Google has set a date that should be on every paid search team’s calendar: December 4, 2026. From that day, new Performance Max campaigns will start pulling images from advertiser landing pages by default—even in accounts that previously switched off dynamic images at the account level.
The change was published on the Google Ads Developer Blog on October 21, 2026, by Dora Sun of the Google Ads API Team. It affects campaign creation in the Google Ads API, the web interface and Google Ads Editor.
What actually changes
Image extraction is the feature that lets Google AI scan an advertiser’s landing pages for high-resolution images and use them as creative across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
Until now, a new Performance Max campaign without an explicit image extraction setting inherited whatever the account-level “Dynamic images” control said. From December 4, that inheritance breaks for new campaigns. Google states the new campaign-level default applies even if Dynamic Image Extensions are disabled at the account level.
Google is explicit about the line: “Existing Performance Max campaigns will retain their current configurations.” The change touches only campaigns created from December 4 onward.
Why marketers should care
This is not just a platform tweak. It changes where creative control and rights risk sit.
Many advertisers treat the account-level off switch as a blanket refusal. After December 4, that switch no longer governs new Performance Max campaigns. Agencies and tool builders that create campaigns via API or Editor need to carry the opt-out into every new campaign payload.
Google also asks advertisers to confirm they own the legal rights or permissions for images on their landing pages. A stock licence that covers a website may not cover the same image appearing in a YouTube or Gmail ad. The post does not explain how advertisers can see which individual images were extracted.
What to do before December 4
- Audit new campaign workflows. Find every API payload, Editor template or UI checklist that builds Performance Max campaigns.
- Set the campaign-level status. Add AssetAutomationType.GENERATE_IMAGE_EXTRACTION with AssetAutomationStatus.OPTED_OUT where clients do not want extracted images.
- Patch the whole array. When updating an existing campaign, asset_automation_settings is a repeated field; sending only one entry replaces the entire array. Retrieve existing values first or you may wipe text asset automation.
- Check image licences. Review landing page imagery for advertising usage rights across Display, YouTube and Gmail.
The bigger pattern
This is the latest in a run of Google defaults that favour automation. In October 2026, Google began auto-applying website promotions to some Search and Performance Max campaigns. AI voice-overs arrived for Performance Max videos in March 2026 with an opt-out. Site visits assets went live with no self-service toggle in May.
Landing page text generation, by contrast, remains opt-in. Image extraction now becomes opt-out for new PMax campaigns. The practical deadline is short: integrations have about six weeks from the October 21 notice to add the explicit setting where needed.
Source: PPC Land
