The news that moves growth.
A daily digest of what's happening in search, social, AI and advertising — curated headlines linking to the original sources, refreshed every morning.
Curated from the sources we actually read.
Last updated: 19 August 2026, 04:30 IST
Search & Digital Marketing
Google makes passkeys mandatory for Google Ads API users
Google is making passkeys mandatory for users generating new OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens through the Google Ads API, part of a broader push to strengthen account security…
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Microsoft Ads adds Ad Preview Hub to Performance Max
Microsoft Advertising brought Ad Preview Hub to Performance Max campaigns, giving advertisers a faster way to review and share how ads will appear across placements…
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Google begins rolling out in-account certification applications
Google is beginning to let some advertisers apply for Social Casino Games certifications directly within their Google Ads accounts, streamlining a process that…
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Why Google Business Profile address changes can disrupt local rankings
What you don’t know about your business profile’s past can damage its future. Managing a Google Business Profile effectively requires looking beyond the dashboard you…
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AI Video After Sora: 3 Updates You Should Make Before You Publish
Before your next AI video goes live: Audit disclosure against YouTube's actual policy, produce below the ceiling, and name the human decision-maker.
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How to audit your AI entity footprint
Ask ChatGPT , Gemini , or Perplexity to explain your business. Not your website. Your business. The responses can be surprisingly good. They often identify what a…
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7 feedback loops for self-improving AI content workflows
You’re already giving your content workflows feedback. Every time you edit a draft, fix the same awkward transition, or reword a vague heading, you’re providing…
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Google Ads’ Target-Based Bidding Update For Ecommerce
Google's August 17 update pushes budget-limited Target CPA and Target ROAS campaigns toward their stated targets, risking higher costs unless advertisers audit and…
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SEO and PPC alignment starts with your org chart
Sharing keyword data between SEO and PPC sounds straightforward, but it rarely happens in practice. Organizational silos get in the way, and these two disciplines move…
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Google May Be Penalizing AI-Generated Content As Thin Content
Google may be penalizing AI-generated content under an expanded definition of thin content.
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Google Expands Review Guidelines And Warns Of Manual Actions
Google expanded its review snippet documentation with new ways content can trigger a manual action.
Read on our siteSocial & Advertising
Gap Inc. opens creator program to employees
Corporate, distribution and store staff can now apply to be influencers for the retailer’s brand portfolio, almost a year after the program’s launch.
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Brands that want to establish or expand their presence on the app should consider enlisting the help of Meta AI, working with influencers and leaning into short-form…
Read on our site5 tips for building an effective brand presence on Threads
The app has become a key engagement platform that offers new opportunities for marketers.
Read on our siteMichaels claims Google-powered AI assistant doubles conversion rate of traditional search
This story was originally published on sister site, Modern Retail . One of the best-known arts and crafts retailers in the U.S. has lifted the curtain on how its new…
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Mythbusters: AI visibility’s biggest misconceptions
Brands are worried about how they show up in LLMs as calls for AIO strategies reach a fever pitch. There’s urgency to this topic: an estimated 30% of shoppers are using…
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Kai Cenat’s Streamer U was a ‘masterclass’ for brands looking to tap content creators
Last week, streamer Kai Cenat (who has tens of millions of followers across Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube) hosted the second-annual Streamer University, a five-day…
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OpenAI’s Hugging Face breach has reignited the debate over alignment and control
OpenAI's Hugging Face breach has reignited debate over AI alignment and control, exposing competing views on whether increasingly capable AI should be better aligned,…
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Threads users can now chat with Meta AI in their DMs
Meta on Monday said it is rolling out its Meta AI chatbot within Threads' DMs, giving users a way to chat with the AI assistant.
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Google’s AI search is rapidly becoming the default, new data shows
Google’s AI Overviews now appear in 43% of searches, underscoring how quickly AI-generated answers are becoming the default way people discover information online.
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Power up your AI infrastructure! A first look at the Smart Systems Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the Smart Systems Stage will be where energy, infrastructure, and technology collide, covering everything from fusion breakthroughs to the…
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This $9 key physically locks your most addictive apps
This $9 NFC key requires you to physically scan it to unlock distracting apps on your phone.
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Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence partners with Nvidia to scale its AI research
After two years in stealth, Safe Superintelligence has announced a long-term partnership with Nvidia as it prepares to scale to its next phase.
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Enigma raises $71M to make controlling a robot as easy as adjusting the volume
The massive seed round was led by Index Ventures and Ribbit Capital, with participation from Sarah Guo's Conviction Partners.
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