Recent Google Ads Updates You Need to Know

In a digital ecosystem where attention spans are shrinking and algorithms decide what gets seen, maintaining visibility has never been more critical. 

As Google continues to reshape its search experience, advertisers are being pushed to rethink how they connect with audiences. 

Google Ads are at the center of this shift. Powered byLaced with the latest AI-powered capabilities, the platform offers advanced tools to reach high-intent audiences more precisely. 

Through 2025 and into 2026, Google Ads has rolled out a wave of new features that make advertising even more predictive, intelligent, and competitive. Whether it is smarter automation, new audience targeting options, or creative formats, the changes are creating a more dynamic search environment. 

In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the key Google Ads updates for 2025 and 2026 and their impact on campaign performance to help you get the best results. 

July 2026 Updates

1. Bid Target Adjustment Tool Rollout

Ahead of a major bidding system change landing August 17, 2026, Google released the Bid Target Adjustment Tool on July 6 to help advertisers prepare.

The tool addresses a specific problem: campaigns limited by budget and using target-based bidding, like Target CPA or Target ROAS, have historically overachieved their targets. That inconsistency ends after August 17, when performance will shift to align more closely with your stated target.

If your Target CPA is set at $10 but you’re actually achieving $5, expect performance to drift toward $10 unless you act. The tool lets you review historical performance and apply an updated target directly, or switch to Maximize Conversions if a fixed target no longer fits.

Review your budget-limited campaigns before the August cutoff.

2. AI Transparency & Synthetic Content Labeling

As generative AI becomes standard in ad creation, Google introduced new transparency tools so people can tell when AI played a role.

A “How this ad was made” panel is rolling out globally inside My Ad Center (accessible through the three-dot menu on ads across Search, YouTube, and Discover). It shows whether an ad was created or edited with AI.

This builds on Google’s existing SynthID work and positions advertisers ahead of tightening global disclosure requirements. Treat this as a compliance update, not an optional one.

3. Terms of Service Update

Google updated its Ads Terms of Service, effective July 1, 2026. The changes formalize how advertiser inputs can be used to improve AI-powered features.

Information entered into conversational tools (along with approved URLs and accounts used for automated campaign setup) may help improve Google Ads performance. Google also reiterates that advertisers remain responsible for reviewing and approving AI-generated outputs.

For U.S. advertisers, the update also introduces batch arbitration to streamline similar legal claims. If your legal or compliance team hasn’t reviewed the new terms, now is the time.

June 2026 Updates

4. Expansion of the Limited Ad Serving Policy 

Brand impersonation and spoofing remain persistent problems on Search. Google expanded its Limited Ad Serving policy to address more of these scenarios.

The update covers new advertiser accounts and unverified advertisers more broadly, with rollout happening gradually through 2028. Google places significant weight on user reports. Repeated complaints about an advertiser’s content or behavior can limit ad impressions. The same can happen when branding is unclear, especially if ads mention another brand without explaining the relationship.

Keep your branding clear and consistent. Placing your domain at the beginning of the ad title is one of the simplest ways to strengthen brand recognition and maintain eligibility.

5. 37-Month Data Retention Policy

Historical reporting just got a hard expiration date. Since June 1, 2026, Google Ads has limited hourly, daily, and weekly performance data to a 37-month retention window, after which it becomes inaccessible through both the interface and the API.

• Monthly, quarterly, and annual aggregate data survives much longer (available for 11 years).
• Reach and frequency metrics, including unique users and impression frequency distributions, follow a shorter 3-year window.

If your team relies on granular historical data for year-over-year analysis or audits, export what you need now. There’s no recovery option once the window closes.

April 2026 Updates

6. Merchant API Transition

Google replaced the legacy Content API for Shopping with the Merchant API, available in Google Ads scripts starting April 22. The new modular design unlocks capabilities the old API never had:

• Product Studio API for generative AI features
• A dedicated Reviews API
• Expanded data source management for supplemental, local, and regional inventory

The Content API stays active until sunset, but if you run programmatic Shopping feeds, start migrating now.

