📰 Google Ads and wider PPC news

OpenAI emailed advertisers announcing bulk creation of product feed campaigns from a spreadsheet, a new product review status, and richer conversion data through the Insights API.

Amazon announced Sponsored Services to connect shoppers with local service providers (with Yelp as the anchor partner) and generative AI creative tools built directly into the Amazon Ads Agent conversational experience.

OpenAI is testing 'Sponsored Agents', a feature letting users start conversations with company agents directly from ads, alongside new AI-assisted ad creation tools in Ads Manager and integrations with HubSpot and Shopify.

Optimization experiments now cover Search, Shopping, Audience and Performance Max campaigns, with a unified side-by-side results page to compare against the original setup and apply winning changes. LinkedIn company lists were also expanded from 1,000 to 10,000 names.

Meta now lets brands amplify a creator's live Instagram broadcast as a paid advertisement, extending a feature that already exists on Facebook to Instagram for the first time.

Reddit announced general availability of its Max campaigns, which automate targeting, creative selection and rotation, placements, and budget allocation, after testing them with a limited group of advertisers since January 2026.

Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google changed which phone number is used for call tracking in Local Service Ads, showing the Google Business Profile number even when the Google Ads number is set. The issue was spotted on September 25, 2026.

Google released a unified report showing the full search journey for AI Max campaigns, from query to conversion. AI Brief is now also available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

Starting October 2026, Google will allow ads for accessories like bipods, sights, slings, mounts and braces for six months, limited to U.S. Search only. Firearms, ammunition and regulated parts remain strictly prohibited everywhere else.

Google has introduced Gemini Omni , an advanced feature within the Asset Studio in Google Ads designed to streamline and enhance video ad creation. Gemini Omni leverages AI to transform images into full video ads for multiple channels using robust reference inputs like URLs, marketing briefs, and pr

Advertisers in Google Ads can now test AI Max against Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) through either custom experiments or a preset AI Max template . Custom experiments enable the upgrade of a test campaign to AI Max, maintaining the original campaign as a control. Successful variants can be applied back

Google has released v25.2 of the Google Ads API , bringing new features that enhance competitive analysis and campaign management. Advertisers must upgrade their client libraries and code to utilize these capabilities. Among the key features added in this update are: Competitive benchmarks percentil

In October 2026, Google will update its policies regarding complex speculative financial products for Chile and Denmark. The updates specify that ads targeting these countries must be compliant with local regulations. Providers of these financial products in Chile must be registered with the Financi

Full-Funnel Campaigns combines sponsored ads, display, video and streaming TV into a single AI-managed campaign, and is now available to all US advertisers selling on Amazon.

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general are suing Amazon, alleging it secretly overcharged advertisers in its search ad auctions for more than seven years, rising from 30-40% of auctions in 2021 to about 80% by 2024.

Amazon and OpenAI launched a managed-service pilot placing Amazon DSP ads inside ChatGPT responses, with product feed ads auto-generated from Amazon catalogs, US-only at launch.

Amazon Ads introduced a new tier of tools on its Ads MCP Server allowing third-party AI agents to access specialized capabilities; the first, the AMC SQL Generator, translates natural-language requests into validated Amazon Marketing Cloud SQL queries and is now in closed beta in the US.

Amazon Ads unveiled its new "Amazon Ads Agent" platform at unBoxed 2026, replacing the former Ads Console and Amazon DSP with three campaign types: Sponsored Ads, Display, Video and Audio+ (DVA+), and Full-Funnel Campaigns, all powered by AI with a natural-language chat experience.

An industry analysis confirms that, as of September 2026, self-serve access to ChatGPT Ads Manager is available in 63 countries, including all EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, the US, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil, and the UAE.

OpenAI announced new AI-powered advertising tools, including Sponsored Agents that let users converse with a business after clicking an ad, plus AI-generated creative assistance and HubSpot and Shopify integrations.

For the first time, advertisers can see the overall health status of their campaigns directly in TikTok Ads Manager, labeled Good, Fair, or Poor, with clear guidance to improve and qualify for available coupons and incentives.

On September 10, Google announced changes across its measurement tools, including wider Data Manager integrations, a new Data Strength Uplift metric, and general availability of GeoX in Meridian.

On September 24, Google Ads announced new seamless experiences and integrations for Demand Gen campaigns on YouTube, aiming to turn discovery into action.

Google is now auto-enabling native checkout for products in Google Merchant Center that support the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) . This change, announced via email to users, includes compatibility with AI Mode and Gemini. Advertisers using platforms like Shopify can see their products eligible

Google's latest Demand Gen updates for September introduce features aimed at enhancing engagement on YouTube and Gmail. Business Agent for YouTube Ads now lets viewers interact with conversational AI to ask questions about products during video ads. Consumers on YouTube Shorts and Gmail can experien

Google Ads users have discovered that while promotion mode is active, editing the Target ROAS is restricted. When promotion mode is on, a blue information banner appears, indicating that the Target ROAS cannot be changed. A confirmation message confirms the use of the Target ROAS bid strategy in its

Google Ads is now displaying a new "Budget Change Alert + Forecast" feature within campaign budget settings. This feature alerts advertisers to potential conversion value decreases when reducing their daily budget for campaigns, highlighting them as "limited by budget." The alert includes a forecast

TikTok evolved its Agency Badging Program with a new two-tier model to highlight best-in-class agency performance.

Google Ads is testing sitelinks that display the advertiser's name and favicon to give more visual context to paid search results.

Google introduced Business Agent for YouTube Ads, letting viewers engage with conversational AI alongside video ads, plus one-click experiences on Shorts and Gmail that boost image creative conversions by 40%.

In October 2026, Google will start a six-month pilot in the United States allowing ads for certain gun accessories . This includes items like bipods, sights, slings, mounts, and braces under Google's dangerous products or services policy. The pilot adheres to existing restrictions, continuing the pr

Starting January 12, 2027, Microsoft Advertising will remove access to the MaxCpc field in the API for new campaigns and existing campaigns that do not currently use it. Advertisers relying on scripts, bulk uploads, or bid management tools using MaxCpc should review their setups ahead of the deadlin

Google is expanding its AI Max features with new language support and a reporting feature. AI Brief , previously in closed beta, is now available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Additionally, a new reporting feature in Google Ads provides a comprehensive view of

Google's Local Services Ads (LSA) have added the Request Multiple Opinions feature. Users can now send the same message to up to six lawyers instead of the previous limit of four. This update enhances the ability for users to procure multiple legal opinions swiftly. Read the full post shared by Anth

Google's Legal Requirements Policy now includes additional self-regulatory codes for advertisers targeting regions in Argentina , Australia , Chile , Colombia , Paraguay , and South Africa . Advertisers must comply with these regional codes as well as conduct their own research into local laws to en

TikTok updated its advertising policy for alcohol-related establishments to require approval and certification from local regulating authorities, and explicitly prohibited certain surgeries, including weight loss and aesthetic genital surgeries, in ads.

Google announced YouTube's September Demand Gen Drop, introducing new seamless experiences and integrations designed to turn discovery into action within Demand Gen campaigns.

The Customer Match upload format has been updated to include new 'User IP address' and 'User Interaction timestamp' columns alongside existing identifiers such as email, phone, address and device ID.

Advertisers can now include a user's IP address alongside the timestamp of their interaction when uploading Customer Match data, though these fields must be uploaded unhashed and are excluded for EEA, UK and Swiss users.

