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    Google Ads News Week 41: Automated Promotions Starting October 12, 2026

    8 min read
    Quick Answer

    According to Search Engine Land, Google Ads Automated Promotions are expected to automatically import promotions from your website into Search and Performance Max campaigns with location assets starting October 12, 2026. The feature is enabled by default and can be turned off at the account level. Google is also loosening its business name rules and expanding its policy on landing pages that do not work, while Microsoft Advertising is making A/B experiments available to everyone.

    At a Glance

    NewsWhat's ChangingWho It AffectsAction NeededSource + Date
    Automated Promotions starting October 12, 2026Google automatically imports promotions from your website as promotion assetsSearch and PMax campaigns with location assets, primarily local businessesReview promotions on your website and decide whether to opt outSearch Engine Land, October 2, 2026
    Business name may differ from domainDifferences allowed under three conditions; resellers excludedBrands with different domains, franchises, branch locationsReview your business name and relationship to the domainGoogle Ads Policy Help, October 1, 2026
    “Destination not working” policyMore examples of disapproved landing pages; note about missing asset groupsAll advertisersTest landing pages for AdsBot accessSearch Engine Land, October 1, 2026
    Microsoft Advertising experimentsA/B tests generally available for Search, Shopping, Audience, and PMaxAccounts using Microsoft AdvertisingSet up a testMicrosoft Advertising Blog, September 30, 2026
    Loyalty Customer MatchMore countries, AI Mode and Gemini in the documentationRetailers with loyalty programsReview your program in Merchant CenterSearch Engine Roundtable, October 2, 2026

    What Are Google Ads Automated Promotions, and What Happens on October 12, 2026?

    Search Engine Land reported on October 2, 2026, that starting October 12, 2026, Google will automatically detect promotions on advertisers' websites and create promotion assets for eligible campaigns. Promotion assets are ad extensions that display a specific offer, such as a discount, directly below the ad. So far, only Search Engine Land has reported the October 12, 2026, date; there is no official confirmation from Google. eCommerce Paradise also pointed this out on October 3, 2026.

    The feature itself is documented in Google Ads Help. According to Google, it requires active Search or Performance Max campaigns with linked location assets and no manual promotions already running. Google pulls the promotions from the landing pages; the help page gives “buy one, get one free” offers as an example. Automatically created promotions are labeled “Google AI” in the Assets section. You can turn off the feature under Assets, account-level automated assets, advanced settings.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    This primarily affects local businesses, since they are the ones using location assets. If an expired summer promotion is still on your website, Google could pull it into your ads. In Stroe Media's view, every promotion page should be reviewed before October 12, 2026, and each account should make a deliberate decision about whether to leave automation enabled. If you prefer to control your promotions yourself, create a manual promotion asset.

    Google Ads Business Name: Differences from the Domain Will Be Allowed

    On October 1, 2026, Google announced a change to its business name requirements in its Policy Help documentation. The business name is the company name that appears next to the logo in ads. Going forward, it may differ from the landing page's domain if three conditions are met: the name matches the advertiser's recognized brand, there is a verified direct relationship with the domain owner, and the products or services are offered directly on the domain.

    According to Google, resellers, independent booking intermediaries, affiliate partners, and secondary sellers are excluded. There is a discrepancy in the dates: Google specifies “October 2026,” while Search Engine Roundtable wrote on October 2, 2026, that the date is October 16, 2026, and Search Engine Land reported October 19, 2026, that same day.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    This helps businesses whose brand name differs from their domain, for example after a company name change or when using a regional domain. If your ads were previously disapproved because of the business name, it is worth trying again once the change takes effect. Check that your domain ownership clearly corresponds to your business.

    “Destination Not Working” Policy: More Examples of Disapproved Landing Pages

    Google has expanded its explanations of the “Destination not working” policy. Search Engine Land reported on October 1, 2026, on newly listed error scenarios: 4xx and 5xx HTTP errors, DNS issues, faulty redirects, timeouts, redirect loops, and pages that require users to sign in. Google also lists pages displaying an “Under construction” notice as an example of grounds for disapproval.

    Search Engine Roundtable added another point on October 1, 2026: if a campaign is missing an asset group, the “Invalid final URL” error may appear during setup even though the landing page works. According to both sources, enforcement of the policy is not changing.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    Disapproved ads cost real money during your busy season. Check whether your landing pages are accessible to Google AdsBot, the crawler that checks ad destinations. Firewall rules and bot protection sometimes block it even though the page loads normally in a browser.

