AI Max is Google’s comprehensive suite of AI-powered targeting and creative features designed to help advertisers expand reach, improve performance, and reduce manual optimization workload. Built around two core technologies—search term matching and asset optimization—AI Max leverages Google AI to optimize ads in real-time and tailor creative messaging to drive better business results.

Important Note for Teams: Before activating or deactivating AI Max, inform your technical teams. The feature may cause errors for API requests managing automatically created assets and brand settings, as AI Max is not yet available in Google Ads API or Editor.

Core Feature 1: Search Term Matching

How It Works

When you activate AI Max, search term matching automatically engages to expand your keyword targeting using broad match and keywordless technology. The system analyzes your existing keywords, creatives, and URLs to identify relevant search queries you might otherwise miss.

Benefits for Advertisers

• Incremental Reach: Discover high-performing search queries and conversions beyond your manually selected keywords
• AI Learning: Google AI continuously learns from your campaign elements to improve search relevance
• Flexible Control: Toggle search term matching on or off at the ad group level

Enhanced Controls

AI Max introduces precise controls that replace traditional keyword-based targeting:

Locations of Interest (Ad Group Level) Target customers based on their geographical intent, even in keywordless matches. This feature helps you reach users who show interest in specific locations relevant to your business.

Brand Settings

• Brand Inclusions: Specify exact brands you want your ads associated with (campaign and ad group level)
• Brand Exclusions: Prevent your ads from appearing alongside specific brands (campaign level)

Core Feature 2: Asset Optimization

Components

Asset optimization operates at the campaign level and includes two main settings:

Text Customization (Formerly Automatically Created Assets)

• Uses existing ad copy, landing page content, and assets
• Applies generative AI to create customized ad copy
• Tailors messaging to specific user searches for improved relevance

Final URL Expansion

• Automatically directs users to the most relevant pages on your website
• Only sends traffic to query-relevant URLs themed to your ad group
• Requires text customization to be enabled for ad copy consistency
• Important: When active, pinned RSA assets won’t be respected if a more relevant URL is chosen

Benefits for Campaign Optimizers

• Performance Improvement: Users are automatically sent to landing pages predicted to perform best
• Operational Efficiency: Reduce manual ad creation and optimization time
• Scalable Personalization: Deliver tailored creative messaging at scale
• Enhanced Insights: Access improved performance and contextual reporting for assets

Additional AI Max Features

1. URL Management

URL Inclusions (Ad Group Level) Include specific URLs that weren’t captured by final URL expansion, giving you control over additional landing page options.

URL Exclusions (Campaign Level) Prevent specific URLs from serving as landing pages, ensuring users don’t land on inappropriate or outdated pages.

2. Enhanced Reporting and Transparency

AI Max provides improved reporting capabilities to help you understand performance and make informed optimization decisions:

Search Terms Report

• New “AI Max” match type for incremental search terms
• Source column showing whether matches come from broad match expansion or keywordless matching
• Combined view of search terms, headlines, and URLs for complete customer journey insights

Keywords Report

• Summary rows showing total AI Max contributions
• Clear attribution of performance to AI Max features

Landing Pages Report

• “Selected by” column showing performance of AI Max-chosen landing pages
• Understanding of automated URL selection impact

Asset Report

• Dedicated performance metrics for AI Max-generated assets
• Insights into asset performance against KPIs like spend and conversions, not just impressions

Implementation Strategy for Advertisers

Pre-Activation Checklist

1. Audit Current Settings: Review existing text customization, brand settings, and broad match configurations
2. Team Communication: Notify API and Editor users about potential disruptions
3. Landing Page Preparation: Ensure your website has relevant, conversion-optimized pages for URL expansion
4. Asset Diversity: Prepare varied headlines and descriptions for text customization

Campaign Setup Approach

1. Start with Clear Goals: Define conversion objectives and target metrics
2. Provide Quality Assets: Supply diverse, high-quality creative elements
3. Configure Controls: Set up brand inclusions/exclusions and location targeting as needed
4. Monitor Initial Performance: Use enhanced reporting to understand AI decisions

Optimization Best Practices

• Regular Reporting Review: Use new match type and source data to understand performance drivers
• Asset Performance Analysis: Monitor which AI-generated assets perform best and refine asset strategy
• URL Performance Tracking: Analyze landing page report to optimize final URL expansion effectiveness
• Incremental Testing: Compare AI Max performance against traditional campaign setup

Migration Considerations

If your campaigns already use these features, they’ll be automatically upgraded to AI Max:

• Text customization (formerly automatically created assets)
• Brand settings
• Broad match campaign settings

After AI Max activation, these settings become fully integrated into the AI Max framework with enhanced capabilities and reporting.

Strategic Recommendations

For maximum effectiveness, AI Max works best when advertisers provide clear business objectives and sufficient creative variety while allowing Google’s machine learning to handle tactical optimizations. This approach enables both experienced and novice advertisers to benefit from advanced AI capabilities while maintaining strategic control over their advertising investments.