TLDR
- Google Ads spans several campaign types; Search, Responsive Search, Dynamic Search, Display, Video, Shopping, App, Call, and the newer AI-driven Performance Max and Demand Gen.
- Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are now the default search format; expanded text ads were retired for new creation in June 2022.
- Performance Max runs across all Google inventory from a single campaign and suits e-commerce, app installs, and lead gen with larger budgets.
- Demand Gen (the successor to Discovery Ads) serves visually on YouTube, Discover, and Gmail for upper-funnel demand.
- The right ad type depends on your goal, budget, and funnel stage, most strong accounts combine several.
Google Ads has evolved dramatically. The platform your team used three years ago looks very different today. Expanded text ads are gone. Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are being retired. Smart Shopping has been folded into Performance Max. Discovery campaigns became Demand Gen. And AI Max Google’s Gemini-powered evolution of DSA is now out of beta and set to become the default for search automation.
This guide explains every major Google Ads format as it stands in mid-2026: what it is, how it works, when to use it, and how it fits into a modern full-funnel strategy. Whether you’re building your first campaign or auditing an existing account, this is your current reference.
What are the Different Google Ads Types?
Google Ads currently offers these campaign types: Search (Responsive Search Ads and AI Max), Shopping, Display, Video, App, Call Ads, Performance Max, and Demand Gen. Each serves a distinct role in the funnel — from capturing active search intent to creating demand before someone knows they need your product.
The platform has changed significantly since 2022. Expanded text ads (ETAs) were discontinued for new creation in June 2022. Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are being retired this year in favour of AI Max. Discovery campaigns became Demand Gen. Smart Shopping folded into Performance Max. What remains is a leaner, more AI-driven lineup built around the idea that automation handles placement and bidding, and your job is to supply the right inputs.
| Campaign Type | Primary Placements | Status |
| Search (RSA) | Search results | Active — core format |
| Dynamic Search Ads | Search results | RETIRING Sept 2026. Replaced by AI Max |
| AI Max for Search | Search results | Active — replacing DSA |
| Shopping | Search, Shopping tab | Active |
| Display | GDN partner sites | Migrating into Demand Gen (June 2026+) |
| Video | YouTube & partners | Active (within Demand Gen or standalone) |
| Demand Gen | YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps | Active — replacing Discovery & Video Action |
| Performance Max | All Google channels | Active — full-funnel AI |
| App | Search, Play, YouTube, Display | Active |
| Call Ads | Mobile search results | Active |
Text Ads
Expanded text ads (ETAs) were Google’s original search format, with fixed headline and description fields of predetermined lengths. They were deprecated for new creation in June 2022. Existing ETAs created before that date may continue to serve, but you cannot create new ones or edit them.
They are referenced here as historical context; many accounts still surface ETAs in audits, but they are not a format to build on. The current standard for all search text advertising is the Responsive Search Ad. If you have live ETAs, replace them with RSAs now.
Search Ads
Search ads appear at the top and bottom of Google’s search results pages when users actively look for something relevant to your business. They remain the highest-intent ad format on the platform people are asking for what you offer right now.
Responsive Search Ads (RSA)
Responsive Search Ads are Google’s standard search format and have been the only new search ad type you can create since expanded text ads were discontinued in 2022. You provide up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (90 characters each); Google’s machine learning tests combinations automatically and serves the best-performing permutations for each query and user context.
Key features:
• Up to 15 headlines (30 characters) and 4 descriptions (90 characters)
• Google A/B tests all viable combinations automatically
• Pin headlines or descriptions to specific positions when brand or legal standards require it
• Ad Strength score (Poor to Excellent) guides asset variety in real time
• Ad assets sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, prices added at campaign or ad group level
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Any business that wants to appear in Google Search when users type relevant queries |
| Goal | Leads, sales, website traffic, brand awareness |
| Budget | Any, no limitation |
| Creative req. | High variety: write headlines that work in any combination; avoid over-pinning |
| Not ideal when | You have extremely rigid brand copy that cannot be combined dynamically |
RSA Headline Examples by Intent
The single most impactful RSA improvement is adding more distinct headlines rather than near-duplicates. Google’s system cannot find winning combinations if all your headlines say the same thing in slightly different words. Write at least two to three headlines per intent type so the system has meaningful combinations to test:
• Urgency: “Limited Spots Book Today” / “Sale Ends Sunday Don’t Miss Out”
• Benefit: “Cut Your Tax Bill by Up to 40%” / “Lose 10 Lbs in 30 Days”
• Price: “Plans From $29/Month, No Contracts” / “Free 14-Day Trial Included”
• Question: “Struggling with Back Pain?” / “Need a [Service] in [City]?”
