Google has announced an open beta launch of AI Max for Search campaigns in the Google Ads UI beginning May 27, 2025. While full API support is planned for version 21 in August 2025, Google is providing important information for API users during this transitional phase.
AI Max for Search campaigns represents a significant evolution in Google's advertising platform, consolidating several existing features into a more cohesive AI-powered solution.
Key Changes During Beta Period
Before the full API support arrives in v21, API users should be aware of several important changes:
Feature Consolidation
When enabling AI Max for Search campaigns in the Google Ads UI, several legacy features will be grouped under the new AI Max settings:
- Text customization (formerly Automatically Created Assets)
- Campaign-level broad match settings
- Brand inclusions (previously connected to campaign-level broad match)
- Campaign-level brand exclusions
Potential API Conflicts
The most significant concern for API users involves campaigns where AI Max has been enabled and then disabled via the UI. Managing the associated features (like text customization or brand lists) using any API version may cause errors during this transition period.
This occurs because disabling AI Max in the UI doesn't fully revert the underlying configuration to the pre-AI Max state that would be compatible with older API versions.
Specific Feature Impacts
Campaign-Level Broad Match: API requests to toggle this setting will be processed but may function differently depending on the campaign's AI Max state. Keywords will still convert to Broad Match if enabled via API, but the primary control mechanism shifts to AI Max.
Text Customization: API requests attempting to deactivate text customization will raise an error if Final URL expansion remains enabled in the UI.
Mitigation Strategies
Google will display warning messages in the UI when enabling or disabling AI Max for campaigns using legacy features, specifically mentioning potential impacts on API workflows during the beta period.
Recommendations for API Users
Organizations relying heavily on API workflows for managing Automatically Created Assets or Brand Lists should exercise caution when enabling—and especially when disabling—AI Max for those campaigns until full API support arrives in v21 (August 2025).
What Remains Unchanged
API users can continue managing existing Search campaigns using current features via API v19, provided AI Max has not been enabled and then disabled for those campaigns in the UI.
Ad Group level Brand Inclusions and Locations of Interest pilots (outside of AI Max) are ending, with this functionality only available within AI Max moving forward.
Looking Ahead: V21 and Beyond
Complete API Support: Version 21 (planned for August 2025) will introduce dedicated fields and services to fully manage all AI Max features.
Legacy Field Deprecation: Following v21's launch and adoption, older API versions will sunset, with legacy fields for the consolidated features being fully deprecated and removed.
This transition period requires careful coordination between teams using the UI and API to avoid workflow disruptions while preparing for the full capabilities coming in API v21.
