Developing
Placement exclusions, app exclusions and brand safety settings may not carry over cleanly, so export them first.
In 60 seconds
- Google announced on May 26, 2026 that standalone Display campaigns are being retired in favour of Demand Gen.
- Display inventory stays; it is managed alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Google Maps in Demand Gen.
- A migration tool appeared in June 2026; new standalone Display campaign creation ends in 2027, and eligible campaigns migrate automatically that year.
- Demand Gen adds carousels, more video formats, lookalike segments, generative AI image tools and channel-level reporting.
Impact Layer
- What changed
- The way advertisers buy the Google Display Network is being folded into a single, more automated campaign type.
- Why it matters
- Display budgets will be run with Demand Gen's settings and reporting, so existing placement and audience controls need to be rebuilt and tested.
- Who is affected
- Google Ads advertisers, agencies and anyone running Display for remarketing or reach.
- Martech stack area
- Advertising
- Stack impact
- Document your exclusion lists and settings, test a Demand Gen version with a budget cap, and compare reporting granularity before forced migration.
- Business impact
- High Timing details differ slightly between trade reports (some say new creation ends late 2026, others January 2027). Check Google's own notices.
- Related technologies
- Related vendors
- What to watch
- Google's help-centre notices on the cut-off date, and any changes to placement reporting.
Google announced on May 26, 2026 that standalone Display campaigns are being retired into Demand Gen, according to Search Engine Journal. The Google Display Network is not going away: its inventory will sit alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Google Maps inside Demand Gen.
Timeline reported
- June 2026: a migration tool lets eligible advertisers move existing Display campaigns voluntarily.
- Later in 2026 or January 2027: creation of new standalone Display campaigns is switched off. Reports differ on the exact month.
- 2027: remaining eligible campaigns migrate automatically.
What advertisers gain
Carousel ads, expanded video formats, lookalike segments, generative AI image tools, channel-level reporting, Google Maps inventory (beta) and new bidding options, including target CPC and campaign total budgets.
What to check first
Review placement exclusions, app exclusions, managed placements and brand safety controls, and rebuild and test them in Demand Gen before migration is mandatory. Watch for changes in audience expansion, placement visibility, inventory allocation, reporting detail, budget pacing and bidding behaviour.
Our read
This follows a familiar path: a manual campaign type becomes a setting inside a more automated one. The risk is not the new features but the controls that may not transfer. Export your exclusion lists, run Demand Gen as a test against your current Display spend, and keep an eye on Google’s own notices for the final dates.
Sources
- Search Engine Journal: Google is retiring standalone Display campaigns in favor of Demand Gen (opens in a new tab)
Source of the change, timeline, new features and preparation advice.