Microsoft has removed the limited release restriction for Excluded content terms within its Microsoft Advertising platform. Advertisers can now block ads from appearing alongside unwanted page titles by specifying up to 1,000 terms at account or campaign level. Campaign-level terms apply across all

Microsoft's LinkedIn-profile targeting features have completed their rollout. The beta note indicating that not everyone had access to these features has been removed. This update enables B2B advertisers to utilize the Audience planner for sizing a company-list or seniority audience before launching

The Demand Gen FAQ has been updated to reflect a significant change in billing for Google Display Ads. Previously, Google Display Network (GDN) image inventory was billed on a CPC basis, but it has now shifted to a CPM model. This adjustment coincides with the removal of the separate Google Video Pl

Microsoft Advertising has updated its bid strategies to allow setting a maximum CPC for portfolio strategies. The prior restriction to campaign-level only configurations has been lifted, and the eligible strategies list has been removed. Previously, maximum CPC was limited to campaigns using Enhance

Meta and YouTube confirmed they will accept advertising for director Alex Gibney's upcoming Elon Musk documentary, following earlier reports that several social platforms had rejected the ads.

Google Ads' new Automated Promotions feature will not run on campaigns already using manual promotion assets, and detected promotions are re-verified within 24 hours; advertisers can opt out through account-level automated asset settings.

Google Ads rolled out Automated Promotions, an account-level automated asset that detects active offers on advertiser landing pages, such as 'buy one get one free,' and automatically attaches them to eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns.

AdExchanger's September 25 news roundup confirmed that Google Ads introduced two new modes to its Recommended Investment Strategy setting: Holistic mode, which shifts budget from underperforming campaigns to stronger ones, and Growth mode, which only adds budget.

The new Holistic and Growth modes in the Recommended Investment Strategy let ecommerce advertisers running Performance Max or Smart Bidding campaigns make more precise decisions on scaling spend ahead of the Q4 shopping season. The feature lives under the Recommendations tab in the Campaigns menu.

On September 24, 2026, Google Ads updated its Recommended Investment Strategy tool with a Holistic mode that reallocates budget from underperforming campaigns to top performers, and a Growth mode that only adds budget without cutting spend elsewhere. The update also includes interactive 7-day performance forecasts and suggested Target CPA or ROAS adjustments.

Google is testing a new AI Mode that presents sponsored ads and organic product listings together in one interface. Advertisers may notice a combination of both paid and unpaid product placements. This update integrates paid promotions alongside regular product offerings, potentially affecting the l

Bing is testing the inclusion of favicons in Shopping ad results. This change, if rolled out widely, would mark an aesthetic update to the shopping ad interface, providing users with an additional visual cue about the retailer behind each ad. Incorporating favicons could potentially enhance brand re

Google is testing the use of URL breadcrumbs for sitelinks displayed in sponsored search ads. The inclusion of URL breadcrumbs aims to give users a better understanding of where they will be landed when they click on these sitelinks, enhancing navigation transparency. This update was shared by Sachi

Google Merchant Center has introduced new attributes for CSS product pages , allowing CSS partners to submit product ratings and review counts. These updates include the Rating [rating] , Minimum rating [minRating] , Maximum rating [maxRating] , and Review count [reviewCount] attributes. All ratings

According to a report, on September 16, a week before the expansion, OpenAI introduced so-called Sponsored Agents along with new Ads Manager features, broadening the ad platform's capabilities.

TikTok introduced a new Agentic Hub that automates reporting, audience management, and budget optimization via AI, alongside a Pulse Mentions feature, though rollout timing to all markets remains unclear.

Starting August 10, Amazon Sponsored Products campaigns began serving inside Amazon Influencer Program creator content with no advertiser action required, sparking controversy over the lack of clear notice about the expansion.

Google Ads Editor version 2.13 reached general availability, alongside an update to Google's conversion measurement documentation covering timing and data sources.

A new setting called 'Use targeting expansion view (AI Max)' has been added, allowing users to access more accurate reporting on AI Max landing page matches.

A recent PPC Pulse analysis covers visibility and control updates in Performance Max, including the ability to exclude first-party customer lists, plus the integration of generative video tool Veo into Google Ads.

Google will host a live session on September 24 via Discord and YouTube to discuss the new features included in Google Ads API v25.2.

Google Search is testing a title placed above sitelinks in sponsored results, displaying a 'more from [advertiser name]' message.

Google has renamed several fields in the Google Ads Query Language (GAQL), causing report queries using old field names to be rejected or silently fail to import data.

Starting in October 2026, Google Ads will run a six-month limited pilot in the United States allowing ads for certain firearm accessories such as bipods, sights, slings and mounts, while firearms and ammunition remain banned.

Google Ads Customer Match has introduced two new keys for matching customer data: IP Address and Timestamp . Advertisers can now use the IP address captured during user interaction along with a timestamp to improve customer match rates. This data must be uploaded unhashed. Importantly, IP and timest

Microsoft Advertising has expanded Optimization experiments to include Shopping , Audience , and Performance Max campaigns, previously limited to Search campaigns only. This update simplifies the process for advertisers to test and evaluate campaign adjustments. Advertisers can now plan experiments

Microsoft Advertising's recent API update introduces several enhancements, particularly for tool builders and script users. Among the changes, a new Search Term Landing Page Report has been added, providing deeper insights into ad performance. Additionally, the update allows for campaign-level devic

Starting October 1, 2026, Google's Gambling and Games policy for Slovenia will be updated. The new policy allows licensed operators to advertise sports betting, online casino games, and online gambling, provided they have a valid concession from the Government of Slovenia and registration with the M

OpenAI introduced new controls in the Admin Console allowing global admins of ChatGPT Enterprise, EDU, and Business organizations to manage whether connected applications can access ChatGPT Ads. Both new permissions are off by default during the admin preview.

OpenAI noted that advertisers can access ChatGPT Ads in the new markets through its Ads Solutions team and agency partners including dentsu, Havas Media, Omnicom Media, Publicis Groupe and WPP.

OpenAI told MARKETECH APAC that the decision to expand to Southeast Asia and Taiwan stemmed from strong advertiser interest in the region, including its waitlist, and lessons learned from previous market launches.

Ahead of the Southeast Asia expansion, it was reported that adtech company Equativ became a technology partner for ChatGPT Ads, including campaign support in Japan.

With the new expansion, OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT Ads in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, and opened self-service buying to businesses in all seven markets from day one, unlike the earlier India launch.

Google confirmed that starting September 1, 2026, Content API for Shopping requests will begin experiencing progressive errors, pushing merchants toward full migration to Merchant API. Those needing more time can apply for extended access to the Content API.

Google updated its documentation to allow merchants to automate product review uploads and management through the Merchant API, removing a manual step from the process. The company also shifted terminology from feed submission to data source submission.

Google Ads is giving select advertisers an AI tool that can translate and dub existing video creative across 33 languages and locales inside Asset Studio, without new filming. The feature remains limited access as Google localization moves directly into the ad platform.

Google Ads has enhanced its Recommended Investment Strategy by introducing Holistic and Growth modes. This update allows advertisers to strategically allocate budgets across campaigns to optimize performance. The Holistic mode reallocates existing budgets from underperforming campaigns to top perfor

Microsoft Advertising has introduced a new Search/Shopping filter on the Competition tab . This enhancement enables advertisers to view competitive performance metrics specifically for search ads and shopping ads at both the account level and within Performance Max campaigns. This is significant as

Earlier this month , Google Ads has introduced a new feature called Automated Promotions within account-level automated assets. Now, users are spotting this feature live in their Google Ads accounts. This capability streamlines the process of displaying relevant offers across campaigns, which could

Newly created Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads will now have view-through conversion (VTC) optimization enabled by default. Previously, VTC optimization was disabled by default and limited to YouTube and Discover Feed . Now, it supports Display inventory as well. This update means advertisers laun

Meta introduced its official Ads CLI, a tool that enables system user token setup and campaign management commands, compatible with AI assistants like Claude Code or Codex.