• Brand: “[Brand Name] Official Site” / “Trusted by 50,000+ Customers”
AI Max for Search (Formerly Dynamic Search Ads — Now Retiring)
| Important update: Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are being retired. Voluntary migration to AI Max began in April 2026. Starting September 2026, all remaining eligible DSA, ACA, and campaign-level broad match campaigns will be automatically migrated to AI Max. New DSA campaigns can no longer be created after that date. If you had exclusions on the DSA campaign – you’ll have to upload them again to the AI Max campaign – they won’t be transferred automatically. |
AI Max is not a standalone campaign type — it is a feature suite that sits inside standard Search campaigns. It replaces and significantly upgrades the capabilities that DSA provided: automatically generating headlines and landing pages based on your website content, and expanding reach beyond your keyword list.
Where DSA only used your website’s landing page content to match queries, AI Max uses:
• Your existing ads and assets
• Your website content
• Google’s Gemini-powered intent signals in real time
• Broader contextual signals across the Google ecosystem
The result is three new capabilities that activate within standard Search campaigns:
• Search Term Matching: AI Max finds additional relevant queries beyond your keyword list, similar to how DSA expanded coverage, but using a wider signal set
• Text Customization: Gemini generates contextually relevant headlines and descriptions — not just pulled from page HTML, but composed based on the full intent context of the query
• Final URL Expansion: AI Max can route users to the most relevant page on your site, not just the landing page you specified — similar to DSA’s dynamic destination feature
Google’s data shows campaigns using all three AI Max features see an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at similar CPA/ROAS compared to using search term matching alone. The platform also adds more advertiser controls than DSA offered, including brand controls, location controls, and text guidance settings.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Sites with large content libraries or product catalogs; advertisers who used DSA for traffic expansion |
| Goal | Leads, sales, traffic; capturing queries your keyword lists miss |
| Migration status | If you have DSA campaigns: migrate now using Google’s upgrade tools to retain historical data |
| Key controls | Enable brand exclusions and URL controls before activating Final URL Expansion |
| Not ideal when | Your site has poor structure, thin content, or outdated landing pages — AI Max inherits your content quality |
| Timeline reminder: Voluntary migration is open now. Auto-upgrades begin September 2026. After that, you cannot create new DSA campaigns via Google Ads, Ads Editor, or the API. Migrate early to maintain full control over settings. |
Shopping Ads
Shopping ads appear at the top of search results and on the Shopping tab, displaying a product image, title, price, store name, and optionally reviews or promotional text. They are triggered by product feed data rather than keywords — Google matches your product catalog to user search queries automatically.
Shopping ads are driven by your Google Merchant Center product feed. The quality of your feed — accurate titles, detailed descriptions, correct GTINs, high-quality images — is the primary determinant of Shopping ad performance.
Standard Shopping campaigns give you control over product groups, bids, and negative keywords. Performance Max (see below) now handles Shopping inventory for many accounts automatically.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Any e-commerce business selling physical products with a structured product catalog |
| Goal | Sales, transactions, revenue — direct response |
| Placement | Top of search results, Shopping tab, Display Network, YouTube (via Performance Max) |
| Creative req. | Strong product feed: clean titles, accurate prices, high-res images (min 800x800px) |
| Standard vs PMax | Standard Shopping gives more keyword-level control; PMax automates placement across all channels |
| Note: For accounts with reliable conversion data (30+ conversions/month), many practitioners now run Standard Shopping campaigns alongside Performance Max rather than replacing one with the other. Standard Shopping often outperforms PMax on overlapping search terms with higher conversion rates. |
Display Ads
| Platform update: Google announced in June 2026 that Display campaigns will migrate into Demand Gen. Eligible advertisers can voluntarily migrate now; mandatory migration follows. Existing campaigns continue to run during the transition. For new awareness and retargeting campaigns, Demand Gen is now the recommended starting point — see the section above for what that means in practice. For real-world creative inspiration, see our roundup of display ad examples. |
Display ads are image-based ads that run across Google’s Display Network — more than 2 million partner websites, apps, and Google-owned properties. They reach users while they’re browsing, reading content, or using apps, not while they’re actively searching.
