Author Archives: Google Ads Developer Advisor

Launching Structured Data Files v8

Today we’re announcing the general availability of Structured Data Files (SDF) v8. All users can now use SDF v8 to upload and download SDFs in the Display & Video 360 UI, and to download SDFs through the Display & Video 360 API.

SDF v8 adds support for Demand Gen Line Item, Ad Group, and Ad resources, as well as the companion banner field for YouTube and Demand Gen Ads.

Full details on the changes made in v8 can be found in our Structured Data Files release notes and instructions for migrating from v7.1 to v8 can be found in our migration guide. If you are currently using SDF v6, follow the instructions in our v7 migration guide first before migrating to v8.

If you run into issues or need help with this new version, please follow the instructions on our support guide or contact us using our contact form.

Consent unbundling in Google Ads scripts

Starting in January 2025, we will enable consent unbundling in Google Ads scripts. This is a new feature of OAuth that allows you to customize which specific scopes you want to authorize, rather than the current all-or-nothing approach. Consent unbundling is being rolled out in all Google OAuth applications.

Google Ads scripts already runs a static analysis on your code before presenting the OAuth consent screen, and only requests the specific features that are required to run the script. Therefore, when you authorize Google Ads scripts, ensure that you select all the boxes on that screen, or else you will experience execution errors.

Any existing scripts you already have will continue to work without any user action needed when this feature rolls out, unless you make changes that require reauthorization. Existing unmodified scripts will continue to run as usual.

If you have any questions about consent unbundling or other Google Ads scripts features, please post them in the Google Ads scripts forum.

Announcing Budget Prefills with the Google Ads API

With v18 of the Google Ads API, you can now use the Recommendations.GenerateRecommendations method during campaign construction to retrieve optimized budget suggestions for Performance Max and Search campaigns.

When using the GenerateRecommendations method with a recommendation type of CAMPAIGN_BUDGET, you can supply inputs, such as final URL and bidding strategy, which Google machine learning models will use to generate budget recommendations. Google Ads API users that provide a campaign creation interface can provide budget prefills that fit into the campaign creation workflow. As with many recommendation types, campaign budget recommendations provide projected impact metrics to help understand the effect that implementing the recommendation will have on account performance.

Explore additional Recommendations API features

Recommendations in the Google Ads API offer several ways to increase your campaigns' performance through customized suggestions like adding new keywords or updating your bidding strategy. With RecommendationSubscriptionService, you can subscribe to automatically apply specific recommendation types of your choosing for your account. To retrieve and process recommendations directly, you can leverage the recommendation reporting resource.

To explore the full recommendations offering, check out our implementation guide.

October 2024 update to Display & Video 360 API

Today, we’re announcing the October 2024 update to the Display & Video 360 API. This update adds the following:

  • Support for cost-per-view performance goals and the targeting of connected devices.
  • The ability to generate and download Structured Data Files (SDFs) using SDF v8. This version is currently in beta and only available to limited partners.
  • Additional Adloox brand safety settings under third-party verifier targeting.

In addition, we’ve also officially deprecated the SDF v5.5 enum value given the sunset of v5.5 earlier this month.

More details about this update can be found in the Display & Video 360 API release notes. Before using these new features, make sure to update your client library to the latest version.

If you need help with these new features, please contact us using our new Display & Video 360 API Technical support contact form.

Announcing v18 of the Google Ads API

Today, we’re announcing the v18 release of the Google Ads API. To use the v18 features, you will need to upgrade your client libraries and client code. The updated client libraries and code examples will be published next week.

Here are the highlights: Where can I learn more?
The following resources can help you get started: If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum.

New data retention policy for Google Ads

Starting November 13th, Google Ads will be implementing a new data retention policy. All account data, including performance metrics, billing information, and historical reports, will now be retained for a period of 11 years.

This means that when querying the Google Ads API using either GoogleAds.Search or GoogleAds.SearchStream you will only be able to retrieve data up to 11 years before the date of your API request and data before that will not be returned.

Required actions

If you need historical data for more than 11 years ago, we recommend you retrieve it and store it before November 13th, 2024.

Otherwise, no action is required on your end. This update will be applied automatically to your account and GoogleAds.Search and GoogleAds.SearchStream continue to work as usual.

However, be aware that you may notice differences in your reporting due to different values being returned.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us via the forum.

Performance Max Campaign in Detail Placement View

The detail_placement_view can be used to query metrics aggregated by ad group and URL or YouTube video in the Google Ads API. The detail_placement_view is not intended to be used for campaigns with an advertising_channel_type of PERFORMANCE_MAX, as this view is only intended to be used with campaigns containing ad groups, and Performance Max campaigns are constructed with asset groups rather than ad groups. However, this view is currently returning impression data for Performance Max campaigns. The impression metrics returned from the ​​detail_placement_view may not be accurate and should not be relied upon for campaigns with advertising_channel_type of PERFORMANCE_MAX.

In the next release of the Google Ads API, v18, we will be adding a new resource called performance_max_placement_view, which can be used to query placement impression data for Performance Max campaigns, and in a subsequent release, we will stop returning impression data from the ​​detail_placement_view for campaigns with advertising_channel_type of PERFORMANCE_MAX. Once performance_max_placement_view is released, use the data returned from that view for Performance Max campaigns rather than the data returned from the detail_placement_view.

If you have any questions or need help, check out the Google Ads API support page for options.

Upcoming changes to search and display campaign reporting in the Google Ads API

Starting on October 16, 2024, we will start rolling out changes to search and display reporting. As a result of this change, Google Ads Query Language (GAQL) queries for campaigns with an advertising_channel_type of SEARCH or DISPLAY will return a value of 0 for any metrics in that GAQL query when you include the fields segments.asset_interaction_target.asset or segments.asset_interaction_target.interaction_on_this_asset in the query.

