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Demand Gen gets a chat agent for YouTube ads and one-tap ads in Shorts
Publication date: 24.09.2026
In short
- The September Demand Gen Drop brought three features: a chat agent next to YouTube video ads, one-click ads in Shorts and Gmail, and promoted pins in Google Maps for chains.
- Google claims an average of 40% more image conversions after adding Gmail to Demand Gen campaigns, at the same ROI.
- The chat agent is available by application through a form, and the announcement says nothing about which regions it covers.
YouTube and Google Ads have released the September batch of Demand Gen updates. The company writes about it on the official Google Ads & Commerce blog, calls the batch a "Drop" and launches a separate hub for such updates at the same time.
There are three features, and they touch different places: video, Shorts with Gmail, and maps.
+40%the lift in image conversions Google claims for Demand Gen campaigns after Gmail is added, at unchanged ROI.
A chat with a business agent right next to the video ad
The most interesting one is Business Agent for YouTube ads. A viewer asks a conversational AI a question beside the clip and gets product information from the connected feed without leaving the video.
In other words, the Merchant Center feed now works not only for listings and Shopping but also as a knowledge base for answers in chat.
Access is still closed: to try it you submit a form. Google gives no performance figures, so for now this is an opportunity to experiment rather than a proven format. For shops with a solid feed it looks like a natural extension of the work already done for YouTube advertising.
One click in Shorts and Gmail
In Shorts the user taps an image and lands straight on the destination page. For that the creatives have to be full-frame vertical, in 9:16.
In Gmail, Google has simplified ad delivery for a channel that already performs well. According to the company, advertisers who add Gmail to Demand Gen campaigns see an average 40% lift in image conversions at the same ROI.
I wouldn't put that 40% into a plan. It is an average from Google's internal data: the announcement gives no sample, no period and no breakdown by vertical or budget, and Google itself has an interest in getting the channel switched on.
Checking it on your own account is easy: compare groups with and without Gmail over the same stretch of time. It is worth preparing 9:16 vertical images in advance, since they will come in handy for other placements too.
Promoted pins for chains and dealers in Google Maps
The third feature is for businesses with many locations: affiliate location extensions let retail chains and dealerships show Promoted pins in Google Maps.
The pin appears when someone searches, pans the map or plans a route. For Ukrainian car dealers and retail chains the format looks natural, although the announcement does not state which countries it runs in.
| Feature | Where it shows | Who it suits most |
|---|---|---|
| Business Agent | next to YouTube video ads | shops with a product feed |
| One click from an image | Shorts and Gmail | those with 9:16 vertical creatives |
| Promoted pins | Google Maps | chains and dealerships |
Taken together, the batch says that Demand Gen looks less and less like "display with video" and more like a separate channel with its own path to purchase.
I am curious how many of these promises will reach us in their current shape, and how fast. Judging by previous drops, half a year of waiting is routine, and once again the announcement says nothing about regions.
