Google Display Ads are not disappearing, they are moving into Demand Gen as the Google Display Network. Starting in June 2026, advertisers can use a migration tool to move existing Display campaigns, and later in 2026 new Display campaigns can only be built in Demand Gen while remaining ones are migrated automatically. The migration cannot be reversed, so plan it.
If you run Google Display campaigns for a Canadian store or brand, this is the biggest change to how you buy Display in years. The good news is that your reach on the Display Network stays the same. The risk is in the details: unsupported bid strategies, ads that need re-approval, and a cold start if you rebuild campaigns the wrong way. This guide covers the timeline, what changes, the mistakes that cost performance, and a checklist to migrate cleanly.
01. The Quick Answer
Google is consolidating standalone Display campaigns into Demand Gen, where the Google Display Network becomes one inventory option alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. You keep access to the same Display Network. What changes is the campaign type, the setup workflow, some bid strategies, and creative requirements. Migrated campaigns cannot be switched back to the old Display format, so the safe move is to migrate on your own schedule with the migration tool rather than wait for the automatic switch.
02. Key Dates for the Migration
| Timing | What happens |
|---|---|
| June 2026 | Google begins a phased rollout of the migration tool. Eligible advertisers can voluntarily move existing Google Display Ads campaigns to the Google Display Network on Demand Gen. |
| Coming later in 2026 | New Google Display Ads campaigns can only be created inside Demand Gen. You can still access and edit existing Display campaigns until they are migrated. |
| Coming later in 2026 | Any remaining eligible Google Display Ads campaigns are automatically migrated to Demand Gen with no advertiser action required. |
| Planned late 2026 | HTML5 uploaded display ads and third-party ads are scheduled to return to Demand Gen. Some formats are not supported at launch, so check before you migrate. |
Google stages these dates and surfaces them as notifications inside your Google Ads account. Because the later dates are described as coming later rather than fixed, treat the timeline as a moving target and migrate before the automatic switch reaches your account. This change follows the same direction as other recent Google updates, including the Google AI Max upgrade and the target bidding change.
03. What Is Actually Changing
Demand Gen is Google's campaign type for visual, demand generation advertising. With this change, the Google Display Network becomes an inventory channel within Demand Gen instead of its own campaign type. In practice that means three things for a Canadian advertiser.
- • You build Display through a different workflow, but you still reach the same network of more than 2 million sites and apps.
- • Existing Display campaigns move over through a migration tool that keeps recent performance data.
- • Once new Display creation is turned off, every new Display effort starts as a Demand Gen campaign.
If you also run product feeds, the shift lines up with how Google wants advertising and shopping data connected. Our guide to connecting your Shopify feed to Google, Microsoft, and Meta covers the data plumbing that keeps these campaigns fed.
04. What Most Advertisers Get Wrong
The migration itself is not hard. The costly errors come from timing and process, not from the tool. These are the four we see most often.
Waiting for the automatic migration
When Google auto-migrates your campaign, the ads are treated as newly created and must be re-approved. If that happens during a busy sales period, your best performing ads can stop serving while they wait in review. Migrating early on your own schedule keeps you in control.
Rebuilding campaigns by hand instead of using the tool
Recreating a Display campaign manually in Demand Gen throws away up to 42 days of performance history and forces a cold start. The migration tool ports that history over and cuts relearning to about 1 to 2 days. For accounts with steady conversion volume, that difference is real money.
Ignoring the bid strategies that disappear
Manual CPC, Viewable impressions, and Pay for conversions do not exist in Demand Gen. If you relied on any of them, migration quietly changes how you buy traffic. Decide the replacement strategy before you migrate, not after your costs move.
Migrating in the middle of Q4
For Canadian ecommerce accounts, an unplanned migration during BFCM and the holidays is the worst possible timing. Plan the move for a quieter window so any short term performance swings do not land on your highest revenue weeks.
05. Settings and Features That Change
Most of your setup carries over, but a few settings do not exist in Demand Gen and need a decision before you migrate. The table below covers the ones that catch advertisers off guard.
| Setting | Google Display Ads | Demand Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Manual CPC bidding | Supported | Not supported, use Target CPC instead |
| Pay for conversions | Supported | Not supported, switched to pay for clicks with Target CPA |
| Viewable impressions bidding | Supported | Not supported, use Max Clicks |
| Bid and seasonality adjustments | Supported | Not supported |
| Business logo | Optional | Required, a placeholder is added if missing |
| HTML5 uploaded ads | Supported | Coming later, planned for late 2026 |
| Ad review | Existing ads stay approved | Treated as new ads, must be re-approved |
One detail worth flagging: because migrated ads are treated as newly created, they go back through review. If they are disapproved, you can appeal, but the safest path is to migrate early so any review happens well before your busy season.
