# Google Ads — full corpus # LLM Wiki An open-source template for building LLM-powered knowledge bases, following [Andrej Karpathy's "LLM Wiki" pattern](https://gist.github.com/karpathy/442a6bf555914893e9891c11519de94f). You provide raw sources. The LLM reads them, writes structured wiki pages, cross-links everything, and maintains it over time. You never edit the wiki directly — you curate sources and ask questions. ## How It Works The system has three layers: ``` raw/ Sources you collect (articles, transcripts, notes, PDFs) wiki/ LLM-written & maintained pages (summaries, concepts, entities, syntheses) CLAUDE.md Schema that tells the LLM how to structure everything ``` Three operations drive the workflow: | Operation | Trigger | What happens | |-----------|---------|--------------| | **Ingest** | "ingest raw/my-source.txt" | LLM reads the source, creates a summary page, creates/updates concept and entity pages, adds cross-links, updates the index and log | | **Query** | Ask any question | LLM searches the wiki, synthesizes an answer with citations, optionally creates a synthesis page for novel insights | | **Lint** | "lint" or "health check" | LLM audits all pages for orphans, contradictions, missing links, incomplete sections, and low-confidence claims — fixes what it can, reports the rest | ## Quick Start 1. **Clone this repo** ```bash git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/llm-wiki.git my-knowledge-base cd my-knowledge-base ``` 2. **Customize CLAUDE.md** for your domain - Update the Purpose section with your topic - Replace the placeholder tagging taxonomy with your own categories - Adjust confidence level descriptions if needed - Everything else (workflows, page formats, linking rules) works as-is 3. **Drop sources into `raw/`** - Text files, transcripts, articles, notes — any plain text - These are immutable once added; the LLM never modifies them 4. **Tell the LLM to ingest** ``` ingest raw/my-first-source.txt ``` The LLM will create summary pages, concept pages, entity pages, cross-links, and update the index. 5. **Ask questions** ``` What are the key differences between X and Y? ``` The LLM answers from the wiki, citing specific pages. 6. **Run health checks** ``` lint ``` The LLM audits the wiki and fixes issues. ## Directory Structure ``` . ├── CLAUDE.md # Schema — the LLM's instructions ├── raw/ # Your source documents (immutable) └── wiki/ ├── index.md # Master catalog of all pages ├── log.md # Append-only activity log ├── dashboard.md # Dataview dashboard (Obsidian) ├── analytics.md # Charts View analytics (Obsidian) ├── flashcards.md # Spaced repetition cards ├── summaries/ # One page per source document ├── concepts/ # Concept and framework pages ├── entities/ # People, tools, organizations, etc. ├── syntheses/ # Cross-cutting analyses and comparisons ├── journal/ # Research/session journal entries │ └── template.md # Journal entry template └── presentations/ # Marp slide decks ``` ## Enhancements This template includes several extras beyond the core wiki pattern: ### Dataview Dashboard (`wiki/dashboard.md`) Live queries that surface low-confidence pages, recent updates, concepts by tag, and pages with the most sources. Requires the [Dataview](https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview) Obsidian plugin. ### Charts View Analytics (`wiki/analytics.md`) Visual analytics with pie charts, bar charts, and word clouds. Requires the [Charts View](https://github.com/caronchen/obsidian-chartsview-plugin) Obsidian plugin. ### Mermaid Diagrams Use Mermaid code blocks in any wiki page to create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, or concept maps. Native support in Obsidian and GitHub. ### Marp Slides (`wiki/presentations/`) Create slide decks from markdown using [Marp](https://marp.app/). Drop presentation files in this directory. ### Research Journal (`wiki/journal/`) Track your research sessions, experiments, or applied work with the included template. The LLM can reference journal entries when answering queries. ### Spaced Repetition (`wiki/flashcards.md`) Flashcards in the format used by the [Spaced Repetition](https://github.com/st3v3nmw/obsidian-spaced-repetition) Obsidian plugin. Ask the LLM to generate flashcards from any wiki page. ### MCP Server This repo works with Claude Code's MCP server capabilities. Point an MCP-compatible client at this repo and the LLM can read/write the wiki programmatically. ## Customizing for Your Domain The schema in `CLAUDE.md` is domain-agnostic. To adapt it: 1. **Purpose** — Describe your knowledge domain in one paragraph 2. **Tagging taxonomy** — Replace placeholder categories with your own (e.g., for a cooking KB: `cuisine`, `technique`, `ingredient`, `equipment`) 3. **Confidence levels** — Adjust the descriptions to match your domain's evidence standards 4. **Entity types** — Update the entity page description to match what entities mean in your domain (people, tools, companies, etc.) 5. **Journal template** — Customize `wiki/journal/template.md` for your workflow Everything else — page format, linking conventions, workflows, rules — is universal and works across domains. ## Example Domains This template