When Does Google Ads Remove Dynamic Search Ads (DSA)?

Google is automatically upgrading existing Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaigns to AI Max for Search starting in February 2027. That date is itself a delay — Google originally targeted a 2026 migration window and pushed it back after advertiser feedback, confirming the new timeline in its own Google Ads & Commerce Blog post announcing the extension.

What the Upgrade Actually Changes

DSA campaigns don't get deleted or paused during the migration — Google moves dynamic ad groups into standard ad groups, carrying over existing settings, performance data, and any landing page URL controls an advertiser had already configured. AI Max for Search is Google's broader umbrella product that layers AI-driven search term matching, asset generation, and expanded reporting on top of what used to be separate Search features, and DSA's automated, crawler-based ad creation is being folded into that same system rather than kept as a standalone campaign type.

Why the Date Moved Once Already

Google initially set the DSA-to-AI Max transition for September 2026, then extended it after pushback from advertisers who wanted more time to test AI Max behavior against their existing DSA performance before losing the standalone option. That's a meaningful signal on its own: Google has shown it will adjust a migration deadline for this specific product in response to feedback, which is worth tracking if you're planning around the February 2027 date — it's the current target, not necessarily the final one.

A Separate Wave Already Happened

DSA wasn't part of an earlier, related migration. In September 2026, Google separately upgraded campaigns that were already using automatically created assets and campaign-level broad match into AI Max — but Dynamic Search Ads campaigns specifically were excluded from that wave and are only addressed by the February 2027 timeline.

What Changes for New Campaign Creation

Alongside the auto-upgrade of existing campaigns, Google has also been tightening when advertisers can create new DSA campaigns from scratch, with the ability to start new ones scheduled to close out around the same migration window. Treat DSA as a feature in its final stretch rather than a campaign type to build a long-term strategy around — new campaign creation is being wound down on roughly the same clock as the automatic upgrade.

What to Do Before February 2027

Advertisers running DSA today have a real window to test AI Max for Search manually before the forced migration happens, rather than experiencing the switch for the first time as an automatic change. Comparing search term reports, landing page performance, and asset behavior under AI Max against current DSA output gives time to adjust bidding or asset groups before the automatic transition reshapes an account without warning.

Bottom Line

If you're running Dynamic Search Ads, don't wait for the February 2027 auto-upgrade to see how AI Max performs — opt into testing it manually now, since Google has already shown this timeline can move and the migration itself preserves your existing settings rather than resetting them.

Sources: Google Ads & Commerce Blog, "Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max"; Search Engine Land, "Google sets AI Max migration timeline for Search campaigns"; Search Engine Roundtable, reporting Google's extended DSA-to-AI Max timeline via its Ads Liaison.