Google Ads News
Looker Studio update
Regionalization in Conversational Analytics for Data Studio. Conversational Analytics in Data Studio now supports multi-region BigQuery data agents.
Prediction Policy
Google is updating its U.S. Prediction markets policy in June 2026. From June 2, 2026, ads for prediction market contracts and related products are prohibited in Ohio.
LSA Update
Google is updating its Local Services Ads policies on July 6, 2026.The policies will be renamed “Local Services Ads requirements.”
The update mainly refreshes wording, improves readability, removes outdated rules, and aligns the requirements with the newer Google Guarantee badge system.
Google Tag Gateway
Google tag gateway for advertisers using Amazon CloudFront is now available!
Ad Format
A new text ad format in Google AI Mode has been spotted on desktop.The format includes a website logo, Headline 1, Headline 2, and description, appearing directly in search results.
This could signal a shift in how ads are displayed within AI Mode.Spotted by Sachin Patel & Hana Kobzová.
Google Experiments
Google Ads has launched Campaign Guidance for Experiments, helping advertisers run better tests with an Experiment Power score: low, medium, or high.
It predicts the chance of reaching statistically significant results and gives recommendations to improve setup.
Supports Performance Max and Search campaigns.
Credit: Hana Kobzová.
New documents on Invalid clicks
Google is giving advertisers more visibility into invalid traffic refunds.Its new Ads help documentation highlights the Invalid Activity Credit Report, a tool that shows how much spend has been credited back for invalid clicks and interactions across Search and Performance Max campaigns.
The report breaks down:
• Credited clicks
• Credited interactions
• Credited spend
• Campaign-level impact
• Adjusted performance metrics after credits are applied
This matters because invalid traffic credits often show up in billing history, but they can be hard to connect back to campaign performance.
With this report, advertisers can more easily audit traffic quality, reconcile refunds, and understand the true cost and performance of their campaigns after Google applies invalid activity adjustments.
For anyone managing large Search or PMax budgets, this could become a valuable reporting layer to monitor discrepancies, refunded spend, and the impact of Google’s invalid traffic protections.
More transparency around invalid traffic is always welcome.
Personalized Advertising Policy
Google updated its personalized advertising policy documentation to clarify how restricted targeting rules apply to Demand Gen and Discovery campaigns, especially for advertisers promoting products or services linked to sensitive interest categories.
The update does not introduce new restrictions. Instead, it gives advertisers more guidance on when audience targeting may limit campaign delivery or reach.
Sensitive categories may include areas like health conditions, financial hardship, personal difficulties, and other topics Google treats as sensitive under its personalized ads policies.
This matters because Demand Gen campaigns rely heavily on audience signals across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. As more advertisers move budgets into Demand Gen, Google appears to be responding to questions about how sensitive-interest rules affect targeting eligibility and performance.
Advertisers in sectors such as healthcare, financial services, or other regulated industries should review the updated guidance to understand whether their audience choices could reduce reach or affect ad serving.
V10 structured files
Structured Data Files v10 is now generally available in Display & Video 360 for both downloads and uploads.
Key updates include support for CTV targeting in Line Item files, regional location list targeting in Ad Group files, new and updated Audio Content Type Targeting options, and the removal of deprecated Campaign, Insertion Order, and certain Video Sequence-only Line Item columns.
Teams migrating from earlier SDF versions should review the v10 release notes and follow the migration guide. Google also introduced Partial Structured Data File Uploads to make Line Item uploads easier and more efficient.
Credit to Arpan Banerjee for sharing the update.
Out of stock
Arpan Banerjee discovered that because of the Shopify issue, Merchant Center flagged a lot of product pages as unavailable. Make sure to check these!
GA4 Update
What? Finally, is the GBP connection coming to GA4?Thanks for sharing Syed Muhammad Amir Hassan.
YouTube Update
YouTube has earned its sixth consecutive Media Rating Council brand safety accreditation, now expanded to include YouTube Shorts.
This makes YouTube the first platform to receive MRC brand safety accreditation for short-form video.
The certification covers YouTube’s three inventory suitability tiers Maximum, Moderate, and Limited Mode giving advertisers more control over where their campaigns appear across both long-form videos and Shorts.
