Google Ads updates in November 2026 and the six changes that touch Malaysian accounts

This guide covers the changes announced between 28 October and 12 November 2026. It is written from two places: Google's own announcements and help documentation, and what we see inside the Malaysian accounts we manage. Where something is still rolling out, or where Google has not published the detail yet, the guide says so instead of guessing.

What changed at a glance

• 28 October, confirmed 9 November. Ads in AI Mode expanded to ten more countries, and Malaysia is on the list.
• Late September, announced 13 August. Campaign level language targeting was removed from Search campaigns.
• 5 November. Smart Bidding exploration expanded from Search into Performance Max and Shopping.
• 10 November. A pay-per-lead terms opt-in appeared in Google Ads accounts.
• 12 November. An invalid traffic overview card started rolling out.
• Through November. Performance Max brand filtering, multi day sitelink scheduling and a Promotion Mode beta were documented.

Ads in AI Mode reach Malaysia

On 28 October 2026 Google announced that ads in AI Mode would expand to ten more countries: Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore. Google confirmed the rollout publicly on 9 November. The expansion runs in English at launch, and Pakistan is text ads only.

AI Mode is the conversational layer inside Google Search. It is built for longer questions where someone is comparing options, weighing trade offs or asking for a recommendation, and Google describes it as a search experience for exploration, reasoning and complex comparisons. Ads can appear in that conversation when the exchange has commercial relevance.

In the United States Google also launched multiturn ads, which allow an ad to appear against a follow up question inside the same conversation. That part is not live in Malaysia yet. Google has not announced when it will expand outside the US.

For a Malaysian advertiser, the practical effect is that Search campaigns can now serve inside a conversation, not just a results page. That rewards ad copy and landing pages that answer specific questions: price ranges, service scope, location, wait times and proof. It punishes generic slogans, because a conversation gives the reader more context than a ten word ad can carry on its own.

Language targeting is gone from Search

Google removed campaign level language targeting from Search campaigns in late September 2026, after announcing the change on 13 August. Performance Max keeps language settings for YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail, but not for its Search inventory. Google now infers language from the query, the user's settings and other signals, including the language of your ad copy.

This matters more in Malaysia than in most markets. Plenty of local accounts run one campaign with English ads, a second set in Bahasa Malaysia and a third in Chinese, all separated by the language setting. That control is now thinner.

• Split by language, not by hope. If English and Bahasa Malaysia copy sit in one campaign, separate them so budget and reporting stay readable.
• Write the ad in the language of the query you want. Ad copy language is now one of the main signals left to you.
• Match the landing page language. An English ad pointing to a Bahasa page is a bounce waiting to happen.
• Use location targeting for market separation. If language targeting used to keep a KL campaign away from Indonesian or Thai searches, geo settings and copy language are the remaining levers.
• Check scripts and third party tools. Reported behaviour is that API changes which try to set language criteria on Search campaigns now fail.

Pay-per-lead terms need your opt-in

On 10 November 2026 Google began rolling out a setting called Ads with pay-per-lead goals terms. It is an opt-in: nothing changes until someone in the account accepts the terms. The terms cover business verification and cooperation with checks, permission for Google to use submitted business information and branding, the possibility that calls and messages generated through ads are monitored or recorded, and the advertiser staying responsible for service quality and customer disputes.

The terms do not state how a lead is priced, when lead credits apply, whether a lead turns into a booked job, or whether your account is eligible at all. Those sit in separate policies. Accepting the terms is not the same as being eligible for pay-per-lead advertising.

There is more detail, including the Local Services Ads migration that sits behind this change, in our pay-per-lead guide for Malaysian businesses.

Smart Bidding exploration widens

On 5 November Google extended Smart Bidding exploration to Performance Max and Shopping campaigns. The feature started in Search. It gives automated bidding room to chase additional eligible searches instead of only the ones a standard Target ROAS strategy would prioritise.

• Campaigns need Target ROAS bidding to qualify.
• Campaigns should not be budget limited, otherwise exploration has nothing to spend on.
• Portfolio bid strategies are only compatible for Search campaigns.
• It is not included in Search Ads 360 shopping or retail Performance Max campaigns.

The honest read: this is useful when you have conversion volume and budget headroom, and risky when you are budget constrained and already struggling to hold ROAS. It widens the set of auctions you enter. It does not promise more conversions or a better return.

The new invalid traffic card

On 12 November Google started rolling out an invalid traffic overview card in Google Ads. It summarises invalid activity that Google detected after billing, so you get a visible summary instead of having to dig through policy reports or ask support.

Treat it as a transparency tool, not a refund button. Small percentages are normal in any auction, and the card does not automatically return money. What it does give you is a prompt: if a specific campaign, network or placement shows a pattern, that is worth investigating alongside your analytics and your logs.

Smaller changes worth checking

• Performance Max may filter brand searches. Google's documentation says PMax can filter brand and navigational queries so dedicated Search campaigns can serve them. If you rely on brand traffic, make sure you actually run a brand Search campaign, otherwise the filtered queries have nowhere to go.
• Sitelink scheduling. Scheduling now supports multi day ranges such as Monday to Friday or weekends in a single row, which is easier than seven separate rows.
• Promotion Mode beta. An open beta for Search and Performance Max aimed at short term sales, using campaign level Target ROAS.
• Conversion volume guidance. Documentation puts the volume needed for consistent Performance Max spend at around 15 conversions per 30 days, the same bar already used in Search with Target ROAS bidding. If you are below that, budget pacing will be uneven no matter how good the creative is.

Your November checklist

1. Audit language separation. Confirm which campaigns used to rely on language targeting, and move that control into campaign structure and ad copy language.
2. Check AI Mode readiness. Review headline and description coverage, and whether your landing page answers price, area and timing questions above the fold.
3. Do not tick the pay-per-lead box under pressure. Read the terms, confirm who is responsible for verification and call handling, and check eligibility before opting in.
4. Review Target ROAS campaigns for exploration eligibility. Only enable the wider exploration if the campaign has budget headroom and stable conversion volume.
5. Open the invalid traffic card once a month. Compare it with your analytics before drawing conclusions from a single spike.
6. Protect brand coverage. If Performance Max filters brand queries, a dedicated brand campaign is what catches them.

Sources

• Search Engine Journal, 10 November 2026: Google Ads now runs in AI Mode across 10 more countries
• Search Engine Land, 10 November 2026: Google Ads rolls out new pay-per-lead terms requiring advertiser opt-in
• Search Engine Journal, 13 August 2026: Google is removing language targeting from Search campaigns
• Google Ads Help: Smart Bidding exploration, invalid traffic reporting and AI Mode availability