# AI Max for Search Campaigns: Settings, Controls and Testing

> AI Max for Search explained: search term matching, text customisation, final URL expansion, brand and URL controls, and how to test it safely.

Source: https://mentionx.ai/learn/google-ads/google-ads-ai-max-for-search  
Author: Dipuck Jones, founder of MentionX  
Updated: 4 November 2026  
Level: Practitioner

**AI Max is a switch inside Search campaigns that lets Google match more queries, write ad text from your site and choose landing pages, so treat it as a test with controls, not a default.** It is on by default for new Search campaigns.

> **Key takeaways**
>
> - Three features: search term matching, text customisation and final URL expansion.
> - It needs conversion or value-based Smart Bidding, and Google says it won't be effective if the campaign is limited by budget.
> - Controls: URL exclusions (campaign), URL inclusions (ad group), brand inclusions and exclusions, locations of interest and text guidelines.
> - Pins are not respected with text customisation plus final URL expansion, or with URL inclusions.
> - AI Max experiments split traffic inside one campaign, so you get cleaner tests faster.

*Checked 4 November 2026 (CET) against Google Ads Help and Google developer documentation. Google Ads menus, defaults and rollouts change often, so confirm in your own account. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.*

## What do the three features do?

| Feature | What it does | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Search term matching | Matches queries beyond your keywords, using your keywords, ads and site | Campaign, with an ad group toggle |
| Text customisation | Writes headlines and descriptions from your landing pages and ads | Campaign |
| Final URL expansion | Sends the click to the most relevant page on your site | Campaign; needs text customisation |

Google says AI Max is an evolution of DSA and of final URL expansion in Performance Max, and there is an upgrade path from DSA campaigns.

## Which controls should you set?

- **URL exclusions** (campaign level) for careers, login, support, legal and blog pages you don't want as landing pages. They require text customisation and final URL expansion to be on.
- **URL inclusions** (ad group level) to restrict or add landing pages. Pins are not used when these are set.
- **Brand inclusions and exclusions** at campaign and ad group level. Use inclusions on a brand campaign; exclusions on non-brand.
- **Locations of interest** at ad group level, for people searching about a place.
- **Text guidelines**: term exclusions and messaging restrictions for generated text.

## How does AI Max interact with Performance Max?

If a query could match both, Google says the one with the higher Ad Rank serves, the same as broad match versus Performance Max. Exact match keywords identical to the query still take priority (lesson 7).

## How do you test it?

Use an **AI Max experiment** from the Experiments page: it splits traffic within your existing campaign (control without AI Max, trial with it) rather than copying the campaign. Google lists faster results, fewer setup errors and a shorter learning period as benefits. Set the success metric before you start: cost per qualified lead, not raw conversions.

> **Pro move:** after a week, filter the search terms report to AI Max match types and check the landing page column. If generated traffic lands on blog posts or careers pages, add URL exclusions before judging performance.

*Our view:* AI Max suits accounts with strong conversion data and a site full of good, specific landing pages. If your conversion data is weak, fix lessons 3 and 4 first.

One caution: Google's FAQ says turning AI Max off disables all its features, including brand exclusions set within it, and that AI Max support in the API and Editor was still limited when written. Check before bulk changes.

## Is your account ready for AI Max?

| Check | Ready | Not ready |
|---|---|---|
| Bid strategy | Conversion or value-based Smart Bidding | Manual CPC or Maximise clicks |
| Conversions | Primary actions are real outcomes (lessons 3-4) | Primary actions include low-value events |
| Budget | Campaign isn't limited by budget | Limited by budget |
| Landing pages | Specific pages for each offer | One generic page, or a site full of thin pages |
| Negatives | Account and shared lists maintained | No negatives |
| Brand | Brand exclusions or a separate brand campaign | Brand and non-brand mixed |

If two or more rows are "not ready", fix those first.

## How do you turn it on, step by step?

1. Open the Search campaign and go to **Settings → AI Max**.
2. Turn on AI Max. Search term matching and text customisation are part of it; decide whether to keep final URL expansion on.
3. Add **URL exclusions** for pages that should never be landing pages: careers, login, support, legal, and blog posts if they don't convert.
4. Set **brand exclusions** for non-brand campaigns, or brand inclusions for a brand campaign.
5. Add **text guidelines**: term exclusions and messaging restrictions.
6. Review ad groups: switch off search term matching for any ad group that must stay keyword-only.
7. Better: start with an AI Max experiment (below) instead of switching on for the whole campaign.

## How do you review AI Max traffic?

In the search terms report, AI Max adds columns that show the source of the match and the landing page used. Each week for the first month:

- Filter to AI Max matches and sort by cost.
- Check landing pages: anything unexpected becomes a URL exclusion.
- Check generated headlines in the asset report; remove poor ones.
- Add new negatives as needed.