    Microsoft Advertising: Optimization Experiments for Everyone

    On September 30, 2026, Microsoft Advertising announced on its own blog that optimization experiments were generally available for Search, Shopping, Audience, and Performance Max campaigns. An optimization experiment is an A/B test: a test version is created from a campaign, budget and traffic are split, and the results can be compared directly at the end. Search Engine Roundtable reported this on October 1, 2026.

    In the same post, Microsoft announced an integration with the HubSpot CRM that allows leads from Microsoft ads to be tracked through to revenue. Search Engine Land reported on this on October 1, 2026. In addition, LinkedIn company lists now hold up to 10,000 company names instead of 1,000, and the legacy SOAP interface remains available through January 31, 2027.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    Microsoft Advertising serves ads in Bing Search, among other places. With experiments, you can test a bidding strategy without putting the entire campaign at risk. Stroe Media recommends testing your highest-revenue Search campaign first. If you use HubSpot, you will be able to see which Microsoft clicks turn into actual sales.

    Loyalty Customer Match: More Countries, AI Mode Mentioned

    According to Search Engine Roundtable on October 2, 2026, Google has updated its Merchant Center documentation for Loyalty Customer Match. This lets retailers connect their loyalty programs to Google, for example to display member pricing in Shopping ads. The program now covers 14 countries, with Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain among the new additions; Germany was already included. AI Mode and Gemini are mentioned in the documentation for the first time. So far, only Search Engine Roundtable has reported this news, and there is no official announcement from Google.

    What Does This Mean for Your Business?

    This is relevant to retailers with their own rewards program and Google Merchant Center. Check whether you can display member pricing or loyalty points on Google. Service providers without an online store do not need to take action.

    Specific Actions to Take This Week

    1. 1By October 11, 2026, open Assets, account-level automated assets, advanced settings in each account and decide whether to use Automated Promotions.
    2. 2Remove expired promotions and outdated prices from all landing pages for your Search and Performance Max campaigns.
    3. 3Starting October 12, 2026, check the Assets report using the “Promotion” asset type filter to see whether entries labeled “Google AI” appear.
    4. 4Open the landing pages for your active ads and check redirects, load times, and bot protection settings.
    5. 5Check your Performance Max campaigns to ensure that each campaign has at least one asset group.
    6. 6Create an optimization experiment in Microsoft Advertising for your highest-revenue Search campaign.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    According to Google Ads Help, go to Assets in your account, then to account-level automated assets, and open the advanced settings. Under Automated Promotions, select Off. This setting applies to the entire account. Alternatively, you can prevent automated promotions in a campaign by adding a manual promotion asset to that campaign.

    According to Google Ads Help, the feature affects active Search and Performance Max campaigns with linked location assets that do not already have a manual promotion running. Google looks for promotions on these campaigns' landing pages. This primarily affects local businesses with a linked Google Business Profile. So far, only Search Engine Land has reported the October 12, 2026, launch date.

    In the Assets section of your Google Ads account, filter by the Promotion asset type. According to Google Ads Help, automatically imported promotions carry the “Google AI” label. Hover over it to see more details about the asset's source and content. Review these entries regularly, especially after changing prices or promotions on your website.

    Starting in October 2026, yes, under three conditions: the name matches your recognized brand, there is a verified direct relationship with the domain owner, and you offer your products or services directly on that domain. Resellers, booking intermediaries, and affiliates are excluded. Search Engine Roundtable lists October 16, 2026, as the effective date, while Search Engine Land lists October 19, 2026.

    Often, Google AdsBot cannot access the page even though it works in a browser, for example because of bot protection, redirect errors, or timeouts. According to Google's September 2026 documentation, HTTP errors, DNS issues, and pages under construction also lead to disapproval. In Performance Max, a missing asset group can also trigger the “Invalid final URL” error.

    Conclusion

    The lead story comes with a date: according to Search Engine Land, Automated Promotions are expected to start importing promotions from your website into ads on October 12, 2026, by default and without asking. If you use location assets, clean up your promotion pages beforehand and make a deliberate decision about opting out. The relaxed business name requirements and more detailed landing page rules are smaller but practical changes. Microsoft Advertising's experiments provide a tool for well-controlled tests.

    If you want your campaigns reviewed before October 12, 2026, explore our Google Ads services or contact us directly. For organic visibility, take a look at our SEO services. The previous recap is Google Ads News Week 40.

    Sources

    Author: Stroe Media Editorial Team, Updated: October 5, 2026

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