With Shorts averaging 200 billion daily views, the accreditation reinforces YouTube’s brand safety protections and gives advertisers greater confidence to invest in short-form video alongside YouTube’s creator community.
OpenAI Feed
OpenAI is adding product feeds to its ads manager, moving the feature over from ChatGPT’s now-defunct instant checkout system.
The feeds were originally used to provide accurate product data, pricing, and checkout eligibility. With checkout shut down and merchant adoption limited, OpenAI is now repurposing them for ads.
The ads manager is starting to look more like Google Merchant Center, with product-level data, performance tracking, and feeds that can power product ads.
Feed data may also improve organic shopping results, but the main goal appears to be monetizing shopping intent in ChatGPT.
Thanks for sharing Juozas Kaziukėnas.
GTM Update
Google Tag Gateway for advertisers is now available via the Google Cloud platform.
Limited by budget test
Google is testing with a new design of limited by budget!
Healthcare test
Google begins testing healthcare ads in AI Mode!
Terms of service
Arpan Banerjee discovered that Google updated the Google Ads Terms of service!
Publisher reviews
Sachin Patel discovered that Google is showing publisher reviews below certain Search Ads.
New security and compliance features for Data Studio Pro
Google has introduced three new controls to help organizations strengthen data governance:
• Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) for protecting Data Studio Pro assets
• Customer-managed storage for file uploads and data extracts
• Data residency to keep data within a selected geographical area
These features give enterprises more control over how their data is encrypted, stored, and geographically managed.Available exclusively with Data Studio Pro.
Policy update
On June 29, 2026, Google will update the Gambling and Games policy for France to align with the current regulatory landscape for online gambling content.
Google Ads API Developer Assistant v3.0.0 launches
The latest release introduces a major architectural upgrade, moving the Assistant to Google’s Antigravity agent framework and a modular, skills-based design.Key improvements include:
• Enhanced GAQL validation
• Dynamic Protobuf message and enum inspection
• More reliable conversion troubleshooting
• Better performance and reduced token usage
Support for the previous gemini-cli framework ends on June 18, 2026, so developers should prepare to upgrade.
June 2026 update to the Display & Video 360 API
Google’s latest DV360 API update introduces:• Support for Structured Data Files v10
• New AudioContentType, Exchange, and GeoRegionType values
• YouTube Channel Pack targeting for Demand Gen resources
• A gradual rollout of full Demand Gen API support
By June 24, 2026, all DV360 partners will be able to retrieve, create, and update Demand Gen resources through the API.
Before using the new features, make sure your client library is updated to the latest version.
Google’s Mobile Ads Next-Gen SDK is now available for Unity
Unity developers can now upgrade their Android apps to Google’s new ad architecture with one setting in GMA Unity plugin 11.1.0.
Key benefits include:
• Up to 27% faster banner ad request latency
• Smaller on-device SDK size
• Background initialization for faster app startup
• Improved stability with RPCs removed
• Support for all existing ad formats
To enable it, open Assets → Google Mobile Ads → Settings in Unity and select “Upgrade to the GMA Next-Gen SDK.”
With all future Android ad development focused on the Next-Gen SDK, now is a good time to test the upgrade.
Google delays DSA automigration to February 2027
Google is giving advertisers more time to transition Dynamic Search Ads to AI-powered campaign types:
• New DSA creation returns on June 15, 2026
• Voluntary testing and migration continues through January 2027
• DSA creation will be removed in January 2027
• Automatic migration begins in February 2027
The extension is a welcome opportunity to audit existing DSAs, test AI Max for Search side by side, and migrate on your own terms rather than waiting for the automatic upgrade.
More time but don’t wait until the deadline.
New updates for cleaner source analysis
GA4 is introducing Source Group, improving Source Platform, and adding a new Hostname filter.
Source Group standardizes messy source values such as “fb,” “facebook,” and “Meta-facebook” into one clear reporting value.
This makes cross-channel performance, attribution, and budget analysis easier across platforms like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Amazon, Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
The new Hostname filter also lets you exclude events from unapproved domains, helping keep your data clean and relevant.
