Group To Avoid Invalid Final URL Error

Google Ads updated its destination not working policy document to "provide additional examples for destination issues for advertisers," the company said. But Google also added a new line that says "Make sure your campaign has at least one asset group configured. If an asset group is missing, you…

Google ads deliver sophisticated tech support scam targeting Windows and Mac users

The malicious Google ads appeared across various high-traffic websites, including those for maps, weather, and real estate.

Fake "locked computer" alerts in Google Ads are tricking users into calling tech-support scammers

Google Ads API adds benchmarks and more PMax controls

Google Ads API v25.2 adds competitive benchmarks, PMax controls and easier creator discovery for programmatic media teams.

Google Ads expands Customer Match with IP and timestamp signals

Google Ads adds unhashed IP and timestamp signals to Customer Match, raising new data-governance questions for advertisers.

Google Ads Campaign Spreads Fake Security Alerts That Lock Browsers and Push Malware

Malicious ads are steering people to fake security warnings that appear to take over their browsers. The pages urge visitors to call a supposed support line, turning a routine ad click into an attempt to extract money, personal details or access to a computer. The trap begins on a cloud-hosted…

Google Ads Budget Recommendation Change With Forecast

Google Ads is showing some advertisers not just a recommendation with the ability to make a change on that recommendation but it is tied to the advertiser's forecast. It shows your projected weekly conversion value and adds that your campaign is limited by budget, and that you should spend more…

Google Ads Investment Strategy New Holistic & Growth Modes

Google Ads updated its Recommended Investment Strategy tab on the Recommendations page with Strategic budget allocation using Holistic and Growth modes. Holistic mode reallocates spend from underperforming campaigns to top performers for maximum efficiency, while Growth mode adds fresh budget to…

Google Ads New AI Max Reporting & AI Brief Expands To More Countries

Google Ads is expanding access to AI Briefs and also added new AI Max reporting. Google said AI Brief audience targeting works now in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Plus, there is a new AI Max reporting feature for looking at the Search Ads journey.

Google Ads filters miss fake leads, so advertisers must add 3 form checks

Most traffic screening runs after an ad serves, letting bots reach lead forms. Google wants server-side email validation. Does a billing credit cover the rest?

Google Ads puts AI dubbing for 33 languages inside Asset Studio

Google Ads is moving multilingual video production into Asset Studio, but eligibility and creative controls remain unclear.

Google Ads’ Smart Bidding update appears to have ended bid suppression

New analysis suggests Google’s Aug. 17 Smart Bidding update is driving higher CPCs and lower IS for…

Judge Details Restrictions On Google Ads Business, Declines Breakup

Google Ads tests Product Value Optimization for AI bidding

Google Ads’ new beta lets advertisers adjust product values to steer automated bidding toward…

How to tell which Google Ads controls actually control anything

Some Google Ads settings are firm rules. Others are suggestions. Knowing the difference can…

Google Ads is turning peer spend into a benchmark. Marketers should not treat it as a budget target.

Google Ads is reportedly showing some advertisers how weekly spend and clicks compare with peers. The useful question is whether those peers share the same economics.

Google Ads Launches Benchmarking Tool for Budget and Spend Comparisons

Google Ads has rolled out a benchmarking tool that shows advertisers percentile rankings of their monthly budgets and spend compared to similar businesses by industry, size, and…

Google Ads is showing advertisers how their spending compares with peers

Google Ads’ new Spend Benchmarks report shows advertisers how their budgets and clicks compare with similar…

New Information On Google Ads Multi-Source Conversions Beta

Google posted another new help document on multi-source conversions (beta). Last month…

Google Ads Spend Benchmarks Report Compares Your Competitors

Google Ads is rolling out an update to the Spend benchmarks report that now shows you how your spend is comparable to businesses like yours. In short, it shows you if you are spending…

Google Ads Product Value Optimization Beta

Google Ads has a new beta named Product Value Optimization that allows advertisers to configure value adjustments to guide automated bidding to optimize for the products that matter for your…

The availability heuristic: 7 ways Google Ads can steer your decisions

Google's Data Strength Uplift Metric quantifies first-party data in Google Ads

Metric counts the conversions recovered by a first-party setup; Data Manager moves inside Analytics and DV360, and Meridian GeoX reaches general availability.

Base44 gains native Google Ads campaign management inside its chat builder

Builders get an auto-generated ads account and creative pulled from the app itself, with billing through Wix. Where does that sit against Google's proxy rules?

Manual vs. automated Google Ads campaigns: How to allocate your budget

Limited Ad Serving: Why Google Ads suddenly show less often

Google Ads Remedies

Ryan Whitwam: A US federal judge has sided with Google, ruling that the company will not have to sell its online advertising exchange (previously known as AdX). The US Department of Justice (DOJ) sought this remedy in the long-running ad tech antitrust trial, which Google lost in 2025. However…

What your Google Ads hour-of-day report doesn’t tell you

Google Ads AI-Generated From The Store Rating Reviews Label

Google Ads has been testing AI-generated snippets…

Google Ads API assistant v4.0 forces existing users to reinstall

Plugin rebuild lands on Antigravity and Claude Code with ten slash commands across five languages. Local validation replaces up to four LLM debug round-trips.

Google Ads Book Buttons Expand To Search & Performance Max

Google is expanding the book button through Reserve with Google partner integration to Google Ads Search and Performance Max campaigns. Previously, I believe, this was only available on Google Local Service Ads and maps ads.

Google Ads Customer Lifecycle Optimization Within Conversion Goals

Google Ads has placed Customer Lifecycle Optimization directly within the conversion goals section of the Google Ads platform.

Google brings Gemini Omni video creation to Google Ads

Google is adding Gemini Omni to Asset Studio, making it easier to turn creative briefs and brand assets into…

Google Ads attribution ignores offline conversions uploaded after 7 days

Standard reports still record late uploads, so the same account shows two conversion totals. Model Comparison also excludes Search Partner, Gmail and App data.

Performance Planner gains one-click apply to live Google Ads campaigns

Advertisers gain a single A/B test across multiple Search campaigns in September, plus AI Max tests that keep brand guardrails on. What can still be forecast?

How to improve Google Ads lead quality with CRM data

Connect your CRM to Google Ads, define…

Google Ads API v25.1 gains 24 lift metrics, allowlist only

Read-only lift resources expose study configs and flight dates, while BenchmarksService adds category filters and share of voice. Who gets access, and when?

Google Ads API v25.1 expands measurement and insights

Google Ads API v25.1 adds new tools for lift measurement, benchmarking, brand sentiment, and loyalty reporting.

Google Ads tests Enhanced Matching for Customer Match

Enhanced Matching could help advertisers expand the reach of their first-party audiences using consented…

Google Ads is finally building a stronger foundation for B2B lead gen

Google Ads will use generative AI to resize Performance Max video ads

Google is expanding PMax video optimization with generative AI that automatically creates missing aspect ratios from…

Google Ads gains AI dashboards built from text prompts

Analytics now compares campaigns to anonymized averages from similar businesses, and Ads cards answer typed prompts. No rollout dates or language scope given.

Google Ads Language Targeting Update Coming In September

Google Ads will roll out a change to language targeting that will remove the ability to manually adjust the language setting. This change is happening next month, in September 2026. Google said its ad systems already match languages automatically and enhanced AI prioritization will automatically…

Google Ads drops language targeting in September, nine months past deadline

Performance Max is now in scope, reversing Google's 2025 line that non-Search campaign types would stay untouched. Which account structures survive September?

Google Ads is removing language targeting from Search campaigns

Google’s shift to automated language matching removes a manual Search targeting control, leaving…