Tag Archives: Display

Deprecation of New Smart Display Campaign Creation in the Google Ads API

We are removing the ability to create new Smart Display Campaigns in all versions of the Google Ads API. Version v12 already has these changes implemented.

On January 17, 2023 we will make a breaking change to all active versions of the Google Ads API older than v12, disallowing the creation of new Smart Display Campaigns in the API.

You will still be able to update your existing Smart Display Campaigns until they are auto-migrated in Q1 2023. For more information, please see this Help Center article.

Change Description
In all versions, after January 17, 2023, mutate operations to create a Smart Display Campaign (setting the AdvertisingChannelSubType to DISPLAY_SMART_CAMPAIGN) will throw an OperationAccessDeniedError.CREATE_OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED error.

Next Steps
If you receive this error during Smart Display Campaign creation, you should create a Standard Display Campaign instead by leaving the optional AdvertisingChannelSubType field blank.

If you have any questions about this change or any other API feature, please contact us via the forum.
- Cory Liseno, Google Ads API Team

Deprecation of New Smart Display Campaign Creation in the Google Ads API

We are removing the ability to create new Smart Display Campaigns in all versions of the Google Ads API. Version v12 already has these changes implemented.

On January 17, 2023 we will make a breaking change to all active versions of the Google Ads API older than v12, disallowing the creation of new Smart Display Campaigns in the API.

You will still be able to update your existing Smart Display Campaigns until they are auto-migrated in Q1 2023. For more information, please see this Help Center article.

Change Description
In all versions, after January 17, 2023, mutate operations to create a Smart Display Campaign (setting the AdvertisingChannelSubType to DISPLAY_SMART_CAMPAIGN) will throw an OperationAccessDeniedError.CREATE_OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED error.

Next Steps
If you receive this error during Smart Display Campaign creation, you should create a Standard Display Campaign instead by leaving the optional AdvertisingChannelSubType field blank.

If you have any questions about this change or any other API feature, please contact us via the forum.
- Cory Liseno, Google Ads API Team

Changes to stats retrieval for Search campaigns with Display Expansion

What’s changing?

We are changing how stats for Search campaigns with Display Expansion (previously known as Search campaigns with Display Select) are reported by the AdWords API, the Google Ads API, and Google Ads scripts.

Starting the week of Feb 17, 2019, we will no longer return display keyword stats for Search campaigns with Display Expansion in

Why is this changing?

Search campaigns with Display Expansion historically used keywords to perform Display Expansion. As we strive to improve targeting for Display Expansion, it is no longer possible to meaningfully and consistently attribute stats to keywords. As a result, this view has been removed from the Google Ads UI. The changes in this announcement aim to create parity between APIs and UI.


What should I do?

Before the sunset date, we recommend switching to alternate reports for fetching stats for Search campaigns with Display Expansion.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact us via the Google Ads scripts forum or the AdWords API and Google Ads API forum.
 - Anash P. Oommen, Google Ads API Team

Changes to responsive ads in the AdWords API and Google Ads API

What's changing?
Starting May 15, 2019, AdWords API and Google Ads API requests that attempt to create or modify a responsive ad will fail. Make sure you migrate to the new asset-based responsive display ad before the deprecation date.

Due to changes and improvements to ad types in Display campaigns, keeping track of the names in the UI and APIs can be tricky, so here's a quick overview:
Ad type in the UI AdWords API type Google Ads API type
Responsive ad ResponsiveDisplayAd ResponsiveDisplayAdInfo
Responsive display ad MultiAssetResponsiveDisplayAd Available in an upcoming release

After the deprecation date, behavior of the APIs will change as follows:
  • AdWords API
    • AdGroupAdService requests that attempt to create a ResponsiveDisplayAd will fail with the error AdGroupAdError.CANNOT_CREATE_DEPRECATED_ADS. The API will continue to allow you to remove ResponsiveDisplayAds and modify the status of existing ads.
    • AdService requests that attempt to modify a ResponsiveDisplayAd will fail with the error AdError.CANNOT_MODIFY_AD.
  • Google Ads API
    • AdGroupAdService requests that attempt to create a ResponsiveDisplayAdInfo will fail with the error AdGroupAdError.CANNOT_CREATE_DEPRECATED_ADS. The API will continue to allow you to remove ResponsiveDisplayAdInfos and modify the status of existing ads.
Both APIs will continue to return performance statistics for the deprecated ad types.

