Digital Marketing Platform Updates: 5 October 2026
A busy start to October. Meta is pulling levers away from advertisers, Google's spam update is still causing ranking chaos, and Microsoft just mirrored a move Google made last year. Here's what matters this week.
Meta Ads
You can no longer exclude ad placements
This is the big one. Meta has started removing the ability to exclude individual placements from your ad sets. No more switching off Audience Network, turning off Messenger, or restricting to mobile only. The rollout is gradual, hitting Sales and Leads campaigns first, but the direction is clear: Meta wants full control over where your ads show up.
Why it matters: If you've been manually excluding placements that don't convert well for your business (Audience Network, we're looking at you), that control is disappearing. Meta says its algorithm will optimise delivery across placements automatically. In practice, this means you need to watch your placement-level reporting more closely than ever to understand where your budget is actually going. What to do: Check your active campaigns now. If placement exclusions are still available on your account, document what you're currently excluding and why. Once the change hits, your only real "off switch" is the account-level placement control in Advertising Settings. You'll also get bid adjustments per placement, so you can dial down spend on underperforming spots rather than blocking them entirely. Lean into creative that works across multiple formats. A single-image ad designed only for Feed won't perform well when Meta starts running it in Reels or Stories.Instagram Live Video Ads are now live
Meta rolled out Live Video Ads on Instagram from 29 September. Creators can now boost their livestream as a paid ad while they're still broadcasting, reaching audiences beyond their followers in Feed, Stories, and Reels.
Why it matters: Live commerce reportedly drives conversion rates of 9 to 30 percent compared to 2 to 3 percent for standard ecommerce. For service businesses running creator partnerships or influencer campaigns, this is a new way to amplify live content at the moment it's most engaging. What to do: If you're working with creators or influencers, this is worth testing. Schedule the boost at least 2 hours before going live to give Meta's delivery system time to warm up. For most SMEs not doing live commerce, this is one to watch rather than act on right now.Instant Forms appointment booking going global
Meta's embedded appointment booking feature for Lead Ads Instant Forms is expected to roll out globally this month. After a user submits a lead form, a scheduling widget from Calendly or HighLevel appears on the thank-you page, with contact details automatically passed through.
Why it matters: For service businesses (trades, health, professional services), this could meaningfully reduce the gap between "I filled out a form" and "I booked an appointment." No more chasing leads with a phone call to schedule. The booking happens while they're still engaged. What to do: If you're running Lead Ads for a service business, check whether the feature is available in your Ads Manager. Look for the 'Book time' call-to-action option in the Instant Form ending section. You'll need a Calendly or HighLevel account connected. HubSpot support is expected soon.API deadline: 6 October
Meta's Marketing API v24.0 sunsets on 6 October. If you're using third-party tools that connect to Meta's API, confirm they've migrated. Most major platforms (like your CRM or reporting tools) will have handled this automatically, but smaller or custom integrations may break.
Google Search
September spam update still rolling
Google's fourth spam update of 2026 started on 24 September and was still active as of 2 October. There were two distinct waves of ranking movement: 25 to 27 September, then again from 30 September into early October.
Why it matters: If your website rankings have dropped in the last 10 days, this update may be the cause. Google hasn't specified which spam tactics it's targeting, but its guidance remains consistent: large volumes of low-value content created primarily to manipulate rankings is the target, whether that content is written by humans or AI. What to do: Check your Google Search Console for any sudden drops in impressions or clicks from late September. If you've been hit, review your content for pages that look like they were created to rank rather than to help users. This update typically takes up to two weeks to fully roll out, so rankings may continue shifting through the first half of October.Search Console AI report rolling out
Google has started giving some site owners a dedicated "Generative AI features" report in Search Console. This is a separate view showing impressions in Google's AI features (AI Overviews, AI Mode), currently in a limited beta.
Why it matters: AI Overviews now appear in roughly 55 percent of Google searches. Studies show click-through rates drop significantly when an AI Overview is present (around 8 percent vs 15 percent without). Understanding whether your site is appearing in these AI-generated answers is becoming essential for tracking organic visibility. What to do: Check your Search Console to see if the report is available. If not, it will likely roll out more broadly in the coming months. Either way, this reinforces the importance of creating genuinely useful, expert content that Google wants to cite in its AI answers, not just rank in traditional results.Google Ads
API v22 sunsets 7 October
Google Ads API v22 stops working on 7 October. Alongside this, ad sharing (reusing a single ad across multiple ad groups) is being deprecated, with shared ads blocked from creation mid-October.
Why it matters for you: If you're using a third-party tool to manage Google Ads (reporting dashboards, bid management tools, scripts), check that your provider has migrated to API v23 or later. If they haven't, things will break. For the ad sharing change, most SME accounts don't use this feature, but if you've been duplicating the same Responsive Search Ad across ad groups via the API, you'll need to create separate copies going forward. What to do: Contact your tools provider if you're unsure. If you manage ads directly in the Google Ads interface, this change won't affect your day-to-day workflow.Mobile sitelink redesign spotted
Google is testing a redesigned sitelink layout on mobile that makes individual links darker, clearer, and more visually prominent beneath ads.
Why it matters: Sitelinks already drive significant additional clicks. If this redesign rolls out broadly, sitelinks could become even more important for mobile ad performance. Another reminder that having strong, relevant sitelinks set up is not optional. What to do: Review your sitelink assets. Make sure every campaign has at least four sitelinks with clear, benefit-focused text and relevant landing pages. If you haven't updated your sitelinks in a while, now's a good time.Microsoft Ads
Max CPC removed from new campaigns
From 1 October, new Microsoft Ads campaigns using Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value, or Maximise Clicks can no longer set a Max CPC cap. Existing campaigns keep the setting, and portfolio bid strategies are unaffected.
Why it matters: This mirrors Google's eCPC sunset from last year. Microsoft is pushing advertisers toward fully automated bidding. If you've been relying on Max CPC caps as a safety net on new campaigns, that guardrail is gone. What to do: If you're running Microsoft Ads, review your bidding approach for any campaigns you plan to create. You'll need to trust the automated bidding more, or use portfolio bid strategies (which still support Max CPC) as your control mechanism.Optimisation experiments now available across all campaign types
Microsoft made its experiment feature generally available for Search, Shopping, Audience, and Performance Max campaigns. You can now run proper A/B tests on bidding, targeting, and creative changes before committing.
Why it matters: This is genuinely useful. Instead of making a change and hoping for the best, you can test it in a controlled environment. The unified results page makes it straightforward to compare. What to do: Next time you're considering a significant change to a Microsoft Ads campaign, set up an experiment first. Test your new bid strategy, audience targeting, or ad copy against the existing setup. It costs nothing extra and gives you data to make confident decisions.The Takeaway
The biggest story this week is Meta removing placement exclusions. If you run Meta Ads, you're losing a control lever you've had for years. Get ahead of it by understanding your placement performance now, before you can no longer choose where your ads don't appear.
Further Reading
- Meta removes ad placement controls - Detailed breakdown of what's changing and what options remain
- Google September 2026 spam update - Latest on the two-wave ranking disruption
- Microsoft Ads Max CPC removal checklist - Step-by-step guide for affected advertisers
- Instagram Live Video Ads launch - What ecommerce brands need to know before Q4
- Meta Instant Forms appointment booking - Full breakdown of the embedded scheduling feature
- Google Ads API v22 sunset - Official Google developer blog reminder
- Microsoft Ads optimisation experiments GA - Microsoft's official announcement
Dream Outcome is an Australian digital marketing agency helping SMEs grow through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Email Marketing.