DSA still matters, but it is no longer the end state
Dynamic Search Ads use website content and dynamic targeting instead of a normal keyword list to find relevant searches and choose landing pages. In Ad Grants, that has made DSA useful when a nonprofit has strong website coverage but limited keyword reach.
Google is now positioning AI Max as the evolution of this approach inside standard Search campaigns. That changes the long-term maintenance decision even if your existing Dynamic Ad Groups still serve today.
The automatic upgrade starts in February 2027
Google’s current documentation states that campaigns using DSA will automatically upgrade to AI Max starting in February 2027. The transition is designed to avoid an abrupt loss of traffic: legacy DSA can continue temporarily while replacement Responsive Search Ads are generated and reviewed.
Once the replacement ads are eligible, the upgraded DSA setup becomes view-only. Prepare for that transition while leaving a working DSA campaign in place until there is a reason to change it.
Related guide: AI Max for Google Ad Grants: what it changes and how to control it
AI Max is broader than a renamed DSA
AI Max combines keyword expansion and keywordless matching with text customization and Final URL expansion. Google describes it as an evolution of DSA and PMax Final URL expansion while retaining Search campaign controls and reporting.
That means the post-migration review should cover more than dynamic landing pages. Search terms, generated text, brand controls and URL coverage all become part of the same Search system.
Audit legacy URL rules before upgrading
Google warns that some legacy DSA rule types, including rules based on page title or page content, become read-only after upgrade. You can remove them, but you cannot keep editing or adding those legacy rule types in the upgraded setup.
Before migrating, document which targets actually drive useful traffic and which exclusions protect sensitive or irrelevant sections. Recreate the business intent with current AI Max URL controls rather than assuming every old rule deserves to survive.
Keep destination exclusions focused
Whether you use DSA today or AI Max tomorrow, automated destination selection depends on the quality of the site. Login pages, privacy and terms pages, expired appeals, staff areas and other unsuitable destinations should not become advertising landing pages.
At the same time, do not exclude whole useful sections merely because one URL performed badly. A targeted exclusion preserves more discovery than a domain-wide restriction.
Use the reports to compare before and after
The DSA search terms report shows the queries, generated headlines and landing pages associated with Dynamic Search Ads. AI Max adds Search reporting for search terms, keywords, assets and landing pages.
Capture a sensible pre-migration baseline. After upgrade, compare relevant impressions, clicks, destinations and meaningful conversions rather than expecting the reports to look identical feature by feature.
What I would do now
If DSA is working, keep it stable while you document targets, exclusions and useful landing pages. If you are building a new expansion test, I would generally learn the current AI Max controls rather than invest heavily in a legacy DSA structure that Google has already scheduled for migration.
For a Grants account, preserve the core objective through the transition: find additional mission-relevant demand, keep the website destinations credible, and review what the automation actually found.