Why is this happening?
In October, 2018, responsive display ads replaced responsive ads as the default asset-based ad type for the Display network. To simplify the product suite, we'll be deprecating creation and modification of responsive ads.

What should you do?
Before the deprecation date: If you have any questions or need help, please contact us via the forum.
- Josh Radcliff, Google Ads API Team

Academy for Ads: On-The-Go Training for Google’s Ad Products

Becoming a digital advertising expert takes time, and it’s important to get off to a good start. Only 50 percent of marketers say they’re confident in their knowledge of digital advertising,1 despite the wide range of educational materials available – sometimes “more” isn’t the same as “better.” You’ve told us that you want quick, bite-sized training in more interactive formats. And we heard you.

We’re pleased to announce Academy for Ads, a new digital training platform designed to help you learn how to use Google’s ad products in a mobile-first world. We built Academy for Ads to promote learning on-the-go, whether you’re on a laptop, a desktop, or a mobile device.

Grow your Google product know-how
Guided by input from our team of product experts, Academy for Ads courses cover the topics that matter most to Google advertisers – from AdWords basics and the essentials of campaign management to bid strategies, reporting, optimization, and more ways to successfully advertise with Google.



Learning paths, Assessments, and Achievements
We’ve organized the courses into “Learning paths” that you can walk through at your own pace. At the end of each path, take an Assessment and earn an Achievement to show that you know your stuff. Earning an Achievement for AdWords helps prepare you to take the AdWords Certification exam in Google Partners, or try deeper education offerings such as AdWords Academy.


A few example Learning paths:
  • Digital concepts: Learn the essentials of online ads, including third-party ad-serving, programmatic buying, remarketing, and more.
  • Get started with AdWords: Learn the basics of AdWords and prepare for the AdWords Certification exam offered by Google Partners.
  • Get started with AdWords Display: Learn how you can show ads to your online audience via the Google Display Network.
  • Get started with DoubleClick Bid Manager*: Learn your way around Bid Manager, what it offers and how you can use it to manage your online marketing campaigns.
*Only accessible to DoubleClick Bid Manager clients

Academy for Ads also offers training for DoubleClick clients, with Learning paths covering Bid Manager and Ad Exchange – and more to come.

Get started
If you already use Google Partners, you can sign in through the Partners portal at g.co/learnwithpartners — or, you can go directly to g.co/AcademyforAds to sign up and start sampling courses and Learning paths. We’re constantly adding more content, so if you like what you learn, keep coming back for more.

Posted by Tracy Bizelli, Head of Academy for Ads

1. 6 Fundamentals to Managing Digital Marketing in 2015, TFM Insights (January 2015)

Introducing new interactive ads to drive app installs

Developers are constantly looking for new ways to bring users to their apps. But because people’s attention on mobile is becoming shorter and more intent-rich, finding engaged users of your app is an ongoing challenge — both before and after an install. In fact, we found that one in four installed apps is never even used. We’ve focused our efforts on offering developers advertising tools that engage users and showcase an app at its best. We recently redesigned one of our in-app ad formats, and are building on our desire to create beautiful app ad experiences. That’s why today we’re introducing two new rich, immersive ad formats to our growing suite of creative app install solutions.

Play a game within an ad with Trial Run Ads
Trial Run Ads are an app ad format that lets a user play a game for up to 60 seconds by streaming content from the app before downloading. The immersive demo increases the likelihood that an install is coming from someone who enjoys playing the game. Users get a taste of the game before going through the download process,  and the app developer attracts better qualified users who’ve chosen the game based on their experiences in the app.

Trial Run Ads provide:
  • Ultra-immersive and delightful ads designed for games
  • The opportunity for gamers to trial before download 
  • More relevant ad clicks, app downloads, and pre-qualified app users
Cookie Jam's Trial Run Ad
Get ultra-creative with customized mobile ads
We’re also launching a beta for Interactive Interstitial ads, which are HTML5 ads that offer a completely customized user experience tailored to each advertiser's app. They give advertisers creative freedom to use HTML5 instead of standard templates and pull in data dynamically. Diversity potential is high with this format and it's not limited to just gaming apps. Interactive Interstitials offer a truly custom experience that can include your app’s value proposition and the functionalities you want to highlight, all painted in your personal branding strategy. This is particularly valuable for advertisers who are looking for higher user engagement in installers.

