Google's AI Mode Ads Reach 10 More Countries, No Opt-Out

Google is expanding ads in AI Mode to ten more countries, and advertisers cannot opt out of AI Mode separately from Search. If you run Search, Shopping or Performance Max, you may already be in it. Here is what you can and cannot control.

What Google Announced

In an October 28 post on its Ads and Commerce blog, Google said ads in AI Mode are now available in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore, alongside the United States. Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom are planned for Q4 2026, and the post says "including," so more locales are possible. Multiturn ads, which can appear on follow-up questions in AI Mode, launched in the United States only. They are labeled "Sponsored."

What You Cannot Control

• No separate opt-out: Existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are automatically eligible. You cannot opt out of AI Mode on its own or target it on its own.
• AI explainers: Google can add "AI explainers" around ads. Advertisers cannot write, edit, approve or opt out of them.
• Reporting: AI Overviews and AI Mode data is folded into standard campaign reports and the search terms report in aggregate. The announcement does not describe a separate AI Mode segment.

What You Can Control

Existing controls still apply, including negative keywords, asset pinning and brand exclusions. Matching works two ways: directly to the query, or contextually to the query and the AI response. Per Google's help page as summarized by PPC Land, exact and phrase match keywords qualify only for direct matching on queries with clear commercial intent, while broad match, AI Max, Shopping and Performance Max qualify for both. Standard Search auction and bidding apply, with no extra charge for the placement.

What to Do This Week

• Review negative keywords and brand exclusions. They are your main guardrail, so make sure they are current before holiday traffic.
• Check your match types. Broad match and AI Max give Google the most room to show your ad against AI responses. Decide whether that fits each campaign.
• Read the search terms report for new, loosely related queries, and add negatives where the match is poor.
• Review pinned assets and headlines. Make sure the wording you rely on, including offers and disclaimers, is protected.
• Do not expect a clean AI Mode number. Judge results at the campaign level, using conversions and cost per lead, not impressions.

Open Questions

The announcement does not say whether the December 2025 exclusions for categories such as alcohol, gambling, finance, healthcare and politics apply to AI Mode in the new markets. It also does not say how many ads a conversation can carry, whether an advertiser can repeat within a conversation, or when multiturn ads will reach other markets. The help page lists English as the only language, with Indonesia limited to AI Overviews and Pakistan to text ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off ads in AI Mode?

Not separately. Ads in AI Mode come with your Search, Shopping and Performance Max eligibility, and you cannot target or exclude AI Mode on its own.

Does this affect US advertisers?

The US was already included. The new item for US advertisers is multiturn ads, which show on follow-up questions and launched here first.

Will I see AI Mode results in my reports?

Only in aggregate. The data folds into standard campaign reports and the search terms report, with no separate AI Mode segment described.

If you want a second set of eyes on your account settings, that is part of how we run paid media, and a Growth Gap Analysis is a no-pitch way to start.

Sources: PPC Land on AI Mode ads expansion, DesignRush AI roundup.