Google is updating its Limited Ad Serving policy in June 2026, with a stronger focus on advertiser identity, transparency, and user trust
Key takeaways for advertisers:
• Make your brand identity clear in both ads and landing pages
• Be transparent when referencing other brands
• Avoid generic or misleading ad copy
• Ensure your domain and landing page clearly represent your business
• Build a strong history of policy compliance and positive user experience
Google may limit impressions for advertisers it considers unqualified, especially on searches with a higher risk of negative ad experiences.
This is a useful reminder that strong branding is no longer just a marketing advantage it is becoming increasingly important for ad eligibility and reach.
Thanks to Arpan Banerjee for sharing this update.
GA4 GBP Link
Barry Schwartz discovered that the GA4 GBP link is live!
Good price
Sachin Patel discovered that Google Ads is now showing good price!
Google is expanding Local Services Ads for real estate across all 50 U.S. states, now showing property photos, pricing and key details directly within Search ads.
Powered by a partnership with HouseCanary, the updated format lets buyers evaluate homes and contact agents by call, message or appointment without leaving Google.
Existing LSA advertisers are included automatically. New advertisers can sign up directly; portal partners can enroll agents through Google’s managed partner program.
Walmart
Walmart’s first-party shopper data is coming to YouTube via DV360 letting advertisers reach Walmart’s audience on YouTube and measure whether those impressions drove actual Walmart sales.
Walmart’s first-party shopper data is coming to YouTube via DV360 letting advertisers reach Walmart’s audience on YouTube and measure whether those impressions drove actual Walmart sales.
That closed-loop attribution is what matters. Less guesswork, clearer ROI on video spend.
The broader shift: retail media networks are plugging into the programmatic ecosystem rather than staying siloed. Expect more of this.
Sitelinks
Google is testing with blue lines below sitelinks. Found by Barry Schwartz & Gagan Ghotra.
Image asset test
Anthony Higman discovered that LinkedIn is testing with image sitelink assets!
Policy
Google Ads will allow online gambling ads in Vietnam from June 24, 2026, but only for Vietlott-authorized lottery promoters. Advertisers must get certification first.
Card test
Hana Kobzová discovered that Google is testing the Sponsored Card Carousel in the Image Tab!
New metric
Great insight from Bia Camargo on Google’s new co-viewing measurement for YouTube on Connected TV.
As more people watch YouTube on shared screens, advertisers need a clearer view of actual reach, not just the targeted user.
Co-viewing helps account for the extra people watching alongside them, bringing CTV measurement closer to traditional TV reporting.
Background
Sachin Patel discovered that Google is testing with a grey background for Google Ads!
Ask Advisor
Google’s Ask Advisor is a coming AI assistant for Google marketing products, rolling out through 2026.
It aims to help marketers turn data into decisions faster by working across tools like Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center, and Google Marketing Platform.
Key points:
It will act as an agentic AI advisor for campaign guidance and decision-making.
It will remember business priorities and improve recommendations over time.
It will use cross-product context to provide more useful insights.
It will move with users across Google marketing tools so tasks can continue without interruption.
The features are not fully available yet and are marked as coming soon.
Google just made local business reporting in GA4 a lot more useful
With the new Google Business Profile integration, you can now link Google Analytics properties directly with Google Business Profiles from the Admin panel and bring key first-party GBP data into your reports.
ChatGPT Ads is expanding to new markets
OpenAI is taking another step toward building a more mature ads ecosystem inside ChatGPT.
The company is expanding ChatGPT ads into five new markets: the UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico, while also testing multi-advertiser placements that can show several relevant sponsored results in a single ad unit.
For advertisers, the Ads Manager Beta is also getting more practical campaign tools, including daily budget conversion, CPC cloning from CPM campaigns, custom CPM max bids, bulk editing, and weekly pacing flexibility.
Why it matters: this signals that OpenAI is moving beyond early ad experiments and toward a more scalable, international ad platform.
The biggest thing to watch is the multi-advertiser format.
If it works, it could reshape how sponsored content appears in AI conversations, especially during high-intent research and purchase journeys.
Top pages
Arpan Banerjee discovered that Google is now showing top pages!
Looker Studio update
Report editors can now allow report viewers to manually refresh report data.
When editors enable the new Viewer data refresh option in report settings, viewers can refresh data for a component by right clicking the component, or refresh data for a report by selecting the option in the three-dot menu.
Policy update
On July 1, 2026, Google Ads will update the US country-specifics of its Gambling and games policy.