7. Video Action Campaign Sunset Completion

Google finished migrating Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen in April 2026, closing a transition that began back in April 2025. Legacy campaigns that couldn’t upgrade automatically were rebuilt under Demand Gen guidelines, then paused for advertiser review.

• Advertisers who added both video and image assets saw 20% more conversions at the same cost per action versus video-only setups

Have an unreviewed campaign sitting paused? Check it now, as it won’t spend until you unpause it.

March 2026 Updates

8. Google Ads API v23.2 Rollout 

Advertisers running programmatic or large-scale account management need visibility into how AI is modifying their creative assets. API v23.2, deployed March 25, 2026, addresses part of that.

• VideoEnhancement logs let you track which video assets were AI-altered versus originally provided by a creator.
• AppTopCombinationView gives deeper visibility into top-performing asset combinations within app campaigns.

For teams using the Google Ads API, this is an important update to plan for. It is especially relevant if your workflows rely on creative attribution or transparency reporting. 

February 2026 Updates

9. Deprecation of Call-Only Ads

Call-only ads are being phased out. Since February 2026, new call-only ads can no longer be created. Phone numbers must be added as call assets on standard responsive search ads instead. Existing call-only ads keep running until February 2027, when they’ll stop receiving impressions entirely. If you still rely on Call-Only ads for lead generation, it’s time to migrate. Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with call assets provide the same functionality without affecting verification.

January 2026 Updates

10. Demand Gen Optimization

The January Demand Gen update brought key features into general availability, helping advertisers drive more conversions without sending users off-platform. Shoppable CTV now lets viewers browse and buy directly from YouTube TV ads, delivering 7% more conversions at the same ROI. 

Attributed Branded Searches measure branded search lift across Google and YouTube, while Travel Feeds turn Hotel Center data into dynamic video ads with live pricing and availability. LG Electronics achieved a 24% higher conversion rate than paid social with 91% lower CPA, making Demand Gen a strong channel to benchmark against your social campaigns. 

11. Personalized Advertising Policy Update

Google cleaned up its Personalized Advertising policy on January 7, 2026, focusing on clarity and readability rather than new restrictions.

The update reorganized Google’s guidance for sensitive interest categories and access-to-opportunity categories, including housing, employment, and consumer finance. That makes it easier to check what applies to your campaigns.

No new targeting limitations came with this change. Still, if you haven’t reviewed the policy recently, it’s a good time to confirm your current audience settings actually comply.

December 2025 Updates

12. Agentic Solutions Rollout

Managing campaigns and interpreting analytics both demand time most marketers don’t have. Google rolled out two AI agents to close that gap.

• Ads Advisor lives inside Google Ads and handles campaign optimization, creative generation, performance diagnostics, and policy troubleshooting, all through conversational prompts.
• Analytics Advisor sits inside Google Analytics and answers direct questions about performance, runs key driver analysis on spikes or drops, and recommends next steps based on your data.

If disapprovals or performance dips have been eating into your team’s time, this is worth testing.

October 2025 Updates

13. Account-Level Enhanced Conversions Forced Migration 

Enhanced conversions historically required setup at the individual conversion action level. That created friction for advertisers managing multiple actions.

Google moved to a single account-level configuration, applying settings across all conversion actions automatically.

• Existing conversion actions kept their prior behavior, unless advertisers explicitly opted out
• New conversion actions inherited account-level settings by default
• Advertisers who hadn’t selected a method by October 2025 were automatically migrated, with Google picking a setting based on their existing setup

If you never reviewed your Enhanced Conversions settings during the migration window, it’s worth checking now to confirm what Google selected on your behalf.

14. YouTube Sports Lineups

Sports content drives serious engagement on YouTube, with more than 40 billion hours consumed on the platform annually.