Amazon Ads launched location-based interactive video ads and 'Next Up' ads that appear between episodes on Prime Video, expanding its streaming advertising offering in Australia.

OpenAI released the ChatGPT Ads app for Shopify, letting merchants connect their store to Ads Manager, automatically sync their product catalog, and set up the OpenAI Pixel.

Meta no longer requires matching Instagram and Threads usernames to run Threads ads, letting brands with no Instagram profile advertise directly on the platform.

Meta launched a new Creative Diversity rating inside Ads Manager that scores the creative variety of advertisers' campaigns.

OpenAI announced the expansion of ChatGPT Ads to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, surpassing 60 countries with platform availability. Eligible businesses can access the self-serve Ads Manager from day one.

The VAB emphasizes that Google's own data shows how much junk video ad inventory exists, criticizing the company's lack of transparency on the issue.

Google has announced several new features ahead of Q4, including a YouTube Ads AI agent, videos added to product feeds, and a simplified UCP integration.

The Ask Advisor feature in Google Ads has been updated to perform a variety of new actions beyond just providing answers. Advertisers can now use it to pause and rename campaigns , adjust daily budgets and target locations , as well as appeal ads that were disapproved and update final URLs . New enh

Google's help page for bid strategy learning periods has been updated. The learning period now states that calibration can take up to around 50 conversion events or 3 conversion cycles , replacing the previous duration of up to 3 weeks or 1–2 cycles . This volume-based benchmark is crucial for low-v

Google has updated the AI Max search terms report view to "Search terms and ad combinations" , previously known as "Search terms and landing pages from AI Max." This change appears on the Google Ads help page and affects how advertisers refer to the AI Max features in training and documentation. Thi

Microsoft has updated its US social casino advertising rules , reducing complexity by limiting exclusions to just three US states: Idaho, Nevada, and Washington . Advertisers must also be the first-party gaming platform, barring aggregators and affiliates. In Germany, social casino landing pages are

A new AI Max UI update has been spotted in Google Ads, providing clearer control options for branded searches. Advertisers can now choose between showing ads on all relevant searches, controlling branded searches using brand inclusions and exclusions, or displaying ads only on unbranded searches. Th

OpenAI introduced to select clients a new AI-native ad format that, when the call-to-action button is clicked, opens a branded chat with the brand's AI agent instead of sending users to an external website.

Since September 2026, Google has been automatically migrating Search campaigns using Automatically Created Assets (now Text Customization) and campaign-level Broad Match into AI Max, expecting to complete the upgrades by month's end.

Starting October 30, 2026, Google will allow personalized alcohol ads on YouTube inventory where locally permitted, though Egypt, India, Indonesia, and Poland are not yet included.

Google has updated the AI Max search terms report view to "Search terms and ad combinations," previously known as "Search terms and landing pages from AI Max." This change appears on the Google Ads help page and affects how advertisers refer to the AI Max features in training and documentation.

Microsoft Advertising is testing Copilot Audience Generation, a new feature available in closed beta for Audience campaigns in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Advertisers can use natural language to describe their ideal customer, and Copilot will generate a custom AI-driven audience along with it.

Merchants in Austria and Germany will no longer need to provide an impressum URL for local inventory ads and free local listings. An impressum is now only mandatory for in-store product and price availability hosted on Google. Switzerland still requires it for all local ads. This change was detected recently.

In the multi-source conversions beta, Google is now documenting that additional data sources can fill in missing user information like email, phone, and address in conversion events. This update, found on the help page, reveals that offline uploads supplement missing user-provided data, optimizing conversion tracking.

At its 2026 Upfront, Amazon Ads highlighted its authenticated audience graph covering 90% of U.S. households and being named the only leader in omnichannel advertising by Forrester, alongside growth in Prime Video viewership.

PPC specialist Anthony Higman posted on LinkedIn that regular Search campaigns with restrictive match types are appearing in AI Mode, later confirmed by Google's Ginny Marvin as a small experiment.

Google emailed advertisers confirming that starting September 1, 2026, campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match will be automatically upgraded to AI Max for Search.

Google has rolled out several updates to enhance holiday shopping through agentic commerce. These updates are designed to help retailers capture the attention of holiday shoppers using advanced AI tools. Among the key updates, AI performance insights in Merchant Center are now generally available.

Google is testing new ways to display sponsored results in AI Mode. Ads have been spotted using text anchor based links that blend more closely with organic content, while another variation adds descriptions that give users more context about the advertiser before clicking. This update was shared.

Google is testing a new sitelink headline showing the advertiser's icon with a "More from Advertiser" title, potentially affecting ad engagement and visibility. This update was shared by Sachin Patel. The post "More From Advertiser Title Tested for Sitelinks" appeared on PPC News Feed.

Bing is testing a "Top Pick" label on its sponsored result product carousels, highlighting a potential new way for products to stand out in search results. The "Top Pick" label is prominently displayed in the product carousel, potentially drawing more eyes to specific listings. This update was shared.

TikTok unveiled expanded measurement and ad integrity solutions along with new advertiser controls, aiming to build a more transparent, measurable, and trusted advertising ecosystem.

Google announced several new features ahead of Q4, including a YouTube Ads agent, videos embedded in product feeds, and a simplified Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) integration.

Google is expanding AI performance measurement in Merchant Center, bringing its Business Agent to YouTube ads, and adding new capabilities to its Universal Commerce Protocol integration. Tapestry, owner of Coach and Kate Spade, already used UCP-powered checkout to sell across Google Search, AI Mode, and the Gemini app.

A new report in the Google Ads account Overview compares an advertiser's weekly spending and clicks with those of its peer group based on industry and location. Experts warn these benchmarks should be treated as context, not a spending target.

Google is testing a new design for the Sponsored Places section in search results, displaying businesses as vertical cards that offer expanded visibility for local businesses when users hover over the listings. Back in February, the same section was being tested with horizontal cards instead.

Bing is testing a new human verification step that requires users to complete a CAPTCHA before they can access search results. The measure is designed to confirm that users interacting with the search engine are actually human. The test shows a prompt reading "One last step" along with instructions.

Google's AI Mode is now showing ad descriptions at the bottom of the page. Previously, users in this mode only saw ads with sitelinks. The new feature likely improves the user experience by giving extra context before clicking, letting potential customers read more about the site.

Bing is testing new product shopping filters in the left sidebar of its search results, making the results page look more like Google's, particularly for product and shopping-related queries. This update was shared by Sachin Patel and Barry Schwartz.

Starting September 29, Meta made live video ads generally available on Instagram, allowing brands to sponsor creator livestreams as partnership ads.

According to an update of OpenAI's Ads Manager availability table, ChatGPT Ads now operates in 52 countries, with ads matched to users based on conversation topic, chat history, and past ad interactions.

Google is testing making exact and phrase match keywords from standard Search campaigns eligible to serve within AI Mode as well, extending traditional campaign reach into this new AI-powered search surface.

Google is testing a text-based link format for ads shown within AI Mode, its AI-powered search experience. The test adds to other recent changes in how ads appear across Google's AI surfaces.

In this week's #PPCChat session hosted by Julie F Bacchini, PPC specialists shared experiences of rising costs and shifting performance following Google Ads' bidding update, describing the issue as widespread.

Google Ads is now offering a new Spend Benchmarks report that lets advertisers compare their account data against similar businesses. It provides insights based on industry and advertising region, and is visible in the account Overview section. The report includes metrics such as weekly spend.

Bing is testing the display of view counts for products in its Shopping tab results. The test aims to give users additional insights when searching for products and help them identify popular options. The update was spotted by Sachin Patel.