## What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?

| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic lands on blog posts | Final URL expansion with no exclusions | Add URL exclusions or URL inclusions at ad group level |
| Generated text makes claims you can't support | No text guidelines | Add term exclusions and messaging restrictions |
| Brand traffic in non-brand campaign | Missing brand exclusions | Add brand lists |
| Pins ignored | Text customisation plus final URL expansion, or URL inclusions, are on | Expected; turn off final URL expansion for that campaign if pins are essential |
| Costs up, conversions flat | Weak conversion data or a budget limit | Revisit lessons 3, 4 and 12; end the experiment |

## Edge cases to know

- **Dynamic Search Ads.** Google describes AI Max as an evolution of DSA, with an upgrade path. Test before retiring DSA campaigns.
- **Turning it off.** Google's FAQ says turning off AI Max disables all its features, including brand settings made within it. Re-check brand controls after switching off.
- **Ads in AI Overviews.** AI Max with search term matching is eligible for contextual matching in AI Overviews and AI Mode (lesson 15).

## Practitioner hacks for AI Max

- **Set URL exclusions before launch**, not after the first bad week.
- **Keep a short list of banned claims** in text guidelines and share it with legal.
- **Review generated headlines weekly in the first month.**
- **Compare against a control**, not against last month: seasonality and other changes muddy before-and-after comparisons.

## A 30-minute audit for this lesson

1. List Search campaigns and their bid strategies.
2. Check which are limited by budget.
3. List pages you would never want as landing pages.
4. Draft text guidelines.
5. Pick one campaign for an AI Max experiment.

## Key terms

| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Search term matching | AI Max matching beyond your keywords |
| Text customisation | AI Max-generated headlines and descriptions |
| Final URL expansion | AI Max choosing the landing page |
| URL inclusions | Ad group setting limiting or adding landing pages |
| Text guidelines | Term exclusions and messaging restrictions for generated text |

## Worked example: Ledgerline's AI Max test

*Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable software company. Details and numbers are illustrative.*

Ledgerline's non-brand Search campaign had steady demo volume and was not limited by budget, so it qualified for a test. The team set URL exclusions for /careers, /blog and /support, added a brand exclusion for its own brand and a text guideline banning "free", then ran a 50/50 AI Max experiment for six weeks judged on sales-qualified leads.

### Walkthrough: Ledgerline's experiment setup

1. Checked readiness: Target CPA bidding on the sales-qualified opportunity, not limited by budget, negatives in place, a separate brand campaign. Ready.
2. Created an AI Max experiment on the non-brand campaign from the Experiments page, splitting traffic within the campaign.
3. Set URL exclusions for /careers, /blog, /support and /legal, and a brand exclusion for Ledgerline's own brand.
4. Added text guidelines banning "free forever" and any claim about savings amounts the team couldn't prove.
5. Reviewed AI Max search terms weekly. In week two, several matched searches about personal budgeting apps; the team added "personal" and "budget app" as negatives.
6. After six weeks, judged the result on cost per sales-qualified opportunity against the control, using the decision rule written before the test (lesson 18).

## Try it yourself

1. Score your best non-brand Search campaign against the readiness table.
2. List the URLs you would exclude.
3. Write three text guidelines for terms or claims generated text must never use.
4. Draft an experiment plan: campaign, split, metric, decision rule, duration.

## Quick quiz

**1. Which bid strategies does AI Max need?**

*Answer:* Conversion or value-based Smart Bidding.

**2. When are pins not respected with AI Max?**

*Answer:* When text customisation and final URL expansion are both on, or when URL inclusions are set.

**3. What happens to brand settings made in AI Max if you turn it off?**

*Answer:* Google says turning off AI Max disables all its features, including those brand settings.

## What should you check before the next lesson?

- Check which Search campaigns have AI Max on and whether that was a decision.
- Add URL exclusions for pages that should never be landing pages.
- Set brand controls on brand and non-brand campaigns.
- Plan an AI Max experiment with a qualified-lead success metric.

Next: [Smart Bidding: learning, seasonality and data exclusions](https://mentionx.ai/learn/google-ads/google-ads-smart-bidding-learning-adjustments). Or return to the [Google Ads for Marketers track](https://mentionx.ai/learn/google-ads/google-ads-for-marketers).

## Common questions

**What is AI Max for Search?** It is a set of features inside Search campaigns: search term matching, text customisation and final URL expansion. Google describes it as an evolution of Dynamic Search Ads.

**Does AI Max respect negative keywords?** Yes. Google's FAQ says negatives are respected with AI Max on.

**Can I use AI Max with manual CPC?** You can, but Google says search term matching does not work with manual CPC. Use a conversion or value-based Smart Bidding strategy.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help, [How AI Max for Search campaigns works](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15910187)
- Google Ads Help, [Set up AI Max for Search campaigns](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15909989)
- Google Ads Help, [Frequently asked questions about AI Max for Search campaigns](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15913066)
- Google Ads Help, [About AI Max experiments](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16450159)
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is AI Max for Search?

It is a set of features inside Search campaigns: search term matching, text customisation and final URL expansion. Google describes it as an evolution of Dynamic Search Ads.

### Does AI Max respect negative keywords?

Yes. Google's FAQ says negatives are respected with AI Max on.

### Can I use AI Max with manual CPC?

You can, but Google says search term matching does not work with manual CPC. Use a conversion or value-based Smart Bidding strategy.

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Written and reviewed by Dipuck Jones for MentionX Learn. The HTML version of this page: https://mentionx.ai/learn/google-ads/google-ads-ai-max-for-search