Google Ads AI Max & PMax Video Resizing: What Advertisers Must Know (2026)

Google Ads is rolling out a wave of AI-driven automation this September that will fundamentally alter how advertisers manage campaigns. The key change is a mandatory upgrade of Search campaigns to a new AI Max setting, combined with automatic generative resizing of Performance Max video ads. Advertisers have until September 4 to opt out of the video resizing, while the AI Max upgrade took effect on September 1.

This article breaks down each change, explains the deadlines, and offers practical guidance for retaining control over your ad assets.

What Is Google Ads AI Max?

Google Ads AI Max is a new default setting for Search campaigns that consolidates and expands Google's automation features. Starting September 1, campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match settings were converted to AI Max, according to a report from PPC Land.

AI Max means Google's algorithms will take over search term matching, ad text creation, and asset selection more aggressively than before. Advertisers who had previously enabled broad match keywords or automatically created assets on their Search campaigns are now operating under AI Max by default.

The immediate implication is less manual control over which queries trigger your ads and how your ad copy is composed. Google argues this improves performance by allowing the system to adapt in real time, but many advertisers worry about brand safety and creative consistency.

Google Ads AI Video Resizing for Performance Max: What Is the Change?

Google is using generative AI to automatically reformat existing Performance Max video ads into missing aspect ratios. If you uploaded a horizontal video, the system will create vertical and square versions from the original content. This change is designed to maximize ad reach across different placements and screen sizes, including YouTube Shorts, in-stream ads, and the Google Display Network.

The feature is opt-out, meaning it will be enabled by default for all Performance Max campaigns. Advertisers must take action by September 4 to prevent Google from modifying their video creatives, as reported by Lumien.ai.

How to Opt Out of PMax Video Resizing

According to Incisive Growth, advertisers can opt out by contacting their Google Ads account manager or by submitting a form provided by Google. The deadline is September 4, 2026.

Once you opt out, your existing video assets will remain untouched, and Google will not generate new aspect ratio variants. However, you will be responsible for uploading all needed formats yourself if you want full coverage across placements.

Automated Promotion Assets: A New Account-Level Feature

Beyond video resizing, Google Ads has also launched "Automated promotions" — an account-level feature that scans your landing pages for promotional offers and automatically creates promotion assets for eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns. This announcement from PPC News Feed details how the system pulls discount codes, sale banners, and other promotional content directly from your website.

The feature skips campaigns that already have manual promotion assets, so advertisers who prefer full control can maintain their current setup. Google claims this can boost purchases and store visits by surfacing timely offers without extra creative work.

Pre-Fill Asset Groups: More AI-Generated Assets

Google has updated its help documentation for Performance Max asset groups, introducing features like "in-construction callout" and "automatic pre-fill" that use generated assets from Asset Studio. According to Search Engine Roundtable, these features help campaigns achieve an "Excellent" Ad Strength rating by automatically filling in missing assets before the campaign launches.

This is another step toward making AI-generated assets the default for Performance Max campaigns. Advertisers who do not supply a full set of images, videos, headlines, and descriptions may find Google's AI filling the gaps with its own creations.

What Happens When You Stop Managing Google Ads Through Google Ads?

The trend toward automation raises a broader question: what happens to PPC campaigns when you cede control entirely to Google's algorithms? A recent analysis on Search Engine Journal explores this, noting that while automation can improve efficiency, it also risks homogenizing ad creative across competitors.

When all advertisers in a vertical use broad match and auto-generated assets, ads may start to look and sound alike, diminishing differentiation. This is especially true for Performance Max campaigns, where Google selects the combination of assets for each auction.

Your Measurement Strategy Needs to Get Better

With Google Ads automating more decisions, your measurement must become more sophisticated. Standard conversion tracking may not capture the full picture when AI is testing different creative combinations. A piece on Search Engine Journal advises advertisers to adopt conversion modeling and incrementality testing to understand the true impact of AI-driven changes.

Without robust measurement, it becomes difficult to know whether AI Max or automatic resizing is actually improving performance or just increasing impression volume.

Comparison: Automation Changes in Google Ads (September 2026)

Feature	Campaign Type	Effective Date	Opt-Out Available?	Key Action Needed by Advertisers
AI Max Upgrade	Search	September 1, 2026	No (mandatory)	Review campaign settings; adjust bidding and negative keywords
PMax Video AI Resizing	Performance Max	~September 4, 2026	Yes (opt out by Sept 4)	Contact account manager or use Google form to opt out
Automated Promotion Assets	Search & Performance Max	September 2, 2026	Yes (skip campaigns with manual assets)	Ensure landing page promotions are accurate; maintain manual promotions if preferred
Pre-Fill Asset Groups	Performance Max	Rolling (docs updated Sept 2026)	No (default behavior)	Upload complete asset sets to prevent AI-generated fill-in

Practical Steps for Advertisers

Given the rapid changes, here is a checklist for advertisers:

1. Opt out of PMax video resizing by September 4 if you want to maintain creative control. Use the form or contact your account manager.
2. Review your Search campaigns to see if they were upgraded to AI Max. Check your broad match keywords and automatically created assets, then adjust negative keywords to prevent irrelevant traffic.
3. Upload complete asset groups for all Performance Max campaigns. Provide all required aspect ratios for videos, and write custom headlines and descriptions to avoid Google's AI filling in generic options.
4. Audit your landing pages for promotional offers. If you enable automated promotion assets, ensure the offers displayed are current and accurate.
5. Improve your measurement setup to include conversion modeling and incrementality testing, as recommended by industry experts.

The Bigger Picture: Google's AI-First Ad Platform

These changes are not isolated. Google is systematically embedding generative AI into every layer of its advertising products. From the AI-generated store rating reviews reported by Search Engine Roundtable to the updates to Performance Max help documentation by Search Engine Roundtable, the message is clear: Google wants advertisers to trust its AI to make more decisions.

For small and medium-sized businesses, this automation can be a time-saver, reducing the need for dedicated creative teams. For large brands with strict guidelines, it presents a risk that ads may not align with brand voice or messaging strategy.

As Google Ads becomes more automated, the advertiser's role shifts from manual execution to strategic oversight. The winners will be those who use data to guide the AI rather than letting the AI run unchecked.