Should I use dynamic keyword insertion in my ad copy?

Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI): what it does (and what it doesn’t)

How DKI actually works in ad copy

Dynamic keyword insertion is a copy feature that can replace a placeholder in your Search ad text with the keyword that triggered the ad. In practice, you write a headline or description with a placeholder plus a “default” fallback. If the system can’t safely insert the keyword (most commonly because it would break character limits or create an invalid ad), it shows your default text instead.

DKI is not the same thing as Dynamic Search Ads. Dynamic Search Ads don’t use keyword targeting, so DKI isn’t available there in the way advertisers typically expect; if you try to use it, you should assume the default text is what will show.

Where DKI fits in today’s Responsive Search Ad world

With Responsive Search Ads, you’re already giving the system multiple headlines and descriptions to mix and match. DKI can still be useful inside one or two carefully chosen assets, but it should be treated like a seasoning, not the whole recipe. Also remember the hard constraints: headlines are limited to 30 characters, descriptions to 90 characters, and display URL path fields to 15 characters each. If the inserted keyword pushes you over the limit, the default text will serve.

One more guardrail that trips up experienced advertisers: don’t use keyword insertion in the top-level or second-level domain portion of your display URL (for example, trying to make the domain itself dynamic). That’s a common cause of destination-related disapprovals because the ad can appear to point to a different site than the final URL.

The upside vs. the downside: when DKI helps—and when it quietly hurts performance

Benefits: when DKI can be a legitimate advantage

DKI can improve perceived relevance when your ad group is tightly themed and the keyword set is clean. In those scenarios, it can lift click-through rate because the user sees a close match to what they typed, especially for “commodity” queries where shoppers scan fast and reward obvious relevance.

DKI can also reduce build time in accounts with many very similar variants (plural/singular, word order changes, service + city patterns) where the intent and offer stay consistent. You’ll still want strong, stable value-prop messaging in your other assets, but DKI can reduce repetitive manual headline writing.

Drawbacks: the hidden risks most accounts run into

The biggest issue is that DKI inserts keywords, not the user’s full query, and not always the exact phrasing you’d choose as a marketer. If your keyword list contains awkward phrasing, abbreviations, mismatched intent, or “SEO-style” variants, you can end up with clunky, untrustworthy ads. That can reduce conversion rate even if CTR goes up.

DKI also increases policy and editorial risk. Inserted text still has to follow ad text rules around punctuation/symbol misuse, excessive or gimmicky formatting, and disallowed spellings. If you’ve got keywords that include unusual punctuation, stylized characters, or “creative” spellings, you’re inviting inconsistent serving (default text showing more often than you realize) and potentially more reviews/limitations.

Finally, DKI can dilute your brand. If every competitor is “keyword-stuffing” the same headline pattern, you lose differentiation. Often the account that wins is the one that clearly states the offer, the proof, and the next step—not the one that repeats the query.

Trademarks and sensitive categories: where DKI gets especially risky

If a keyword is a restricted trademark, it won’t insert into ad text. That can create unpredictable messaging if your “plan A” headline relies on insertion but the auction ends up showing your fallback. Separately, there are categories where keyword insertion isn’t allowed or is a bad idea operationally because the inserted term can change the meaning of the claim (and the compliance burden) from one search to the next—health-related and adult/sexual-content-related advertising are common examples where this becomes a practical limitation fast.

My decision framework: should you use DKI in your ad copy?

Use DKI when these conditions are true

DKI is usually worth testing when your structure is disciplined and your keywords are “ad-ready.” That typically means your ad groups are tight, your match types are intentional, your search terms are regularly reviewed, and your offer doesn’t change based on which keyword triggered the ad.

• Your ad group is tightly themed (one service/one product family/one intent cluster), and every keyword would read naturally in a headline.
• You’re confident in your keyword hygiene (no weird abbreviations, no “junk drawer” broad match, no competitor terms unless you have a very deliberate strategy and compliant messaging).
• You have a strong default that you’d be happy to show on its own, because you should assume it will show more often than you think due to character limits and formatting constraints.
• You’re using DKI in only 1–2 assets while keeping the rest of the RSA focused on stable benefits, proof points, and calls-to-action.

Avoid DKI when these conditions are true

If any of the following are true, DKI tends to create messy ads, messy performance data, and (worst case) policy headaches.

• Your ad groups are broad or mix different intents (research vs. buy-now, DIY vs. done-for-you, informational vs. transactional).
• Your keyword list includes long-tail “sentence keywords” that won’t fit cleanly into 30-character headlines and will constantly trigger the default text.
• Your business is highly regulated or your claims must be tightly controlled (you don’t want variable text changing the implied promise).
• You rely on precise grammar (DKI can easily produce awkward phrasing like mismatched plurals, missing articles, or odd capitalization).

How to implement DKI safely (the way I’d do it in a production account)

I prefer a conservative implementation that keeps brand and offer clarity intact. Put DKI in one headline that’s designed to read well with many variants, and keep the rest of the RSA focused on the offer and why you’re different. Choose a capitalization approach that won’t look spammy for your brand (Title Case can look aggressive in some industries; Sentence case is often safer).

Be disciplined about the default text. Your default should be short enough to always fit, broad enough to be true for every keyword in the ad group, and specific enough to still sell. If your default is something like “Buy Now,” you’ll often end up with a generic ad whenever the inserted keyword is too long—exactly when you needed relevance most.

DKI troubleshooting checklist (if performance or approvals get weird)

• Check character pressure first: long keywords often force the default text, which changes what you think you’re testing.
• Review keyword text quality: remove or isolate awkward phrasing, misspellings, odd punctuation, and fringe variants into separate ad groups (or stop using DKI there).
• Scan for editorial/policy triggers: punctuation/symbol patterns and non-standard capitalization can be introduced by the keyword list even if your “base” ad is clean.
• Keep domains stable: don’t attempt dynamic insertion into the core display URL domain; keep insertion limited to ad text fields and (if needed) URL paths.

Often better than DKI: more controlled “dynamic” options

If your real goal is “personalization at scale,” DKI is the bluntest tool. For many advertisers, ad customizers are a better fit because you can control exactly what text can appear (like product names, categories, prices) and still use a default when nothing matches. Location insertion can be great for local intent when you truly serve the areas you’re calling out, and countdowns are excellent for time-bound offers when you want urgency without rewriting ads every day.

One important nuance for Responsive Search Ads: not every legacy customization method carries over the same way. For example, the classic “IF function” approach used in older ad formats isn’t supported in Responsive Search Ads, so don’t plan your personalization strategy around it.

The practical recommendation I give most advertisers

If you have strong structure and disciplined keyword management, test DKI—but only in a limited, controlled way (1–2 assets, with a strong default) and judge it on conversion quality, not just CTR. If your account has mixed intent, messy search terms, or compliance sensitivity, skip DKI and use more controlled customization methods (or simply write clearer, benefit-led assets). In 2026, the accounts that scale best aren’t the ones inserting the most keywords—they’re the ones giving the system high-quality, compliant assets that clearly communicate value across many auctions.

If you’re weighing dynamic keyword insertion (DKI), the real work is usually upstream: checking whether your ad groups are tightly themed, your keywords are “ad-ready,” your default text is strong, and whether policy or trademark constraints could cause unpredictable fallbacks. Blobr connects to your Google Ads and uses specialized AI agents to keep an eye on those details continuously—flagging messy keyword variants, mixed-intent clusters, RSA assets where DKI might be overused, and opportunities to lean on safer alternatives like ad customizers—so you can decide where a small, controlled DKI test makes sense and where it’s better to keep copy fully static.