Microsoft AI Max Goes Global: Search Matching, Creative and URL Expansion in One

Microsoft Advertising has started rolling out AI Max globally for Search campaigns, combining broader keyword matching, AI-generated ad copy, and dynamic landing page selection into a single opt-in suite. Product Liaison Navah Hopkins confirmed the rollout brings three core features, Search term matching, Text customization, and Final URL expansion, while keeping advertiser controls such as brand exclusions, URL rules, and ad-group-level settings intact from launch. Advertisers already using Predictive matching or autogenerated text assets will see those capabilities folded into AI Max automatically.

What happened

Feature	What it does
Search term matching	Expands reach beyond your keyword list using ads, landing pages, user intent, and contextual signals
Text customization	Generates ad copy variations from your existing creative assets and website content; selects the best combination at auction time
Final URL expansion	Replaces a fixed landing page with the site page Microsoft determines best matches each user’s query intent

Microsoft Advertising is rolling AI Max out across all accounts globally. The suite sits inside standard Search campaigns and is positioned as a way to reach more complex, conversational queries, including searches made through Bing’s AI-powered experiences and Copilot.

Advertisers who were already running autogenerated text assets for Search campaigns or using Predictive matching will find those settings migrated under the AI Max umbrella. Microsoft says it will not automatically switch on the other AI Max features; everything beyond those migrated settings stays off until the advertiser opts in.

What the advertiser controls look like

Microsoft is stressing that AI Max does not remove advertiser oversight. At launch the controls include:

• Brand controls and term exclusions for text asset generation
• URL rules to restrict which pages Final URL expansion can choose
• Ad group-level settings to adjust how automation operates within a campaign
• Optimization experiments to test the full AI Max suite, or individual features, before a wider rollout

Microsoft encourages testing all three features together while using those controls to stay close to the results.

What happens with Google Ads imports?

When advertisers import eligible Search campaigns from Google Ads into Microsoft Advertising, any AI Max settings already enabled on those campaigns will carry across. There is one exception: campaigns that originated from upgraded Dynamic Search Ads will be converted back into standard DSA campaigns on the Microsoft side while the company builds out additional functionality for that format.

Why it matters

Microsoft is pulling its scattered automation tools into a single, labeled framework, which makes it easier to test and easier to explain to clients. The opt-in stance and the presence of controls from day one are both sensible moves; too many automation pushes in paid search have shipped with exclusions locked behind support tickets.

The Google Ads import compatibility is worth noting for any advertiser already managing Performance Advertising across both platforms. Keeping settings in sync reduces duplicated setup work, though differences between the two platforms mean imported campaigns will still need active monitoring rather than set-and-forget treatment.

The broader query matching is the feature to watch most carefully. Reaching conversational queries on Bing and Copilot sounds useful, but broader matching also means more irrelevant traffic unless negative keywords and brand controls are dialled in from the start.

Our take

The bundling of matching, creative, and landing page selection into one opt-in toggle is a clear echo of Google’s Performance Max approach, but Microsoft has avoided the biggest criticism of PMax: lack of transparency and controls. Brand exclusions, URL rules, and ad-group settings available from launch is the right call.

That said, “AI selects the landing page” is still a significant concession of control. Final URL expansion works best when your site structure is clean and each page has a clear, distinct purpose. If your landing pages are thin or duplicated, the system will pick the wrong one. Before enabling Final URL expansion, audit which pages you actually want in rotation and set URL rules to exclude everything else. We have seen this pattern cause real quality score and conversion rate damage on poorly structured sites, regardless of whether the automation is from Google or Microsoft.

If you are managing Search campaigns on both platforms, the import compatibility is a genuine time-saver. Just treat it as a starting point, not a finished setup. Check search term reports weekly for the first month after enabling AI Max to catch any matching drift early.

What to do about it

1. Log into Microsoft Advertising and check whether any existing campaigns have already had Predictive matching or autogenerated text assets migrated into AI Max.
2. Audit your site’s landing page structure before enabling Final URL expansion. Add URL exclusion rules for any pages you do not want serving as ad destinations.
3. Set up an optimization experiment to test AI Max features on one campaign before applying the settings more broadly.
4. Add brand term exclusions and negative keywords before expanding search term matching, so the broader reach does not bleed into branded or irrelevant queries.
5. Pull search term reports weekly for the first four weeks after enabling AI Max to catch any unexpected query expansions.

If you need help structuring campaigns or reviewing your landing page setup before rolling this out, the Lumien team is happy to take a look.

Source: Search Engine Land