Google is changing your ads in September. An explanation without the jargon

In brief

• Throughout September, Google is automatically changing ad campaign settings
• It's not an error, it's not an outage and it can't be declined
• Your budget doesn't change — only you can change it
• You may notice fluctuations in the number of clicks and in cost
• The first two to three weeks can't be judged — the system is learning

If you advertise on Google, a change is happening in your account this month that you didn't order. Since September 1, 2026, Google has been automatically switching ad campaigns to a new system, gradually throughout the month.

We're writing this because it will show up in the numbers. We want you to know why — before you notice a swing and think something has gone wrong.

This is written for business owners, not marketers. If you're interested in the technical details, we have a separate article on the migration to AI Max.

What actually happened

Until now, advertising on Google worked, simply put, like this: you said which words you wanted to show up for, and Google showed your ads to people searching for those words.

Google is changing this principle. The word list is no longer a boundary but a recommendation. The system tries to understand what a person really needs and decides based on that whether to show them your ad — even if they used completely different words than the ones on your list.

Why Google is doing this

Because the way people search has changed. People used to type “cabin Banská Štiavnica”. Today they increasingly type a whole sentence: “looking for a cabin for a family with two kids and a dog somewhere near Štiavnica, ideally under 150 euros a night”.

No keyword list can cover a sentence like that. Nobody can think up in advance every way people might ask the same thing.

There's also a second reason Google talks about less: the more decision-making their system takes over, the less it can be steered from the outside.

What you may notice

Let's be specific, so you know what's normal and what isn't.

1. Different searches than you're used to

In the reports, you'll see queries you never added to the campaign. Most of them will make sense. Some won't — and we exclude those as we go.

2. Ad copy may differ from what you approved

The system adjusts headlines based on what the person asked. For some clients, we turn this off completely — especially where exact wording matters for legal or brand reasons. If you're not sure whether this applies to you, get in touch and we'll tell you how your account is set up.

3. Fluctuations in cost and number of clicks

For the first two to three weeks after the switch, the system is learning. Cost per click can move in either direction, and so can the number of clicks. It's unpleasant, but it's expected.

What it doesn't mean

To avoid unnecessary worry:

• You won't spend more money than you've set. The budget stays exactly where it was. Only you can change it.
• Nobody hacked you. Google is making this change across the board for every advertiser in the world.
• You didn't break anything. It can't be avoided, and it has nothing to do with how your account is set up.
• Your campaigns haven't disappeared. They keep running, just with different matching rules.

What we're doing about it

This isn't a change you can just wait out. It requires extra work, and we're doing it continuously:

We're monitoring searches more closely than usual. Instead of a monthly average, we look at the days before and after the switch separately — otherwise the real impact would get lost in the average.

We're expanding negative keyword lists. When the system matches more loosely, these lists matter more than the keywords themselves. It's tedious work, but it decides how much of your budget goes to nonsense.

We're checking where the ads lead. The system can pick a different subpage of your website than the one we specified. If your website has old or half-empty pages, it will find them.

In sensitive industries, we turn off automatic copy. Healthcare, finance, legal services — there it's not worth risking wording nobody approved.

What we need from you

Three things, and all of them are quick.

1. Don't judge September by a single week. If you see a worse week, let us know, but don't draw conclusions from it. We'll have a meaningful comparison only at the end of the month.

2. Get in touch if you see an ad that doesn't feel right. If someone sends you a screenshot of your ad with copy you never approved, send it to us. We can turn it off immediately.

3. Tell us if your website has pages you don't want to send visitors to. Old promotions, outdated price lists, unfinished subpages. We'd rather exclude them in advance.

When we'll know more

The migration runs until September 30. We'll have the first usable comparison in early October, once there are at least two weeks of stable running behind us.

In your next report, we'll add what changed specifically for you — not in general, but in your own numbers.

And one more thing in advance: some campaigns face another similar change in February 2027. It won't be a surprise — we're counting on it and will prepare during a quiet period, not in the middle of the season.

Frequently asked questions

Will this change make me spend more money?

No. Neither the daily nor the monthly budget changes, and Google won't exceed it. Only you can change it. What can change is how much a single click costs you, and therefore how many clicks you get for the same money.

Can I decline this change?

No. Google applies it automatically to all advertisers, and you can't opt out. However, individual parts of the new system can be turned off separately, and we do so for some clients.

Why did my ad show for a word that isn't in my campaign?

Because the system no longer treats the word list as a boundary but as a recommendation. It tries to understand the intent of the person searching. We exclude irrelevant queries as we go.

Who changed my ad copy?

If you have automatic text customization turned on, Google does it based on the specific search. The feature can be turned off. If exact wording matters to you, get in touch and we'll set it up.

Should I pause my campaigns because of this?

We don't recommend it. Pausing and restarting means the system starts learning all over again — you'd extend the fluctuation, not shorten it.

How can I tell whether my campaign has already been switched?

From a regular account user's point of view, it isn't obvious. We can see it in the campaign settings and monitor it continuously. If you want to know the status of a specific campaign, write to us.

Status as of September 2, 2026. The migration runs until the end of the month; we will keep this information updated.
Authors: the MR. Digital team