From 16 November 2026, Google Ads Data Manager will stop requiring SHA-256 hashed customer data and support encrypted data by default. If you have customer lists or offline conversions connected to Google Ads, check your uploads and integrations before then – but there is no need to change anything in a hurry.
What is changing and who is affected?
According to an email to advertisers quoted by PPC Land and repeated by consultant Adriaan Dekker, Google will no longer require hashed data and will instead support encrypted customer data. The data is decrypted, normalised and matched in an isolated environment, which PPC Land and SHM Studio say has been used for Customer Match and Data Manager since September 2024. The change covers first-party offline data used for Customer Match and enhanced conversions, uploaded through CRM connections, cloud storage, file uploads or the Data Manager API. Plain search advertising without customer data is not affected.
What is still unclear?
The email is not on any public Google page we could read. Google’s help page on transformations still says imported private data should be hashed and does not mention encryption or 16 November. PPC Land also lists unanswered questions: whether existing hashed uploads keep working, whether encryption is optional and who holds the keys in some channels. Do not assume your flows will break, and do not assume they will not.
What should small businesses do now?
- Map every flow that sends customer data to Google Ads and ask your CRM vendor or agency whether the connection is updated before 16 November.
- Do not remove hashing from your own scripts until Google or your vendor confirms it. That advice from SHM Studio is its own interpretation.
- Compare list match rates before and after 16 November and check that offline conversions still arrive. Encryption does not replace GDPR requirements for a legal basis and information to data subjects.
If you use customer data in Google Ads, Adeo Marketing can help with Google Ads and follow-up. Contact us and we will review your flows together.
Sources: PPC Land, SHM Studio, Adriaan Dekker, Google Ads Data Manager Help.