Category Archives: Ads Developer Blog

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

Removing support for PHP 7 in the Google Ad Manager SOAP API Client Library for PHP

In August 2023, the Google Ad Manager SOAP API Client Library for PHP will start requiring PHP version 8.0 or higher. The version of the client library that adds support for Google Ad Manager API v202305 will be the last version that supports PHP 7. We’ll still fix security issues for this client library version until Google Ad Manager API v202305 is sunset, but no new features will be added.

All PHP 7 versions reached their end of life in 2022. The PHP development team no longer provides security fixes for these versions, so we highly recommend migrating to newer versions as soon as possible.

Here are useful resources to help with the PHP migration:

If you have any questions regarding this change, feel free to comment directly on the GitHub issue.

Pierrick Voulet, Google Ads API Team

Ad Manager API v202205 sunset and v202202 extension

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in accordance with the deprecation schedule, v202205 of the Ad Manager API will sunset. At that time, any requests made to this version will return errors.

Additionally, support for Ad Manager API v202202 is being extended until the same date, May 31, 2023. We've heard from a number of users that they need additional time to complete the Ad Exchange Historical report migration. Note that v202202 is the last version with support for Ad Exchange Historical reports.

When you’re ready to upgrade, check the full release notes to identify any breaking changes. Here are a few examples of changes that may impact your applications:

  • v202211
    • Replaced the string field thirdPartyImpressionTrackingUrl with the list field thirdPartyImpressionTrackingUrls for multiple creative types including ImageCreative. Currently only a single URL may be provided in the list.
    • Removed support for OPTIMIZATION reporting columns.

As always, feel free to contact us on the developer forum with any questions.

- Chris Seeley, Ad Manager API Team

New Merchant IDs are now 64-bit in Content API for Shopping

In the Content API for Shopping, we informed you last June that new Merchant IDs were migrating from 32 bit to 64-bit signed integers.

Existing Merchant IDs haven’t changed. Beginning on March 13, 2023 new Merchant IDs created could be in the 64-bit signed range. Through a slow rollout over the next few months, a higher percentage of new Merchant IDs will be in the 64-bit signed range. By June 2023, all new Merchant IDs created will be in the 64-bit signed range.

To avoid any issues, please make sure your applications are fully compliant with IDs within a range of 64-bit signed integer values.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us via the forum.
Benji Rothman, Content API for Shopping Team

New Validations for Google Ads Account Names

Starting in June 2023, it will no longer be possible for new Google Ads accounts to contain a URL in the account name.

Specifically, when creating a new Google Ads account in the Google Ads API, or updating an existing account, if a URL is present in the descriptive_name field, an ACTION_NOT_PERMITTED error will be returned and the operation will fail.

The descriptive_name field of existing accounts will not be affected by this change.

If you have any questions about this change, please feel free to contact us through the forum or at [email protected] for additional help.
- Ben Karl, on behalf of the Google Ads API Team

Changes coming to Display & Video 360 API in May and June 2023

Throughout May and June 2023, we will be making four changes in the Display & Video 360 API that may impact your integration. These changes and relevant dates are as follows, with links to further details:

With the announcement of these deprecations, we are launching a new Announced Deprecations page listing all announced deprecations and sunsets. This includes version deprecations and API-wide feature deprecations.

If you have questions regarding these changes, please contact us using our support contact form.

- Trevor Mulchay, Display & Video 360 API Team

First click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models are going away in Google Ads API

What’s changing?
Google Ads attribution models are used to assign conversion credit to each touchpoint in a conversion path. We currently offer several rules-based attribution models which assign value based on predefined rules. These models don’t provide the flexibility needed to adapt to evolving consumer journeys. Due to a declining usage of these rules-based models and adoption of data-driven attribution, we are simplifying attribution model options. Starting in June 2023, developers will no longer be able to choose the following attribution models for new conversion actions or existing conversion actions that do not use these models: Instead, developers will need to use either data-driven attribution (GOOGLE_SEARCH_ATTRIBUTION_DATA_DRIVEN), last click attribution (GOOGLE_ADS_LAST_CLICK) or external attribution.

What do I need to do?
If you are creating new or updating existing conversion actions using ConversionActionService and you are setting the AttributionModelSettings to one of the deprecated attribution models, you will need to modify your code to use either: data-driven attribution (GOOGLE_SEARCH_ATTRIBUTION_DATA_DRIVEN) or last click attribution (GOOGLE_ADS_LAST_CLICK).

Starting in June 2023, you will begin receiving an error if you attempt to set a deprecated attribution model. Conversion actions that still have these attribution models after this time will be automatically migrated later in the year.

Starting in September 2023, we'll switch any conversion actions still using these models to data-driven attribution. If you don’t want your conversion actions to use data-driven attribution, update your conversion actions to the last click attribution model before September 2023.

You will be able to query the attribution model associated with a conversion action using GoogleAdsService.Search or GoogleAdsService.SearchStream until these rules-based attribution models are no longer available in Google Ads: 
SELECT conversion_action.attribution_model_settings.attribution_model FROM conversion_action
If you have any questions, please reach out to us on the forum.
Ian Ballantyne, Google Ads API Team

Issues from all destinations to be included in Productstatuses Service by default in the Content API for Shopping

Starting on April 24, 2023, the Content API for Shopping methods productstatuses.list and productstatuses.get will include issues from all eligible destinations by default. This will likely increase the size of the response you get back from the same call.

