This week’s PPC news is dominated by two platform defaults changing under advertisers’ feet. Google is scaling ads in AI Mode to ten new countries with the UK next in line, and Meta has started adding in-app product browsing to existing ads while lining up a new conversion measurement setting for November 12. Add a handful of Google Ads interface changes and ad format tests, and there is a fair amount to check in accounts before Black Friday.
Below is what happened between October 24 and October 30, 2026, with links to the original reports and a short note on what each item means for a small or mid-sized advertiser.
Google scales ads in AI Mode to 10 new countries
On October 28, Google announced it is scaling ads in AI Mode to Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore, with Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom planned for Q4 2026. In the US, Google is also introducing multiturn ads, meaning sponsored results can appear in follow-up questions inside an AI Mode conversation, not only in the first answer. Google says AI Mode queries are on average three times longer than traditional searches and that click-through rates on sponsored and organic product listings in AI Mode are already similar, citing internal US data from August and September.
What it means: eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns can serve in AI Mode automatically. If you advertise in Canada, Australia or India, check your search terms and placements over the next few weeks for longer, more conversational queries. UK advertisers should expect the same before the end of the year. Google’s help page on ads in AI Mode covers eligibility.
Meta turns on product browsing in existing ads
October 28 was also the date Meta set for adding in-app “product browsing” experiences to advertisers’ existing Facebook and Instagram ads unless they opted out beforehand. As PPC Land reported, Meta’s notice cited a test across roughly 117,700 advertisers in August showing 3% more conversions on average for ads with product browsing. Tapping an ad may now show a Meta-hosted page with product information and personalized suggestions before the visitor reaches the advertiser’s site.
What it means: if the opt-out date passed you by, review the Advantage+ Creative and Destination settings on your ads. Stores whose landing pages do a lot of the selling (bundles, quizzes, subscription flows) may prefer to turn it off per ad; stores with simple product pages can let it run and compare results. Our new guide to Facebook ads for ecommerce covers where this sits in the overall setup.
Meta: “Measure conversions on customer devices” goes default on November 12
In a follow-up on October 28, PPC Land detailed a new Events Manager setting that Meta will switch on by default from November 12, 2026 for datasets already sending events. The setting is designed to recover purchases that do not currently reach Meta’s reports by matching a logged-in customer’s email with temporary device data. It requires the Pixel to be placed directly on the page rather than in an iframe or image pixel, does not change attribution windows, and, per the report, is not applied in the EU or UK.
What it means: US advertisers should expect reported purchases to tick up after November 12 without any change in real sales. Note the date in your reporting so a measurement change is not read as a performance win during the holiday peak. EU and UK accounts are unaffected for now. If your Pixel and Conversions API setup is shaky, fix that first; our Meta Conversions API guide walks through it.
Google Ads interface and format changes
Search Engine Roundtable’s daily recaps tracked several smaller Google Ads items this week:
- “All conversions” tab now fully live under Goals and Conversions, saving a click compared with “View all conversion actions” (October 28 recap).
- Apple Messages button test on search ads, a messaging call-to-action appearing on sponsored results for some users (same October 28 recap).
- Dotted underlined links in ad descriptions: Google is testing links inside ad descriptions that go to the ad’s destination URL, as the headline does (October 27 recap).
- Local Services Ads confusion: advertisers reported being unable to tell whether a local ad unit in Search is an LSA or another local ad type, a reminder that the two formats increasingly overlap on the results page.
- Policy update scheduled for January: Google will update its child safety advertising policy as part of a redesign aimed at clarity and transparency.
What it means: none of these require action, but the conversions tab change is worth knowing if you work in the interface daily, and the description-link test is one more sign that Google keeps expanding clickable area on ads. If you have not reviewed your conversion actions recently, our guide on Google Ads conversion tracking with GA4 is a good place to start.
Checklist for the week
- Review Meta product browsing settings on your top-spending ads and decide on or off per ad.
- Add November 12 to your reporting notes as the date Meta’s device-based measurement starts in the US.
- If you advertise in Canada, Australia or India, watch search terms for longer AI Mode-style queries.
- Confirm your Pixel is placed directly on the page, not inside an iframe, before November 12.
- Lock Q4 budgets and bid targets now; CPMs typically climb through November.
FAQ
Do I need to opt in to ads in AI Mode?
No. Eligible Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns can serve in AI Mode automatically in supported countries.
Can I turn off Meta’s product browsing after October 28?
Per PPC Land’s report, there is a per-ad toggle in Advantage+ Creative and Destination settings; check each active ad rather than assuming an account-wide setting.
Will Meta’s November 12 change affect my EU or UK campaigns?
According to the report, the setting is not applied in the EU or UK, so reported conversions there should not change because of it.
Where was last week’s roundup?
You can read the PPC news for the week of October 27, 2026 for the previous set of updates, including Smart Bidding changes we covered in our Google Ads Smart Bidding strategies guide.
Need help with your campaigns?
Platform defaults change faster than most small teams can track. Our Google Ads management and Meta Ads management services include reviewing each of these changes against your account. Not sure where you stand before Black Friday? Request a free mini audit or book a 30-minute call.