Google has updated its store ratings overview for merchants, outlining specific eligibility requirements, including around 100 eligible reviews. Advertisers must maintain a rating of at least 3.5 out of 5 stars for ratings to appear on paid text and Shopping ads.

Google appears to be testing an AI label on ads shown within YouTube Shorts. The label appears as a small AI icon next to the sponsored ad info, giving viewers an extra signal that AI may have been used in the ad. Spotted by Arpan Banerjee.

Google Ads is rolling out a redesigned Details view for individual conversion actions. The information largely stays the same but is now presented in a cleaner, more visually structured layout. The top section highlights the conversion action's status, last recorded conversion, and more.

OpenAI confirmed that its HubSpot (first CRM partner) and Shopify (first commerce partner) integrations are live for US businesses and will expand to markets where ChatGPT Ads is available starting September 23.

A platform update roundup notes that the biggest recent ChatGPT Ads changes are new Shopify and HubSpot integrations, alongside the testing of Sponsored Agents that let users chat directly with a brand's own agent.

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar described the text/image answer-based ad units (launched September 10 via Amazon DSP and Adform) as a "basic starting point" compared to the new Sponsored Agents.

Google is testing a beta feature for product-level conversion value adjustment in Google Ads, though this may inflate reported sales value.

Google has posted that the bidding update rewriting Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies, which started on August 17, 2026, was completed globally on August 27, 2026.

Google has introduced a new guide for lead generation advertisers aimed at preventing invalid leads. This help page explains how Google's invalid traffic filters aren't enough to stop fake or low-quality leads, and stresses that maintaining high lead quality is a shared responsibility between Google and advertisers.

Performance Max campaigns in Google Ads now offer two distinct landing page options: "Your website" and "Google Business Profile (optimized for ads)." Advertisers can send clicks to a Google-hosted page linked to their business profile, which comes with built-in conversion tracking methods.

A new feature called Video Ads Dubbing has launched in Google Ads' Asset Studio. This AI-powered tool lets advertisers dub video ads into 33 languages and locales. First spotted internally in October 2025, it's now rolling out for free to select users, allowing advertisers to scale their video creative across international markets.

Google Merchant Center has updated its guidelines to help advertisers replace product videos more efficiently. The help page now clarifies that using a new, unique URL for video updates triggers a faster recrawl, typically within 24-72 hours. Keeping the same URL, on the other hand, can delay updates significantly.

Microsoft Advertising has launched a HubSpot integration designed to connect advertising activity with CRM data and enable closed-loop marketing. Advertisers can track, measure, optimize, and report on Microsoft Advertising activity directly within HubSpot, opening up several new possibilities for shared users.

If you run ads for a Wix site and went looking for Cookiebot, you've probably already hit the first surprise: Wix no longer offers Cookiebot for Wix. That used to be the case, but now you install Usercentrics for Wix instead, a separate app built by the same company. Usercentrics states plainly that...

LinkedIn added a 180-day attribution window option for conversion types like Purchase, Lead and Qualified Lead in its Conversions API, alongside richer company intelligence data and CREATIVE_NAME support in dynamic UTM tracking.

While Sponsored Agents remain a US-only test, the Shopify route opens in other markets on September 23, giving advertisers outside the US a practical on-ramp to the format.

In its 'Ads in ChatGPT: The Basics' documentation, OpenAI reaffirms that ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like personal health, mental health, or politics, and are not shown to accounts identified as under 18 on the Free and Go plans.

Industry coverage notes that while ChatGPT Ads reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate in under 200 days, questions remain about actual performance, as agency buyers say returns have not yet materialized.

Snapchat announced it will focus on AI-driven performance improvements and expanding native ad formats like Reminder Ads and Sponsored Snaps, amid stalled user growth in the US and EU.

Almost simultaneously with new dashboards in GA4, Google Ads is now rolling out fully automatic AI-generated dashboards to streamline campaign analysis.

Since August 17, Target CPA and Target ROAS bid strategies on budget-limited campaigns are being steered strictly to the stated target instead of the best performance achieved, and advertisers are still reporting impacts weeks later.

Google has updated its help page to clarify ad review times across campaign types. Most reviews finish within one business day, but standard reviews for Demand Gen and Discovery campaigns now take 3-5 business days, with complex formats potentially requiring up to 7 days. Advertisers should note that edits restart the review process.

Google Merchant Center has enhanced its product data specifications by adding detailed formatting guidelines for its newer conversational attributes. These updates provide clarity with technical names and file-format examples, enabling more precise data submissions. A TSV template for these attributes is also available.

The Microsoft Advertising API's GetEditorialReasonsByIds service now supports ImageAsset and TextAsset types alongside the existing Ad and Keyword entities. This lets advertisers programmatically retrieve disapproval reasons for these assets, improving workflows for managing Responsive Search Ads and other asset-based formats.

A formatting bug in Google Ads appears to cause the "Sponsored results" headline to occasionally display misaligned in search results. The issue shows up across various browsers and searches, with the heading not consistently left-aligned. Another screenshot shows the problem even more clearly.

OpenAI updated its official ChatGPT Ads blog with a new entry titled 'Reimagining advertising with AI,' listed as the most recent post in the ad platform's news section.

Under the title 'Reimagining advertising with AI,' OpenAI announced Sponsored Agents (brand-backed conversational agents triggered after an ad click), a creative assistant for generating ad copy and images, and natural-language campaign management inside Ads Manager.

OpenAI began testing Sponsored Agents with select US advertisers, business-sponsored AI agents that hold a separate conversation with users after they click on an ad in ChatGPT.

Alongside the Sponsored Agents launch, HubSpot became OpenAI's first CRM partner for ChatGPT Ads, and a new Shopify App Store connector opened the channel to US merchants.

OpenAI began testing Sponsored Agents, advertiser-backed bots that start a clearly labeled conversation separate from ChatGPT's own answer, with Wayfair and Angi as launch partners in the US.

Amazon Ads announced that its Amazon Ads MCP Server is now available in open beta, aiming to reduce advertising workflow complexity through AI agent integration.

OpenAI updated its Ads Manager Beta documentation, the platform for creating, launching, and managing ChatGPT Ads campaigns, clarifying that it remains a beta product with limited capabilities that will expand over time.

OpenAI confirmed its advertising division hit a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate in less than 200 days since launch, with the platform now used by tens of thousands of advertisers globally.

Angi confirmed it is one of the first partners testing the new format, deploying an agent that connects users to local contractors, while Wayfair offers personalized product recommendations within the same ChatGPT conversation.

Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit are leveraging AI tools to make ad buying easier for small and medium businesses, aiming to diversify revenue beyond major brand budgets.

OpenAI unveiled Sponsored Agents, an ad format that lets brands complete real tasks inside a ChatGPT conversation rather than just showing a banner, with Angi confirmed as the first named partner alongside a direct commerce integration with Shopify.

A report indicates ChatGPT Ads is drawing advertiser demand but falling short on click-through rates, targeting capabilities and platform reach, according to media agencies.

Wayfair stated it is testing the new format at small scale, applying guardrails around product accuracy, transparency, and handoffs to customer service when needed.

Starting September 16, businesses using HubSpot can connect their ChatGPT Ads account and manage campaigns without leaving the CRM, while US Shopify merchants can use a new app in the Shopify App Store with their catalog already integrated.

US-based Shopify merchants can now install the new free ChatGPT Ads app to create and manage campaigns with their product catalogs automatically integrated. The app will roll out to international markets where ChatGPT Ads is available starting September 23.

