How the labels work
Google added a "How this ad was made" section to My Ad Center. People open it from the three-dot menu or info icon on ads across Search, YouTube and Discover. Google shows the section only on ads with AI-created or AI-edited assets.
Your next step depends on how you made the asset:
| Asset source | Disclosure | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| Google's generative AI ad tools | Google adds it automatically | Check the status, because you can't overwrite labels Google applies |
| Outside AI tools | Appears after you mark the asset | Choose "Label this asset as created or edited with AI" in the AI label setting |
| Your own design tools | You add a visible label to the creative | Keep it away from corners and edges so cropping doesn't remove it |
The AI label setting covers Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360, Campaign Manager 360, Merchant Center and Ads Editor. If your campaign targets the EU, India or New York, assets you mark also carry a visible overlay on the ad.
Google also changed its creative rules to fit these labels. AI labels on images and videos no longer break its rules against text overlays and watermarks.
Not every AI asset needs a label
Some coverage describes this update as a blanket rule for all advertisers. Google's help page says otherwise: labeling requirements vary by region and content type, and not all AI-created content needs a label.
The setting won't settle your legal position either. Google says that using it doesn't guarantee compliance and tells you to seek legal advice. In the EU, AI Act transparency duties took effect on August 2, 2026, and fines can reach €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover. Those duties include disclosing deepfakes of real people, places or events.
Election advertisers have a separate duty. You must still tick the "Altered or synthetic content" box in campaign settings when an election ad contains that material, under the Political content policy.
Steps to take now
- Record AI use for each asset. Note the tool behind each image and video, and ask clients and agencies about the files they send you.
- Start with your regulated markets. Review campaigns that target the EU, India or New York, then get legal advice on which assets need a label.
- Check your labels in Google Ads. Add the "AI label" column to your Asset library and asset reports, then filter by status.
- Protect any label you add yourself. Turn off image enhancements that could crop it, including Asset Enhancements in Display and Performance Max and Adaptive Layouts in Demand Gen.
Labels won't protect a misleading ad
A disclosure tells people how you made an ad. Google's ban on misleading and deceptive ads still applies, with or without AI, so a labeled ad can still break policy.
The Google pages we reviewed name no specific penalty for a missing AI label. If you find your Google Ads account suspended after publishing AI creative, don't assume the label caused it. Read the policy named in the notice, then use our Free Diagnosis to check the cause before you appeal.
Sources
- Expanding AI transparency in ads, Google, July 9, 2026
- Use AI content label settings and disclosures, Google Ads Help
- AI Transparency in ads, My Ad Center Help
- Updates to AI labeling requirements (July 2026), Google Advertising Policies Help
- EU AI Act Transparency Obligations Are Now in Force, Goodwin, August 3, 2026