Category Archives: Ads Developer Blog

The official blog for information about the AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick and AdMob APIs and SDKs

Filtering Non-video Resources from Video Reports in the Google Ads API

Beginning on August 4, 2021, all video-related performance reports will begin filtering out campaigns, ad groups, and ad group ads that are not part of video campaigns (advertising_channel_type = VIDEO). This change will cause performance metrics retrieved from the video resource to change across all supported Google Ads API versions.

If you would like to generate reports that combine metrics from video and non-video resources, you should use the respective resource-specific performance report, for instance: campaign, ad_group, or ad_group_ad.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us through the forum or at [email protected]
- Ben Karl, on behalf of the Google Ads API Team

Standalone Gmail campaigns becoming read only in Google Ads

Starting on July 8, 2021, all standalone Gmail campaigns will become read-only. This means that you will not be able to create new campaigns or create ad groups in existing campaigns of this type after that date. This applies not only to the Google Ads and AdWords APIs, but also to any other interface you use to manage your Google Ads accounts.

Specifically, the types of campaigns that would be affected are those with an AdvertisingChannelSubType of DISPLAY_GMAIL_AD, where the following operations will fail with an OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED_FOR_CONTEXT error and a trigger of DISPLAY_GMAIL_AD:
  • Creating a new Gmail campaign.
  • Creating a new Gmail ad group.
  • Creating or updating Gmail ads.
Existing campaigns’ data will still be available.

There is no general workaround for API users to continue to be able to target Gmail specifically. If you would like to continue to target Gmail, you can use Discovery campaigns, which include Gmail ads, in the Google Ads web interface.

If you have any questions, please leave a post on our forum so that we can help.
- Mike Cloonan, Google Ads API Team

Deprecating Url Performance Report and Automatic Placements Performance Report in the AdWords API

Starting July 12, 2021, we will be deprecating Url Performance Report and Automatic Placements Performance Report in the AdWords API. The two reports will return empty results in the AdWords API after the deprecation.

To continue accessing these two reports, please migrate to Google Ads API and use the following views: For migrating reports to Google Ads API, refer to the report migration guide.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum.
Fei Xiang, Google Ads API Team

Call Ads Replace Call Only Ads in the Google Ads API

In the Google Ads API v8, Call Only Ads are replaced by Call Ads. You can still create Call Only Ads in the AdWords API v201809 and the Google Ads API v6 and v7, but we encourage you to use v8 to create new Call Ads.

Call Only Ads will continue to serve until the AdWords API Sunset on 27 April 2022.

Prior to v8, Call Only Ads only offered users the ability to call. Users and advertisers have said they want the ability to go directly to the website from these ads. The addition of the final URL in Call Ads enables advertisers to use calls as the primary (i.e. headline) action, while still providing users with a means to visit an advertiser’s website prior to or instead of calling.

What you need to do
  • Use the ad type CallAd instead of CallOnlyAd to create new Call Ads.
  • Filter on ad.type = 'CALL_AD' to retrieve information for existing ads regardless of what ad.type was used to create the ad. For example, using the Google Ads API to query 

        SELECT ad_group_ad.ad.call_ad.country_code,
               ad_group_ad.ad.call_ad.phone_number
        FROM ad_group_ad
        WHERE ad_group_ad.ad.type = 'CALL_AD'
    will return ads created as CALL_ONLY_AD and CALL_AD.
What has changed
Fields added
ad_group_ad.ad.final_urls This is where you specify the URL of your website.
path1 First part of text that may appear appended to the url displayed in the ad.
path2 Second part of text that may appear appended to the url displayed in the ad. This field can only be set when path1 is set.
Field removed
ad.display_url We removed the display_url for Call Only Ads.
The URL that will be displayed alongside your
ad will now be based on ad_group.ad.final_urls
if provided, or phone_number_verification_url
if ad_group.ad.final_urls is blank, as well
any additional text you specify in path1 and path2.
Field verification
phone_number_verification_url This field is now required if ad_group.ad.final_urls is empty.

AdWords API Reporting: There is no change in the AdWords API.

Google Ads API Reporting: In the Google Ads API you can include these new fields in your queries
Where to get help
If you have questions about Call Ads, please reach out to us on the forum or at [email protected].

Bob Hancock, Google Ads API Team

Announcing v8 of the Google Ads API

Today, we’re announcing the v8 release of the Google Ads API. To use v8 features, you will need to upgrade your client libraries and client code. The updated client libraries and code examples will be published next week. For more information on breaking changes, see the migration guide.
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.
Thanet Knack Praneenararat, on behalf of the Google Ads API Team

Live Webinar: Migrating to the Google Ads API


The Google Ads API Developer Relations team will be hosting a live webinar on Migrating to the Google Ads API, on June 16 at 10 AM EST (2 PM GMT).

