Whoever didn’t read Google’s notices may have Search campaigns already migrated to AI Max. This 30-minute checklist confirms it: where to see the status, which features are on, how to compare before and after, which search terms to review, which controls to configure and what to record. Without promising gains: the aim is to know what changed and decide with data.
Minutes 0 to 5: account status
Open Google Ads and go to each Search campaign. Look for the AI Max option in the campaign settings and note: active or not, and which features (search term matching, text customisation, final URL expansion). Also note the match type and whether Automatically Created Assets are on.
If the account has many campaigns, start with those spending most. A sheet with one row per campaign, with these columns, gives you the initial picture in a few minutes. Don’t change anything yet.
Minutes 5 to 10: change history
In the account’s change history, filter by campaign and by date from 1 September. Look for changes of campaign type, match settings and automatically created assets. Note when migration occurred in each campaign.
If you find changes nobody on the team made, it’s confirmation that automatic migration acted. This date is the reference for the next comparison. If you find no changes, it’s possible the campaign isn’t yet eligible or hasn’t yet been migrated.
30-minute AI Max checklist
- 0 to 5 min: status of each Search campaign
- 5 to 10 min: change history and date
- 10 to 15 min: before-and-after comparison
- 15 to 22 min: search terms and negatives
- 22 to 30 min: controls, text and record
Minutes 10 to 15: before and after
Compare, for each migrated campaign, the three weeks before and the three weeks after the date: impressions, clicks, CTR, cost per click, conversions, cost per result and value. Avoid comparing with periods of different seasonality.
Google recommends waiting one to two conversion cycles before assessing bidding changes, and the logic applies here too. If migration was recent, the data may be unstable. Record the numbers and repeat the analysis in two weeks.
Minutes 15 to 22: search terms
Open the search terms report for the last 30 days of each migrated campaign. Sort by cost. Mark irrelevant terms (informational, jobs, free, competitors, outside area) and add them as negatives. See how much spend goes to terms that didn’t appear before.
With search term matching on, the report changes profile: new terms appear. It may be good (you discovered demand you didn’t cover) or bad (spend on searches without intent). Only reading says which.
Choosing when to migrate beats discovering you already were.
Minutes 22 to 27: controls and text
Configure the available controls: brands to exclude or include, locations (and whether you want people “present” or also “interested” in the area), text guidelines (tone and forbidden words). Look at ads generated with text customisation and check whether any is unacceptable.
If final URL expansion is on, see which pages traffic reaches and whether all have correct information. If something worries you, turn the feature off in that campaign and record why.
Minutes 27 to 30: record and decide
Write in a sheet: migrated campaigns, date, active features, before-and-after comparison, negatives added, controls set, decisions (keep, test, turn off) and review date. Share with whoever runs the account.
If you want to test rigorously, use Google Ads experiments to compare with and without AI Max in the same campaign, with the same budget and period. It’s the fairest way to know whether AI Max improves your cost per result.
What to do if it wasn't migrated
If your campaigns weren’t migrated, it may be because they aren’t eligible (for example, they don’t use campaign-level broad match or ACA), or because migration hasn’t reached them yet. Google’s blog mentions a phase 1 of voluntary upgrade, with banners in the interface, and migration of DSA in February 2027.
Use time to your advantage: plan an experiment test, write text guidelines and brand controls, and decide when to migrate, instead of being migrated.
A status sheet template for AI Max
Suggested columns: campaign, monthly spend, AI Max (yes/no), term matching (yes/no), text customisation (yes/no), URL expansion (yes/no), migration date, cost per result before, cost per result after, negatives added, controls set, decision and review date. One row per campaign.
This sheet takes little time to fill in and is very useful in meetings: in two minutes, it shows the client or management what changed and what was decided. It also protects the account if you change manager: whoever arrives understands the history at once.
Common mistakes in this check
Comparing periods with different seasonality; concluding with a few days of data; ignoring change history; forgetting small campaigns that add up to a lot; and not recording the decision. Another mistake is reacting only to cost per click, which may rise or fall without cost per result changing.
What matters is the business result: enquiries, sales, margin. Use clicks and impressions only to understand what changed, not to decide.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I see if I have AI Max?
In the Search campaign settings, in the AI Max section, and in the account’s change history. The interface may change; confirm in Google Ads Help.
How long does the analysis take?
About 30 minutes per small account for the initial picture. Comparison with and without AI Max needs weeks of data.
And if results improved?
Great, but confirm the increase doesn’t come from irrelevant terms or weak conversions. Measure real cost per result.