Google will begin permitting Daily Fantasy Sports ads in Colorado for operators licensed by the state’s Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming (CDOG).
Advertisers must apply for certification.The Gambling and games policy page will be updated when the policy goes into effect on July 1, 2026.
OpenAI
OpenAI Ads Manager Beta has launched in the UK, offering businesses a simple, quick setup with no bank details required.
The platform supports campaigns, billing and user access, though each user can currently create only one account, so clients should invite agencies or freelancers rather than have them create accounts on their behalf.
SHOPIFY UPDATE WILL F*CK UP YOUR ACCOUNT
Merchant Center legend Emmanuel Flossie discovered that Shopify merchants preparing to migrate the Google & YouTube app are being warned about a product ID change that could disrupt Google Ads performance.
After migration, product IDs may switch from country-specific formats such as Shopify_US_12345_67890 to a new format using ZZ, for example, Shopify_ZZ_12345_67890.
Because Google treats the updated IDs as new products, advertisers could lose the connection to historical clicks, conversions, campaign learning, and optimization data. This may cause a temporary decline in campaign performance while Google rebuilds its understanding of the product catalogue.
A second concern is that the updated app may automatically submit product feeds for all enabled Shopify Markets, rather than only the merchant’s primary market.Merchants are advised not to uninstall and reinstall the app without first reviewing their feed setup. One suggested solution is to use a third-party feed management app.
This may allow businesses to retain their existing product ID structure and preserve historical advertising data.
The issue cannot be resolved using Google Merchant Center feed rules, as product IDs in a primary feed cannot be changed through those rules.
Recovery times may vary. Well-optimized accounts could recover within a few days, while accounts with less data or weaker optimization may take several weeks or longer.
The migration deadlines are February 28, 2026, for beta Merchant API users and August 18, 2026, for Content API users.
For more information, check this YouTube link.
Text assets
Arpan Banerjee discovered that Google Text disclaimers are now being shown in Assets!
Banner update
A cookie banner is no longer just a banner. It is becoming a key control point between Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Since June 15, 2026, Google Consent Mode has become the single control for collecting Google Ads cookies and identifiers through the Google Analytics tag and SDK.
Later in 2026, Google also plans to make the ad_personalization consent signal the main control for whether Analytics data shared with a linked Google Ads account can be used for personalized advertising.
I use Cookiebot Web CMP by Usercentrics to collect consent and communicate visitors’ choices to Google through signals including:
– ad_storage
– analytics_storage
– ad_user_data
– ad_personalization
But simply installing Cookiebot is not enough. The default consent state, category mapping, tag behavior and consent updates must all be configured correctly.For businesses using Cookiebot, GA4 and Google Ads, now is a good time to verify that:
• consent is set correctly before the visitor chooses
• each signal updates after the visitor accepts or rejects
• Google tags behave according to those choices
• Analytics and Ads links reflect the intended data flow
The banner is what users see.The consent signals and tag configuration behind it are what make their choice meaningful.
Leads live
Arpan Banerjee discovered that Google-hosted form leads are now live inside Conversions!
Partners tool
Arpan Banerjee just got access to the new Partners tool for Pmax! Looks like more people are now seeing it:)
GA4 Shopify update
Starting in July 2026, Google Analytics will automatically receive e-commerce events, including purchases, directly from Shopify for stores using the Google & YouTube app.
The new server-to-server integration is intended to improve measurement accuracy and recover conversion signals that may otherwise be lost. No action is required, as it will be enabled automatically.
Merchants who do not want to use the integration can disable it through the Google & YouTube app in Shopify.
Ask Ad Manager
Google is launching Ask Ad Manager, a Gemini-powered conversational AI agent for publishers. It helps troubleshoot delivery issues, generate actionable performance insights, and navigate directly to correctly configured campaign pages all within the Ad Manager interface.
The agent uses each publisher’s first-party data for personalized guidance; that data is neither shared nor used for model training. The beta rollout begins this month, with broader availability planned later this year.
New Github tool
Turn product images into professional video ads with Scene Machine, Google’s new open-source tool built on Google Cloud and powered by Google AI.
Quickly create, iterate, and export video ads for PMax, Demand Gen, and more without traditional production costs. Link.