To help advertisers tap into that, Google launched two YouTube Select Lineups in beta:

• College Sports Lineup covers live college football and basketball games on YouTube TV, plus video-on-demand content on YouTube
• YouTube TV Women’s Live Sports Lineup features 100% live game content across collegiate and professional levels

If sports fandom overlaps with your target audience, this is a more targeted alternative to standard YouTube buys.

September 2025 Updates

15. Asset Studio Integration 

Creative production has long been the bottleneck in scaling ad campaigns. Google built Asset Studio directly into Google Ads to fix that.

Powered by the Imagen 4 model, it lets you:

• Generate lifestyle scenes from a single product photo
• Apply bulk edits across up to 100 images at once
• Maintain brand consistency through style references
• Describe the exact scene you want using natural language prompts

For teams juggling constant creative refreshes, this consolidates a process that used to require multiple tools.

August 2025 Updates

16. App Campaign Upgrades

iOS remains one of the toughest environments for app marketers to prove ROI. Google rolled out updates that make it easier to acquire high-value users and measure the results.

• Target ROAS bidding is now available for iOS App campaigns, giving marketers a value-based bidding option instead of relying purely on volume.
• View-through conversion optimization now factors into Android App campaign bidding. It captures users who convert after viewing rather than clicking an ad.

If your iOS campaigns have been stuck optimizing for installs alone, target ROAS is worth testing against your current setup.

May 2025 Updates

17. Ads in AI Overviews & AI Mode

Google now processes over 5 trillion searches annually. AI Overviews are also driving 10% higher usage for eligible queries. Search and Shopping ads in AI Overviews have expanded to desktop users in the U.S., while Google is also testing ads in AI Mode, its conversational search experience. Advertisers using Performance Max, Shopping, Search with broad match, or AI Max for Search are automatically eligible for these placements. No additional setup is required.

18. Search Performance Boosters

Google rolled out AI Max for Search campaigns globally in beta. It’s a one-click suite that layers AI-powered targeting and creative directly onto your existing Search setup.

It works in two parts:

• Search term matching finds relevant queries beyond your current keywords
• Text customization and final URL expansion keep ad content aligned with intent

Early data shows a 14% lift in conversions at similar CPA. That jumps to 27% for advertisers still leaning on exact and phrase match.

Google also expanded placement reporting for the Search Partner Network, adding exclusion lists from DoubleVerify, IAS, and Zefr for tighter brand safety control.

Given the conversion data, this is worth testing, even if you’re skeptical of automation.

19. Smart Bidding Exploration

Bidding strategies often play it safe. They stick to proven query categories and miss adjacent opportunities.

Smart Bidding Exploration addresses that. It lets you set flexible ROAS targets specifically to explore new traffic outside your usual patterns.

For advertisers who feel their query diversity has plateaued, this is a low-risk way to test expansion. No need to overhaul your core bidding structure.

20. YouTube Expansion

YouTube used its 20th anniversary at Brandcast 2025 to lean further into commerce and live culture. The push is backed by data showing YouTube delivers 4.5X higher ROAS than other streaming TV platforms.

The update brings three new formats:

• Shoppable Connected TV lets viewers browse and engage with products directly from the big screen. It closes the gap between discovery and purchase.
• Immersive Masthead brings an edge-to-edge canvas design to the YouTube homepage on CTV. This gives brands significantly more visual real estate.
• Cultural Moments Sponsorships bundles high-share-of-voice placements and brand integrations around moments audiences already care about.

These updates matter most for brands still treating YouTube as a supplementary channel.

21. Measurement Updates to Enhance First-Party Data Strategies

Google Ads introduced four new ways to improve app campaign reporting and first-party data strategies: 

Google Tag Gateway for Advertisers

A new server-side tagging option lets you serve tags from your own domain. You can enable this from the Google Tag interface. It includes confidential computing technology by default for enhanced security and data privacy. 

New Measurement and Data Source Diagnostics  

Advertisers can now access diagnostics across Google ad solutions to ensure their first-party data setup is accurate. This helps optimize AI models and adapt to evolving customer behavior.