works for any knowledge-intensive topic: - **Research notes** — papers, experiments, methodologies - **Book analysis** — themes, characters, author techniques - **Competitive analysis** — companies, products, market trends - **Course notes** — lectures, readings, key concepts - **Personal development** — frameworks, habits, book summaries - **Technical documentation** — APIs, architectures, design patterns - **Hobby deep-dives** — any subject you want to master ## License MIT --- title: "Google Ads KB — Master Index" type: index updated: 2026-06-11 --- # Google Ads KB — Master Index Master catalog of all wiki pages. Every page in the wiki must have an entry here. **Freshness:** all sources fetched 2026-06-11 (no product-version concept — Google Ads changes continuously; `updated` is the verification date) **KB pages:** 26 (11 concepts + 7 entities + 2 summaries + 4 syntheses + 2 system) ## Concepts (11) ### Account & inputs - [[concepts/account-setup]] — account creation, structure, access levels, MCC, payment settings - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — match types, negative keywords, Keyword Planner - [[concepts/audiences-targeting]] — audience/data segments, location targeting, ad scheduling - [[concepts/ads-assets]] — responsive search ads, Ad Strength, sitelinks/callouts/images ### Bidding & delivery - [[concepts/bidding]] — Smart Bidding strategies, manual CPC, budgets and overdelivery - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — auction mechanics, Ad Rank, Quality Score ### Measurement - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — conversion actions, the Google tag, GA4 import - [[concepts/attribution-privacy]] — enhanced conversions, attribution models, offline imports, consent mode ### Policy & upkeep - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — the policy system, violations, disapprovals and appeals - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — suspension types, triggers, the appeal path (highest-demand page) - [[concepts/optimization]] — optimization score, recommendations, search terms report, experiments ## Entities (7) — campaign types - [[entities/search-campaigns]] · [[entities/performance-max]] · [[entities/shopping-campaigns]] · [[entities/display-campaigns]] · [[entities/video-campaigns]] · [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] · [[entities/app-campaigns]] ## Summaries (2) - [[summaries/policy-center-map]] — CATALOG: the four policy families, every named sub-policy, the enforcement ladder - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — what practitioners report beyond official docs (medium confidence, attributed) ## Syntheses (4) - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — all 7 types compared → pick by business situation - [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] — the decision tree with verbatim data thresholds - [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] — symptom → severity → action, appeal limits, what NOT to do - [[syntheses/measurement-setup-recipe]] — the ordered working setup path (tag → conversions → EC → consent → attribution) ## Gaps / TODO - No raw sources yet for: app/call conversion setup, portfolio bid strategies, seasonality adjustments, bid simulator/Performance Planner, structured snippets detail, account cancellation — add on demand. - Strike-system enforcement-procedures article referenced by sources but not fetched. - Google Ads ships continuous changes — re-fetch sources and re-verify dated claims (e.g., Data Manager API June 2026 deadline, Demand Gen migration) on each maintenance pass. ## Statistics - **Total pages**: 26 - **Concepts**: 11 - **Entities**: 7 - **Summaries**: 2 - **Syntheses**: 4 --- title: "Account Setup, Access & Payments" type: concept tags: [account-structure, access-levels, manager-accounts, billing, payments, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-create-a-google-ads-account-how-to-sign-up-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-your-account-organization-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-access-levels-in-your-google-ads-account-google-ads-he.md", "raw/web_community-manager-accounts-mcc-about-google-ads-manager-accounts-googl.md", "raw/web_community-about-payment-settings-in-google-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-make-a-payment-for-automatic-or-manual-payments-accounts-goo.md"] --- # Account Setup, Access & Payments ## Definition Account setup covers everything that happens before and around your campaigns: creating the Google Ads account, understanding its three-layer structure (account → campaigns → ad groups), granting people the right access levels, optionally linking accounts under a manager account (MCC), and configuring how you pay — automatic payments, manual payments, or monthly invoicing. ## How It Works **Sign-up.