Week of Feb 16, 2026
17 changes logged the week of Feb 16, 2026, 5 high impact. Open this week in the change history.
Google Ads
- 'Low activity system bulk changes' tool was found automatically re-enabling paused keywords
Francesco Cifardi flagged on LinkedIn that Google's low-activity tool re-enabled previously paused keywords, with entries and an undo option in the activity log. Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed on Feb 19 that only system-auto-paused keywords were affected and called it 'uncommon but expected'. Source
- 'Where ads showed' report began listing Performance Max placements including search partner domains
Thomas Eccel shared on LinkedIn that the placement report, which previously showed nothing for PMax, now displays where PMax ads served across search partners, Display and other networks. Source
- Budget pacing changed so scheduled campaigns pace toward the full 30.4x monthly limit
Campaigns using ad scheduling now pace toward the full monthly spending limit (30.4 times the daily budget) even if ads are only eligible on some days, rather than scaling to the number of active days. The 2x daily cap still applies. Source
- Recommendations section gained a 'Results' tab measuring the impact of applied bid and budget suggestions
Hana Kobzova spotted a new Results tab comparing actual outcomes to estimated baselines on a rolling seven-day basis. A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land it was an early pilot. Source
- Lookalike segments in Demand Gen changed from hard targeting limits to audience suggestions from March 2026
Starting March 2026, Lookalike segments in Demand Gen no longer cap reach at the narrow/balanced/broad similarity thresholds; Google AI may expand beyond them when it predicts more conversions or lower CPA. Advertisers must file a form to opt out. Source
- In-account certification applications piloted for crypto, hardware wallet, coin trust and CSFP categories
Google began incrementally letting some advertisers apply for cryptocurrency exchange/software wallet, hardware wallet, coin trust and complex speculative financial product certifications directly in their Google Ads account instead of via the Help Center. Source
- Conversion action settings gained a beta to connect BigQuery, MySQL and other data sources
A gradual beta lets advertisers link external databases directly inside conversion settings to enrich conversion data with first-party values. Reported by Anu Adegbola for Search Engine Land. Source
- GCGRA-licensed operators allowed to advertise internet gaming, sports wagering and lotteries in UAE
From March 10, 2026, entities licensed by the UAE General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority and certified by Google may advertise online gaming, sports betting and lotteries in the UAE. Source
- Google tested a 'Sponsored Places' label and ad unit in search results
Alex Sparks spotted search results labeling a local ad block 'Sponsored Places' rather than 'Sponsored results', with maps integration. Google did not confirm the test. Source
- Performance Max began previewing how landing page images would be turned into ad creatives
Thomas Eccel spotted new example previews showing how images pulled from a landing page may be used in PMax ads before the campaign goes live. Source
Merchant Center
- Merchant Center renamed 'Destinations' to 'Marketing methods'
Hana Kobzova noticed the Destinations control in Merchant Center now appears as 'Marketing methods'; the support page was updated to match. Source
Microsoft Ads
- New customer acquisition goals for Performance Max became generally available worldwide
Advertisers using purchase conversion goals can bid more for new customers or target them exclusively in all markets. Source
- Self-serve negative keywords for Performance Max entered open beta
Advertisers can add negative keywords to Performance Max campaigns under Campaigns > Negative keywords, without contacting support. Source
- New advertisers could sign up for Microsoft Advertising with a Google account
Google credentials can be used to create a Microsoft Advertising account (except in mainland China and India); the December 2025 API release added Google OAuth grant flows and Editor gained Sign in with Google. Source
- Multi-image Shopping ads began showing on Bing using additional_image_link
Shopping ads can display several product images from the feed's additional_image_link attribute (up to 10 images) alongside price and retailer. Source
ChatGPT Ads
- First ChatGPT ads spotted in the wild on initial high-intent prompts with favicon and 'Sponsored' label
Adthena documented the first confirmed ads for signed-in U.S. desktop users. Sponsored placements appeared on the very first response to prompts such as booking a weekend away, rather than only deep into conversations, and carried a brand favicon and 'Sponsored' label. Source
Search Console
- AI-powered configuration became available to all Search Console users
Google announced on LinkedIn that the AI-powered configuration feature in the Performance report, launched as a limited experiment in December 2025, is now available to everyone. Source
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