On-Device Conversion Measurement Using Event Data  

Google is expanding its on-device measurement to support deidentified app event data. This will help optimize iOS App campaigns and reporting while maintaining user privacy.

Integrated Conversion Measurement for App Campaigns

Paired with on-device tracking, this solution enables real-time, comprehensive reporting through third-party App Attribution Partners. It empowers marketers to make faster, data-driven decisions.

22. Campaign-Level Device Targeting Comes to Performance Max 

You can now control device targeting directly within Performance Max campaigns. The new setting allows you to choose specific device types such as computers, mobile phones, tablets, and TV screens (applicable to Display and Video placements). This added flexibility offers better insight and control over where your ads appear. 

23. Generative AI for 3D Product Visuals in eCommerce 

Google has launched new AI technology that transforms 2D product photos into immersive 3D experiences. With just three images, businesses can generate detailed 3D visualizations. Key innovations in this space include Neural Radiance Fields enabling full 360° product views, a view-conditioned diffusion model to improve rendering accuracy, and the advanced Veo model for smooth 360° spins.

April 2025 Updates

24. Updates to Ads Transparency Policy

In May 2025, Google began displaying the payer’s name in My Ad Center and the Ads Transparency Center. This now reflects the payment profile name if it differs from the verified advertiser name. For agencies, the client’s payment profile is used instead.

Agencies that were incorrectly verified as direct advertisers had until May 31, 2025, to complete re-verification. Since June 2025, advertisers have been able to edit their payer name via the advertiser verification page. New accounts now default to the payment profile name unless changed during the verification process.

25. Updates to Improve Campaign Data Quality

Google Analytics enhanced data accuracy and reliability to help advertisers effectively measure and improve ad performance. Here’s how:

Smarter Attribution When Google Click Identifiers Are Missing

• Aggregate identifiers are now used when campaign information from Google Ads can’t be automatically retrieved.
• Fallback mechanisms like UTMs (specifically utm_campaign) ensure campaign data is still captured and not misclassified as Organic traffic.

Clearer Reporting With New Data Labels

• Data not available: Shown when source/medium data hasn’t been processed yet.
• (not set): Appears when campaign parameters are missing or improperly configured, like unlinked Google Ads accounts or manual tagging issues.

Deeper Insights to Proactively Address Issues

• Data quality indicator: Flags problems like missing session_start events to provide insight into tracking issues that could impact ad reporting.
• System-generated annotations: Appear in reports to explain changes (such as product updates or data collection shifts) that may affect your Google Ads metrics.

March 2025 Updates

26. Google Display Ads Updates 

Google Display Ads released several updates to help advertisers reach new audiences and drive better results. These include: 

Demand Gen Meets Display

The Google Display Network is now available within Demand Gen campaigns. As per reports, advertisers using this combination have seen a 16% increase in their conversions.

Smarter, Scalable Creative With AI

Google AI, with its latest Imagen 3 model, now enables enhanced image generation. This lets advertisers produce high-quality visuals tailored for performance. A new asset preview gallery also streamlines the review and approval process for teams.

Broader Inventory Access

Google Display Ads have expanded into more content categories, covering news, sports, social platforms, and gaming. New Connected TV (CTV) placements have also rolled out across top publishers like FOX News, TelevisaUnivision, and MLB.

Stronger Controls and Creative Standards

New creative templates promote consistency across formats, while enhanced inventory verification elevates the quality of ad placements. Additionally, the updated traffic quality measures provide increased protection for your campaigns.

27. Video Action Campaign Upgraded to Demand Gen

Google Ads began its move to Demand Gen by phasing out Discovery campaigns. Now, that transition continues with Video Action Campaigns (VAC). From April 2025, new Video Action Campaigns can no longer be created, and from July 2025, existing ones will be automatically upgraded.

