Google confirmed it is testing healthcare-related ads in AI Mode, marking the latest expansion of advertising into the company’s AI-powered search experiences.
The big picture. The test is currently limited to healthcare advertisers in the U.S. and only applies to English-language queries in AI Mode, according to Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin.
The confirmation comes after weeks of industry speculation that healthcare ads had started appearing within AI-generated search experiences.
What Google is saying. Responding to questions on LinkedIn, Marvin confirmed that Google is “beginning a small test of ads in AI Mode for the healthcare vertical.”
She added that several campaign types are eligible to participate, including:
- Performance Max (PMax)
- AI Max with search term matching
- Shopping campaigns
- Broad match campaigns
The same campaign types are also eligible to serve ads in AI Overviews.
Why we care. Healthcare is one of Google’s most heavily regulated advertising categories, making this test an important signal for how the company plans to monetize AI-powered search experiences.
If the rollout expands, healthcare marketers could gain access to a new source of visibility in AI Mode, while advertisers in other regulated industries may get a preview of how ads will eventually appear in Google’s AI-generated results.
The fine print. The initial test comes with creative restrictions.
According to Marvin, the first phase is limited to ads that do not use pinned assets or text disclaimers, narrowing the pool of eligible healthcare creatives.
What to watch. The test is currently small, but advertisers will be watching closely to see whether Google expands eligibility to more healthcare advertisers, additional ad formats, and other regulated industries.
The move could also provide an early indication of how Google plans to balance monetization and user trust as AI Mode becomes a larger part of the search experience.
First spotted. Senior Strategist Ben Goldman shared that he spotted the test in reply to her GML 2026 takeaways on LinkedIn.
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