Is “AI Max” the Future of Shopping? What Google’s Latest Beta Means for Retailers

On 30th April, Google made a significant move by announcing “AI Max” for Shopping campaigns on their blog. This news arrives as Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) are officially confirmed to be sunsetting in September 2026, reinforcing a broader shift toward AI-driven automation in the PPC landscape.  

While AI Max for Shopping is currently in a closed beta, it is designed to enhance Shopping listings with features similar to those found in AI Max for Search which was announced back in May 2025. Although official dates for the open beta are yet to be confirmed, we anticipate a wider rollout ahead of the Peak 2026 trading period, making it vital for retailers to understand these developments now.  

So, what features will be available with AI Max for Shopping? 

Text Customisation  

One of the core features being introduced is text customisation. Similar to its search counterpart, AI Max for shopping will generate ad copy specifically for your shopping listings. While we are still waiting for exact details, we expect Google to generate product titles and other attributes dynamically to better match specific user search queries.  

Final URL Expansion  

AI Max for shopping will also utilise final URL expansion. Based on how this currently functions in search campaigns, it is likely that Google’s AI will direct users to landing pages that it deems most relevant, even if they are outside of the standard Product Listing Pages (PLPs) defined in your product feed.  

Optimal Format Selection  

Unique to the shopping version of AI Max is “Optimal Format Selection”. This feature allows Google to automatically choose between a shopping or a text format when serving an ad, depending on the user’s intent and needs. This effectively transforms standard shopping campaigns into a versatile, multi-format campaign type.  

What does this mean for your digital strategy? 

First and foremost, keep optimising your feed. The success of these AI features depends on the quality of the data you provide. If you’re not already using a feed management solution, we can help you to do this! Visit our Productcaster site to find out more. 

Our further recommendations depend on your current setup: 

For heavy PMax users: Stick with your current Performance Max strategy. PMax already incorporates this functionality, and it is unlikely Google will move away from this model, so we don’t recommend a pivot to standard shopping.  

For standard shopping users: pay close attention to these updates. We recommend testing these features early to ensure you are fully prepared for the future of automated retail advertising. 

We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments in this space. If you haven’t already tested AI Max, get in touch to see how you can build this into your 2026 strategy.