Additional tracking
Google Ads has launched a beta that lets advertisers strengthen conversion tracking by adding backend data such as CRM records to their Google tag.
This can help recover signals lost to ad blockers and browser restrictions, improve automated bidding with more complete conversion data, and simplify integration through Google Ads Data Manager. Setup must be completed manually using the Google tag or Google Tag Manager.
Thanks for sharing Hana Kobzová.
Google Ads is updating Smart Bidding strategy names
Starting in June 2026, Google Ads is separating target-focused bidding strategies from volume-focused strategies more clearly.
The following UI labels are changing:
• “Maximize conversions with a Target CPA” → “Target CPA”
• “Maximize conversion value with a Target ROAS” → “Target ROAS”Maximize Conversions and Maximize Conversion Value will remain available for advertisers who want to maximize volume within their budget without setting a specific target.
Importantly, this is a naming and organizational update only:
✅ No change to bidding behavior
✅ No expected impact on campaign performance
✅ No action required for existing campaigns
For Google Ads API users, the change brings the interface more closely in line with standalone TARGET_CPA and TARGET_ROAS strategy types.
Developers should review:
• How integrations and dashboards display bidding strategies
• Campaign-creation logic using Maximize strategies with optional targets
• Future API updates involving BiddingStrategyType, TargetCpa, TargetRoas, target_cpa, and target_roas
The main distinction is becoming clearer: maximize strategies prioritize volume, while target strategies prioritize achieving a specified efficiency target.
Mixing Ads
Google Image Search Mixes Ads Within Organic Results. Found by Barry Schwartz & Paul Graham.
Customer list
To help you maximise the value and performance of your first-party data, Google is turning on the conversion-based customer lists feature for your account(s) beginning on 17 June 2026, and data will begin to be processed on 18 August 2026.
Label
Google Ads will automatically label conversion-based customer lists starting August 2026.
To stay in control, classify your lists in Audience Manager before the deadline.Update highlighted by Bia Camargo & Hana Kobzová
Limited serving
Google is expanding its Limited Ad Serving policy on Search from June 2026, with a gradual rollout through 2028.
Advertisers may see reduced impressions if they receive frequent user complaints, use unclear branding, reference other brands ambiguously, or run overly generic ads.
The takeaway: make your brand identity clear across ads and landing pages, use specific messaging, and explain any connection to other brands.
New Tab
Marcin Wsół & Hana Kobzová discovered this new Summary Tab Added in Google Ads Security Settings.
Billing Demand Gen
Arpan Banerjee got the message that Google Ads is changing how certain Demand Gen campaigns are billed on Discover.
Starting July 15, 2026, campaigns using view-through conversion (VTC) optimization will move from cost-per-click (CPC) billing to cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) billing on the Discover channel.The rationale: when campaigns optimize for conversions that happen after someone sees an ad rather than clicks it, impression-based billing may better reflect the value being delivered and align more closely with the campaign’s optimization goal.A few key points:
• The change only affects a limited number of advertisers using VTC optimization on Discover.
• Campaigns without VTC optimization are not expected to be affected.
• The transition will happen automatically.
• Advertisers who do not want to move to CPM billing can opt out of VTC optimization in their campaign settings.
For advertisers and agencies, this is a good moment to review affected campaigns, reassess CPMs and impression quality, and check whether current attribution and optimization settings still align with business objectives.
Google has announced three important bidding and budgeting updates for Google Ads
Smart Bidding Exploration expansion
Smart Bidding Exploration helps advertisers reach new users through queries that may currently be out of reach, without changing core campaign targeting.
It is now available globally in all languages for Search campaigns and Performance Max campaigns without a product feed.
Google has also opened the beta for Shopping ads across Performance Max campaigns with a product feed and standard Shopping campaigns.
Promotion mode (Beta)Promotion mode allows advertisers to schedule temporary changes to ROAS tolerance and add extra daily budget during high-demand periods.
This could be especially useful for seasonal events, flash sales and product launches. It can also be combined with a campaign total budget.
The beta is now available for Search and Performance Max campaigns.
Bidding target optimization update
From August 17, Google will update its backend bidding target optimization to help budget-limited campaigns deliver more predictable performance in line with CPA and ROAS targets, particularly when budgets increase.
Google says some advertisers may see minor performance fluctuations during a brief calibration period.
