Short answer: Google Ads has removed the campaign-level language setting from Search campaigns and from the Search part of Performance Max. Ads are now matched to people based on the language the ads are written in and the languages each user knows. If you run English, Hindi or regional-language campaigns, your ad copy now does the language targeting for you.
Imagine you run two Search campaigns: one in English and one in Hindi. Until now, a setting told Google which language each campaign was for. That setting is going away. From now on, Google reads your ads and decides.
In my 14 years of running Google Ads for brands in India and the GCC, language has always been one of the first settings I check. On campaigns for healthcare clients in UAE, we kept English and Arabic ads in separate campaigns, each with its own landing page.
For most Indian advertisers this is a small change on paper. In practice, it means the words in your ads matter more than ever.
What changed in Google Ads language targeting
Google announced in August 2026 that the language setting would be removed. Its help page says the change starts in September 2026 and that “the campaign-level language targeting setting will be removed”. It adds: “Search ads will automatically match based on the language of your ads.”
The rollout has been slow. Advertisers first reported the setting missing from live accounts on 3 and 4 November 2026. Some accounts still show it.
Google now decides which languages a person understands from the languages they have set, regularly interact with, or search in. It also prioritises ads that match the language of the search term.
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Search campaigns | You chose one or more languages per campaign | No language setting. Ads match by the language they are written in |
| Performance Max (Search Network) | Campaign language applied | Campaign language no longer applies on Search |
| Performance Max (YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail) | Campaign language applied | No change. Your language setting still applies |
| Shopping ads in Performance Max | Not affected by language settings | No change |
| Language exclusions | Not supported | Still not supported |
Google says no action is required. Your campaigns will keep running. But “no action required” is not the same as “nothing to check”.
Why it matters for Indian advertisers
India is a multilingual market. People search in English, Hindi, regional languages, or a mix of these, often on the same phone. That is why many Indian businesses run a separate campaign for each language.
Under the old system, the language setting worked as a filter. Under the new system, your ad copy does that job. Three things follow from this.
- Your ad copy decides who sees the ad: if a “Hindi” campaign has ads written mostly in English, Google may treat them as English ads. What counts is the language of the ad, not the campaign name.
- You cannot block a language: Google has confirmed that language exclusions were not supported before and are not supported now. If you want only English searchers, write your ads in English.
- One person can see ads in more than one language: Google’s example is a user who understands English and Spanish and may see ads in either. The same applies to someone who uses both English and Marathi.
The good news: Google says single-language campaign structures continue to work, and no restructuring is needed.
How to check your account in six steps
- List campaigns by intended language. Note which campaigns are meant for English, Hindi or a regional language.
- Read every ad. Check headlines and descriptions. A Hindi campaign should have Hindi ads, and an English campaign English ads.
- Decide how you handle Hinglish. Many Indian ads mix Hindi words written in English letters. Google’s help page does not say how mixed-language ads are treated, so watch these campaigns closely.
- Match the landing page to the ad. A Hindi ad that leads to an English-only page is a poor experience. Keep the language the same from ad to page.
- Watch the search terms report for a few weeks. Look for searches in languages you did not plan for, and review that campaign’s ads if you find them.
- Compare before and after. Note the date the setting disappeared from your account. Then compare clicks, cost and conversions per campaign for the weeks on either side.
Tip: Do not remove the language setting from your Performance Max campaigns. It still controls who sees your YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail ads.
From experience: the mistake I see most in Indian accounts is a ‘Hindi’ campaign or regional language campaign where half the headlines are in English because someone copied them across. Before this change the language setting hid that problem. Now it won’t.
An example
Say a coaching institute in Nagpur runs an English campaign and a Marathi campaign. Some of the Marathi campaign’s headlines were written in English to save time. After this change, those English headlines can make Google treat the Marathi campaign’s ads as English ads, so the two campaigns may start competing for the same searches.
The fix is simple: rewrite those headlines in Marathi and point them to a Marathi landing page.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing languages in one ad group: it blurs the signal Google now relies on.
- Assuming the campaign name sets the language: it does not. Only the ad text counts.
- Deleting the language setting in Performance Max: it still matters for non-Search channels.
- Relying on Google Ads Editor alone: one advertiser said Editor still showed the old setting. Check the web interface and Google’s help page.
If you manage campaigns through the Google Ads API, Google’s guidance is to stop sending language criteria for new Search campaigns. Removing them from existing campaigns is optional.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still choose a language for Google Search ads?
No. Google is removing the campaign-level language setting from Search campaigns. Ads are matched on the language they are written in and the languages each user knows.
Do I need to restructure my campaigns?
Google says no. Single-language campaigns keep working. It is still worth checking that each campaign’s ads and landing pages are in the language you intend.
Can I exclude Hindi or another language?
No. Language exclusions were not supported before this change and are not supported after it.
Does this change affect Performance Max?
Only on the Search Network. Your language setting still applies to YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail, and Shopping ads are not affected.
When will this reach my account?
Google says the change starts in September 2026 and has given no end date. Advertisers began reporting the setting missing in early November 2026.
Related reading
- SEO vs SEM: What’s the Difference?
- Choosing Between Paid Search and Paid Social
- What Makes a Landing Page Convert
- What Does Performance Marketing Actually Mean?
Sources
- Google Ads Help: About language targeting
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads Language Targeting Update Coming In September (14 August 2026)
- PPC Land: Google Ads drops language targeting from Search campaigns (8 November 2026)
Want an expert check of your Google Ads setup after this change? See our Performance Marketing service, or learn Google Ads hands-on in our online digital marketing training, available as one-on-one or group classes.