What Did Google Announce for AI Max on 23 September 2026?
On 23 September 2026 Google announced two AI Max for Search updates. First, the closed beta of AI Brief is expanding to seven more languages: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. Second, Google is introducing a new reporting feature that will show "a single, unified view of the Search ads journey", from the search term to the creative to the landing page. Google said it will "share additional details and availability later this year".
That last sentence is the honest centre of this guide. As of 9 October 2026, the new unified journey report has been announced but not dated or released, and Google's ads blog has published nothing further on it since 23 September. What already exists today, in the Google Ads Help Center, is a set of AI Max reports that cover much of the same ground in separate places. This guide covers both, and is careful about which is which.
| Item | Status as of 9 October 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AI Brief in English | Announced 30 April 2026 to "roll out in English for AI Max for Search campaigns over the coming months" | Google Ads blog, 30 April 2026 |
| AI Brief in seven more languages | "Closed beta" expanding to Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish | Google Ads blog, 23 September 2026 |
| Unified Search ads journey report | Announced; details and availability "later this year" | Google Ads blog, 23 September 2026 |
| Existing AI Max reports | Documented and available in Google Ads | Google Ads Help, About reporting in AI Max |
| Dynamic Search Ads upgrade | "Starting in February 2027, campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) will automatically be upgraded to AI Max" | Google Ads Help, About reporting in AI Max |
What Is AI Max for Search in 2026?
AI Max is a setting for Search campaigns that uses Google AI to expand which searches your ads match and to tailor the text and landing page for each search. Google's Help Center describes it as having "2 main features: search term matching and asset optimization", delivered through improved search term matching, text customization of headlines and descriptions, and final URL expansion, which picks the landing page it judges most relevant to the query.
Google's Help Center states that "advertisers that activate AI Max in Search campaigns will typically see 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS", sourced to "Google internal data, 2025; for non-Retail advertisers". That is a Google-reported figure for a specific group of advertisers, not a forecast for your account. Google also called AI Max "the fastest-growing AI-powered Search ads product" in its April 2026 announcement.
What Is AI Brief, and Who Can Use It in 2026?
AI Brief lets you steer AI Max in plain language instead of only through keywords and settings. Google's April 2026 announcement describes three kinds of guidance: messaging guidelines ("never mention prices"), matching guidelines ("prioritize searches for healthy pantry staples") and audience guidelines ("for people who are health conscious, highlight our clean products"). It also says AI Brief shows "previews of sample assets and searches so you can provide feedback and iterate before you commit".
The September update is about languages, and the status word matters. Google calls the seven-language expansion a "closed beta", meaning invited accounts rather than everyone. None of the listed languages is an Indian language. For an Indian advertiser running English-language Search campaigns, AI Brief availability follows the English rollout Google described in April. For campaigns in Hindi or other Indian languages, Google has published nothing about AI Brief support.
Google states that "when you start using AI Brief, your existing text guidelines will automatically move to messaging guidelines within AI Brief". If you already use text guidelines, check them before switching rather than assuming they carry over exactly as you intended.
How Do You Report on AI Max Today in 2026?
Google's Help Center already documents several AI Max reports, and together they answer most of the questions the announced unified report will bring into one view. Google advises waiting "at least 2 weeks after enabling AI Max" before making changes such as adding negative keywords, to give the system time to learn.
| Report | What it shows for AI Max | Where Google says to look |
|---|---|---|
| Search terms report | Searches that triggered your ads. Filter "Match type" for "AI Max" and add the "Source" column. | "Search terms and ad combinations" view lists search terms with headlines, landing pages, campaigns and ad groups. |
| Keywords report | Two AI Max aggregate rows at the bottom | "Total: AI Max expanded matches" and "Total: AI Max landing page matches" |
| Asset report (campaign level) | Asset and URL combinations served through final URL expansion | "Expanded final URL assets" tab; Google-created text is marked "Google AI" in "Added by" |
| Asset report (ad level) | Each asset, including text created by text customization | "Added by" column shows "Google AI" |
| Landing pages report | Advertiser URLs and final URL expansion URLs | "Selected by" column shows whether AI Max chose the URL |
Two details from Google's documentation catch people out. Filtering the search terms report for match type "AI Max" "may show lower numbers for AI Max", because the filter "doesn't consider 'Other search terms'". And while you can remove Google-customized text assets one by one in Google Ads, Google notes that bulk removal "is available when using the Google Ads API and Google Ads Editor", not in the interface.