06. What You Gain in Demand Gen
The move is not only about consolidation. Demand Gen adds reach and creative options that standalone Display never had.
- Inventory expands beyond the Display Network to YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps (Beta) inside a single campaign type.
- Lookalike segments replace Similar Audiences, helping you reach new buyers who resemble your best customers.
- New creative formats, including carousel ads, generative image tools, and a wider range of video ads.
- Target CPC bidding and flighted campaign total budgets for tighter control over spend.
For stores that run several channels at once, this fits a broader move toward consolidated campaigns. See our take on multichannel ecommerce advertising for Shopify for how Display fits alongside Search, Shopping, and social.
07. A Migration Checklist for Canadian Advertisers
- 1Inventory your Display campaigns. Filter by campaign type Display in the Campaigns tab and note which are enabled, paused, and removed. Removed campaigns are not migrated.
- 2Fix blockers before migrating. Remove items the tool flags as unsupported, such as lead form assets, click to call assets, custom promo text, shared budgets, and ad group bid modifiers.
- 3Add a business logo and more creative. Demand Gen requires a logo and rewards additional image and video assets with wider reach.
- 4Use the migration tool, not a manual rebuild. It ports up to 42 days of history and cuts relearning to about 1 to 2 days.
- 5Reset your bidding expectations. Confirm the closest supported strategy for any campaign that used Manual CPC, Viewable impressions, or Pay for conversions.
- 6Migrate before your peak season. Ads are re-reviewed on migration, so move early to avoid disruption during BFCM and the holidays.
- 7Watch the first week. Expect short performance swings, keep bid changes within plus or minus 15 percent, and wait a week between changes.
08. How AtlanticWorks Helps
AtlanticWorks manages Google Ads for Canadian ecommerce brands, manufacturers, and wholesalers. For this migration we audit your existing Display campaigns, clear the settings that block a clean move, and use the migration tool so your performance history carries over instead of starting cold. We also reset bidding and creative to fit Demand Gen and schedule the switch around your peak selling season.
As a certified Google Partner, we treat this as an opportunity to expand reach into Discover, Gmail, and Maps rather than a forced change to absorb. If you are unsure how many Display campaigns you have or when yours will be migrated, we can map it out for you.
09. Key Takeaways
- Google Display Ads are moving into Demand Gen as the Google Display Network, not being removed.
- The migration tool rolls out from June 2026, with automatic migration of remaining campaigns coming later in 2026.
- Migrations cannot be reversed, so plan the move rather than wait for the automatic switch.
- Use the migration tool to keep up to 42 days of history and avoid a cold start.
- Manual CPC, Viewable impressions, and Pay for conversions are not supported, and migrated ads need re-approval.
- Migrate before Q4 so short term performance swings do not hit your highest revenue weeks.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Are Google Display Ads going away?
No. Google Display Ads campaigns are not being deleted, they are moving into Demand Gen as the Google Display Network. Your ability to serve on the Display Network stays the same, but the campaign type and setup change, and new Display campaigns will only be created inside Demand Gen.
When are Google Display Ads moving to Demand Gen?
Google began a phased rollout of the migration tool in June 2026. Later in 2026, new Display campaigns can only be created in Demand Gen, and any remaining eligible Display campaigns are migrated automatically with no advertiser action. Exact dates are staged and shown as notifications in your Google Ads account.
Can I reverse a Demand Gen migration back to Google Display Ads?
No. Once a Google Display Ads campaign is migrated to Demand Gen it cannot be reverted. Google sets the original campaign to Removed status and keeps its historical data for reporting for up to five years. This is why a clean setup and testing before migrating matter.
Will migrating reset my campaign performance?
If you use the migration tool, up to 42 days of performance history carries over and relearning is usually about 1 to 2 days. If you rebuild the campaign by hand instead, it starts cold with no history. Budget spent earlier on the migration day is not counted by the new campaign, so expect minor swings for the first 24 hours.
Which Google Display Ads features are not supported in Demand Gen?
Manual CPC, Viewable impressions bidding, and Pay for conversions are not supported. Pay for conversions campaigns are switched to pay for clicks while keeping Target CPA. Lead form assets, click to call assets, custom promo text, shared budgets, and ad group bid modifiers must be removed before migrating, and a business logo is required.
Will Google migrate my campaigns for me, or do I need to act?
Google will auto-migrate remaining eligible campaigns later in 2026, but waiting is risky. Migrated ads are treated as new and must be re-approved, which can interrupt serving. Migrating yourself with the tool lets you control the timing, fix unsupported settings, and protect performance ahead of peak season.
Related resources
Another 2026 Google Ads change Canadian advertisers should plan for
How the August 2026 bidding update affects your campaigns
Where Display fits alongside Search, Shopping, and social
Set up product feeds for Google, Microsoft, and Meta
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