We are making this change now to ensure the accuracy of reporting data in preparation for future launches. If you have any questions or need help, check out the Google Ads API support page for options.

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Targeting and pacing changes in the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files

In the coming months, the following updates to the Display & Video 360 product might impact your integration with the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files:

For details on how to prepare for each of these changes, read the rest of this blog post and check the Display & Video 360 API Announced Deprecations page.

Changes to content targeting for YouTube & partners line items

On September 30, 2024, the majority of Digital Content Label and Other Content Types exclusion targeting will no longer be available for YouTube & partners line items.

In Display & Video 360 API, all TARGETING_TYPE_DIGITAL_CONTENT_LABEL_EXCLUSION (excluding CONTENT_RATING_TIER_FAMILIES values) and TARGETING_TYPE_SENSITIVE_CATEGORY_EXCLUSION AssignedTargetingOptions will be removed from YouTube & partners line items. This will impact responses from assigned targeting LIST requests and attempts to retrieve these resources using advertisers.lineItems.targetingTypes.assignedTargetingOptions.get will return a 404 error.

In Structured Data Files, Line Item files will no longer use the following values in the “TrueView Category Exclusions Targeting” column:

  • “Embedded Videos”
  • “Live Streaming”
  • “All Audiences”
  • “Younger Teens”
  • “Teens”
  • “Adults”
  • “Not Yet Rated”

Generated files will no longer populate these values in the column. Line Item file entries for YouTube & partners line items using these configurations will fail on upload.

To avoid any interruption of service, remove any impacted targeting from YouTube & partners line items using the UI or Structured Data Files upload.

Sunset of Oracle first- and third-party audiences

On September 30, 2024, first- and third-party audiences sourced from Oracle will sunset. Once sunset, these audiences will be removed from any resource targeting and combined audiences. This update will automatically pause any line items that target only sunset audiences, or negatively target any sunset audiences.

You can identify sunsetting third-party audiences in the UI as third-party audiences from providers “Bluekai”, “Datalogix”, and “AddThis”. If you have an external account link with Oracle to import audiences from their platform, check with your relevant team to identify sunsetting first-party audiences. These audiences can’t be easily identified using the Display & Video 360 API.

In the Display & Video 360 API, TARGETING_TYPE_AUDIENCE_GROUP AssignedTargetingOptions will be updated to remove sunset audiences. Requests to add sunset audiences to resource targeting will return a 400 error.

In Structured Data Files, IDs of sunset audiences will no longer be included in “Audience Targeting - Include” or “Audience Targeting - Exclude” columns in Insertion Order, Line Item, and YouTube Ad Group files, as well as the “Bid Multiplier” column in Line Item files. File entries using sunset audience IDs in these columns will fail on upload.

To avoid any interruption of service, review the audiences used in your resource targeting, identify any Oracle audiences, and remove them. If you cache audience ID, make sure to remove any of these audiences from your cache.

Ineligibility of Optimized Targeting for certain bid strategies

On September 30, 2024, line items using the following bid strategies will no longer be able to use optimized targeting:

  • Maximum views with in-view time over 10 seconds
  • Maximum completed in-view and audible views
  • Maximum viewable impressions
  • Target viewable CPM

At this time, line items that use one of these bid strategies combined with optimized targeting will be updated to turn off optimized targeting.

In the Display & Video 360 API, LineItem resources with targetingExpansion.enableOptimizedTargeting set to True and bidStrategy.maximizeSpendAutoBid.performanceGoalType set to BIDDING_STRATEGY_PERFORMANCE_GOAL_TYPE_CIVA, BIDDING_STRATEGY_PERFORMANCE_GOAL_TYPE_IVO_TEN, or BIDDING_STRATEGY_PERFORMANCE_GOAL_TYPE_AV_VIEWED or bidStrategy.performanceGoalAutoBid.performanceGoalType set to BIDDING_STRATEGY_PERFORMANCE_GOAL_TYPE_VIEWABLE_CPM will be updated to set targetingExpansion.enableOptimizedTargeting to False. Requests creating or updating LineItem resources with any of these sunset configurations will return a 400 error.

In Structured Data Files, Line Item file entries with either “Optimized vCPM” in the “Bid Strategy Type” column or a combination of “Maximum” in the “Bid Strategy Type” column and “CIVA”, “IVO_TEN”, or “AV_VIEWED” in the “Bid Strategy Unit” column will be updated, if needed, to set the “Optimized Targeting” column to False. Line Item file entries using the sunset configurations will fail on upload.

To avoid any interruption of service, update and verify that your line items using these bid strategies don’t have optimized targeting turned on.

Sunset of “Flight ASAP” pacing for insertion orders

On November 5, 2024, “Flight ASAP” pacing will sunset for insertion orders. All existing Insertion Orders with “Flight ASAP” pacing will be updated to “Flight Ahead” pacing.

In the Display & Video 360 API, InsertionOrder resources with a pacing.pacingPeriod of PACING_PERIOD_FLIGHT and a pacing.pacingType of PACING_TYPE_ASAP will be updated to use a pacing.pacingType of PACING_TYPE_AHEAD. Requests creating or updating InsertionOrder resources with this configuration will return a 400 error.

In Structured Data Files, Insertion Order file entries with “Flight” and “ASAP” values in “Pacing” and “Pacing Rate” columns, respectively, will be updated to an “Ahead” value in the “Pacing Rate” column. Insertion Order file entries using the sunset configuration will fail on upload.

To avoid any interruption of service, update the pacing of any existing insertion orders currently using the “Flight ASAP” configuration.

If you run into issues or have questions about these changes, please contact us using our new Display & Video 360 API Technical support contact form.