What Will the New Unified Journey Report Add in 2026?
Google says the new report "will show a single, unified view of the Search ads journey", making it easy "to see what search terms triggered your ads, which creative assets the user saw, and exactly where they landed on your website". Google's stated purpose is to help you "better understand how customers interact with your business and validate the strategic value AI Max brings to your campaigns".
Compared with what exists today, the value is consolidation. The search terms report's "ad combinations" view already pairs search terms with headlines and landing pages. What the announcement promises is a single place to read the whole journey, rather than moving between the search terms, asset and landing page reports. Until Google publishes the details, nobody outside Google can say what metrics it carries, whether it adds anything the current reports lack, or which markets get it first.
Why Does the February 2027 DSA Upgrade Matter for Planning?
Because it turns AI Max from an option into a default for a large group of campaigns. Google's Help Center states that "starting in February 2027, campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) will automatically be upgraded to AI Max". If you run Dynamic Search Ads today, your reporting habits need to move to the AI Max reports above before then, and your controls, such as URL inclusions and exclusions and brand lists, need to be set deliberately rather than inherited.
Google's August 2026 update also matters here. It said a way to "test different budgets and ROI targets across multiple Search campaigns in a single A/B test" would roll out in September, and that AI Max experiments can now run "with these settings enabled", meaning brand and location controls. That gives DSA advertisers a way to test the switch before February 2027 rather than meeting it for the first time.
What Are the Common Mistakes With AI Max Reporting in 2026?
- Treating the unified report as live. Google announced it on 23 September 2026 with availability "later this year". Plan on the existing reports.
- Reading the "AI Max" match-type filter as the full picture. Google says it can undercount because it excludes "Other search terms".
- Changing campaigns in the first two weeks. Google recommends waiting at least two weeks after enabling AI Max.
- Assuming AI Brief works in Indian languages. The expansion lists seven European languages and Japanese, as a closed beta.
- Ignoring the "Google AI" label in asset reports. That is how you find and remove text Google wrote for you.
- Waiting for February 2027 to look at DSA. Test the upgrade with an experiment first.
Key Takeaways for 2026
- Google announced two AI Max updates on 23 September 2026: AI Brief in seven more languages as a closed beta, and a unified Search ads journey report.
- The unified report's details and availability are promised "later this year"; nothing further was published between 23 September and 9 October 2026.
- Today's AI Max reporting lives across the search terms, keywords, asset and landing pages reports, which Google documents in detail.
- Google reports AI Max typically delivers 14 percent more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS, for non-retail advertisers, based on 2025 internal data.
- Dynamic Search Ads campaigns will be automatically upgraded to AI Max starting February 2027.
- No Indian-language support for AI Brief has been announced.
Distk helps search advertisers in India and internationally set up AI Max reporting that shows what the AI is actually doing, test the switch before it becomes a default, and keep the brand and URL controls tight enough that expansion helps rather than wanders. If AI Max or the February 2027 DSA upgrade is on your plan, that setup is where we start.
Sources
- Google, We're bringing AI Brief to more languages and adding a new AI Max reporting feature, 23 September 2026
- Google, AI Max Turns 1 with new ways to steer performance, 30 April 2026
- Google, Make AI Max work for your business with new testing and planning tools, 20 August 2026
- Google Ads Help, About reporting in AI Max for Search campaigns
- Google Ads Help, About AI Max for Search campaigns
- Google Ads Help, About AI Max experiments