Google AI Mode Ads Hit India: No Opt-Out for Advertisers

If you run Google Ads in India, your campaigns are now showing up inside AI Mode whether you planned for it or not. On October 28, 2026, Google announced it is scaling ads in AI Mode to India and nine other countries, and advertisers cannot opt out.

Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns in these markets now enter AI Mode automatically. Google is also launching multiturn ads in the US, meaning ads can appear on follow-up questions within a conversation. Brazil, Mexico, and the UK are scheduled for Q4 2026.

This is a significant change for anyone spending on Google Ads in India. Here is what it means and what you should do about it.

What Google Announced

The announcement came from Shashi Thakur, VP and GM of Google Search Ads, on the Google Ads and Commerce Blog. It was short, under 200 words, but the implications are large.

Thakur framed the move around changing search behavior. In AI Mode, queries are on average three times longer than traditional searches. He said Google’s research shows people are comfortable with ads in AI Mode and find them highly relevant, with click-through rates similar between sponsored and organic product list items within AI Mode.

The ten new countries are Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore. All are English-language markets for now. Brazil, Mexico, and the UK come next.

PPC Land reported that advertisers in these countries cannot switch off AI Mode placement separately from their regular Search, Shopping, or PMax campaigns. If you run these campaign types, your ads will appear in AI Mode.

Why This Matters for Indian Advertisers

AI Mode is Google’s chatbot-style search tab, separate from regular Search. Instead of ten blue links, users get a conversational answer with follow-up questions. Ads appear within those answers, labeled as “Sponsored.”

For Indian businesses, this creates both opportunity and risk. The opportunity: your ads now appear in a new, high-engagement surface where queries are longer and more specific. A user asking AI Mode “best dental implant clinic in Chandigarh with EMI option” is further along in their decision than someone typing “dentist Chandigarh” into regular search.

The risk: you have no control over whether your ads show there. If your campaigns are running, they are in AI Mode. If your landing pages, ad copy, and bidding strategies were built for traditional search intent, they may not perform well in a conversational context.

How to Prepare Your Campaigns

You cannot opt out, but you can optimize for the new placement. Here is what we recommend:

• Review your search term reports. Look for longer, conversational queries. These are the ones likely appearing in AI Mode. Are your ads and landing pages answering them well?
• Write ad copy for questions, not keywords. AI Mode queries are phrased as full questions. Ad copy that addresses specific questions will perform better than generic keyword-targeted headlines.
• Use negative keywords aggressively. Without an opt-out, negative keywords are your main control. If you are seeing irrelevant AI Mode traffic, exclude it fast.
• Watch your CPCs. AI Mode is new in India. CPCs may be low initially due to low competition, then rise as more advertisers optimize for it. Track performance daily for the first few weeks.
• Check Performance Max carefully. PMax campaigns automatically expand to new placements. AI Mode is now one of them. Review your asset groups and make sure the creative fits a conversational search context.

What We Still Do Not Know

Google has not published separate performance reporting for AI Mode ad placements. Search Console’s AI report counts impressions, but AI clicks sit inside the regular performance data. Google’s Gary Illyes said in late October 2026 that the team wants to share more data, but nothing has been announced yet.

This means you cannot currently isolate AI Mode performance from your regular Search performance. You can infer it from changes in query length and search term patterns, but precise measurement is not available.

The Bigger Picture

Google’s Q3 2026 earnings tell part of the story. Search ad revenue grew 12%, the slowest pace this year. Executives blamed part of the slowdown on AI Mode. Meanwhile, media buyers told Digiday that clients are putting Google through scrutiny usually saved for newer channels, with some questioning 10 to 20% of their Google budgets.

For small and mid-sized businesses in India, the calculus is different. You are not shifting billions between channels. But you should be aware that the Google Ads landscape is changing, and the campaigns that worked six months ago may need adjustment.

If you want help reviewing your Google Ads setup for the AI Mode shift, our SEM and paid ads services cover campaign audits, bid strategy, and ad copy optimization. You can also explore our packages for ongoing management.

What to Do This Week

Three steps will get you started:

1. Pull your last 30 days of search term data. Look for queries that are 8+ words or phrased as questions. These are your AI Mode candidates.
2. Check your PMax placement reports. See if there is a new placement category appearing that you did not see before.
3. Update your top ad copy. Add a responsive search ad variation that addresses a common customer question rather than just a keyword.

This is not a fire drill. Your ads will keep running. But the sooner you align your campaigns with conversational search behavior, the better your ROI will be as AI Mode usage grows in India.

Want a structured audit of your Google Ads account? Book a meeting with us and we will walk you through it.

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