Display ads can be:
• Static image banners (fixed design)
• Animated GIFs or HTML5 ads
• Responsive Display Ads (RDA) — you provide headlines, descriptions, images, and logos; Google automatically assembles combinations for each placement
Because Display reaches users in a passive browsing context rather than in an active search, the primary use case is brand awareness and retargeting, not direct response. Conversion rates for Display are typically low (average 0.57%), but reach and frequency can be significant at scale.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Brand awareness, retargeting users who visited your site, visual storytelling at scale |
| Goal | Awareness, consideration, retargeting — not typically direct response |
| CPM vs CPC | Use CPM bidding when the goal is exposure; CPC when driving traffic |
| Targeting | In-market audiences, custom intent segments, remarketing lists, topic and placement targeting |
| Future | Migrating into Demand Gen — start familiarizing yourself with Demand Gen now |
Because Display placements can vary widely in quality, always use placement exclusions and review placement reports regularly. Low-quality placements — mobile app banners, parked domains, off-topic sites — can consume significant budget with no downstream impact.
Video Ads
Video ads run primarily on YouTube, the world’s second-largest search engine with over 2 billion logged-in monthly users. They also run on Google Video Partner sites. As of July 2025, Video Action Campaigns were absorbed into Demand Gen, making Demand Gen the single home for conversion-focused video advertising.
Current video ad formats available through YouTube and Demand Gen:
• In-stream skippable ads: Play before, during, or after a video. Viewers can skip after 5 seconds. You pay when someone watches 30 seconds (or the full ad if shorter) or interacts. Best for reach and storytelling.
• In-stream non-skippable ads: 15 seconds maximum. Viewers cannot skip. Charged per impression (CPM). Best for guaranteed message delivery and brand recall campaigns.
• In-feed video ads: Appear in YouTube search results, the home feed, and the watch next feed. Viewers choose to click. Best for consideration-stage audiences with higher engagement intent.
• YouTube Shorts ads: Vertical video (9:16) served between Shorts content. One of the fastest-growing placements on the platform. Full-screen and immersive.
• Bumper ads: Six seconds, non-skippable. Used for brand recall within frequency-capped campaigns.
| Example: Ilyon mobile game campaign, produced by yellowHEADA high-performance video ad for a mobile app install campaign on YouTube. See what the yellowHEAD Creative Studio builds for UA-focused video advertising. |
Video ads are the highest-ROI format for building brand memory and trust, particularly in categories where buyers need to understand the product or where visual demonstration matters. They require the highest creative investment but often deliver lower CPM than equivalent social video placements.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Brand awareness, product launches, storytelling, consideration campaigns, categories requiring visual explanation |
| Goal | Awareness, consideration, demand creation — conversion-focused video now runs inside Demand Gen |
| Creative req. | High production value helps but is not required; 6–30 second formats for Shorts/bumpers; longer for in-stream |
| Bidding | CPM for awareness/reach; CPV (cost per view) for consideration; tCPA via Demand Gen for conversions |
| Key metric | View-through rate, brand lift, attributed branded searches (not just clicks) |
| 2026 update: Google’s Asset Studio now generates video ads from text prompts using Imagen 4 and Veo. This significantly lowers the barrier to video production for advertisers without dedicated creative teams. |
App Ads (App Campaigns)
App campaigns are fully automated campaigns designed to drive app installs, in-app actions, or re-engagement across Google’s entire network: Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover, and the Display Network. You cannot manually select placements — the system distributes inventory automatically based on your goal and asset quality.