OpenAI made generally available a new campaign type that optimizes conversions from both ad clicks and ad views, with billing based on impressions while delivery optimizes toward the conversion goal. The company describes it as its recommended model for maximizing performance.

OpenAI announced its first CRM integration with HubSpot and first ecommerce integration with Shopify for ChatGPT Ads, letting businesses create ads, sync product catalogs, and track performance without leaving those tools. The Shopify app launched in the US on September 16 and will expand internationally on September 23.

Reddit introduced a Split Testing feature in Ads Manager offering five test types, including Max-vs-standard campaign comparisons, to optimize ad performance.

LinkedIn now allows advertisers to target audiences based on LinkedIn profile data within Search and Audience campaigns, improving B2B targeting precision.

Meta released its own first-party MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for ads, enabling AI agents to connect directly to ad account management.

Starting August 17, 2026, Google began rolling out its rewrite of Target CPA and Target ROAS for budget-limited campaigns, with the rollout completing on August 27, 2026. Advertisers are now seeing campaigns trend toward their original targets if left unadjusted. See the updated Google Ads help page for details.

Microsoft Advertising has expanded its Customer Match partner list to include several new customer data platforms (CDPs), effectively doubling the number of available partners to 20 and giving advertisers more options for syncing customer data. New additions include Adobe Real-Time CDP, among others.

Renaming a store in Microsoft Merchant Center no longer disrupts Shopping ads. When a store name is updated, the new name goes into review while ads continue showing the previously approved name. If the new name is rejected, the original store name stays active, and the rejection reason is displayed.

Starting October 1, 2026, new non-portfolio campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks will lose the Max CPC cap option, while campaigns created before that date keep the setting.

Meta introduced Meta One on September 15, a four-tier paid subscription that gates previously free features like Competitive Insights and Custom Audience Insights, available across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta AI.

Amazon Ads officially announced that its flagship unBoxed 2026 conference will take place from September 28–30 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, expected to bring new ad formats, AI capabilities, and measurement tools. The event will gather advertisers, agencies, and developers to learn about upcoming platform innovations.

Microsoft emailed advertisers notifying them that Microsoft Advertising will update UTM auto-tagging beginning on September 2, 2026, to improve how campaign performance is measured in third-party analytics platforms like GA4. Format-specific UTM tags will be applied automatically, with no action required from advertisers.

Snapchat introduced Total Snap Takeovers, a format placing brands in the first ad slot across all app tabs, and opened its ads platform to third-party AI agents via its own MCP server.

Search Engine Roundtable reported on September 10 that Google Ads has been offering credits to new and existing customers to encourage ad spend, but is then revoking those credits after they've been used, sparking advertiser complaints.

On September 10, 2026, Google unveiled a new Data Strength Uplift Metric estimating recovered conversions from first-party data setups, alongside Data Manager integration into Google Analytics and Display & Video 360, a universal Data Manager API, and global availability of Meridian GeoX.

Google has introduced a new onboarding experience for Google Ads API developers in the Google Cloud Console. The update automates Basic Access applications for developers who have completed brand verification. Among the key changes, developers can now sign up directly through the Google Cloud Console.

Google is testing Google Messages as a new option for Message assets in sponsored search results. Google Messages joins existing messaging options available to advertisers, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Zalo, SMS, and Line, giving advertisers another way to let potential customers reach them directly.

Advertisers using Google Ads are voicing frustration after promotional credits were revoked following being spent. David Melamed reported on LinkedIn that he ran into this issue twice recently. Once spent, the credits were invalidated, leaving advertisers unexpectedly covering the costs themselves.

Microsoft Advertising has published a dedicated help page outlining transparency rules for AI-generated and synthetic content. Advertisers are now required to disclose AI use in their ads, preserve metadata, and avoid deepfakes in order to maintain consumer trust. Read the official announcement, spotted by Hana Ko.

TikTok continues strengthening requirements for brands and agencies to operate from a verified, official presence on the platform, expanding formal agency recognition based on managed spend.

Amazon Ads and OpenAI launched a pilot on September 10 letting select U.S. advertisers buy ChatGPT ad space through Amazon DSP, with Delta Vacations among the first brands testing it. Amazon manages campaign setup, but OpenAI's system still decides which ads appear and where.

Digiday reported on September 14 that OpenAI was testing with select clients an ad format that opens a chat with the advertiser's AI agent instead of redirecting to a website, confirmed by Wayfair as part of the pilot.

Amazon Ads confirmed its flagship unBoxed 2026 event will take place September 28-30 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where it will unveil new AI-powered advertising products.

Google Ads is bringing action tasks together onto a single page, making account management simpler for advertisers. The goal is a cleaner account experience, with tasks surfacing in one convenient spot. For instance, a task like "Apply for free desktop software certification" showed up i

Google Merchant Center briefly showed internal AI prompts meant for generating performance insights, instead of just the final summaries. The glitch revealed behind-the-scenes parameters, such as click changes for 20 products and the decision rules used to highlight top items. Users saw instructions like...

In Google's new Digital Markets Act (DMA) booking search widgets, displayed prices are customized based on factors such as device type. The exact factors beyond "device type" aren't fully clear, but location and language could also play a role. This customization applies only in the EU, where the DMA is in effect.

A newly spotted feature in Google Shopping ads adds a countdown timer annotation to product discounts. The update is designed to boost visibility for promotional offers by showing how much time remains before a deal expires. Advertisers will see the "X days left" annotation appear in the shopping...

Merchants can now enrich their product listings in Google Merchant Center with video content. This update lets you upload videos directly at the product level, giving you a way to showcase products beyond static images. Supported video specs include flexible aspect ratios...

Google Ads has rolled out a new AI-powered dashboard creation feature that lets users simply describe the dashboard they want, with Google AI building it for them. Advertisers can use this to quickly summarize account performance, analyze conversion trends, and review Search campaign data.

Bing's latest update integrates shopping ads directly into Bing Copilot results. This enhancement lets users see ads alongside search assistance and specific products, bridging the gap between conversational search and advertising. Advertisers can expect increased visibility for their products within Copilot's AI-driven responses.

Google is testing "sold last week" badges in Shopping ads, showing how many units of a product were sold over the past week. This feature appears alongside other product details in Google Shopping ads and aims to boost social proof by highlighting popularity metrics.

Google Ads will update its Gambling and Games policy specifically for Croatia, effective October 7, 2026. The updated policy will prohibit the promotion of online gambling content targeting Croatia. All existing advertiser certifications for such content will be revoked, and new applications will be required.

Google Shopping Ads data reveals a "reverse crocodile effect" following the rollout of AI Overviews in Google Search. As reported by Mike Ryan, Shopping Ads have seen a decline in impressions alongside an increase in click-through rates, based on data spanning 175 billion impressions from mid-2025 onward.

Advertisers using Google Merchant Center's automatic imports can now add supplemental feeds, a capability some experts hadn't previously noticed. This addition improves data feed management by giving advertisers more flexibility over their product data. Previously, supplemental feeds could only be applied to primary feeds.

A new segment called "Loyalty program members" has been spotted in Google Ads reporting. It lets advertisers analyze performance by targeting users enrolled in loyalty programs using their first-party data. The update was flagged by Arpan Banerjee.

Google Ads is beta testing a new feature called Product Value Optimization, which lets advertisers adjust the value of specific products and feed those values directly into automated bidding strategies. Advertisers can set product-level value adjustments and use product attributes to define them.

Google is rolling out Promotion Mode support for daily budgets in Google Ads, expanding on the total-budget version first announced in September 2025. Still in beta, the feature is available for Search and Performance Max campaigns and is designed for temporary events like flash sales, allowing advertisers to schedule budget boosts in advance.

