Google changed two of its biggest ad products in opposite directions in 2026. Performance Max became more transparent. AI Max for Search, which exited beta on April 15, gave the system more freedom over which queries and ad copy to use. Advertisers got more visibility in one place and handed over more decisions in the other.
What Performance Max now shows. Reporting now breaks results out by channel (Search, Search Partners, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, and Maps) instead of a single lumped cross-network line. Campaign-level negative keywords are supported, and video performance metrics are more detailed. For anyone who spent two years unable to say where Performance Max spend actually went, that is a substantial improvement.
What AI Max changes in Search. It expands query matching beyond traditional broad match, generates ad copy variations drawn from site content and existing assets, and can expand final URLs. Google added brand exclusions and URL restrictions as controls. Features began rolling out to Standard Shopping campaigns in July, including text customization, final URL expansion, and optimal format selection.
What the numbers say. Advertisers who enable AI Max report an average 5 percent increase in conversions at a similar ROAS or CPA, according to figures summarized in several 2026 update roundups. That is a modest lift, and an average hides wide variation between accounts. Several roundups repeat the same figure, which may trace back to Google’s own reporting, so a controlled test inside your own account is more reliable than the headline.
A pattern worth noticing. Google has tended to widen automation first and add advertiser controls afterward. Performance Max launched with little visibility and gained reporting and negative keywords later. AI Max launched with broad automation and added brand exclusions and URL restrictions. If that pattern holds, advertisers who run holdout tests early will know more about the product than those who wait for the control panel to catch up.
Sources referenced in reporting: Momentum, Google Ads Changes in 2026, Benly, Performance Max 2026 Updates, Miraflow, Google Ads AI Max Reporting Changes, Groas, Google Ads Updates 2026.