Google has started removing manual language targeting settings in Google Ads Search campaigns. The system will now determine which language to use when showing an ad to a specific user based on their search query.
The change affects standard Search campaigns, campaigns with AI Max, and Search placements within Performance Max.
For those running ads in a single language targeting one specific GEO, the workflow will remain virtually unchanged. The update primarily affects campaigns in multilingual countries where audiences regularly enter search queries in different languages.
How language is now determined in Search
Previously, advertisers manually selected target languages in campaign settings, while Google primarily relied on the interface language set in the user's profile.
Now the platform dynamically selects the language for each individual query. For example, if a user's browser and account are set to English, but they enter a specific search query in Spanish, Google will show an ad in Spanish. This will work provided that the advertiser has uploaded ad copy and a landing page in that language.
If the query language is difficult to determine, for example, when someone enters only a brand or model name, the algorithm uses additional user data and their previous search history.
This means language selection no longer works as a strict restriction. The system now chooses the appropriate ad from those uploaded to the account.
What has changed for Performance Max
In Performance Max campaigns, these rules apply only to Search.
For placements in Google Search, the language is selected automatically based on the query text, just as in regular Search campaigns.
However, on other platforms within Performance Max (YouTube, Google Display Network, Discover and Gmail), the system still takes into account the languages that the advertiser manually selected in the campaign settings.
As a result, two different rules will apply within a single PMax campaign: automatic language selection for Search and manual language settings for display placements.
Who the update will affect and how to structure campaigns
The new rules change how advertisers work with regions where multiple languages are used (for example, the US, Canada, Switzerland or CIS countries).
Previously, an unwanted language could simply be disabled by unchecking a box in the campaign settings. Now showing ads in the desired language depends entirely on the ad copy and landing pages that the advertiser has uploaded to the account.
If a campaign is set up in only one language, the algorithm will continue showing those ads even if the user enters a query in another language. To attract targeted clicks in multilingual GEOs, advertisers will have to prepare separate ad copy and corresponding landing pages for each language spoken by their target audience.