Microsoft is experimenting with bolding the HTTPS portion of URLs in Bing search results. The subtle tweak to link display highlights secure connections and was spotted by Sachin Patel, who shared it on X.

Google updated its Location asset requirements in June and September 2026 to improve terminology and readability. The changes aim to give advertisers clearer guidance on managing location assets without changing how policy is enforced, and also include new troubleshooting information.

Google is integrating Store Sales into Data Manager within Google Ads, making it easier for eligible advertisers to import in-store transaction data. The feature lets advertisers connect existing sales data—such as from a CRM or Google Sheets—directly within their Google Ads account.

AI performance insights in Google Merchant Center are now rolling out to merchants in Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand, joining the US. This expansion lets advertisers evaluate how their brand performs for conversational, shopping-intent queries across Google's AI ecosystem.

Google Ads has added a detailed section to its AI Max help documentation addressing changes to keyword prioritization. Previously, broad keywords were treated as exact match under certain settings. The new guidance clarifies that disabling the broad match setting or migrating to AI Max means broad keywords will now behave differently.

Google Ads has updated its help documentation on phone call conversions and offline conversions. Advertisers can now enable call reporting and set conversion actions as primary to ensure calls are recorded correctly. It's also recommended to adjust the 'minimum call length' setting and review the 'Call Details' report.

Google Ads now shows search history for custom search terms, giving advertisers deeper insight into specific queries. Advertisers can access a detailed record of the search terms used, offering a clearer view of consumer behavior in relation to their campaigns. The update was first shared by Anthony Higman.

Google is now inserting 'Related searches based on your browsing' into the sponsored results section. This change could shift user behavior, as users may refine their searches and generate extra ad impressions without clicking. The update was shared by Anthony Higman.

Google has announced new measurement enhancements aimed at driving business growth through better data integration and analysis. Data Manager is now directly integrated with Google Analytics and DV360, allowing advertisers to manage their first-party data more effectively.

Days before the Sponsored Agents launch, OpenAI finalized the integration of Amazon Ads into the ChatGPT ad inventory via its DSP, laying the commerce infrastructure groundwork.

Microsoft introduced Curate, a tool that helps publishers and data owners turn proprietary assets into scalable revenue through programmatic curation, announced on September 10, 2026.

Amazon Ads announced a partnership with OpenAI to enable conversational advertising within ChatGPT, with select U.S. advertisers currently testing the format as part of a pilot.

Google Ads is releasing Local Customer Optimization and Store Sales in Data Manager for multi-location retailers, as reported on September 9. These tools aim to improve attribution and optimization for brick-and-mortar businesses.

Following the AI Max migration, the Google Ads API introduces three new reporting surfaces: the segments.search_term_match_source segment, the ai_max_search_term_ad_combination_view view, and expanded_landing_page_view. Data teams should review pipelines as final URL expansion can silently break URL-based joins.

Google has started showing in-account notices encouraging advertisers to voluntarily upgrade Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max this September. Automatic DSA migration is scheduled for February 2027, when creating new DSA ad groups will also be permanently removed.

Google Hotel Ads has introduced a new "DEAL" badge that automatically displays when a hotel offers a discount of 15% or more. Properties offering discounts of at least 25% receive an upgraded "GREAT DEAL" label. The feature was first spotted in the wild by Thomas Eccel.

Google's AI Mode is now serving ads from standard Search campaigns using restrictive match types, based on multiple tests reported by Anthony Higman on LinkedIn. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that exact match and phrase match keywords in regular Search campaigns are eligible to show in AI Mode results.

Google is piloting a Prefill feature for Demand Gen campaigns that uses Google AI to help advertisers get campaigns up and running faster. The tool pulls settings and assets from an existing campaign, letting advertisers select a source campaign as a template to streamline the setup process.

Google appears to be experimenting with a collapsible format for additional assets in Search ads. Rather than displaying all assets upfront, the extra assets are hidden behind a "+2" indicator, keeping the initial ad appearance more compact. The indicator sits alongside a callout-style asset in the ad layout.

A recent report notes that ChatGPT ad performance varies widely among advertisers, with some reporting costs per click under $3 while others pay up to $13, and highly uneven lead generation results.

Starting September 17, 2026, Private Auctions will respect publisher-level blocks for specific advertisers, brands, and buyers by default. Advertisers should review active deals to avoid unintended delivery interruptions.

The Google tag gateway for advertisers has exited its beta phase with Akamai and Fastly, expanding first-party infrastructure options to improve measurement signal quality.

Google Ads has launched an account-level automated asset that scans advertiser landing pages for active offers and attaches them to ads as promotion assets. The feature was spotted by PPC News Feed's Hana Kobzova and reported on September 7, 2026, with no official Google blog post.

A federal judge has rejected the DOJ's requests to remedy Google's monopoly in ad tech by forcing it to divest assets, mirroring a previous ruling on Chrome. The decision is a significant relief for Google's advertising ecosystem.

Google is expanding LSA direct booking to more than 500 partners, making it easier for customers to book services directly from an ad. Advertisers with an active booking partner linked to their Google Business Profile will benefit most from this update.

The Google Tag Gateway for advertisers has exited its beta phase with Akamai and Fastly, providing a more robust first-party tagging option. This change strengthens server-side measurement for advertisers seeking greater tracking accuracy.

Google has globally released Meridian GeoX, an open-source geo experimentation library now available to all marketers. First announced at Google Marketing Live earlier this year, it supports geo-based incrementality experiments that integrate directly with Marketing Mix Models (MMM), making causal measurement more accessible for advertisers of all sizes.

Google Ads has rolled out a pre-fill asset groups feature for Performance Max campaigns. Advertisers can now automatically pull AI-generated assets from Asset Studio directly into their asset groups, saving time during campaign setup. The update was first spotted by Barry Schwartz.

Starting October 30, 2026, Google will update its personalized advertising policy to allow alcohol ads on YouTube inventory where locally permitted. The change reflects increased advertiser demand and improved data privacy safeguards, enabling more targeted personalized ads for alcohol brands within applicable legal frameworks.

Google Ads has added an "Audiences" tag beneath video assets in the Asset Library, allowing advertisers to associate specific audience segments directly with their YouTube video content. This makes it easier to identify which audiences are linked to each video asset when building or reviewing ad campaigns.

Meta's Marketing API v24.0 sunsets on October 6, 2026, and on October 27 the v26.0 field removals extend to all remaining API versions, affecting developers and integration tools.

Microsoft sent emails confirming that Max CPC will no longer be available when creating new non-portfolio campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks after October 1, 2026; existing and portfolio-strategy campaigns keep the setting.

X is rolling out a new ad platform that consolidates campaign objectives and standardizes structure, including ad-group-level budgets and simplified optimization options.

Starting Oct. 1, Microsoft Advertising will stop allowing advertisers to set Max CPC limits on new campaigns using several standalone automated bidding strategies. Existing campaigns with Max CPC won't immediately lose it, but removing it after that date will be irreversible.

Starting October 1, Microsoft will remove the Max CPC setting from new campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks, pushing advertisers toward budget and CPA/ROAS-based controls instead. Existing campaigns created before that date will keep the setting.

Amazon Ads announced that Prime Video advertising will be introduced in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Turkey during 2026, expanding its streaming ad inventory in Europe.

Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that AI Max is now the default setting when creating new Search campaigns, citing tests showing campaigns achieved their first conversion faster in the first two weeks after launch.

Google Ads has added Klaviyo as a native integration for Offline Conversion Import and Customer Match. Advertisers can now sync their CRM data with Google Ads directly through Klaviyo without any custom development, streamlining first-party data activation for bidding and audience targeting.