Interactive Interstitials provide:
  • A beautiful and flexible canvas for the advertiser to become truly creative
  • Unique testing and optimization capabilities
  • The opportunity to bring a piece of the app experience to the user before download
  • Unique brand building possibilities
Marketers are already taking advantage of these engaging ads to drive app installs. Zalora built a an ad that allowed users to swipe to discover an exclusive offer.
Zalora's Interactive Interstitial allows users to use a finger to
swipe a screen to discover a special promotion.
Customization can be as big or small as you want — from adjusting standard templates to developing a fully custom creative. Marketers can also use their live app content to create compelling, real time ad formats. With more control over layout and interaction, you can A/B test creatives and try various CTAs to increase conversions. Rather than just telling a user about your app, you can offer them an experience unique to your app that inspires them to want to spend time with your app.

Advertisers can use Interactive Interstitials to showcase their latest product offerings through galleries, highlight elements of their personal branding, and to more powerfully demonstrate the value of their app before someone installs.
Zalora showcases a gallery of products that users can
swipe through in its Interactive Interstitial ad.
We understand that experiences on mobile need to be made for mobile, and an ad is no different. We’re continually exploring new and better ways to build out interactive formats for the small screen.

Trial Run Ads and Interactive Interstitials are currently in beta and available to a limited set of advertisers. Reach out to your account manager if you are interested in joining the betas.

Posted by Sissie Hsiao, Director of Product, Display and Pasha Nahass, Product Manager, Display

Source: Inside AdWords


For Brand Marketers: 5-Step Guide to Programmatic Buying

A lot has changed for marketers over the years. But one thing remains constant: the need to connect with and move an audience in the moments that matter. Brand marketers are beginning to truly embrace programmatic buying to do just that. The challenge is, many marketers don’t know where to start in order to successfully embrace programmatic for their brand campaigns.

To help address this challenge, we’re pleased to share our five-step guide: "Programmatic: A Brand Marketer’s Guide," to provide context and ideas for how marketers and their agencies can successfully embrace programmatic buying. It covers the essentials that brand marketers need to know in order to:

  1. Organize audience insights
  2. Design compelling creative
  3. Execute with integrated technology
  4. Reach audiences across screens
  5. Measure the impact

Our guide includes seven case studies with brands including Nike, KLM, Talk Talk, Kia, GOL, Burberry, and Kellogg so that brand marketers new to programmatic can learn from their peers.

We hope this guide can help you realize the ultimate promise of advertising in the digital age: to effectively run highly relevant, creative, and measurable campaigns, at scale. To make the most of programmatic buying, we invite you to explore the five steps to programmatic success.

You can stay on top of new updates by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on our Google+ page.

Posted by Kelly Cox, Product Marketing Manager

Learn about DoubleClick Campaign Manager and join an upcoming webinar

Need to beat the heat? Set aside time this summer to catch up on DoubleClick Campaign Manager training. We offer cool ways to learn like DCM Academy, a role-based learning path to help you learn based on how you use the product. We also offer Fundamentals eLearning and live webinars covering Reporting, Event Tags, Attribution, and more. And don’t miss our New Features Webinar to learn about the latest product releases.

Register today and find upcoming webinars via the Training page in the DCM or DFA Help Centers (sign-in required).

Start with DCM Fundamentals eLearning

Are you an ad trafficker, analyst, or media planner who needs to learn the basics? Try DCM Fundamentals eLearning and Certification to learn key DoubleClick Campaign Manager concepts. If you need an introduction to the fundamentals and want to learn best practices, this is the place to begin.

Pass the exam and get a certificate of completion demonstrating your knowledge of DoubleClick Campaign Manager. Register

