Google Ads now labels AI-made ads in six regions

Google Ads now asks for AI disclosures in six places instead of three. California, South Korea, and Vietnam joined the European Union, India, and New York, and for campaigns that target those places, AI labels can appear on the ad itself.

What changed

Google Ads has widened the list of places where you must say whether AI was used in an ad. Search Engine Roundtable reported the change on November 5, 2026.

Google updated its help page on AI content label settings and disclosures, and its Merchant Center product data specification. The Ads page now says that in some geographies, AI labels will also show on the ad itself. For campaigns that target one of the six places, ads with assets you mark as AI created or edited get visible overlays.

An asset is any piece of creative in an ad, such as an image, a video, or a headline. The Merchant Center note says AI rules in these regions require disclosures or labels on ads with certain AI-generated or edited assets.

Google hasn't said which kinds of AI use trigger the label, how you mark an asset as AI-made, or what happens to ads that skip the label. Barry Schwartz, who reported the change, suspects the list will keep growing. That's his guess, not a Google statement.

What it means for you

If none of your campaigns target those six places, this change doesn't reach your ads yet.

If they do, and you use AI-made or AI-edited creative, expect a visible label on those ads. A plumber's van photo cleaned up with an AI tool might count. Google's documents don't say whether AI-written ad text does, so Google hasn't answered that yet.

The cost of doing nothing is uncertain, because Google hasn't said what happens to unlabeled ads. What is clear is that a label you didn't plan for changes how a customer sees your ad in those places.

What to do

1. Check where your campaigns run. Open each campaign's location settings and note whether it targets California, South Korea, Vietnam, the European Union, India, or New York. I couldn't confirm exact menu paths from the source, so I haven't guessed one.
2. List your creative. Go through images, videos, and ad text, and flag anything made or edited with an AI tool. If someone else makes your ads, ask them directly.
3. Mark those assets. Open Google's help page "Use AI content label settings and disclosures" and follow its steps to designate each flagged asset as AI created or edited.
4. Check your product feed. If you sell through Google Shopping, read the Merchant Center product data specification for the same requirement.
5. Keep a simple record. A one-line note on which assets were AI-made will save you a hunt the next time the list grows.

If none of your campaigns target those places and none of your creative uses AI, the answer is nothing. Skip to the next task.

I keep an eye on Google's help pages so you don't have to read them for fun. If you're not sure which of your campaigns fall under these six places, I can take a free look at your account and tell you.