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Should you turn off Google Ads automatically created assets?

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What automatically created assets are

Assets are the pieces of an ad: headlines, descriptions, images, videos, links and so on. Normally you write them. But Google Ads can also make them for you, using AI and the text on your website.

There are a few kinds, and Google keeps renaming them:

  • Text customization. Google writes extra headlines and descriptions for your Search ads. This used to be called “automatically created assets.” In Search campaigns it now sits inside AI Max, a set of AI features for Search. Google said that from September 2026, campaigns using it would move to AI Max automatically.
  • Final URL expansion. Google can send people to a different page on your site than the one you picked.
  • Videos and images in Performance Max. If you do not upload a video, Google says Performance Max will make one from your text and images. Google can also edit your videos and images into new sizes and versions.
  • Account-level automated assets. Google can add extras under your ads, such as sitelinks (links to other pages), callouts (short selling points), structured snippets, your business name and logo, images and promotions. Many of these are pulled from your website.

Why it can be risky

The main risk is simple. Google may show words you never wrote or approved.

Google builds these assets mostly from your landing pages, and says it refreshes them at least every 48 hours. So:

  • An old price, a past sale or a service you stopped can end up in an ad if it is still on your site.
  • A line from a blog post can become a headline.
  • A promise like “same-day service” might appear when you only offer it in some areas.

This matters most in fields with strict rules about claims, like health, finance or legal work, or if your website is out of date.

To be fair, Google says customized text only shows when it predicts it will do better than what you wrote. The point is to know it is happening and check it.

How to review what Google made

  1. Go to Campaigns, then Ads.
  2. Open a responsive search ad and select View asset details.
  3. Look at the Added by column. It shows which assets you wrote and which Google made.
  4. Remove any single asset you do not like.

For extras like sitelinks and callouts, go to Assets and look for the automated ones.

(If you can’t find it, search for “asset details” in the Google Ads search bar.)

How to turn it off

Changes can take 24 to 48 hours to apply.

Search campaigns: text customization

  1. Go to Campaigns and open the Settings tab.
  2. Select the campaign.
  3. Select AI Max.
  4. In the Asset optimization panel, uncheck Text customization.
  5. Click Save.

Google says turning this off also turns off Final URL expansion for that campaign. Some older campaigns may still show a setting called Automatically created assets. There, choose the option to use only assets you provide. Google says that once you turn the old setting off, you can only turn it back on through AI Max.

(If you can’t find it, search for “text customization” in the Google Ads search bar.)

Performance Max campaigns

  1. Open the campaign’s Settings.
  2. Select Asset optimization.
  3. Under Text, uncheck Text customization and, if you want, Final URL.
  4. Under Video, uncheck Enhancement to stop Google editing your videos.
  5. Check the image options in the same section too.
  6. Click Save.

To stop Google making videos from scratch, upload at least one video of your own.

(If you can’t find it, search for “asset optimization” in the Google Ads search bar.)

Account-level automated assets

  1. Go to Assets.
  2. Use the three-dot menu and select Account level automated assets.
  3. Use the three-dot menu again and select Advanced settings.
  4. Choose Turn off specific automated assets and pick the ones you do not want.
  5. Save.

Campaigns follow this account setting unless you change it for a single campaign.

(If you can’t find it, search for “account-level automated assets” in the Google Ads search bar.)

When it is fine to leave on

You do not have to turn everything off. Keeping these features can make sense if:

  • Your website is current and every claim on it is true.
  • You are not in a field with strict advertising rules.
  • You check your ads’ asset details every week or two.

There is also a middle path: keep the features on, but clean up your website first and review what Google adds. If you ever see a claim you would not say to a customer, turn that feature off.