Demand Gen builds on VACs by extending reach beyond YouTube to Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network. It also supports more ad formats, including image and carousel ads. Here are its key upgrades: 

• Creative A/B testing across formats
• AI-generated image assets
• Lookalike targeting using first-party data
• Flexible location/language settings at the ad group level
• Advanced format-level reporting

February 2025 Updates

28. Creative Updates for Lifestyle Imagery 

Creating compelling assets at scale just got easier with this Google Ads update. It offers a suite of AI-driven features designed to simplify creative development. It lets you: 

• Generate lifestyle imagery that includes people using simple text prompts
• Get personalized asset recommendations aligned with your top-performing audience segments
• Access auto-suggested visuals powered by generative AI to quickly update or refresh your creatives
• Evaluate creative impact with new testing options in feed-only Performance Max campaigns

29. AI-Powered Search Ads With Greater Asset Flexibility 

Navigating the evolving digital marketplace means your ad assets need to be as flexible as your audience’s needs. Google enhanced Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to let AI dynamically assemble and repurpose your headlines and descriptions. This means: 

• Your existing assets can now work across multiple placements.
• Up to two RSA headlines can appear as additional links within your ad, leading to the same final URL.
• AI determines the optimal arrangement or omission of content for each query and user.

Note that your pinned assets remain intact while other content is tested and optimized in real time for best performance.

January 2025 Updates

30. Negative Keywords in Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max campaigns now offer greater control with the ability to add negative keywords at both the campaign and account levels. This helps ensure your ads avoid showing up for irrelevant or low-intent queries across Search and Shopping inventory. 

It also accounts for common misspellings in the keywords to filter queries without listing every variation. This brings much-needed precision to campaign targeting to reduce wasted spend and stay in control of where your ads appear.

31. Display and Video 360

Display & Video 360 is stepped up with tools to help advertisers reach audiences while respecting user privacy. At the core of this update is PAIR (Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation), which is now an industry standard for responsible data usage. PAIR lets you connect your first-party data with top publishers and offers better personalization without data pooling.

Beyond PAIR, Google also integrated more signals like Customer Match, PPID, and BigQuery into DV360 for comprehensive audience understanding. Additionally, Google AI is driving automation and optimized targeting that help advertisers get up to 60% lower CPAs.

32. Demand Gen Enhancements to Drive Performance

As consumer journeys grow more visual and exploratory, advertisers need to reach audiences where they discover, browse, and connect. Demand Gen campaigns are designed for this. They help you tap into high-intent moments across YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Display with AI-driven creative and targeting.

Enhancements from this update included:

• Expanded channel controls to precisely choose where ads appear, including Shorts
• New creative tools like vertical image ads and AI-generated video variations
• Retail-focused upgrades with product feeds and real-time local inventory visibility
• Enhanced reporting to compare Demand Gen with paid social and other Google campaigns

33. Performance Max Updates

Performance Max campaigns give you reach across new ad places, such as Google’s Discovery feed, to better target prospects and boost conversions. In 2025, the focus was on giving advertisers more control, transparency, and performance lift through AI. 

Performance Max introduced new features like high-value customer acquisition goals, brand and demographic exclusions, and device targeting to help fine-tune ad campaigns with greater precision.

Enhanced search reporting is another key update. It includes search term insights that show how your search themes are contributing to campaign reach. The search theme limit has been increased from 25 to 50 per asset group. 

Additionally, asset group segmentation and downloadable reports provide a clearer view of ad performance. 

Everything In A Nutshell

The latest Google Ads updates from 2025 and 2026 bring greater transparency, control, and AI-driven automation to your ad campaigns.

Performance Max is now easier to manage, Demand Gen campaigns are more powerful, AI is showing up directly inside AI Overviews and AI Mode, and account management now comes with agentic tools built to save your team time.

To stay ahead, it’s important to test and incorporate these updates into your strategy.

As your trusted Google Ads agency, we’ll continue to monitor the changes and keep you informed of new developments. So, bookmark this post to revisit later.