To run App campaigns, you provide:
• Up to 5 text assets (headlines and descriptions)
• Images (various ratios: 1:1, 1.91:1, 4:5)
• Videos (horizontal, vertical, square — at least 10 seconds)
• HTML5 assets (optional, for interactive placements)
Google then assembles and tests combinations across placements. You optimize toward either install volume, in-app events (e.g., registrations, purchases), or pre-registration goals for upcoming apps.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Mobile app developers and publishers driving installs, in-app purchases, or re-engagement |
| Goal | App installs, in-app actions (purchase, registration, subscription), re-engagement with lapsed users |
| Bidding | Target CPA per install or target ROAS for in-app value; volume-based for install campaigns |
| Creative req. | Mobile-first design; vertical video (9:16) for Shorts/YouTube placements increasingly important |
| Optimization | Feed conversion events from Firebase or third-party MMPs; richer event data = better AI optimization |
Call Ads
Call ads are a specialized search ad format that appears only on mobile devices and places a direct phone call CTA at the center of the ad experience. When a user taps the phone icon or ad headline, their dialer opens pre-filled with your number. They are the most direct path from ad impression to a live conversation.
Call ads include:
• Two headlines (30 characters each)
• Two descriptions (90 characters each)
• Business name and phone number
• Optional URL for users who want to visit your site instead of calling
Call ads work best when paired with ad scheduling — you can limit when ads show to only the hours when staff is available to answer. Call reporting in Google Ads tracks call duration, so you can optimize for calls above a minimum duration rather than raw call volume.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Service businesses where the phone call is the conversion: legal, medical, home services, automotive, financial advice |
| Goal | Phone call conversions — most effective for high-ticket or time-sensitive services |
| Device | Mobile only — ads do not show on desktop |
| Scheduling | Limit to business hours; ensure someone answers — missed calls waste spend |
| Measurement | Set minimum call duration (typically 60+ seconds) as your conversion definition |
Demand Gen Campaigns
| Demand Gen is Google’s AI-powered visual campaign type that reaches audiences before they start searching. It runs across YouTube (in-stream, Shorts, in-feed, home), Google Discover, Gmail, and as of 2026, Google Maps. It replaced Discovery Ads in 2023 and absorbed Video Action Campaigns in July 2025. |
Demand Gen occupies a unique position in the Google Ads stack: it is not a keyword-triggered format. Ads run in social-style, feed-based, and video environments where users are browsing — not searching. This makes Demand Gen a demand creation tool, not a demand capture tool.
Think of the funnel:
• Search / Shopping / AI Max: Captures demand that already exists — users searching for your product
• Demand Gen: Creates demand — reaches audiences who match your ideal customer profile but haven’t yet searched for you
• Performance Max: Captures demand across all channels, including the audiences Demand Gen warmed up
Google’s internal data (December 2025) shows that 68% of Demand Gen conversions come from users who had not seen the brand’s Search ads in the prior 30 days. This means Demand Gen is genuinely expanding reach beyond what Search and Performance Max capture.
What Demand Gen Offers
• Ad formats: Image ads, video ads, carousel ads, product feed ads — all served natively within feed and video environments
• Placements: YouTube (in-stream, Shorts, in-feed, home/watch next), Discover feed, Gmail Promotions/Social tabs, Google Maps (as of 2026)
• Audience controls: Custom intent segments, customer match lists, lookalike audiences, in-market and affinity segments, remarketing — stronger audience controls than Performance Max
• Bidding: Maximize Conversions (start here), Target CPA, Maximize Conversion Value; tROAS added in 2025
•Creative: Multi-format approach (video + images) generates 20% more conversions at equivalent CPA than video alone; Google now auto-generates video from static assets using Veo
Demand Gen vs. Display
Display campaigns serve banner ads across millions of third-party GDN sites, with average CTRs of 0.22–0.57%. Demand Gen serves native-style ads in higher-attention environments — YouTube feeds, Discover, Gmail — where users are actively engaged with content. Demand Gen also offers stronger audience controls: lookalike audiences, customer match, and custom intent segments. Google is migrating Display into Demand Gen because the inventory quality is higher. For a deeper look at programmatic advertising reach, see our overview of programmatic advertising.