Google is now displaying Shopping ads within AI Mode results, with two different ad formats spotted. This represents a significant expansion of ad placements into the new AI-powered search experience.

The Google Tag Gateway for advertisers has exited its beta phase with Akamai and Fastly. This change has direct implications for tag setup and conversion data collection for advertisers.

Google Ads is testing a new variation of expandable sitelinks where they are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. Additionally, Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they had previously dismissed.

Google has started testing restrictive match types for standard Search campaigns within AI Mode. This limited experiment allows exact match and phrase match keywords to trigger text ads, but only when there is clear and direct user intent. AI Mode — which is separate from AI Max and Performance Max — is designed to capture more straightforward search intentions.

Google has rolled out Waze Ads internationally, extending availability well beyond the US to a total of 42 countries. This expansion is reflected in updated Performance Max help documentation in the Google Ads Help Center. Waze Ads, previously restricted to the United States for store goal campaigns bidding on Store visits, are now accessible to a much broader advertiser base.

Google is now testing a "What customers love" section within Search ads on desktop, a feature that had previously only been spotted on mobile. This section displays AI-generated summaries of positive customer review feedback, adding an extra layer of credibility and useful information to ads directly on the SERP.

Google has carried out a comprehensive update to the official Performance Max documentation in the Google Ads Help Center. The revised docs introduce several new topics, including search prioritization, campaign controls, and budget recommendations, while also providing clearer guidance on key concepts such as Search and Performance Max interaction and asset group setup.

At Google Marketing Live 2026, Google announced AI-powered Shopping Ads that include real-time AI-generated summaries explaining why a specific product is the best match for a user's search query. Merchant Center feeds are used to dynamically generate ads that respond directly to conversational search queries, making product listings more relevant and persuasive.

Google is testing new ad formats within AI Mode, powered by AI Max and Performance Max, that adapt their creative and explain why a specific product best answers the user's query. These ads are integrated directly into Gemini-generated responses.

Microsoft Advertising has published its 2026 Holiday Playbook, outlining six key global trends advertisers need to keep on their radar heading into the holiday season. The guide puts a strong focus on AI's growing influence on shopping behavior, with 76% of U.S. shoppers saying they plan to use AI to help with their holiday purchases.

Google Ads API v22 is being sunset on October 7, 2026. From that date onwards, all requests made through v22 will fail, so advertisers will need to migrate to a newer version to keep their API access up and running. You can review your recent usage of API methods and services via the Google Cloud Console. Check the official announcement for full details.

Following Google Marketing Live 2026, Google is rolling out four new ad formats inside AI Mode, including Conversational Discovery Ads and AI-Powered Shopping Ads. Gemini-powered Shopping Ads automatically generate custom explainers describing why each product is the right match for a user's specific query.

Google Ads has updated its guidance to allow Hotel Ads campaigns to target and exclude specific regions and cities. This geographic targeting improvement gives hotel advertisers more granular control over their campaigns.

Google Ads has introduced a new account-level automated asset called Automated Promotions. This feature allows advertisers to automate the display of relevant promotions without manual per-campaign configuration.

Microsoft Advertising has rolled out new average target metrics to help advertisers track performance more accurately as their targets shift over time. These metrics are now available in the Campaign overview, Campaign grid, and portfolio bid strategies, giving advertisers a cleaner way to analyze trends and measure results against fluctuating goals.

Google has officially launched Video campaign groups in the Google Ads interface, following the initial announcement back in July. Advertisers can now select between a Standard campaign group and the new Video campaign group, currently in Beta. The Video campaign group supports both Video and related campaign types, giving advertisers more flexibility in how they organize and manage their video activity.

Some Google Ads advertisers are seeing new recommendations prompting them to apply ROAS targets to their campaigns. The recommendations come with an 'Apply target' button that reinstates targets based on historical performance data. While the one-click convenience is appealing, advertisers should take a close look before accepting these suggestions to make sure the recommended targets actually align with their business goals.

Google is once again experimenting with AI-generated review summaries appearing directly within Search ads. The feature displays a 'What customers love' section followed by testimonial-style text, giving users a quick snapshot of customer sentiment without leaving the search results page. This is not the first time Google has tested this format, with a similar trial spotted just last month.

LinkedIn announced new ad options including Reserved Ads to maximize impact, ad personalization, and AI-generated ad variants.

TikTok struck a first-of-its-kind IP licensing deal with Disney that turns fan content into a formal distribution channel, amid a month of major regulatory and platform shifts.

Reddit introduced a new 15-second Engaged Video Views optimization goal that lifted view-through rates by 51% and completion rates by 71% in alpha testing, suited for trailers and testimonials.

Google Ads has introduced a new account-level automated asset called Automated Promotions, giving advertisers a new way to surface promotional offers automatically.

Microsoft Advertising is rolling out a Dual-ID requirement to strengthen account security when linking accounts. Advertisers managing multiple accounts will now need to provide two identifiers instead of one. For Manager account (CID) linking, both identifiers must be included to complete the process — reducing the risk of unauthorized account access.

App campaign advertisers can now view Cost and Conversions metrics at the product level within their reports. Previously, product reports only showed engagement data such as impressions and clicks. This update gives advertisers clearer visibility into which specific products are driving app installs and where budget is being spent.

Google Ads has added Klaviyo as an official integration partner for Offline Conversion Import and Customer Match. The integration allows advertisers to sync first-party customer data directly between Klaviyo and Google Ads, cutting down on manual data uploads and streamlining audience and conversion workflows.

Microsoft has updated its advertising guidelines for the Xbox Dash placement within the Microsoft Audience Network. The revised rules significantly expand the list of prohibited ad categories — including credit cards and other sensitive verticals — and introduce new requirements specifically for non-endemic campaigns running on the placement.

Google has updated its Developer Policies — formerly known as the Google Ads API Policy — with a focus on tightening security standards for developer integrations. Developers are encouraged to review the changes to ensure their integrations remain compliant. The Ads API Compliance team is actively auditing existing integrations and will be reaching out directly where action is needed.

OpenAI updated its ads platform in early September to require product feeds for shopping results, while adding new global markets, an Ads Manager plugin, and audience tools for ecommerce brands.

Starting August 1, a specific group of Amazon advertisers contacted directly lost the ability to use a credit card as their primary ad payment method, with costs now deducted from seller/vendor account balance or via Pay by Invoice. Amazon clarified the change is narrow and does not affect most advertisers, who were already paying via account balance deduction.

Pacvue, a commerce operating system for retail media, integrated Reddit Ads in 2026 so brands can buy and track campaigns alongside more than one hundred retail media networks like Amazon and Walmart.

A new feature for Performance Max campaigns enables advertisers to adjust channel priorities, giving them more control over how budget is allocated across Search, YouTube, Display, and other channels. Google warns that adjusting these settings will directly impact overall campaign performance.

On September 3, 2026, YouTube Creator Partnerships launched new Reach metrics under the Analytics tab. These metrics give advertisers greater visibility into the reach of their creator partnership campaigns.

Google has introduced a strict 7-day window for uploading offline conversions. Conversions uploaded after this deadline will still appear in standard reports, but will be excluded from Data-Driven Attribution (DDA) calculations. This is a critical change for advertisers relying on Offline Conversion Import, as late uploads could skew Smart Bidding signals and attribution models.

The Google tag gateway for advertisers has exited its beta phase with Akamai and Fastly. This change impacts how server-side tagging is managed for ad measurement.

YouTube Creator Partnerships has added new Reach metrics in the Analytics tab. These metrics estimate unique viewers, including co-viewers on connected TVs, using a consistent cross-device methodology aligned with YouTube Analytics. This ensures that reach data stays consistent between Google Ads and YouTube Analytics reporting.

