Google Ads in AI Mode Now Run in Pakistan: Text Ads Only, Which Campaigns Qualify and How to Check

Google has started showing ads inside AI Mode in Pakistan, announced on 28 October 2026 (early on 29 October in Pakistan), and its help page says Pakistan gets text ads only, in English. You do not need a new campaign. Existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are eligible automatically, so the real work is checking keywords, negatives and landing pages before your budget starts paying for clicks in a new place.

Pakistan was one of ten countries named in the expansion, alongside India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines and others. We read Google's announcement on the Keyword blog and the Google Ads help article on ads in AI experiences on 31 October 2026. Everything below comes from those two pages, and we mark the parts Google does not explain.

Google Ads in AI Mode now run in Pakistan, text ads only

Google's help page lists Pakistan among the countries where ads appear within AI Overviews and AI Mode, with the note "text ads only". The ads are in English and are labelled "Sponsored". Shopping ads inside AI Mode are not listed for Pakistan.

In the announcement, Shashi Thakur, who runs Search ads at Google, said queries in AI Mode are on average three times longer than normal searches. Google also says click rates on sponsored and organic product listings inside AI Mode are already similar. That second figure is Google's own research, and it comes from markets where Shopping ads run, not from Pakistan.

Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns qualify automatically

Google says existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are eligible with no new campaign and no separate budget. Broad match, AI Max for Search and Performance Max can match both the question and the AI answer. Exact and phrase match only qualify when the query shows clear buying intent.

That last rule matters for Pakistani advertisers who run tight exact match accounts to save money. A long question such as "which solar inverter is best for a 5 marla house in Lahore" is exploratory. Under Google's rule, an exact match keyword will not pull your ad into that answer. A broad match or AI Max campaign may.

• Search campaigns: eligible. Broad match and AI Max reach the most AI Mode queries.
• Performance Max: eligible, and matched to the query and the AI response.
• Shopping: eligible in general, but Pakistan is listed for text ads only.
• Exact and phrase match: only for queries with direct commercial intent.

You cannot opt out of AI Mode separately from Search

Google's help page says advertisers cannot target AI Overviews or AI Mode on their own, and cannot opt out of them while staying on Search. The controls you keep are negative keywords and brand exclusions. There is no extra charge, and the same auction and bidding apply.

So if you do not want your ad near a certain type of question, the only tool is the negative keyword list. Review it before the end of the week. Search terms that never reached you before can now arrive through long AI Mode questions.

How to check your account this week

Results from AI Mode are not reported on a separate line. Google says impressions, clicks, conversions and cost are included in your normal campaign reports and in the search terms report. That makes the search terms report the best place to spot the change.

1. Open Google Ads and go to the search terms report for your Search and Performance Max campaigns.
2. Sort by date and look for longer, question style terms from 29 October 2026 onward.
3. Add negatives for any questions that do not fit your business, such as "free" or "how to make".
4. Check that each landing page answers the question in plain words, with price and location visible.
5. Compare cost per conversion for the week before and the week after.

If you have not finished advertiser verification with a CNIC or SECP papers, do that first, because an unverified account can be paused whatever the format. The way you pay for Google Ads from Pakistan does not change for AI Mode.

What this means for businesses that do not run ads

Organic results inside AI Mode are not for sale. Google's help page states that paid advertising does not influence the organic AI response. A shop that does not advertise can still appear through its website and its Business Profile, as before.

What does change is space. A sponsored text ad now sits in or near the AI answer, so the free links below it get pushed further down. For small businesses that rely on free traffic, the basics still apply: a clear website, a complete profile and pages that answer the questions customers ask. There is more on that in what Pakistani businesses should do about AI search. If you run a site, the Search Console report for AI Overviews and AI Mode shows whether you are cited.

One warning. If anyone offers to sell you a special "AI Mode ad package", there is no such product in Google's documents. Your existing campaigns are the product, and Google charges nothing extra to take part.

Common questions

Are Google ads in AI Mode live in Pakistan?

Yes. Google announced on 28 October 2026 that it is scaling ads in AI Mode to Pakistan, and its help page lists Pakistan for text ads only.

Do I need a new campaign for AI Mode ads?

No. Google says existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are eligible automatically, with no separate budget.

Can I turn off AI Mode ads and keep Search ads?

No. Google says you cannot opt out of AI Overviews or AI Mode separately from Search. Use negative keywords and brand exclusions instead.

Do Urdu searches show ads inside AI Mode?

Google's page says ads within AI Overviews and AI Mode are English only. Ads above or below AI Overviews run in all languages where AI Overviews are available.

Does buying ads help my site appear in the AI answer?

No. Google's help page says paid ads do not influence the organic AI response.

Is there an extra charge for AI Mode placements?

No. Google says the same auction and bidding apply, and there is no extra charge to take part.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 31 October 2026. We read Google's announcement, Ads in AI Mode expand to new markets, dated 28 October 2026, and the Google Ads help article About ads in AI-powered experiences in Google Search, both on 31 October 2026. The help page gives no launch date for Pakistan and says its country list may not be complete. We did not run a campaign or see a live AI Mode ad from Pakistan, so we cannot say how often ads appear or what clicks cost here.