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | Mid-funnel awareness, new audience acquisition, retargeting, feeding the remarketing pools that Performance Max and Search convert |
| Goal | Brand awareness, consideration, demand creation, new customer acquisition (NCA mode available) |
| Budget | Start with at least $50–100/day; allow 2–3 weeks learning phase before evaluating performance |
| Creative req. | Multiple image ratios + video assets; the system needs variety to optimize across placements |
| Measurement | View-through conversions, assisted conversions, attributed branded searches, brand lift — not just last-click CPA |
| Not ideal when | Your only goal is immediate last-click conversions; budget is below ~$1,500/month |
| Expert view: “Demand Gen is here to create intent. Performance Max is here to capture it. When you let each one do its job, everything works better.” — Thomas Eccel, Demand Gen specialist (Lunio, January 2026) |
Performance Max (PMax)
| Performance Max is Google’s fully AI-driven, goal-based campaign type that runs across all Google channels simultaneously: Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps (Waze added November 2025). You provide creative assets, conversion goals, and audience signals — the algorithm decides where to show ads and how much to bid in real time. |
Launched in late 2021 and made mandatory for Smart Shopping and Local campaigns in 2022, Performance Max now accounts for approximately 45% of all Google Ads conversions. Over 1 million advertisers use it globally. For accounts with reliable conversion tracking and sufficient volume, it is the dominant full-funnel automation tool in the Google Ads ecosystem.
How PMax Works
Instead of traditional campaign structures (ad groups, keywords, placement bids), Performance Max uses:
• Asset groups: Bundles of creative elements — headlines, descriptions, images, logos, and videos — that Google assembles into ads dynamically across channels
• Audience signals: Customer Match lists, custom segments, in-market audiences, lookalikes — these guide the algorithm toward your most valuable users rather than strictly limiting targeting
• Conversion goals: PMax optimizes toward the conversions you specify; goal quality and conversion tracking accuracy are the primary levers of performance
• Product feed (for e-commerce): The most critical input for retail PMax campaigns; weak feed = weak results regardless of other inputs
PMax 2025–2026 Updates
• Campaign-level negative keywords (Jan 2025): Finally available to all advertisers — use immediately to exclude irrelevant queries
• Search themes: Up to 25 keyword themes per asset group to guide the algorithm toward relevant queries; Google shows a ‘usefulness’ score per theme
• Brand exclusions: Prevent PMax from serving on your own brand queries (manage separately from negative keywords)
• Channel performance reporting: Asset group insights now break down conversion contribution by channel — Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discovery, Maps
• Waze inventory (Nov 2025): PMax for store goals campaigns now includes Waze Promoted Places in Navigation for U.S. advertisers
• Asset Studio AI: Google’s Imagen 4 and Veo now generate images and videos inside Ads — critical because Google’s algorithm favors campaigns that include video assets
| Attribute | Details |
| Best for | E-commerce, lead gen, local businesses; accounts with 30+ monthly conversions and clean tracking |
| Goal | Sales, leads, store visits — conversion-focused; not awareness-only |
| Creative req. | Upload your own videos; do not let Google auto-generate — AI video quality has improved but brand control matters |
| Budget | Recommend $3,000+/month to generate enough conversion data for the algorithm to optimize effectively |
| Best practices | Use brand exclusions, set negative keywords immediately, provide 3–5 distinct asset groups, monitor placement reports weekly |
| Not ideal when | Conversion tracking is incomplete; budget is low (algorithm can’t learn); you need full keyword-level control |
PMax and Search interaction
Studies show 45–91% keyword overlap between PMax and Search campaigns in most accounts. When they compete for the same queries, Search typically converts at a higher rate. The recommended approach: run Search campaigns for your highest-value, highest-intent queries. Use PMax for full-funnel automation and incremental reach. Apply brand exclusions in PMax to prevent cannibalization.
Which Google Ad Type Is Right for Your Business?