Account notifications will begin appearing from July 6, giving advertisers time to review historical performance and adjust CPA or ROAS targets where needed.
A good moment to review whether your current bidding targets still align with your business goals.
Performance Max Gets Product Reporting by Asset Group
Google has introduced a useful update for Performance Max campaigns: advertisers can now select individual asset groups directly within the Products report.
This makes it much easier to analyze product-level performance for specific asset groups without relying on extensive filtering or time-consuming workarounds.
Previously, understanding how individual products performed across different asset groups required considerable effort. With this update, advertisers gain clearer insights and can make faster, more informed optimization decisions.
The new asset group dropdown includes options such as Brand, Search Themes, and Your Data.
The update was first reported by Yash Mandlesha & Hana Kobzová
YouTube update
Google Ads now provides real-time Shorts ad previews for Video View and Video Reach campaigns. Advertisers can preview new or existing ads on mobile and desktop during campaign creation, helping catch formatting issues and confirm how creatives will appear before launch.
Label Demand Gen
Google Ads now supports Custom Labels in Demand Gen campaigns, expanding a feature previously limited to Performance Max and Standard Shopping.
Advertisers can use labels 0–4 to segment products by attributes such as margin, seasonality, or promotion strategy, giving them more control over targeting, bidding, and messaging instead of relying entirely on automation.
Thanks for sharing Emmanuel Flossie
Approval API
Starting July 27, 2026, the Google Ads API will gradually introduce multi-party approval requirements for sensitive account-access actions. User invitations, permission changes, and access removals may be paused until approved by a second account administrator.
Applications using the affected methods must support the new MultiPartyAuthReview workflow, including retrieving, approving, rejecting, or revoking pending requests. Developers should upgrade to a supported API or client-library version before the rollout begins.
v21
Google Ads API v21 will be discontinued on August 5, 2026, after which all requests using this version will fail. Developers should migrate to a newer API version before the deadline to avoid service disruptions.
The Google Cloud Console can be used to identify recent v21 requests, including the services and methods currently used by an integration.
DV 360 update
On July 13, 2026, two unversioned changes will take effect in the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files. Nielsen will no longer be available as a third-party brand lift vendor.
In addition, Demand Gen and YouTube responsive ads will automatically inherit default business name and logo values when these fields are not set. Advertisers and developers should review the announced deprecations and update any affected integrations before the deadline.
Security expansion
Google is expanding its financial advertiser verification program to all EU and EEA countries. Financial services advertisers must prove that they are registered or authorized by the relevant national regulator.
The rollout will happen in phases, and businesses will have 30 days to complete verification. If they fail to do so, their financial ads will be restricted. The goal is to prevent scams, improve trust in financial advertising, and stop unauthorized advertisers before their ads reach users.
YouTube update
At Cannes Lions 2026, YouTube introduced new Gemini-powered tools to help brands and agencies improve creator-led campaigns.
Updates include more detailed YouTube trend data, integrated insights into paid and organic brand performance, a new API offering richer creator and audience information, and creative recommendations for optimizing Demand Gen campaigns.
Together, these tools provide a clearer view of trends, performance and creator influence.
Demand Gen June
June’s Demand Gen update expands YouTube campaign tools to help advertisers drive more new-customer growth.
Key additions include broader automatic video resizing across aspect ratios, Gemini-powered creative optimization recommendations, and Web-to-App Acquisition Measurement to track app installs generated by Demand Gen campaigns.
Measured reports that 72% of incremental YouTube conversions come from new customers.
Short Ads interactions
Arpan Banerjee discovered this metric for ads, is this new?
GMC Disapprovals
There’s a reported spike in Google Merchant Center disapprovals for Shopify products due to “Product page unavailable” errors.
It seems Google’s bots are having trouble crawling some Shopify product URLs, so store owners should check their GMC accounts and see if they’re affected.Thanks for sharing Jochem Jacobs.
Expanding AI Max Search Terms
Google expanded its AI Max for Search reporting guidance, confirming that Dynamic Search Ads will automatically transition to AI Max starting in February 2027.
The update adds clearer search-term and landing-page views, exclusion controls, dedicated travel campaign reporting, and best practices emphasizing conversion intent, reviews every one to two weeks, and limited use of negative keywords.
