If you have been bracing for Google to yank Dynamic Search Ads out from under your campaigns this fall, you just got a reprieve. On June 12, 2026, Google announced it is delaying the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) to AI Max for Search campaigns by five months, pushing the forced cutover from September 2026 to February 2027. Even better for advertisers who still rely on DSAs: Google is restoring the ability to create brand-new DSA campaigns starting June 15, 2026. For Google PPC managers, this is one of the most consequential paid search timeline shifts of the year, and it changes how you should plan the rest of 2026.
What is the Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max migration?
Dynamic Search Ads have been a workhorse of Google Ads for more than a decade. Instead of building keyword lists, DSAs automatically generate ad targeting by crawling your website content and matching it to relevant search queries. That automation made DSAs ideal for large catalogs and pages that change often. But Google has been steadily folding that functionality into newer, AI-driven formats: AI Max for Search, campaign-level broad match, and Smart Bidding.
AI Max for Search is Google’s umbrella of generative and machine-learning features that layer on top of standard search ad groups. It bundles three core capabilities: search term matching that expands reach beyond your existing keywords, text customization that rewrites and tailors headlines and descriptions, and final URL expansion that sends users to the most relevant landing page on your site. When you “upgrade” a DSA campaign, Google’s one-click tool converts your dynamic ad groups into standard ad groups with these AI Max features switched on.
Why did Google delay the DSA sunset to February 2027?
The official reasoning is that the extended timeline gives advertisers more room to test AI-powered options and manage the transition at their own pace rather than being forced off DSAs overnight. In practice, this is Google acknowledging that a hard September deadline left too little time for advertisers to benchmark performance, run side-by-side experiments, and rebuild reporting around a new campaign structure.
The delay matters because DSAs still drive meaningful volume for many accounts, particularly ecommerce and lead-gen advertisers with deep, frequently updated websites. An automatic migration that flips campaign mechanics, query matching, and bidding behavior all at once carries real risk of CPA spikes and wasted spend if it happens without testing. Nearly six extra months lets teams transition deliberately instead of reactively.
New DSA and AI Max migration timeline for 2026 and 2027
Here is the revised schedule every Google Ads advertiser should put on the calendar:
- June 15, 2026: DSA campaign creation returns. You can build new Dynamic Search Ads campaigns again.
- June 2026 through January 2027: Extended testing and voluntary migration window. Use Google’s one-click upgrade tools whenever you are ready.
- January 2027: Creation of new DSA campaigns ends for good.
- February 2027: Automatic migration begins for any remaining DSA campaigns.
One important caveat: campaigns already using Automatically Created Assets (ACA) and the campaign-level broad match setting are on a separate, earlier track and will continue to be auto-upgraded starting in September 2026. So the five-month reprieve does not apply universally. Audit your settings to know which timeline governs each campaign.
Does AI Max for Search actually perform better than DSA?
Google’s own data is the headline pitch. According to the company, AI Max for Search campaigns see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS when advertisers use the full feature suite (search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion) compared to using search term matching alone. That is a real incentive to adopt the complete package rather than turning on a single feature and calling it done.
That said, “average” hides a lot of variance. Final URL expansion and text customization hand Google more control over where users land and what your ads say. For brands with strict messaging, regulated industries, or landing pages that should never receive certain traffic, that control needs guardrails. The voluntary migration window exists precisely so you can validate these features against your own account before they become mandatory.
What should advertisers do before the February 2027 deadline?
Google is encouraging a structured, test-first approach, and that is sound advice. Start by auditing every active DSA campaign so you know exactly what is at stake and which migration track applies. Then run side-by-side experiments: keep a DSA campaign live while testing an AI Max for Search version targeting the same products or services, and compare conversions, conversion value, CPA, and search term quality over a meaningful window.
As you test, lean on AI Max’s brand controls and URL exclusions to keep final URL expansion from sending traffic to pages you do not want promoted. Watch your search terms report closely in the first few weeks, since expanded matching can surface both valuable new queries and irrelevant ones that need negative keywords. Document what works so that when February 2027 arrives, the automatic migration is a formality rather than a fire drill.
The broader signal here is unmistakable: Google is consolidating its search ad formats around AI-driven automation, and DSAs are one of the last legacy holdouts being absorbed. The delay buys time, not a permanent exemption. Advertisers who use these extra months to learn AI Max on their own terms will enter 2027 in control, while those who wait for the forced cutover will be reacting under pressure. If you want help building a migration plan or running AI Max experiments that protect your performance, the team at Rosh Media works with advertisers on exactly these transitions.
The bottom line on the DSA to AI Max delay
Google’s decision to delay the Dynamic Search Ads automigration to February 2027 and reopen DSA creation on June 15, 2026 gives the paid search community a rare gift: time. Use it to test AI Max for Search deliberately, capture the reported 7% performance upside on your own terms, and avoid the chaos of a forced switch. The runway is longer now, but the destination has not changed. Whether you manage Google PPC in-house or with a partner like Rosh Media, the smart move is to start your AI Max transition this summer, not next winter.
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