The right combination depends on your goal, budget, and where the customer sits in the funnel. Use this framework as a starting point — most effective accounts combine three or more campaign types rather than relying on one.
| Goal | Ad Type | Funnel Stage | Budget |
| Capture high-intent queries | RSA + AI Max | Conversion | Any |
| E-commerce sales | Shopping + PMax | Conversion | $3k+/mo |
| Full-funnel automation | Performance Max | Awareness → Conversion | $3k+/mo |
| New audience acquisition | Demand Gen | Awareness / Consideration | $1.5k+/mo |
| Phone call leads | Call Ads | Conversion | Any |
| App installs | App Campaigns | Conversion | Any |
| Brand awareness / video | Video / Demand Gen | Awareness | Flexible |
| B2B service / local business | RSA + Call Ads | Consideration / Conversion | Low–Medium |
A typical high-performance structure in 2026: Search + AI Max for intent capture. Demand Gen to build qualified audiences. Performance Max for full-funnel automation across all inventory. Each type has a distinct job; overlap without clear separation wastes budget.
From a paid user acquisition perspective: for app-install growth on performance budgets, App campaigns and Performance Max are the core engine — but Demand Gen video creative quality frequently determines whether those campaigns have the qualified audience pools to convert efficiently.
Choosing the Right Structure in 2026
A high-performance 2026 setup pairs intent capture with audience building and automation: Search campaigns (enhanced with AI Max) capture high-intent queries. Demand Gen builds qualified audiences. Performance Max automates full-funnel delivery across all Google inventory. Each type has a distinct job; overlap without clear separation wastes budget.
From a paid user acquisition perspective: for app-install growth on performance budgets, App campaigns and Performance Max are the core engine — but Demand Gen video creative quality often decides whether they have the qualified audiences to convert efficiently.
Google Ads in 2026: AI Mode, Automation & What’s Changing
Google’s 2026 direction is clear: AI-driven automation at every layer. Performance Max owns full-funnel placement and bidding. AI Max brings Gemini-powered search term matching and ad-copy generation to Search campaigns and has moved out of beta, with Dynamic Search Ads and campaign-level broad match auto-upgrading into it through 2026 (the DSA sunset now begins February 2027). Demand Gen has replaced Discovery as Google’s visual, upper-funnel option across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
At Google Marketing Live 2026, Google also announced ad formats built for Google AI Mode ads — its AI search experience that answers queries directly instead of returning a list of links. These formats appear as sponsored content within AI-generated answers, surfacing mid-conversation rather than on a traditional results page. Access is still limited, but expansion is confirmed through 2026 and beyond. The category sits alongside ChatGPT ads in a broader shift toward AI-native ad surfaces.
The accounts that outperform here aren’t resisting automation — they’re feeding it the best inputs: clean conversion tracking, diverse creative, strong product feeds, and precise audience signals.
Conclusion
Google Ads is moving toward AI-led optimization at every level.
The advertisers who outperform in 2026 are not the ones who resist this shift, they are the ones who learn how to give the system the right inputs.
Strong conversion tracking. High-quality creative. Layered campaign structure. Clear goals per format.
Frequently Asked Questions
DSA is being retired. Google announced the deprecation on April 15, 2026. Voluntary migration to AI Max (Google’s AI-powered replacement) began April 2026. Starting September 2026, all remaining eligible campaigns using DSA, automatically created assets, or campaign-level broad match settings will be automatically migrated to AI Max. New DSA campaigns cannot be created after that date.
Both. Research shows that when PMax and Search campaigns compete for the same queries, Search typically wins on conversion rate. The recommended approach is to keep Search campaigns for your highest-value keywords with tight match types, and use PMax for full-funnel coverage and incremental inventory across YouTube, Display, Discover, and Maps. Use brand exclusions in PMax to prevent it from consuming your branded search traffic.
Performance Max is fully automated — you provide inputs and the algorithm decides everything about placement, bidding, and audience. It optimizes toward conversions. Demand Gen gives you real audience controls (custom segments, lookalike lists, placement exclusions) and runs in social-style, feed-based, and video environments. Demand Gen creates demand among audiences who haven’t searched yet. PMax captures demand across all channels. They complement each other and should not be viewed as alternatives.
AI Max is Google’s Gemini-powered feature suite for Search campaigns. It adds search term matching (finding queries beyond your keyword list), text customization (AI-written headlines), and final URL expansion (routing users to the most relevant page). It is the successor to DSA for expanding search reach. If you currently use DSA, you need to migrate. If you don’t use DSA, AI Max is optional — but it offers meaningful coverage expansion for advertisers willing to give the system broader control.
