Google is effectively closing the door on creating new Smart Campaigns through its API, suggesting a continued shift toward newer automated campaign types such as Performance Max and away from legacy automation products.
What’s happening. Google announced that developers will no longer be able to create new Smart Campaigns through the Google Ads API beginning August 3rd.
Existing Smart Campaigns will not be affected and will continue serving ads. Advertisers and developers will also retain the ability to update and manage those campaigns through the API.
The change applies specifically to the creation of new Smart Campaigns.
Why we care. Google is further steering advertisers toward newer AI-driven campaign types like Performance Max. While existing Smart Campaigns will continue running, businesses and platform partners that rely on API-based campaign creation will need to update their workflows before August 2026 or risk disruptions when creating new campaigns.
What Google recommends instead. As Smart Campaign creation is phased out, Google is encouraging advertisers to consider alternative campaign types.
The company specifically pointed to Performance Max, its AI-powered campaign type that runs across Google’s advertising inventory, as the primary alternative. Other options include Search campaigns and Demand Gen campaigns, depending on an advertiser’s objectives.
A broader automation shift. The move reflects Google’s ongoing consolidation around newer automated campaign formats.
Over the past several years, Google has increasingly prioritized AI-driven campaign types that automate bidding, targeting and creative optimization across multiple channels.
Limiting the creation of new Smart Campaigns suggests the company sees Performance Max and other automation products as the future of campaign management.
What developers need to know. Applications that currently create Smart Campaigns through the API should be reviewed before the August deadline.
Developers can identify affected requests by looking for campaign creation operations where:
advertising_channel_typeis set toSMARTadvertising_channel_sub_typeis set toSMART_CAMPAIGN
After August 3, attempts to create new Smart Campaigns will fail.
In version 24 of the Google Ads API, developers will receive a SmartCampaignError.CREATION_FAILED error.
In version 23 and earlier, requests will return an OperationAccessDeniedError.CREATE_OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED error.
What to watch. While Google is not shutting down existing Smart Campaigns, removing API support for new campaign creation is another sign that advertisers should prepare for a future centered on Performance Max and other AI-driven campaign types.
For agencies, software providers and advertisers with automated campaign creation workflows, now is the time to evaluate migration plans before the August 2026 deadline.
Dig deeper. Changes to Support for Smart Campaigns in the Google Ads API
See exactly how your competitors win.
Uncover the keywords, ads, landing pages, and strategies driving your competitors’ paid search success—and find your next opportunity to outperform them.
Analyze your competitors
Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