Final URL Expansion
Google added a new section to the about final URL expansion in Search document named “How the landing page logic works for Travel Promotion Ads & Booking Links within Search Campaigns for Travel” Thanks for sharing Barry Schwartz
New Merchant Center roles
Merchant Center for Agencies is introducing Admin and Standard roles to simplify account management and strengthen security.
Agency Admins have full control to link or unlink client accounts, manage Standard users’ permissions, and organize clients with custom labels by brand, vertical, or team.
Standard users receive access only to the client accounts they need.This creates a more centralized, scalable, and secure way for agencies to manage multiple clients.
LSA Update
Google has expanded its Local Services Ads broad search documentation, explaining how advertisers can opt out of general category queries, identify broad-search leads, and report on their costs.
Disabling broad search may reduce leads and applies across all industries in multi-vertical accounts, with special controls for legal and food businesses. Google also clarified that LSAs cannot target competitors’ branded searches; advertisers must use Search or Performance Max instead.
Thanks for sharing Barry Schwartz
YouTube update
YouTube is introducing new Gemini-powered insights and optimization tools to help advertisers spot trends, evaluate creators and improve campaign creative.
Updates include richer U.S. trend data in Insights Finder, selected Brand Pulse metrics combining paid and organic performance, a new Content & Creator Insights API, and upcoming Gemini recommendations for Demand Gen creative.
Financial Services Verification
Google is expanding Financial Services Verification to 24 additional EEA markets, with rolling enforcement starting July 23, 2026.
Notified advertisers and agencies managing their accounts must first verify through G2, then apply to Google using the issued code.
Advertisers that miss their enforcement deadline will be unable to run in-scope financial services ads in affected countries.
Update CPA & ROAS
Google will change how target-based bidding behaves in budget-constrained campaigns on August 17, making results track configured CPA or ROAS targets more closely.
A Bid Target Adjustment Tool, launching July 6, will help advertisers identify affected campaigns and revise outdated goals.
Advertisers whose campaigns currently outperform their targets should review settings, as unchanged targets could lead to higher acquisition costs or altered returns.
BREAKING: Maximize conversion value for standard shopping 🚨
Google is rolling out Maximize Conversion Value bidding for Standard Shopping campaigns without requiring a Target ROAS.
This gives advertisers access to value-based bidding while preserving Standard Shopping’s control and transparency.
It may also reduce the need for feed-only Performance Max campaigns previously used solely to access this bidding strategy.
Thanks for sharing Yash Mandlesha & Boyd Klerk
Policy update
Google Ads will allow some ads to redirect the final URL to a different domain, with prior approval.
Skills
Google has launched official Agent Skills for advertising and measurement, giving AI coding assistants task-specific, up-to-date guidance for integrating Google Ads APIs and SDKs.
Using progressive disclosure, agents load only the context needed for tasks such as Mobile Ads implementation, Google Ads API setup, MCP installation, and audience or conversion data ingestion. Developers can install the skills with npx skills add google/skills/skills/ads and update them using npx skills update.
Smart Campaigns
Google will stop allowing new Smart Campaigns to be created through the Google Ads API on August 3, 2026.
Existing campaigns will continue running and remain manageable via the API, but developers must update automated workflows preferably toward Performance Max, Search, or Demand Gen to avoid creation errors.
Pinning Ads?
Google Ads updated its responsive search ads guidance to discourage pinning identical or similar assets.
It recommends pinning only one or two essential keyword headlines while allowing other assets to rotate, keeping each keyword within a single headline, and moving keywords longer than 30 characters into the description field.
Thanks for sharing Barry Schwartz
FloodLight
Floodlight has improved its measurement of server-to-server conversions that were previously undercounted because browser cookie data was unavailable.
When a GCLID is present, server-side conversion data can now be matched with related browser signals, such as cookies, resulting in more accurate conversion attribution and reporting.
Gambling & Gaming
Google Ads is expanding its Gambling and Games policy in Peru to allow online lottery advertising by approved operators.
Advertisers must hold the required licenses and certifications, including a favorable technical opinion from Peru’s Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP).
Permitted categories will include online gambling, sports betting, online casino games, and lotteries.
Note: The announcement contains conflicting dates: it says the revision occurs on July 8, 2026, but also states the changes become effective on June 24, 2026. The official policy page should be checked to confirm the applicable date.