Currently, the responses you get when using the productstatuses.list and productstatuses.get methods only include issues from Shopping Ads and don’t include issues from other destinations, for example free listings issues.

Including issues from all eligible destinations will let you provide your users with an overall better experience. This change will improve your issue visibility across all destinations. In turn, you will see an increase in the number of results, or the size of responses you’ll receive.

No action is needed from you as the free listing issues will now be included by default when using the Content API for Shopping methods productstatuses.list and productstatuses.get.

However, if you want to keep the calls to only display issues from Shopping Ads, we suggest setting the query parameter destinations[] in the productstatuses methods to Shopping.

Learn more about the changes to the product statuses methods in the Content API for Shopping Product statuses documentation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us via the forum.
Benji Rothman, Content API for Shopping Team

Unity Google Mobile Ads Version 8 Released

We are excited to announce the release of Version 8 of the Google Mobile Ads for Unity plugin! This new version contains a number of new features and upgraded APIs.

Minimum Unity version is now 2019.4

The Google Mobile Ads Unity plugin now has a minimum Unity Engine version requirement of 2019.4. This was done to align with Unity’s long term support.

Compatibility with Android v22.0.0

This release supports the Android Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.0.0 major version release.

User Messaging Platform (UMP) support

The Google Mobile Ads Unity plugin now includes support for the Google User Messaging Platform (UMP) to help you gather consent from app users. To enable UMP support, see the user privacy get started guide.

Plugin now has C# reference documentation

With the release of version 8, we now have launched C# reference documentation. Moreover, this version added xml-doc summaries to all public fields, properties, methods, and classes. This makes the plugin easier to use and provides full IntelliSense support when developing in Visual Studio.

Migrate ad format events to the new interface

Full-screen ad formats APIs now have a uniform interface and we are removing the old ad event APIs. These changes make the APIs for each ad format more consistent and easier to use. The new interface includes a static Load() method, use of generic delegates instead of EventArgs, and consistent ad events names across formats.

For a full list of changes and steps for upgrading your code, please see the version 8 migration guide.

Use RaiseAdEventsOnUnityMainThread() to guarantee thread safety

The Google Mobile Ads Unity plugin now includes an optional support feature for Unity thread safety. This feature means you no longer need to manage threading concerns when handling platform events or callbacks.

If you use this feature, the SDK may pause events during full screen ad presentations. This means that you might not get some events, like OnAdFullScreenContentOpened or OnAdImpressionRecorded, until after the user comes back to the game. If you need to collect this data in real time, this might not be a good option. We recommend you test this feature to see if it works for you.

Here's an example of how to use Google Mobile Ads new thread safety support:

Deprecation of Ad Placements

The Google Mobile Ads Unity plugin's Ad Placements feature is deprecated. There are no plans to move it into public release.

If you have any questions or concerns about migrating your project, please reach out on our developer forum.

 - Nicholas Ventimiglia, Mobile Ads Developer Relations

Upcoming changes to Google Analytics audiences and conversions in Google Ads

What's changing

Starting in April 2023, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will automatically set up a basic GA4 property linked to your Google Ads account if the Google Ads account still uses Universal Analyticsconversions and/or audiences.

During this process, GA4 will configure corresponding conversions and/or audiences in GA4 and apply them in your Google Ads account. This will happen even if you already have a GA4 property but still use Universal Analytics conversions and/or audiences in Google Ads.

Options for handling these changes

The configuration created by GA4 may not be set up to meet your specific business goals or capture all the historical data you need, so we recommend you start manually moving your conversions and/or audiences to GA4 now.

If you don’t want the GA4 Setup Assistant to make these changes, you may opt out by the end of April.

If you don’t want an automatically set up GA4 property at all, you can also opt out of the entire process.

What you should know

Universal Analytics standard properties will stop processing new data from July 1, 2023 onwards. GA4, our next-generation measurement solution, will become the sole Google Analytics standard property type.

This impacts Universal Analytics conversions, audiences, and site stats currently used in your Google Ads campaigns. We recommend that you switch to GA4 now to ensure your campaigns and ad groups are effectively moved to GA4 conversions, site stats, and audiences. If you’re unsure whether a GA4 property has been created, please contact the admin user for your Universal Analytics property in Google Analytics to verify.

Resources to help you migrate to Google Analytics 4

For an overview of functionality and features in UA and GA4, including APIs, check out the Universal Analytics to GA4 migration reference.

For API integrations:

  • If you previously used the Google Analytics Management API v3 to manage your Universal Analytics properties, migrate to the Admin API v1.
  • If you previously used the Google Analytics Reporting API v4 to run reports in your Universal Analytics properties, migrate to the Data API v1.

How to get help


- Josh Radcliff, Google Analytics and Google Ads API Team

Display & Video 360 optimized targeting rollout extended through early May 2023

The period for the gradual rollout of optimized targeting in Display & Video 360 has been extended and will now complete in early May instead of mid-April as previously announced.

The extension of this rollout does not alter any of the changes to the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files (SDFs), so users should continue to apply the recommendations detailed in the previous blog post to prepare.

If you have questions regarding these changes or need help with these new features, please contact us using our support contact form.

- Trevor Mulchay, Display & Video 360 API Team