Google will disclose which ads were made with AI on Search

Google will now disclose when an ad was created or edited with AI, rolling the feature into the My Ad Center panel that appears from the three-dot menu or info icon on ads shown in Google Search, YouTube, and Google Discover. The update, announced Jul 9, 2026, adds a “How this ad was made” option that will indicate if an ad used AI.

What is changing and where will you see it?

The change adds a new “How this ad was made” entry inside My Ad Center, the existing consumer-facing panel accessible by tapping the three-dot menu or info button on ads in Search, YouTube, and Discover. The panel already allows users to block or report ads and learn more about the advertiser or why an ad was shown; the new entry will show whether the asset was created or edited with AI.

Google says ads produced with its own generative AI advertising tools will receive the disclosure automatically. In some markets the label may also appear directly on the ad, either applied automatically or whenever an advertiser manually discloses AI usage.

How will Google determine and surface AI-made ads?

Google will automatically apply the disclosure to ads made with its generative AI advertising tools, but advertisers must manually mark ads made elsewhere as AI-created because Google will not perform its own verification. If an advertiser uses a non-Google tool to create or edit an ad, the new control requires the advertiser to indicate AI involvement; local law can also trigger an AI label in some markets.

The user-facing phrasing includes the UI element “How this ad was made,” and Verge notes the panel will show a “created or edited with AI” label under that tab. Earlier Google steps include a disclosure for “synthetic or digitally altered content” in political ads introduced in 2024 and expanded support for SynthID and C2PA content labels earlier this year.

Why it matters

The label gives consumers direct, at-a-glance information about whether imagery or other ad content was generated or modified by AI, addressing a gap that until now applied mainly to political ads. Requiring advertisers to self-report content made outside Google puts the burden on advertisers rather than on Google to detect undisclosed synthetic assets, which shapes how transparency will work in practice.

The move aligns Google with other platforms that expose AI provenance for ads; Meta already offers an “AI info” label in its About this ad panel. For advertisers, the change means one more disclosure control to manage when publishing across Google surfaces.

What to watch

Track whether advertisers consistently use the manual disclosure control for non-Google tools and whether regulators in specific markets push for automatic detection or stricter labeling requirements. Also watch whether Google expands automatic labeling beyond its own generative ad tools or integrates SynthID and C2PA signals to reduce reliance on self-reporting.