** Creating an account takes three steps: add your business information (name and URL), select campaign goals and budget, and enter payment details, with conversion measurement setup offered as the final step. During sign-up you can link a YouTube channel and Google Business Profile for faster campaign setup, and you have the option to create an account *without* a campaign — recommended, since you can skip all campaign-creation prompts and set campaigns up properly later. Two settings chosen at billing setup are hard to undo: billing country (determines available billing options and currency) and time zone (affects reports, statistics, and billing). Newly created accounts no longer support URLs in the account name. **Three-layer structure.** Google Ads is organized into account, campaigns, and ad groups. The account is associated with a unique email address, password, and billing information; each campaign has its own budget and settings that determine where ads appear; each ad group contains a set of similar ads and keywords. Organizing ad groups around tightly themed keyword sets is the foundation for relevance in [[concepts/ad-auction]] and [[concepts/keywords-matching]]. **Access levels.** Five levels exist: **Email-only**, **Billing**, **Read-only**, **Standard**, and **Admin**. Standard can edit campaigns and make payments but cannot manage users or product links. Only Admin can grant account access, change access levels, accept/reject manager link requests, unlink managers, complete Advertiser Verification, and link Google Analytics to import conversions. Billing access can edit payment info and switch between manual/automatic payments but cannot view campaigns. Check your level under **Admin → Access and security → Users tab → "Access level" column**. **Manager accounts (MCC).** A manager account is not an upgrade — it's a separate Google Ads account acting as an umbrella over linked client accounts (including other manager accounts). It gives single sign-in across clients, cross-account reporting and alerts, and is **required for monthly invoicing**. Link clients via **Accounts icon → Sub-account settings → plus button → Link existing account**, entering the client's Customer ID; the client must accept the emailed request. An MCC with *ownership* of a child account can also manage that account's user access — granted from the child account under "Admin → Access and Security → Managers". Up to 20 Google Ads accounts (including manager accounts) can be associated with a single email address; beyond that, an MCC is the way to scale. ## Key Parameters - **Payment settings** (when you pay): **Automatic payments** — costs charged after ads run; **Manual payments** — pay before ads run, ads stop when credit is used up (not available in many countries, including the United States and Canada); **Monthly invoicing** — Google extends a line of credit, billed monthly. - **Payment threshold** (automatic payments): you're charged on the 1st of each month *or* whenever costs hit the threshold. Each time you hit it before month-end, the threshold rises (e.g., $50 → $200 → $350 → $500). You are **not notified** when it increases — monitor **Billing → Summary → "Next automatic payment" card**. - **Monthly invoicing eligibility**: registered as a business for a minimum of one year; active Google Ads account in good standing for a minimum of 6 months; spending a minimum of $5,000 a month (varies by country) for any 3 of the last 12 months. - **Switching payment settings**: **Billing → Settings → "How you pay"** shows a "Switch to automatic" or "Switch to manual" button if eligible. Switching automatic→manual is only possible where manual is still offered; once you leave manual in a country where it's withdrawn, you can't go back. - **Making payments**: manual accounts use **Add funds**; automatic accounts use **Make an optional payment** (reduces or delays the next automatic charge). Bank-account payments take up to 7 days to clear; cards clear almost immediately. ## When To Use - Set up the account *before* building campaigns, and add at least one extra Admin immediately — single-admin accounts risk losing tag access if that user becomes unavailable. - Use an MCC if you're an agency, manage multiple accounts, need monthly invoicing, or exceed the 20-accounts-per-email limit. - On manual payments, fund roughly **30× the cumulative average daily budgets** of your campaigns so ads don't stop; a low-balance email arrives at about 7 days of remaining budget. - Grant the lowest sufficient access level: Read-only for analysts, Standard for campaign managers, Billing for finance, Admin only for owners. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Wrong time zone or billing country at sign-up** distorts all reporting and billing — choose carefully; these are effectively locked in. - **Declined payments stop ads.** Set up a backup payment method; on automatic payments a declined primary card halts serving until resolved (see [[concepts/account-suspensions]] for billing-related suspensions). A declined bank payment can delay subsequent payments up to 7 days — use a card to restart immediately. - **Threshold surprise:** automatic-payment charges can land multiple times a month as thresholds ratchet up, and may slightly exceed the threshold if costs accrue quickly. - **MCC ownership confusion:** a manager account can't change a client's sign-in info, and without ownership it can't manage the client's users — the child-account admin must grant ownership. - Manual payments made close to an automatic charge date can result in being charged twice. