The Google Ads Automation Change That's Catching Advertisers Out
- 4M Digital
- Jan 16
- 5 min read
Google Ads automation has been creeping forward for years, but the latest change isn't about a shiny new feature or an AI headline. It's about where control now lives and how much harder it's become for advertisers to confidently manage it.
What used to be a single, easily overlooked setting has quietly expanded into multiple permissions across different parts of the Google Ads interface, all influencing the same thing: what Google is allowed to automatically add to your ads.
And that's where the challenge starts.
Account-Level Automation Was Already Easy to Miss
Many advertisers still don't realise that Google Ads has a section called ‘Account-level automated assets’. It's powerful, it's account-wide and it can quietly influence creatives across every campaign you run.
I've covered this area in more detail in a previous post, particularly why it's risky if left unchecked:
The important takeaway is this: when something is controlled at account level, one setting can affect everything. That's fine when it's intentional. It's a problem when it isn't.
What's Changed and Why It Matters
Until recently, most advertisers assumed that permissions around automated assets, especially those related to locations and imagery, lived in one place: Account-level automated assets.
That setting has been there since 2024, controlling whether Google can use merchant photos and Google-owned imagery in your ads. That's no longer the only place.
Google has now introduced additional controls within Location Manager, spotted by advertisers just days ago, which also determine whether Google Ads can use imagery linked to your locations. This includes both photos uploaded to your Google Business Profile and imagery owned by Google itself.
These settings sit outside the account-level automated assets area. Specifically, they're under :
‘Tools icon’ > ‘Shared Library’ > ‘Location Manager’ > ‘Settings’Â
Which means you can't see both permissions side-by-side. They're easy to miss and they don't clearly signal how they interact with existing automation controls.
The result is fragmentation. And fragmentation is where mistakes happen.
There was no announcement when these Location Manager controls appeared. Many advertisers are only discovering them now, in January 2026, often after noticing unexpected imagery in their ads.
When One "No" Doesn't Mean No
The real issue isn't that Google has added more controls. In theory, more controls should be a good thing.
The issue is that these are duplicate controls for the same settings and it's no longer clear which one takes priority. You have permissions for merchant photos in Account-level automated assets. You also have permissions for merchant photos in Location Manager. Same for Google-owned imagery. Two locations, same settings.
Based on testing across multiple accounts, the most permissive setting appears to win. If either location allows imagery, Google treats that as permission. This means you need both set to 'off' to truly disable automated location imagery.
Here's what this means in practice:
You can disable imagery at account level, but if you still have imagery enabled in Location Manager, Google can still inject location imagery into your ads - even when you think you've opted out.
At the moment, Google hasn't clearly documented this behaviour. That leaves advertisers in an uncomfortable position: assuming they've locked something down, only to discover later that ads are still pulling in creatives they didn't approve.
This is exactly the kind of scenario that leads to awkward client conversations and last-minute damage control.
Why This Is a Bigger Deal Than It Sounds
For brand-sensitive accounts, franchises or any business with strict creative guidelines, unexpected imagery isn't a minor inconvenience. It's a trust issue.
Consider this: a restaurant chain that carefully curates its brand imagery might suddenly find Google pulling in a merchant-uploaded photo from 2022 showing old décor or a generic street view that doesn't match current creative standards. The business impact isn't just aesthetic - it can mean lower click-through rates, wasted spend and brand inconsistency across campaigns.
Automation works best when it's deliberate. When it's scattered across different menus, with overlapping permissions and quiet defaults, it stops feeling like optimisation and starts feeling like risk.
And the frustrating part is that nothing here is technically "wrong". Google is doing exactly what it's been allowed to do, just in more places than most people realise.
What Advertisers Should Do Now: A 5-Minute Sanity Check
The safest approach right now is simple: don't assume one setting covers another.
If brand and creative control matters, you need to check both locations:
Here's what makes this confusing: the Account-level automated assets setting has been available since 2024. Many advertisers have already configured it to control merchant photos and Google-owned imagery. But now, Location Manager has separate toggles for the exact same permissions. They're not controlling different things - they're duplicate controls for the same automated assets, just added to a different part of the interface.
1. Account-level automated assets
Path: ‘Assets’ > ‘More’ > ‘Account-level automated assets’ > ‘More’
Here you'll see permissions around Automated locations: "Grant Google Ads licence to use merchant photos and other rich media from the linked Google Business Profiles in the advertising campaigns from this account."
2. Location Manager
You'll find two separate toggle options here:
Google Business Profile merchant photos
Allows Google Ads to use photos and rich media uploaded by owners or managers of your linked Google Business Profile. This does not include customer photos (user-generated content).
Google-owned location imagery
Allows Google Ads to automatically incorporate images and videos from Google's own extensive library - including stock imagery and aerial views - for your linked business locations.
Do not assume one setting covers the other.
Important:Â If you opt out of merchant photos in Location Manager, Google will preserve your location assets, meaning local ads can continue to run without merchant photos. Your merchant photos won't be used in ads unless you manually upload them to Google Ads separately. Note that they'll still appear in organic Google search results.
Both influence what Google can inject into your ads. Both need to align with your actual intent. Until Google makes these interactions clearer, covering both bases is the only way to stay in control.
Campaign Types Most Affected
While this change affects account-wide settings, the impact is most visible in:
Performance Max campaigns - which rely heavily on automated assets and give Google the most creative freedom
Local campaigns - where location imagery is a primary creative component
Search campaigns with location extensions - which can now pull in location imagery if permissions allow
If you're running any of these campaign types for multi-location businesses or franchises, this audit should be a priority.
How Often Should You Check This?
Given how quietly these settings can change and how fragmented the controls now are, a quarterly audit is recommended as part of regular account maintenance.
For agencies managing multiple client accounts, consider adding this to your onboarding checklist and quarterly review process. It's a small task that can prevent significant brand issues down the line.
For franchise or multi-location businesses with strict brand guidelines, monthly checks would be even safer, especially if you're actively launching new locations or campaigns.
🔹 Final Thoughts
This change won't break accounts overnight. But it does raise the bar for what "good account hygiene" looks like in 2026.
Automation in Google Ads isn't going away. It's becoming more layered, more distributed and easier to misunderstand.
Understanding where control lives and checking it regularly is now part of the job.
Not because we don't trust automation, but because we shouldn't outsource judgement without meaning to.
4M Digital is a paid media consultancy specialising in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Paid Social campaigns. With over 15 years of expertise, we help businesses unlock the full potential of their digital advertising strategies through tailored management, audits, and training.