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Google Ads has reportedly added AI Max reporting columns labelled Brand Inclusions, Locations of interest, Commission, and Optimized targeting. Two industry reports from October 7 and 8, 2026 describe them, but neither establishes that every account can see them. Google has not, in the documentation reviewed for this article, defined the Commission column, and its explanation of Optimized targeting is limited to a publication’s interpretation. The practical answer for most advertisers is this: the first two labels map to documented AI Max controls, and the last two should be read with caution until Google publishes definitions.
What has been reported, and by whom
Search Engine Land reported on October 7, 2026 that new AI Max columns covering brand inclusions, locations of interest, and optimized targeting were rolling out. It cautioned that the columns might not yet appear in every Google Ads account. Search Engine Roundtable followed on October 8, 2026, crediting Vivek Gupta with noticing the new options and listing four labels, including Commission. Gupta’s LinkedIn post read: “Google Ads has added some new AI Max related columns.” That is his wording as reported by Search Engine Roundtable, not a statement from Google, and no named Google spokesperson comment on the columns was found.
Reports of this kind confirm that labels are appearing in some accounts. They do not confirm which countries, account types, or campaign setups are affected, and they do not explain what each column measures.
AI Max context: a layer on Search campaigns, not a new campaign type
Google’s Help documentation describes AI Max for Search campaigns as an optimization layer added to existing Search campaigns. It is not a separate campaign type. Its documented features include search-term matching (including broad-match expansion and keywordless matching), text customization, Final URL expansion, locations of interest, brand settings, URL inclusions and exclusions, and reporting changes. The full feature description is in How AI Max for Search campaigns works on Google Ads Help.
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That framing matters for the new columns. They are reporting labels attached to an existing campaign, so they describe how AI Max is operating inside a Search campaign you already run. They are not new bidding or budget settings.
What each column label means
Brand Inclusions
Brand settings let an advertiser specify brands that should be associated with its ads, or exclude brands. Google documents brand inclusions at both campaign level and ad-group level. The API documentation describes brand lists as campaign or ad-group criteria. So a Brand Inclusions column most plausibly shows where that setting is applied. Google’s Help pages do not document how the new column is formatted or how it behaves when no brand is set, so check the values in your own account rather than assuming them.
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Locations of interest
Locations of interest is a targeting control set at ad-group level. Google describes it as a way to reach customers based on geographical intent, including in keywordless matches. In the Google Ads API, this is a positive location criterion on an ad group and requires AI Max. Setup guidance is in Get started with AI Max for Search campaigns on Google for Developers.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsKeep two things separate. The targeting setting controls where geographical intent is used. The reporting view shows which geographic locations AI Max actually matched. The API’s matched_location_interest_view analyzes performance by matched geographic location, and it is described in Reports for AI Max for Search campaigns. A Locations of interest column, if it appears in the interface, is best read as a pointer into that matched-location data, not as a targeting setting in itself.
Optimized targeting
Search Engine Land describes this column as visibility into Google’s automated audience expansion. That is the publication’s interpretation. The official AI Max Help page explains search matching, including broad match and keywordless technology, but does not define a column with this name. Until Google confirms the meaning, treat “audience expansion” as a provisional reading. Do not assume it is the same thing as other Google Ads features with similar names unless a current Google source makes that connection.
Commission
Search Engine Roundtable lists Commission among the reported labels, but the report does not define it. None of the official AI Max Help or API reporting pages reviewed for this article documents a Commission column. Because of that gap, this article does not describe what the column measures. It could be a fee, a bid-related figure, a conversion value, or something else; no source establishes any of those. If the column appears in your account, look for a definition in Google’s Help content or release notes before using its values in reporting or client conversations.
Reporting surfaces you can already audit
The four new labels are not the only way to see how AI Max is behaving. Google documents several reporting surfaces that existed before these columns and remain the most reliable starting point for an audit. None of them is evidence of what the new columns mean.
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|---|---|---|
| Search terms report | Match type and source information for AI Max-matched queries | Google Ads Help |
ai_max_search_term_ad_combination_view |
The search term, landing page, and headline combination used for an expansion | Google for Developers |
matched_location_interest_view |
Performance segmented by geographic locations matched by AI Max | Google for Developers |
| Keywords report | Summary rows for AI Max activity | Google Ads Help |
| Landing pages report | A “Selected by” column showing how each landing page was chosen | Google Ads Help |
| Asset reporting | Optimized asset performance | Google Ads Help |
Menu locations for these reports change with interface updates, so search the Google Ads interface for the report name rather than relying on a fixed click path.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Checking whether the columns are in your account
- Confirm that the account has at least one AI Max for Search campaign. The columns are described as AI Max reporting, so a standard Search campaign without AI Max is unlikely to show them.
- Check the Brand Inclusions setting at campaign and ad-group level so you know what the column should reflect.
- Check the Locations of interest setting on each ad group, then compare it with the matched-location view or report.
- If a column is missing, the account may not yet have it. Reports describe a gradual rollout that may vary by account.
- Do not treat a Commission or Optimized targeting value as a verified metric until Google documents it.
Reading the columns without overclaiming
A column that shows configuration or matching is useful for audit. It tells you where a setting is in effect or where AI Max matched traffic. It does not show that the setting caused a better or worse result. Compare the new columns against the search-term, ad-combination, and matched-location reports before drawing conclusions, and be wary of attributing performance changes to a configuration just because the column is visible.
Bottom line for advertisers
The labels Brand Inclusions and Locations of interest correspond to controls Google documents, so their reporting meaning can be checked against those controls. Optimized targeting has an interpretation from one publication that Google has not confirmed. Commission has no documented meaning at all. Until Google publishes definitions, treat the new columns as reporting signals to verify, not as metrics to report.
For authoritative setup details, start with the AI Max Help article and the API getting-started guide. Reporting background is in the API reports guide. The original reports are Google Ads New AI Max Columns from Search Engine Roundtable and Google Ads adds new AI Max columns for deeper campaign analysis from Search Engine Land.
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Also note that the names used in these reports may change once Google publishes official documentation.
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