Ready, Set, Go! Google’s AI Max Moves from Beta to Inevitable.

Google is officially sunsetting Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) and moving those capabilities into AI Max for Search, with automatic upgrades starting in September 2026. For automotive dealership marketing managers, this is not just a product rename—it's a fundamental shift toward intent-based, AI-driven search that will change how you structure, optimize, and report on your Google Ads campaigns.

AI Max Is Replacing Dynamic Search Ads: What Dealers Need to Know

Google announced that AI Max for Search is moving out of beta and that campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets (ACA), and campaign‑level broad match will be automatically upgraded to AI Max starting in September. At that point, you will no longer be able to create new DSA campaigns via the Google Ads UI, Editor, or API.

Google reports that Search campaigns using the full AI Max feature set—search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion—see on average 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS compared to using search term matching alone. Hundreds of thousands of advertisers have already adopted AI Max in beta, and Google expects all eligible legacy campaigns to finish upgrading by the end of September.

Timeline: When DSA Goes Away

Google has outlined a two‑phase roadmap for the transition.

• Now through August: Voluntary upgrades. Google is rolling out upgrade tools so DSA advertisers can port historical settings and data into new standard ad groups powered by AI Max, and ACA/broad‑match users will see in‑platform prompts to upgrade.

• Starting in September 2026: Automatic upgrades. Remaining eligible Search campaigns using DSA, ACA, or campaign‑level broad match will be automatically upgraded to AI Max, and new DSA creation will be disabled in the UI, Editor, and API.

For DSA users, dynamic ad groups will be converted to standard ad groups, with your settings and data mapped into AI Max to preserve performance as much as possible. Google has stated that AI Max will be configured to mirror your legacy setup where it can, and that the auto‑migration is expected to conclude by the end of September.

From DSA to AI Max in Plain English

Dynamic Search Ads have historically used your website content to dynamically generate headlines and choose landing pages based on page relevance, acting as a "catch‑all" to capture queries your keywords missed. That approach relies heavily on landing page data, which becomes limiting as user queries get more conversational and complex in the AI era.

AI Max, by contrast, is a suite of targeting and creative features that combines your existing assets (ads, landing pages, feeds) with broader real‑time intent signals—like search context, user behavior, and geography—to expand beyond traditional keyword matching while trying to keep campaigns under tighter control.

Two core pillars are:

• Search term matching: Uses broad match, asset‑based, and landing‑page‑based technology to expand reach to high‑intent queries you may not be bidding on explicitly.

• Asset optimization: Uses generative AI to customize ad text and final URLs, tailoring creative and landing pages to searcher intent at scale.

In other words, what DSA did using mostly your site content and a few settings, AI Max does with a bigger signal set, more automation, and more granular controls.

Why This Matters Specifically for Automotive Dealers

For dealers, this change is about more than Google renaming a feature—it touches core realities of your business model: inventory volatility, high‑value local leads, and fragmented user journeys across new, used, and fixed‑ops.

• Inventory volatility: AI Max's search term matching and final URL expansion can help connect shoppers to your most relevant SRPs/VDPs even as inventory, trims, and incentives change weekly.

• Complex, long‑tail queries: Shoppers now search more like, "used AWD SUV under 25k near me with third row," which AI Max's intent‑driven matching is designed to capture beyond your exact‑match or phrase‑match keyword lists.

• Fixed ops and service: Final URL expansion can route "oil change near me" or "brake service [city]" queries to the most relevant service pages, not just generic homepage or sales inventory.

At the same time, marketers in Digiday's coverage note that AI Max marks a continued shift from keyword‑based auctions to intent‑based auctions, which changes how you think about brand protection, bidding strategies, and how search interacts with Performance Max. The search game is being rewritten!!

Core AI Max Features, Explained for Dealership Use Cases

Google's AI Max help documentation breaks the feature set into targeting, creative, and control layers. Here's what matters most to dealership marketers.

