According to PPC News Feed, on 21 October 2026 Google confirmed AI Mode will show ads based on search context and user interests, even for users who connected their apps to AI Mode (Personal Intelligence), excluding direct Gmail and Google Photos data; before, those users saw no ads. On 20 October it was observed that Shopping ads in AI Mode began showing promotions (for example “buy 4, save 20 dollars”). The sources don’t indicate markets. For the EU, Search Engine Roundtable had recorded that Google had no announced plans for AI Mode ads.
What was reported about Personal Intelligence
PPC News Feed describes Personal Intelligence as the setup in which users connect their apps to AI Mode. According to the report, Google confirmed AI Mode will show ads based on query context and user interests, and that direct Gmail and Google Photos data are excluded. Before, AI Mode was ad-free for these users. The report comes from a share by Barry Schwartz, of Search Engine Roundtable.
The report describes it as a test and doesn’t indicate where it runs.
Offers in AI Mode Shopping ads
On 20 October, PPC News Feed recorded that Google began showing promotions in Shopping ads in AI Mode, for example “buy 4, save 20 dollars”, alongside product information. Before, these ads showed only image, price and brand. The user can click an offer to see more details in a pop-up. This feature already existed in traditional Shopping results.
The observation was shared by a Google Ads freelancer. The source doesn’t indicate markets, requirements or where offers are created.
Ads in AI Mode: October news
What was reported
- Ads by context and interests, even with Personal Intelligence
- No direct Gmail and Google Photos data
- Offers in Shopping ads in AI Mode
What isn't known
- Markets and availability in Portugal
- Requirements and where offers are created
- Rollout and test duration
And in Europe? What was known
Search Engine Roundtable had recorded that AI Mode launched in Europe, that ads in AI Mode were only in test in the US and that Google said it had no announced plans for the EU. PPC News Feed recorded ads in AI Overviews in 12 countries, without confirmation of EU countries. The 20 and 21 October news doesn’t, by itself, change this picture.
So don’t assume these formats reach Portugal. Check with Google and follow.
Privacy and trust: the underlying question
Showing ads to those who connected their apps to an assistant raises a trust question. Google says it doesn’t use direct Gmail or Google Photos data for ads. The report notes that sensitive categories “remain unexploited”, without explaining what that covers, and that advertisers have no access to connected app data.
For an advertiser, the practical question is reputation: appearing in a context where the user trusts the assistant demands even more care with message and honesty.
Formats change week by week. Feed, honest offers and pages that convert serve them all.
What it means for those buying ads
AI Mode changes the results page and the ways of advertising. For the advertiser, what’s under control is the essential: good feed and product data, clear and honest offers, true texts and pages that convert. These assets work in Search, Shopping and, if it comes, in AI Mode.
Don’t buy “AI Mode packages” from anyone promising positions. Formats change week by week.
Offers: complying with the reference price rule
If promotions begin to appear in AI Mode Shopping ads, and if they reach Portugal, reference price rules apply: the discount must start from the lowest price of the previous 30 days, according to DECO PROteste. Ensure feed and page offers comply with the rule and that start and end dates are correct.
A wrong offer in an AI environment can be multiplied quickly.
A monitoring plan
Create a log of AI search novelties: date, source, what it is, market, confidence (confirmed, observed, rumour) and action. Review once a month. Ask the Google representative when a format is available in your market. Meanwhile, improve feed, offers, pages and measurement.
Investment decisions only when availability is confirmed and metrics are clear.
Questions for your manager
Do our Shopping ads appear in AI Mode? In which markets? Do our offers comply with the 30-day rule? Who follows these developments and how often? What decisions do we expect to take and by what criterion?
If you want to prepare your shop for ads in AI environments without betting on what hasn’t arrived, I can help build a preparation plan.
Summary in three lines
Google tests ads in AI Mode with Personal Intelligence and offers in Shopping ads, with no markets indicated. For the EU, no plans had been announced. Improve feed, offers and pages, and follow without betting on what hasn’t arrived.
An illustrative offer preparation example
A kitchenware shop prepares a “buy 3, save 10%” offer. It checks that the reference price is the lowest of the previous 30 days, sets start and end, confirms stock and aligns feed and page. The example is hypothetical. If this offer appears in an AI environment, it will be correct, traceable and defensible.
At the end, the shop keeps a screenshot of the offer and feed on launch day.
Frequently asked questions
Are there ads in AI Mode in Portugal?
There is no confirmation. Sources don’t indicate markets and Google had no announced plans for the EU.
Does Google use my Gmail for ads?
According to the report, direct Gmail and Google Photos data are excluded from ad personalisation in AI Mode.
What is Personal Intelligence?
The setup in which the user connects their apps to AI Mode, according to PPC News Feed.
Sources consulted
Keep reading
- Ads in AI Mode in test: three ads instead of two, new designs and site name or URL, what is known and what isn't
- Local SEO and PPC in Portugal: how they complement each other, with the Business Profile, reviews and AI Overviews changing the results page
- Content that answers questions: FAQ, structured data and how to write for people and for AI answers