A new campaign-level setting spotted in Google Ads could give advertisers direct control over whether AI Max campaigns participate in branded search queries. The feature, identified by paid search specialist Thomas Eccel via LinkedIn, has not been confirmed as a global release by Google, and its status as a formal launch, limited beta, or isolated experiment remains unclear.
What the New Setting Appears to Offer
The setting, labelled "Branded Searches" within the AI Max configuration panel, reportedly presents advertisers with three options: show ads on all relevant searches (the current default behaviour), control branded searches using brand inclusions and exclusions, or show ads only on unbranded searches. The third option, an explicit "unbranded only" mode, is the most significant departure from existing functionality.
Until now, advertisers looking to prevent AI Max from serving on branded queries largely relied on brand exclusion lists. A native campaign-level toggle that restricts AI Max to non-branded queries entirely would represent a structural change to how brand traffic governance works within the feature layer.
Why Brand Traffic Control Has Been a Persistent Concern
Advertisers have long raised concerns that automated campaign types can inadvertently bid on branded queries that marketers are already covering with dedicated brand campaigns. That overlap can create higher costs for traffic already likely to convert via brand-focused channels, attribution confusion between campaign types, and reduced visibility into the true incremental value generated by AI-driven prospecting.
AI Max for Search campaigns is a suite of AI-powered features for Google Ads Search campaigns. It is not a new campaign type, but rather an optimization layer that can be enabled within an existing Search campaign. AI Max for Search launched in May 2025 to optimize search campaigns in terms of performance and time spent, with the suite able to serve ads and personalize copy in Google search results based on intent and keyword matching, as well as include paid messaging in Google AI Overviews and AI Mode searches.
Despite its expanded reach capabilities, brand traffic cannibalization has remained one of the most cited criticisms of the feature layer. Native brand controls in AI Max would give marketers a direct way to prevent cannibalization and keep automated prospecting campaigns focused on finding net-new demand.
Brand Settings Are Already Being Restructured in Google Ads
The spotted feature arrives against a backdrop of broader changes Google has already confirmed for how brand settings are managed. A Google Help document confirmed a migration beginning May 27, 2025: brand inclusions and exclusions, previously standalone settings, are now managed as part of the AI Max configuration, even if the campaign is not fully automated.
Starting May 27, 2025, for Search campaigns, brand exclusions began upgrading into AI Max. To add new brand lists, users must now enable AI Max, signalling a deeper integration of brand controls into Google's automation stack.
The Google Ads Help Center documentation confirms that brand exclusions are a campaign-level control, while brand inclusions can be applied at either the campaign or ad group level.
A Broader Push Toward Automated Campaign Adoption
The timing of this test coincides with Google's announced plans to make AI Max the default infrastructure for a wide range of existing campaign types. With hundreds of thousands of global advertisers already scaling their Search campaigns with AI Max, Google has confirmed the feature is moving out of beta, with improved performance quality across targeting and creative capabilities, along with more enhanced controls.
Starting in September, campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets, and campaign-level broad match settings will automatically be upgraded to AI Max. After the automatic upgrade in September, advertisers will no longer be able to create new campaigns with Dynamic Search Ads via Google Ads, Google Ads Editor, or the Google Ads API.
Google has stated that AI Max offers more advanced controls, designed to allow advertisers to steer AI with greater precision, including brand settings, location controls, and text guidelines.
Practical Implications for Search Advertisers
For advertisers running dedicated branded search campaigns alongside AI Max, the ability to set an explicit "unbranded only" mode at the campaign level would streamline a process that currently requires manually maintained brand exclusion lists. Separating brand and non-brand activity can allow teams to more accurately measure incremental conversions driven by automated prospecting versus brand campaigns, and preventing AI Max from participating in brand queries can lower wasted spend and reduce bid inflation on terms advertisers already target directly. Whether this setting will be made available broadly or remain in limited testing has not been confirmed by Google as of the time of publication.
Google has not issued a public announcement or Help Center update confirming the "Branded Searches" control as a released feature. Advertisers should check their individual AI Max campaign settings panels for availability.