Search term matching

Search term matching is turned on by default when you enable AI Max and can be controlled at the ad group level. It expands your reach using a combination of broad match and keywordless signals from your assets and landing pages to surface new relevant queries.

For dealers, that means:

• Capturing additional model‑plus‑feature searches (e.g., "2026 Tacoma TRD Pro towing capacity") even if you don't have a perfect keyword.

• Filling gaps where you historically relied on DSA to mop up long‑tail inventory queries and trim‑level combinations.

Text customization (formerly Automatically Created Assets)

Text customization uses content from your existing ads, landing pages, and assets plus generative AI to build more tailored ad headlines and descriptions based on the specific query. It is controlled at the campaign level under "Asset optimization."

For automotive:

• Tailoring messages to intent—e.g., emphasizing OEM incentives for "lease specials," mileage and warranty for "certified pre‑owned," or quick‑lane benefits for service queries.

• Generating ad variants fast for large long‑tail coverage, which historically required manual RSA asset work or relying on DSA copy.

Final URL expansion

Final URL expansion sends traffic to the most relevant URL on your domain, limited to URLs that are query‑relevant and themed to your ad group. It only works when text customization is on, so ad copy can be aligned with the landing page.

For dealerships, this can:

• Push shoppers to specific VDPs, SRPs, specials pages, or service offers that best match their query, without you having to build exhaustive keyword‑to‑URL mapping.

• Unlock new "paths" where generic dealer queries (e.g., "Honda dealer near me") route to the highest‑converting page (like a dynamic specials or new‑inventory hub) based on AI's performance prediction.

It will be critical to pair this with strong URL inclusions/exclusions so AI doesn't send paid traffic to thin or low‑conversion content (e.g., privacy policy, blog posts not intended for PPC).

Locations of interest and brand settings

AI Max adds controls marketers previously relied on keyword sculpting to achieve.

• Locations of interest: Lets you reach customers based on geographic intent (e.g., "Toyota dealer Bellevue" while the user is in Seattle) at the ad group level—even in keywordless matches.

• Brand settings: Brand inclusions and exclusions at campaign and ad group levels let you specify which brands you want to appear for or avoid.

For dealerships, this is critical for:

• Protecting your OEM brand searches from being over‑expanded to generic or competitor‑adjacent terms.

• Managing "near me" queries across overlapping PMAs or group‑store footprints without over‑reliance on exact keywords.

Reporting upgrades

Google is positioning AI Max as more transparent than previous automation layers like Performance Max. In the Help Center, they highlight:

• Search terms report: AI Max gets its own match type label plus a "source" column indicating whether a match was driven by broad match or keywordless expansion.

• Keywords report: New summary rows show total contributions from AI Max to each keyword set.

• Landing pages report: A new "Selected by" column differentiates AI‑selected landing pages from your manually chosen ones.

• Asset report: Shows performance of AI Max assets on KPIs like spend and conversions, not just impressions.

For dealers, this level of reporting is key to maintaining governance over which queries and landing pages drive spend, especially as AI Max sits alongside Performance Max and traditional keyword campaigns.

What Marketers Are Saying: Not Another "Black Box" (But Still Skeptical)

In Digiday's coverage of the rollout, marketers describe AI Max as another step in the automation journey but note that it feels less "black box" than Performance Max due to its additional controls and reporting. Google's product team points to detailed reporting at query, cross‑headline, and cross‑landing‑page levels, as well as advanced controls like geo settings, brand controls, and new text guidelines for creative.

However, practitioners still flag concerns:

• Cannibalization of pure broad‑match campaigns and overlap with Performance Max, making it harder to understand incremental value.

• Potential AI "hallucinations" in ad copy and spend on irrelevant search terms if controls and negatives aren't implemented thoughtfully.

• Increased reliance on modeled conversions and cross‑channel attribution that can inflate or obscure true search performance.

