In 2026 Google is pushing a new thing hard: AI Max for Search. The promises are tempting — more conversions, less manual work, one click and AI does the rest. But is it worth it, or is it another “magic button” that burns budget? Let’s look honestly at what AI Max is, what it really does and why we don’t switch it on for clients automatically.
In short: AI Max isn’t a new campaign type, but an AI layer on top of a regular search campaign (search themes, URL expansion, AI text). Google promises on average ~14% more conversions, but those are its own numbers. The main danger: many features are on by default, and Google switches them on via recommendations — URL expansion sends traffic to any of your pages unless you turn it off. AI Max can only help on a well set-up account. On a bad foundation it burns budget faster.
What is AI Max for Search?
AI Max is not a new campaign type. It’s a set of AI features Google layers on top of your existing search campaign. Three main parts:
- Search themes — automatically widens which searches your ad appears for, beyond your keywords.
- URL expansion — Google itself chooses which of your pages to send traffic to.
- AI text — the machine generates headlines and descriptions.
Put simply: AI Max brings Performance Max-style automation into a regular search campaign. As of April 2026 it’s out of beta and rolling out to everyone, and in September Dynamic Search Ads and broad match campaigns move to AI Max automatically.
What Google promises
Google’s message is simple: switch it on and get more. By its own data, AI Max delivers on average about 14% more conversions at a similar CPA/ROAS, and more on older exact/phrase accounts.
But here it’s important to understand: these are Google’s internal numbers, not an independent study. An average says nothing about your specific account. And “on average more conversions” doesn’t mean “more profit for you” if you don’t control where the money goes.
Why it can burn budget
Here’s AI Max’s most dangerous spot, and it’s little talked about. Many features are on by default when you create a new search campaign — and existing accounts Google moves to AI Max via recommendations and auto-apply.
The clearest example: URL expansion is on by default. If you don’t turn it off and set exclusions, AI Max will send traffic to any indexable page on your domain — even ones not meant for sales. Imagine paying for a click that lands on an old news post in your blog.
The controls exist — brand, geo, exclusion lists, rejecting AI text. But they’re all opt-in. You have to find them, set them up and monitor them every day. Google won’t do it for you. It’s exactly this daily work that distinguishes a managed account from an abandoned one.
AI assumes — and takes what you have
Here’s the deepest problem with AI automation. AI assumes how your business runs and what to show — and takes as raw material exactly what’s on your site. It doesn’t check whether that information is good. If the site has outdated, inaccurate or simply badly written content, AI builds ads on top of it — without knowing there’s a mistake. Garbage in, garbage out.
That’s exactly why AI is good not at the start, but when everything is already in order — a clean site, correct information, a proper structure. On a good foundation AI amplifies the good. On a bad one it amplifies the bad, just faster and wider.
Think of it this way: handing your ads to AI without control is the same as handing your ads to the first passerby on the street. They might be an expert — or completely incompetent. You simply don’t know, and you make your budget depend on what the machine randomly picks up from your site.
Why we don’t switch it on automatically
Let’s be honest. No serious agency will just switch this feature on — because it’s largely uncontrolled. And here it’s worth recalling one thing that hardly anyone but us talks about: Google is a business. Its goal isn’t for you to spend less and earn more — its goal is to take the maximum from the client. AI Max and “recommendations” work first and foremost for Google’s pocket, not yours.
So treat Google’s recommendations carefully. In our experience about 90% of these recommendations are simply budget burning — and precisely because the ads were set up incorrectly beforehand. Google offers “fix now”, but in reality this just amplifies the effect of a bad setup. A recommendation should always be reviewed, not blindly “applied”.
And let’s be completely direct about what AI Max without control really does: it just takes and scales your ads to everyone — anywhere and to anyone. It’s a feature for the lazy, so that AI does everything for them. And “AI does it” here means “Google does it” — that is, takes the maximum from your budget, like a casino. The house always wins if you’re not watching the game.
So when is AI Max worth it?
AI Max isn’t evil in itself. Used correctly it can help — but only in the right order:
- Foundation first — proper conversion tracking, a clean account structure, the right keyword match types.
- Then control — brand and geo limits, URL exclusions, reviewing AI text.
- Only then automation — and even that while testing and monitoring, not in one click.
It’s the same logic as with smart bidding: AI is a tool that works well when it’s given a clean foundation and clear boundaries. Without them, the “magic button” is just a faster way to lose money.
The honest verdict
AI Max is powerful, but it’s not a free lunch. It’s an automation layer that works only on a sound foundation and with strict control. Google’s promises are based on its own data and serve its business; default-on features and “recommendations” can quietly scatter your budget. So: foundation first, automation later — and every recommendation reviewed, not blindly applied.
And the simplest advice: don’t overcomplicate it and don’t try to go through it all yourself. Turn straight to those who’ve already gone far down this path. It saves you both time and money — because they’ve already made those mistakes and learned from them, and there’s no need to do it again on your budget.
If you want someone to set up your account properly and decide on AI Max consciously — in your favour, not for Google’s revenue — get in touch. As part of Google Ads management we decide on every automation and recommendation based on your numbers, not on Google’s button.