Join a DoubleClick Campaign Manager webinar
If you want to learn about DoubleClick Campaign Manager in a live setting, register for an upcoming training webinar.
DFA6 to DCM for Existing Users – 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/13, 9/17
Upgrading to DoubleClick campaign Manager? Learn about the latest features and key functionality and workflow differences compared to DFA6. 
DCM Fundamentals – 8/12 (North America), 7/9, 8/13 and 9/10 (Asia-Pacific)
If you want a live webinar experience to support the DCM Fundamentals eLearning, join this 2.5 hour session to learn how third-party ad serving works along with the steps for setting up Floodlight and trafficking your first campaign. This session also touches on remarketing. 
Campaign Trafficking Demo – 7/16, 8/6, and 9/3
Join our product trainer for a walkthrough of how to create a campaign and assign campaign elements. 
Prerequisites: This session is a companion to DCM Fundamentals, and assumes that you’ve taken the DCM eLearning and Certification (or attended the DCM Fundamentals webinar). Before attending, make sure you know how DoubleClick Campaign Manager defines a campaign, placement, ad, and creative. 
DCM New Features Webinar – 7/8
Join our product trainer for a walkthrough of the latest product features.
Advanced webinars
In these webinars, we’ll discuss featured topics to help you more effectively manage your campaigns. Before attending, make sure you’re familiar with basic reporting and DFA6/DoubleClick Campaign Manager concepts.
Reporting Basics – 7/10, 8/14, and 9/11
Learn how to run reports in Report Builder, and slice and dice data in the Summary tab (dashboard view). Get a demo of Reporting as well as how to pull common reports, including Standard/Performance, Reach, and Floodlight.
Understanding Event Tags – 8/7
Learn about the Event Tags, a DCM feature that helps you to apply 4th party impression and click pixels to your creatives. This webinar will cover Event Tag creation, application and site whitelist/blacklisting.
Reporting: Attribution – 8/28
In this session, you’ll learn about the attribution options available in Reporting, and uses for Multi-channel funnels, Attribution, and Modeling. This session is also helpful if you’re upgrading from DFA to DCM and want to expand your knowledge of what the Reporting tool offers.
Prerequisites: Make sure you’re familiar with ad trafficking in DFA6 or DoubleClick Campaign Manager before attending these sessions. If you’re not, attend the Fundamentals webinar first.

DFA webinars
Still using DFA6? That’s okay, we still offer webinar training! Get trained online with DFA Fundamentals eLearning and Certification (eLearnings and exams available in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian, and more). We also offer webinars for DFA6 Fundamentals and MediaVisor.
DFA Fundamentals – 7/30 and 9/10
DFA Fundamentals is the first step if you’re new to third-party ad serving and DFA6. This webinar mainly focuses on the basics of ad trafficking, but also touches briefly on Floodlight tags and DFA Reporting. 
MediaVisor Fundamentals – 8/5
Learn the most common uses of MediaVisor, including how to plan and create campaigns, advertisers, and site placements. You’ll also learn how to send RFPs and IOs, as well as how to traffic placements from MediaVisor to DFA.
Running into a scheduling conflict? Check out the pre-recorded webinars and training videos in the DCM Help Center, and DFA Help Centers – you might find a pre-recorded session ready to watch.

Don’t forget to sign up for the DoubleClick Digest to get the latest DoubleClick news, research, events, and product updates!

Posted by Sarah Payne, DoubleClick Campaign Manager Product Trainer

Join a DoubleClick Campaign Manager webinar this Spring

Spring is in bloom in most places, trees and flowers are growing (or at least the snow is melting), and more agencies and marketers are upgrading! It’s the perfect season to learn and master DoubleClick Campaign Manager based on your role and how you use the product. We offer multiple learning options, from the basics to more advanced topics like In-Stream Video, Attribution, and more – so come check us out!

Register for the eLearning and see upcoming webinars via the Training page in the DCM or DFA Help Centers (sign-in required).

Start with DCM Academy and Fundamentals eLearning


Are you an ad trafficker, analyst, or media planner just getting started? Try DCM Academy for easy-to-use learning paths that guide you through core Help Center articles and online training material, including the recently-launched DCM Fundamentals eLearning and Certification. 

Pass the exam and get a printable certificate of completion demonstrating your knowledge of DoubleClick Campaign Manager.


Join a DoubleClick Campaign Manager webinar
Whether you’re starting to upgrade to DCM or you’ve already made the move, attend these webinars to better understand and use the product.

DCM Fundamentals – 4/29 and 6/10
Similar to the eLearning, this 2.5 hour webinar will teach you everything from how third-party ad serving works to the steps needed to set up Floodlight tags and traffic your first campaign. This session also touches on Remarketing. Attend this webinar if you need an introduction to the fundamentals and want to learn best practices.
DFA6 to DCM for Existing Users – 4/2, 4/16, 4/30, 5/14, 5/28, 6/11, 6/25
Learn what's changed in DoubleClick Campaign Manager. Get a demo of the key differences compared to DFA6. Attend this webinar if you’ve been using DFA6 and want to know about functionality and workflow differences between DFA and DoubleClick Campaign Manager before you upgrade.  
Campaign Trafficking Demo – 4/9, 5/7, and 6/4
Join our product trainer for a live walk through of how to create a campaign and assign campaign elements.

Prerequisites: This session is a companion to the DCM Fundamentals eLearning, and assumes that attendees have taken the DCM eLearning and Certification or attended the DCM Fundamentals webinar. Before attending, you should already know how DoubleClick Campaign Manager defines a campaign, placement, ad, and creative.

