Living module. Measurement and agent news known as of 22 August 2026. Reviewed every month.
1 · Enhanced conversions for leads as the main route
What changes: Google recommends upgrading GCLID-based offline imports to enhanced conversions for leads (identification by hashed email/phone): longer-lasting, more accurate, with engaged-view and cross-device conversions.
Class: recommended (GCLID ones still work; watch out in case it becomes mandatory).
What it means: module 8 of the Intermediate level already covers it. Lead Rating uploads by GCLID and can upload by hashed email/phone; the transition is a robustness decision (less loss to cookies). Action: plan the upgrade of your offline uploads; keep GCLID as a fallback.
2 · Consent Mode v2, consolidated
What changes: since 2024 it has been a requirement in the EEA for measurement and audiences; over 2025-2026 Google has tightened verification and broadened the modelling.
Class: mandatory (in force).
What it means: nothing new if it is properly implemented (module 6 of the Basic level); accounts without advanced mode lose more and more data. Action: check the consent diagnostics in every account quarterly.
3 · Ask Advisor: a Gemini agent across Ads, Analytics, Merchant and Marketing Platform
What changes: at GML 2026 Google presented a unified Gemini agent that answers questions and proposes actions by cross-referencing data from Google Ads, Analytics, Merchant Center and Marketing Platform — "an always-available strategic partner".
Class: optional (rolling out).
What it means: useful for asking (why did CPA go up last week? which campaigns are losing IS to budget?) with the context Google holds. Structural limits: it works on what Google measures (conversions as they are, Google's attribution, without your margin, without your CRM), and its proposals carry the platform's incentive (more reach, more automation). Rule: treat its answers like the Recommendations page — read, cross-check against your own data (judge, CRM, POAS), never apply in bulk.
4 · Creation and optimisation agents inside Google Ads
What changes: beyond Ask Advisor, Google is building "agentic" capabilities into campaign creation (Asset Studio, guided setup) and into optimisation (recommendations that offer to execute themselves).
Class: optional; watch what gets switched on by default.
What it means: the line between "recommendation" and "automatic
action" is blurring. Action: after every update, review in the account
and campaign settings which automations and auto-apply options exist;
keep the change history as your source of truth (client_type
distinguishes what a Google agent did).
5 · How to live with a Google agent inside your account
| Google's agent | Your system (scripts + your own agent) |
|---|---|
| Sees what Google measures | Sees what Google measures and what your business measures (margin, CRM, lead quality, fraud) |
| Optimises the platform's optimum | Optimises the business goal (the judge) |
| Proposes with the incentive to spend more | Proposes with safeguards and limits |
| Acts inside Google Ads | Acts and watches Google's agent (change history) |
They are not mutually exclusive: Google's agent is an excellent query interface over its own data; yours is the one that decides using the data Google doesn't have. The worst combination is a Google agent with permission to act and nobody watching.
6 · Privacy and first-party data: the trend
Fewer third-party cookies, more first-party data (customer lists, enhanced conversions, server-side), more modelling. Everything in this course that rests on your data (lists, GCLID/email, values, CRM) gains weight every year; whatever rests on cookies loses it.
Summary of actions (August 2026)
- A plan to move to enhanced conversions for leads (keeping GCLID).
- Consent verified quarterly.
- Ask Advisor as a query tool, cross-checked; never applied in bulk.
- An audit of active automations after every new release; change
history by
client_type. - Investment in first-party data.
💡 Ninja trick: the Ninja Scripts Agent was born before Ask Advisor with the other half of the data: it reads the scripts' sheets (NS_KPIS), the CRM via Lead Rating, the Shield's scores and the notes you leave it per account, and summarises by email with AI analysis. Once Ask Advisor is available, the natural combination will be to ask Google about what Google sees and your own agent about what Google doesn't.
What you should remember
- Enhanced conversions for leads as the main offline route (GCLID as a fallback); consent in force.
- Ask Advisor and agents: an excellent query tool over Google's data, with Google's incentive; cross-check, don't apply in bulk.
- Watch which automations get switched on; change history as the truth.
- Your own data gains weight every year.