The Google tag gateway for advertisers has officially exited beta on both Akamai and Fastly. Setup pages for these CDNs no longer carry the 'beta' label, making them a stable measurement option alongside the already-established Cloudflare integration. Setup instructions for Akamai and Fastly have been updated accordingly.

Google has started serving Shopping ads within AI Mode results. Two formats have been spotted in the wild: a multi-product shopping carousel and a single product unit. This move reflects Google's push to bring more ad formats into AI Mode, which could open up additional click and revenue opportunities for advertisers.

Meta announced new AI-powered tools to boost purchases from livestreams working with platforms like CommentSold and Firework, and rolled out 'Post-view ads,' a new ad format for Instagram Reels.

Google will display in-account notices urging advertisers to voluntarily upgrade Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max during September 2026. Full automatic migration won't happen until February 2027, but creating new DSA ad groups is already blocked.

Google's official developer blog confirmed changes to language targeting for Search, AI Max for Search, and Performance Max campaigns starting September 2026, simplifying multilingual campaign management.

Starting in late September 2026, Google is removing campaign-level language targeting from Search and AI Max for Search campaigns. Google's automated systems will determine ad serving based on the language of the ad and user language signals.

Google Ads will update its Gambling and Games policy on September 14, 2026, expanding certification requirements for advertisers in this vertical. Affected advertisers should check whether they need to renew or update their certification ahead of the deadline.

Throughout 2026, Google is transitioning Lookalike segments in Demand Gen campaigns from strict targeting constraints to an AI-driven suggestion mode. Advertisers can opt out and retain the previous behavior as a Targeting Constraint via a dedicated form.

Under Google's new alcohol policy effective September 30, alcohol mixers and specialized accessories such as home brewing kits and distillation equipment move from a gray area to explicitly permitted advertising categories. Advertisers in these niches will have greater regulatory clarity.

Google will implement an updated Alcohol policy on September 30, 2026, introducing a more unified global framework, revising country-specific guidelines, and expanding allowed advertising locations. Advertisers in 0% alcohol regions must apply for new certification before the deadline.

Google Ads has launched a new account-level automated asset called Automated Promotions. The feature scans landing pages to detect active promotional offers — such as '20% off black sweaters' or 'Buy one get one free' — and automatically generates a promotion asset that gets attached to eligible campaigns. No manual setup required.

Google Ads has updated its Hotel Ads targeting options, enabling advertisers to target or exclude specific geographic areas including regions, states, cities, and postal codes — not just countries or territories as before. Note that radius targeting remains unsupported for Hotel campaigns.

Google has updated its official help documentation to redefine bumper ad specs: these non-skippable ads must now be between 5 and 6 seconds long, replacing the previous definition of '6 seconds or shorter.' Creative teams producing bumper ads under 5 seconds will need to adjust, as those creatives no longer meet the updated requirements.

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general filed suit against Amazon alleging it secretly inflated prices in its advertising auctions after 2019 rule changes, potentially costing advertisers more than $20 billion.

Microsoft Advertising unveiled the finalists for its annual Partner Awards across multiple global regions, recognizing innovation and client impact within its partner ecosystem.

Microsoft Advertising unveiled the finalists for its 2026 Partner Awards, recognizing achievements, innovation and client impact across its North American partner ecosystem.

TikTok Ads introduced Mini Series, an in-app episodic storytelling feature for brands and marketers, paired with Growth Max to amplify automated ad performance.

Advertisers will continue to pay only for valid leads such as calls, messages, and bookings after the LSA migration, but the standalone dashboard is being shut down. Account admins will receive an advance notification email 14 days before their migration date.

Google has begun automatically upgrading Search campaigns using Campaign-level Broad Match or standalone Automatically Created Assets to AI Max throughout September 2026. Campaigns are migrated in place using equivalent AI Max settings to minimize disruption.

Google is testing a new sitelink design in desktop Search ads featuring black text, a larger font size, and a visual divider between links. For account managers handling large or multi-level campaign structures, this change could meaningfully improve navigation and visibility within ads.

Google has introduced Ask Advisor, a Gemini-based agent that brings together Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center, and Google Marketing Platform into a single interface. Advertisers can pull insights and optimize campaigns from one centralized access point without switching between platforms.

Google is phasing out language targeting at the campaign level for Search campaigns and the Search Network component of Performance Max. Going forward, the system will automatically determine the ad language at auction time based on the ad content and landing page.

Google Ads is rolling out Lookalike segments to Video campaigns, giving advertisers another campaign type to reach new users who resemble their existing audiences. Previously limited to Demand Gen campaigns, this expansion opens up similar audience targeting to advertisers running Video campaigns.

Microsoft has rebranded its AI Max Text Guidelines as Text Guardrails across both AI Max search campaigns and Performance Max. Advertisers can customize these guardrails by adding term exclusions to keep AI-generated text assets aligned with brand guidelines, with a limit of up to 25 excluded terms.

Google has updated its Business Agent help documentation to allow Shopify merchants to activate the AI-powered shopping assistant directly through the Google YouTube app. Business Agent is a branded AI shopping tool that surfaces when consumers search for a business on Google Search, enabling shoppers to ask questions and get personalized assistance.

TikTok published its ad policy change log updated through September 2026, with accumulated modifications across categories like financial services, alcohol, prediction markets, and adult content.

Reddit launched Max campaigns on a limited basis in January 2026 and, after encouraging initial results, opened them to all advertisers in September 2026; the tool automates nearly the entire ad creation process.

Amazon Ads invited advertisers to its annual flagship conference, where it will share how AI and new advertising solutions aim to make it easier for brands of every size to drive results.

TikTok introduced Growth Max: Mini Games, a new way to promote games directly within the app, letting users engage without ever leaving TikTok.

Meta now allows advertisers to build custom audiences specifically for excluding groups such as existing customers or opted-out users, helping avoid wasted budget on unwanted audiences.

TikTok announced an update to its Financial Services ad policy allowing Contracts for Difference (CFD) ads in Canada and the United States, subject to strict compliance and prior approval from a TikTok sales representative.

TikTok announced that SMB advertisers can now choose full, partial, or manual automation control over audience, budget, placements, and catalog within Smart+, with new visual labels in the interface.

Google will automatically migrate legacy Dynamic Search Ads campaigns to AI Max in September 2026, transitioning advertisers to the next generation of AI-powered Search capabilities.

Google is extending the 'Book Online' button integration — powered by Reserve with Google partners — to both Search and Performance Max campaigns. The feature enables users to book directly from the ad, reducing friction in the conversion path for businesses that offer online reservations.

Performance Max campaigns are getting a new Alpha feature that lets advertisers set priority levels for individual channels based on business importance. Using priority sliders, you can control how conversions are weighted across channels such as Search, YouTube, Gmail, and others.

Google Ads has rebranded its payment options in the billing system: 'Automatic payments' is now Postpay and 'Manual payments' is now Prepay. The updated terminology is rolling out across billing screens and approximately 60 help pages, including glossaries and related documentation.

Google is rolling out a revised Alcohol advertising policy on September 30, 2026, moving toward a more unified global framework. The update includes revised country-specific rules, an expanded list of eligible advertising locations, and clearer advertiser requirements. Updated policy language is already available for review.

Google Ads has published new help documentation to assist advertisers in diagnosing and resolving performance drops or unexpected changes across campaign types, including Performance Max, Search, Display, Video, and Shopping. The guides walk through identifying root causes and steps to address them.

While the Cookiebot Shopify app works for most stores, some setups require a manual installation — particularly if you manage multiple domains under one Cookiebot account, deploy tags via Google Tag Manager, or need granular control over which scripts get blocked. This guide covers the manual theme code installation process step by step.