Advanced webinars
In these webinars, we’ll discuss featured topics to help you more effectively manage your campaigns. Before attending, make sure you’re familiar with basic reporting and DFA6/DoubleClick Campaign Manager concepts.
Understanding In-Stream Video – 4/17
In this session, you'll learn the basics of trafficking In-Stream Video creatives in DCM.

Reporting: Report Builder – 4/3, 5/1, and 6/5
Learn how to run reports in Report Builder, and slice and dice data in the Summary tab (dashboard view). Get a demo of Reporting along with how to pull common reports, including Standard/Performance, Reach, and Floodlight.

Reporting: Attribution – 5/15
In this session, you’ll learn about the attribution options available in Reporting, and uses for Multi-channel funnels, Attribution, and Modeling. This session is also helpful if you’re upgrading from DFA to DCM and want to expand your knowledge of what the Reporting tool offers.
Prerequisites: Users should have familiarity with ad trafficking in DFA6 or DoubleClick Campaign Manager before attending these sessions. If you’re not familiar with DoubleClick Campaign Manager or DFA6, attend the Fundamentals webinar session first.

DFA webinars
Still using DFA6? That’s okay, we still offer plenty of training! Get trained online with DFA Fundamentals eLearning and Certification (eLearnings available in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian, and more). We also offer webinars for DFA6 Fundamentals and MediaVisor.

DFA Fundamentals – 4/23 and 6/4
DFA Fundamentals is the first step if you’re new to third-party ad serving and DFA6. This webinar mainly focuses on the basics of ad trafficking, but also touches briefly on Floodlight tags and DFA Reporting.

MediaVisor Fundamentals – 4/22 and 6/17
Learn the most common uses of MediaVisor, including how to plan and create campaigns, advertisers, and site placements. You’ll also learn how to send RFPs and IOs, as well as how to traffic placements from MediaVisor to DFA.
Some sessions mention prerequisites where we recommend background knowledge. Be sure to note these to get the most out of each session. Lastly, be aware of any regional time differences before enrolling in any live sessions.

Running into a scheduling conflict? Check out the pre-recorded webinars in the DCM Help Center, and the DFA Help Center – you might find a pre-recorded session ready to watch.

Don’t forget to sign up for the DoubleClick Digest to get the latest DoubleClick news, research, events, and product updates!

Posted by Sarah Payne, DoubleClick Campaign Manager Product Trainer

Merge the art and science of brand advertising by learning to build Engagement Ads

Studio Certified developers, do you want to tell the world that you can create innovative ads designed for users to connect with brands? With DoubleClick Studio’s Engagement Ads Certification, you can get certified in building ads that marry the art of brand building with the science of performance display.

Engagement Ads are tuned to user engagement – not clicks, letting brands connect with users through multiple creative formats. Ads are available on a cost-per-engagement (CPE) basis, allowing advertisers to bid and pay only for user engagement.

Watch this video:


Engagement Ads fit in standard display units, allowing them to scale across the web and then expand to a larger format after an innovative two-second hover delay. This delay eliminates nearly all accidental expansions, providing a better user experience and more accurate reporting to advertisers.

With this flexibility, the richness of a campaign using Engagement Ads depends on the story the brand wants to tell and the type of content they want to promote. Creatives can range from rich, interactive videos built in DoubleClick Studio to immersive brand experiences using HTML5, CSS3, and WebGL – all without leaving the ad format on the publisher’s website.

Check out an Engagement Ad format in action.

Engagement Ads badge certification gives you:
  • A badge that identifies you as a Studio Certified user able to create Engagement format ads
  • Promotion as a via DoubleClick Rich Media properties and associated sites
You also receive the benefits of the Studio Certification Program, including exclusive access to betas and product features, DoubleClick hosted events and workshops, and a badge you can use for self-promotion.


Pass the exam and get the badge to demonstrate your expertise in creating rich ads to boost user engagement. Take the Engagement Ads exam and get certified.

Note: You must be Studio Certified in Core Flash or HTML5 to take the Engagement Ads certification exam.

Not Studio Certified? No worries! Get Certified today. We have these Studio Certification badges available:
  1. Core Studio Certification exam for Flash and HTML5 developers
  2. Integrated QA Certification
  3. Advanced Badge Certification for Dynamic creatives, VPAID creatives, and YouTube mastheads
    Learn more about Studio Certification in the Rich Media Gallery.

    Posted by Paige Birnbaum, Program Manager, DoubleClick Studio Certification