Google pushes Dynamic Search Ads migration to AI Max to February 2027

Google’s extra five months for Dynamic Search Ads to move into AI Max gave agencies a planning cushion, but not a reprieve from automation. The shift matters most for shops that manage both paid search and organic growth, because it opens a narrow window to audit account dependence, test AI Max readiness, and tighten how SEO landing pages and paid campaigns work together before Google takes more manual control away.

Google first said in April 2026 that Dynamic Search Ads, Automatically Created Assets, and campaign-level broad match would automatically upgrade to AI Max in September 2026. On June 11, Google pushed the automatic DSA migration to February 2027, saying advertisers needed more time to finish the transition and avoid disrupting Q4 planning and execution. The company also said the extension was meant to protect business results and campaign performance.

The delay is only partial. Google said campaigns using Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match will still transition in September 2026. It also restored the ability to create new DSA campaigns beginning June 15, 2026, creating a June 2026 through January 2027 voluntary migration window before the automatic switch begins. For agencies, that means DSA is not disappearing overnight, but it is no longer a stable long-term default.

Google continues to position AI Max as the destination. In the June 11 update, the company said campaigns using the full AI Max feature set, search term matching, text customization and final URL expansion, see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS. Google’s May 2025 launch post said AI Max was rolling out globally in beta and typically delivered 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS, with a 27% uplift for campaigns that relied mostly on exact and phrase keywords.

For growth agencies, the extra time is best spent on operations, not waiting. Account teams can map where DSA still fills query gaps, compare those campaigns against organic landing page coverage, and build transition playbooks for clients with seasonal demand. The reporting changes Google is adding for Final URL Expansion, including account-level reporting, more performance metrics and bulk asset removal from reporting tables, make landing page governance even more important.

The broader direction has not changed. Google’s June 16 developer blog reorganized Search bidding-strategy labels so Target CPA and Target ROAS again appear as standalone options, while saying the bidding behavior itself is unchanged. That kind of cleanup signals a product stack that is becoming simpler to navigate on the surface while pushing more decisions into automated systems underneath. For agencies, the runway is longer, but the destination is the same.