Google and Microsoft Are Quietly Taking the Steering Wheel From Advertisers

If you run Google or Microsoft ads, you’ve probably felt it even if you haven’t read the announcements: there are fewer knobs to turn every quarter.

Over the last two months, both platforms made changes that move more decisions from advertisers to the platform’s automation. None of them is dramatic on its own. Together, they change how you should manage spend.

What changed

Google is moving older Search campaigns to AI Max. Since 1 September, Google has been automatically upgrading older Search campaigns that use broad match or auto-created assets to AI Max. Dynamic Search Ads are next, with reminder notices for legacy DSA users scheduled for 15 January 2027.

Microsoft removed Max CPC on new campaigns. From 1 October 2026, you can no longer set a Max CPC when creating new non-portfolio campaigns that use Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value or Maximize Clicks. And if you remove Max CPC from an existing campaign, you can’t add it back.

Google’s targets now aim at your number, not past it. Since 17 August, budget-limited Target CPA and Target ROAS campaigns steer towards the target you enter instead of simply chasing better performance. If a campaign was getting conversions at $5 with a $10 target, expect it to drift towards $10.

Standalone Display campaigns are on their way out. Creating new standalone Display campaigns is expected to end in January 2027, with Display Network access moving into Demand Gen.

Seafoam Media’s October roundup has a good summary of all of these.

Why this matters even if you’re not an ads specialist

The old way of protecting a budget was manual: cap your bids, pick exact keywords, check the search terms, cut what doesn’t work. Every one of those levers is now weaker.

That isn’t automatically bad. Automation is often better at bidding than a person checking an account twice a week. But it optimises for whatever you tell it to, using whatever data you give it. If you feed it the wrong goal or poor data, it will spend your money very efficiently on the wrong thing.

It’s also worth remembering that platforms aren’t neutral. On 31 August, the FTC and 22 state attorneys general sued Amazon, alleging an “invented auction participant” inflated advertisers’ prices for seven years. That’s an allegation, not a ruling, but it’s a good reason to verify what platforms report rather than taking every number on trust.

How to stay in control when the controls disappear

1. Set targets from real numbers. With Google steering towards your target, an optimistic Target CPA isn’t a stretch goal anymore. It’s an instruction. Work out what a lead or sale is actually worth to you, then set the target from that.

2. Measure AI Max separately. In the Keywords view, AI Max’s expanded matches are reported separately. Divide AI Max conversions by total conversions to see how much of your result is coming from matches you didn’t choose. Then check whether those leads are as good as the rest.

3. Feed the system real outcomes. If you only report form fills, the algorithm learns to buy form fills, including junk ones. Importing which leads became customers (offline conversion imports) teaches it what you actually want.

4. Keep your negative keyword lists alive. Broader matching means more irrelevant searches. A monthly look at the search terms report and a shared negative list still pays for itself.

5. Treat your landing page as targeting. AI Max uses your landing pages and campaign signals, not just your keywords, to decide where to show your ads. A vague page that tries to sell everything sends vague signals. A focused page sends clear ones.

6. Decide before you click “remove”. On Microsoft, once Max CPC is gone from a campaign, it’s gone for good. If a campaign relies on that cap to stay sane, leave it alone until you have a replacement plan.

The job has changed, not disappeared

Paid media used to be about pulling levers. Now it’s about setting the right goal, feeding clean data and checking the machine’s work. The skill is shifting from button-pushing to judgement.

If your ads have felt less predictable since the summer, it’s probably not your imagination. Our digital marketing team audits accounts against exactly these changes, so you can see what the automation is doing with your money before it does more of it.