Strong match
Google is running a small experiment with adding a “Strongest match” or “Strong match” label to certain Search ads.The goal is simple: to help people instantly identify the most relevant information for their query, and help advertisers connect more effectively with high-intent audiences.
New Google Ads Homepage
Google Ads is introducing a new Gemini-powered homepage featuring proactive insights, custom performance-tracking workspaces, and interactive analysis. It is currently in beta for English-language accounts.
Enhanced conversions
Google Ads is unifying Enhanced Conversions from June 2026.“Enhanced conversions for web” and “for leads” will become one setting. Advertisers can also send customer data through website tags, Data Manager, and API simultaneously no longer choosing just one method.
Existing eligible setups migrate automatically, while offline and lead uploads move to the Data Manager API from June 15, 2026. Review your account to ensure the new unified toggle matches your intended setup.
Thanks for sharing Matteo Zambon.
Ads Gmail
Gmail has moved ads to the bottom of the Promotions and Social tabs on desktop. Previously, ads appeared among inbox messages or at the top.
The change makes promotional content more clearly positioned while still giving advertisers visibility.
The update was first spotted by Hana Kobzová.
New columns
Arpan Banerjee discovered these new columns!
Remove shocking Ads
Barry Schwartz discovered that Google Removes Shocking Content From Ads Not Allowed For Young Users.
New open Icon
Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google Ads Tests Open In New Window Icon.
Customer match MC
Emmanuel Flossie & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google Ads now allows you to upload your customer loyalty data, i.e. Customer Match data, via the Google Merchant API.
New YouTube campaign features
New YouTube campaign features provide deeper brand insights by tracking Shorts engagement and ad-driven branded searches. These metrics help advertisers measure brand impact, purchase intent, and potential sales growth more effectively.
Deprecating
Arpan Banerjee just send me a message that Google is deprecating Structured Data Files (SDF) versions 9, 9.1, and 9.2 on January 28, 2027.
Users should migrate to SDF v10 or later before that date using the SDF v10 Migration Guide.After the sunset date:Partners and advertisers still using the deprecated versions will default to v10.API requests using SDF_VERSION_9, SDF_VERSION_9_1, or SDF_VERSION_9_2 will return a 400 error.
Bigger Font
Arpan Banerjee discovered that google is testing with a bigger font for sitelinks!
Renaming
Google Ads has renamed its Default Ads Treatment policy to clarify how age estimation affects ad delivery.While Google estimates a user’s age, ads for adult content, alcohol and gambling remain temporarily restricted. No advertiser action is required.
Inventory
Google Ads’ Inventory Type rebrand is now appearing in accounts.Expanded is now Maximum Inventory, Standard is now Moderate Inventory, while Limited remains unchanged. The screening parameters are unchanged.
Spotted by Aleksejus Podpruginas.
New design
Google Ads is rolling out a redesigned All Campaigns selector with expandable campaign hierarchies and built-in search.The update should make navigation easier for advertisers managing large or complex accounts. Rollout is ongoing.
Discovered by VIVEK GUPTA.
Google Tag Manager update
Google Tag Manager is getting a cleaner, more beginner-friendly interface.
The bigger story, however, is what these updates are preparing for: a deeper integration between Google Tag and GTM.The new UI includes a simplified Overview dashboard, collapsible navigation, and a visual event builder for Google Ads purchase conversions.
That builder makes setup easier by letting users select transaction data directly from the website.Useful for beginners, but potentially risky for performance.
Because it relies on CSS selectors, tracking can break when page layouts change.
For reliable purchase data, a proper Data Layer implementation is still the better option.And reliable purchase data matters far beyond tracking.
Thanks for sharing Simo Ahava .
New Performance Max Channel Diagnostics
Google Ads has introduced a useful diagnostics feature within Channel Performance, found under Insights & Reports.Advertisers can now review diagnostics across all channels or examine a specific channel to identify
:✅ Missing assets
✅ Assets that were not accepted
✅ Opportunities to improve campaign performance directly from the reportThis should make troubleshooting Performance Max campaigns faster and help advertisers take action without jumping between multiple reports.
Credit to Aleksejus Podpruginas for spotting and sharing this update.