Agenda

This webinar helps AdWords API developers jumpstart their migrations to the new and improved Google Ads API. The webinar builds upon our Migration Guide, so we recommend reading that guide before watching this webinar. We will also host a Q&A at the end with members of the Google Ads Developer Relations and Engineering teams. The webinar will cover the following topics:
  • High level differences between the AdWords and Google Ads APIs
  • Migrating Reporting
  • Migrating Mutates
  • New & Improved Features
  • Migration Best Practices

Reminders

Feel free to add the event to your calendar. In addition, you can set a reminder for the event on YouTube by clicking the “Set reminder” button on the YouTube event page.

We look forward to sharing our knowledge of the Google Ads API with you and answering your questions. If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum or at [email protected].


- Sasha Friedenberg, Google Ads API Team

Live Webinar: Migrating to the Google Ads API


The Google Ads API Developer Relations team will be hosting a live webinar on Migrating to the Google Ads API, on June 16 at 10 AM EST (2 PM GMT).

Agenda

This webinar helps AdWords API developers jumpstart their migrations to the new and improved Google Ads API. The webinar builds upon our Migration Guide, so we recommend reading that guide before watching this webinar. We will also host a Q&A at the end with members of the Google Ads Developer Relations and Engineering teams. The webinar will cover the following topics:
  • High level differences between the AdWords and Google Ads APIs
  • Migrating Reporting
  • Migrating Mutates
  • New & Improved Features
  • Migration Best Practices

Reminders

Feel free to add the event to your calendar. In addition, you can set a reminder for the event on YouTube by clicking the “Set reminder” button on the YouTube event page.

We look forward to sharing our knowledge of the Google Ads API with you and answering your questions. If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum or at [email protected].


- Sasha Friedenberg, Google Ads API Team

Sunsetting the KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendation type

On July 21, 2021, all existing recommendations of the type KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE will be removed and no new recommendations of this type will be generated anymore.

What's changing?
The KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendations will no longer be returned by search for all versions of the Google Ads API and Google Ads scripts.

All requests sent to apply or dismiss KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendations will fail with RequestError.RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND errors for all versions of the Google Ads API.

What do you need to do?
Before July 21, 2021, ensure that the changes described above will not lead to any issues in your code or application.

Then, as soon as you can, remove any references of the field Recommendation.keyword_match_type_recommendation and the type KeywordMatchTypeRecommendation in your code. They will be deprecated and removed in future versions.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us through the forum or at [email protected].
Pierrick Voulet, Google Ads API Team

Sunsetting the KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendation type

On July 21, 2021, all existing recommendations of the type KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE will be removed and no new recommendations of this type will be generated anymore.

What's changing?
The KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendations will no longer be returned by search for all versions of the Google Ads API and Google Ads scripts.

All requests sent to apply or dismiss KEYWORD_MATCH_TYPE recommendations will fail with RequestError.RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND errors for all versions of the Google Ads API.

What do you need to do?
Before July 21, 2021, ensure that the changes described above will not lead to any issues in your code or application.

Then, as soon as you can, remove any references of the field Recommendation.keyword_match_type_recommendation and the type KeywordMatchTypeRecommendation in your code. They will be deprecated and removed in future versions.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us through the forum or at [email protected].
Pierrick Voulet, Google Ads API Team

Important changes to Google Contact Policy for Merchant Center

Following feedback from our merchants, we are relaxing our contact policy website requirements for merchants. Currently we require merchants to publicly display on their website at least two methods of contact information (such as an email, business address, or phone number).

To give merchants more flexibility in the information they share with customers, beginning August 2, 2021, we will require merchants to provide on their website a minimum of one form of customer-facing contact information, for example:
  • A “contact us” form
  • A link to a social media business profile
  • An email address
  • A phone number
In addition to this change, all new merchants will be required to provide their business address and phone number on creation of their Merchant Center account, as well as for any existing accounts that require a review. This private contact information can be entered manually in the Merchant Center user interface or via Content API for Shopping.

To update the private contact information using Content API for Shopping, provide both the address and phoneNumber fields via the AccountBusinessInformation object (nested under the Account object) using the following methods: Important: Take care when updating existing accounts. Any fields that are not provided to Accounts.update will be deleted from the resource.

Note: If you have made contact information changes to an existing Merchant Center account that has an account-level disapproval, you may need to request an account re-review. See the following article on Understanding account-level enforcement for product data quality violations to find the steps to make the request.
If you require further support implementing this change, please visit the Content API for Shopping forum.
Ian Ballantyne, Content API for Shopping Team