In short, the industry largely sees the migration as inevitable, but smart teams are approaching it with structured testing and clear guardrails rather than blind adoption.

Action Plan for Automotive Dealership Marketing Managers

Here's a practical roadmap you can follow over the next few months.

1. Audit your current DSA, ACA, and broad‑match usage

• Pull an inventory of all campaigns using DSA ad groups, automatically created assets, or campaign‑level broad match settings.

• Identify which campaigns are critical (brand, core model lines, high‑margin used, fixed ops) versus experimental, so you can prioritize where you want to control the migration versus letting Google auto‑upgrade.

2. Stand up controlled AI Max test campaigns now

• Turn AI Max enabled Search campaigns within an existing campaign that performs well instead of creating an all-new campaign. The existing campaign has historical performance behind it which will help optimizations of AI Max.

• Start with one or two key segments—e.g., new vehicle inventory and fixed‑ops—and set clear baseline benchmarks (CPC, CPA, ROAS, form fills, calls, store visits) from your current campaigns.

3. Design your control framework

• Transition a current search campaign to AI Max and use this time to figure out how to best optimize and configure AI Max so that you have a good understanding of AI Max best practices come Sep when all DSA/ACA will have to transition.

• Use account‑level negatives, brand protections, and value‑based bidding to steer AI Max toward the highest‑value inventory and service lines.

4. Configure AI Max features thoughtfully

• Start with search term matching and text customization enabled, and test final URL expansion in more controlled ad groups first (for example, segmented by inventory or service category).

• Configure brand inclusions/exclusions to ensure you're not paying for competitor terms or unwanted cross‑brand matches in multi‑rooftop groups.

• Use URL inclusions/exclusions to keep AI Max focused on revenue‑generating pages (SRPs, VDPs, service offers) and away from low‑intent content.

5. Check tracking templates and avoid 404s

Google warns that AI Max's dynamic landing pages can break if your tracking templates are not compatible with Final URL expansion.

• Review your tracking templates and ensure they use standard {lpurl} patterns such as {lpurl}?, {lpurl}&, {lpurl}#, or {lpurl}

• Avoid static tracking URLs or non‑standard lpurl usage that could send all AI Max traffic to a single tracking domain or cause 404 errors.

For dealerships, this is especially important if you're using third‑party call tracking, inventory management platforms, or vanity domains that wrap landing URLs.

6. Update reporting and attribution expectations

• Educate stakeholders that AI Max may show higher reported conversion rates due to modeled conversions and cross‑channel attribution, similar to what many brands have seen with PMax.

• Build dashboards that segment performance by campaign type (AI Max, traditional Search, PMax) and by intent layer (brand, model, used, service) so you can see where automation is adding value versus eroding control.

How Silverback Can Help Dealers Navigate the AI Max Shift

As Google continues to move from keyword‑based to intent‑based auctions, dealership marketing teams need a partner and a framework—not just another toggle turned on. Silverback can support:

• Inventory‑aware structure: Designing AI Max ad group and URL inclusion strategies that reflect your VIN‑level, trim‑level, and service‑line priorities.

• Governance and guardrails: Implementing brand settings, negatives, tracking templates, and landing‑page governance so AI Max adds reach without creating chaos.

• PMax + AI Max alignment: Reducing cannibalization between Performance Max and Search by clearly defining roles, budgets, and success metrics for each.

• Creative oversight: Reviewing AI‑generated assets and text guidelines to ensure compliance with OEM rules and your dealership's brand voice.

• Testing roadmaps: Building phased test and learn plans so you arrive at September with proven playbooks instead of scrambling after an auto migration.

If you're a dealership manager looking at your DSA campaigns and wondering what this means for your lead volume and cost per lead, AI Max is where Google is going—whether you're ready or not. The dealers who win in this transition will be the ones who lean into testing, structure, and control now rather than waiting for the switch to flip in September.

Quick FAQ for Dealership Teams

Is DSA really going away?