Google Ads language targeting removed from Search campaigns
Google is removing the campaign-level language targeting setting from Search campaigns, starting September 2026. Search ads now match automatically based on the language of the ads, and Google prioritises ads that match the language of the search. In Performance Max the setting no longer applies to Search Network ads but still applies to YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail. Google says no action is required.
| Platform | Google Ads |
|---|---|
| Feature | Language targeting in Google Ads |
| Announced | Not confirmed |
| Status | Rolling out |
| Where available | Starting September 2026, according to Google Ads Help. Google gives no completion date. In the account we checked on 12 November 2026, Search campaigns already showed no language. Applies to Search campaigns and to Search Network ads in Performance Max. |
| Who is affected | Search campaigns, Search Network ads in Performance Max, and advertisers who relied on the language setting to separate audiences, especially in multilingual markets. |
| Action needed | None required, per Google. Recommended: make sure your ads are written in the languages your customers search in, and review search terms for language mismatches. |
| Sources | Google Ads Help: About language targeting |
What changed
Language targeting was a campaign setting that told Google which languages your customers understand, so ads only showed to people using those languages. Google’s help page now describes the change, starting September 2026:
- Search campaigns: “The campaign-level language targeting setting will be removed.” Instead, “Search ads will automatically match based on the language of your ads,” and “We prioritize ads that match the user's search term language.”
- Performance Max: “The campaign-level language setting will no longer apply to ads shown on the Google Search Network,” which work like standard Search campaigns. The setting still applies to YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail. Shopping ads in Performance Max are not affected by language settings.
- Action: “No action is required by advertisers for this change.”
Google gives no completion date. In the Google Ads account we checked on 12 November 2026, the campaign table’s Language column already showed a dash for every Search campaign, while Video, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns still showed All languages.
Why it matters
The language of your ads now does the work the setting used to do. For a campaign with only English ads, that means mostly English searches, whatever the old setting said. In multilingual markets like India, where people search in English, Hindi and Hinglish, the ads you write decide which of those searches you can reach.
Our view: most advertisers will not notice, because many already kept every language switched on and let keywords decide. Those who used the setting to keep a Hindi campaign and an English campaign apart should now separate them by writing each campaign’s ads in its language. Separate campaigns still make sense to control budgets, but no longer to control targeting.
What to do
- Check whether your Search campaigns still show a Languages setting under campaign settings; it disappears as the rollout reaches your account.
- List the languages your customers actually search in, and make sure each relevant campaign has ads written in those languages.
- In the search terms report, look for searches in a language your ads are not written in, and add ads or negatives accordingly.
- In Performance Max, keep the language setting for YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail, and judge Search Network traffic by your ad text instead.
Still unknown
Google has not said when every account will lose the setting, how it treats Hinglish or other languages typed in English script, or how mixed-language ads are matched. We have not compared performance before and after the change in an account.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Ads removing language targeting?
For Search campaigns, yes. Google says the campaign-level language targeting setting will be removed starting September 2026, and Search ads will match automatically based on the language of the ads.
How do Google Search ads choose a language now?
Google says ads match based on the language of your ads, and it prioritises ads that match the language of the user’s search term.
Does Performance Max still have language targeting?
Only for some channels. Google says the language setting no longer applies to Performance Max ads on the Search Network, but still applies to YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail. Shopping ads are not affected by language settings.
Do I need to change anything?
Google says no action is required by advertisers.
Official sources
Related coverage
- Google Analytics Data Manager: avoid double conversions
- Google Performance Max may filter out brand searches
- Google ads in AI Mode: now in India and nine more markets
Update history
- — First coverage, from Google Ads Help. Includes Piyush’s take.
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