Google Ads is planning to remove the option for manual language targeting adjustments starting next month, in September 2026. According to Digital Phablet, the platform’s AI-driven systems already automatically match language settings, with enhanced AI prioritization selecting the most relevant ad language when multiple options are available.
The update is documented on Google’s support resources, highlighting several key points:
– Manual language targeting settings will be phased out.
– The change aims to simplify targeting, reduce redundancy, and prevent setup errors.
– Currently, language exclusion options are not supported and will remain unavailable after this update.
– Existing campaign structures that target a single language, such as separate campaigns for English and Spanish, can continue to operate normally.
– For accounts with multiple campaigns or ad groups, Google’s AI will now automatically determine the most pertinent ad language based on user search context.
There are also some updates related to the Google Ads API:
– No longer setting language criteria when creating or editing Search campaigns via API.
– Existing campaigns may optionally have their language criteria removed for simplicity, but it’s not mandatory as they won’t be used going forward.
– The emphasis is now on ensuring both your ad creative and landing pages are aligned with the targeted languages. Search ads will primarily rely on these signals, coupled with user preferences, for language matching.
Google shared a visual overview of these changes, emphasizing that starting September 2026, the way language targeting functions will evolve:
– For Search campaigns, the campaign-level language setting will be removed, and ads will match based on the ad’s language and user preferences.
– Performance Max campaigns will lose the campaign-level language setting for Google Search Network placements but will still apply to other channels like YouTube, Display, Discover, and Gmail — with shopping ads unaffected.
An email communication from a Google representative also outlined that no action is needed from advertisers at this time. Discussions about the implications are ongoing in digital advertising forums, where industry professionals are sharing updates and insights.