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/bidding]] — budgets and spend mechanics that drive what you're billed - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — billing and payment suspensions - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — advertiser verification and policy compliance - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — the measurement setup offered during sign-up - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — choosing your first campaign after setup - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — typical first campaign type ## Sources - raw/web_community-create-a-google-ads-account-how-to-sign-up-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-your-account-organization-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-access-levels-in-your-google-ads-account-google-ads-he.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-manager-accounts-mcc-about-google-ads-manager-accounts-googl.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-payment-settings-in-google-ads-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-make-a-payment-for-automatic-or-manual-payments-accounts-goo.md (support.google.com, high) --- title: "Account Suspensions" type: concept tags: [suspension, policy, enforcement, billing, appeals, troubleshooting, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-overview-advertising-policies.md", "raw/web_community-billing-and-payment-suspensions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-resolve-a-declined-payment-in-google-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-abusing-the-ad-network-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-misrepresentation-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-what-advertisers-need-to-know.md"] --- # Account Suspensions ## Definition An account suspension stops every ad in a Google Ads account from running and blocks the advertiser from advertising with Google until (and unless) the account is reinstated on appeal. Suspension is the top rung of the enforcement ladder described in [[concepts/policies-enforcement]]; it applies globally, extends to related accounts, and is "considered permanent unless the appeal is submitted and the account is successfully reinstated." ## How It Works **Suspension types.** 1. **Egregious policy violations** — immediate suspension, *without prior warning*, and "you will not be allowed to advertise with us again." Reserved for violations "so serious that it is unlawful or poses significant harm to our users or our digital advertising ecosystem." The egregious policy list (verbatim): **Circumventing systems, Coordinated deceptive practices, Counterfeit, Malicious software, Prescription opioid painkillers, Promotion of unauthorized pharmacies, Unacceptable business practices, Trade sanctions violation, Sexually explicit content, Child sexual abuse and exploitation.** 2. **Repeat violations (strike system)** — no strike for the first violation; maximum **3 strikes per policy**; penalties escalate: temporary account holds of **3 days (first strike)** and **7 days (second strike)**, with the **third strike resulting in account suspension**. For violations leading to suspension Google sends a warning **at least 7 days before** acting, with the violation and remedial action explained. 3. **Billing and payment suspensions** — the account-level reasons (verbatim): *Unpaid balance or concerns about future payments* (including payment-method issues or declined payments), *Suspicious payment activity*, *Requesting a chargeback* (reversing a charge against a legitimate balance), and *Promotional code abuse* (selling codes or using more than one code per account). Note the lighter variant: the account may instead be **temporarily paused** and an admin asked to confirm the payment method or make a small payment — that is not a suspension, and only admin users can complete the unpause challenge. 4. **Other temporary suspensions** — *Unauthorized account activity* (Google suspends to protect against unauthorized charges; submit the compromised-account form, change your password, check signed-in devices), *Age requirements on Google Accounts* (you must give your own age, not your business's), and *Ad Grants policy* issues. **What triggers policy suspensions.** The two policy families that most often produce egregious suspensions: - **Circumventing systems / Abusing the ad network** — practices that "circumvent or interfere with Google's advertising systems," malicious software, compromised sites, unwanted software, unfair advantage, evasive ad content (manipulating text/image/video/domains to bypass detection), and web-search spam. - **Misrepresentation — Unacceptable business practices / Coordinated deceptive practices** — scamming users by hiding or misrepresenting your business; faking endorsement by another brand or government; offering products you can't deliver or lack licenses for; impersonation; concealing identity/country of origin in political or social-issue content. Non-egregious misrepresentation strands (misleading representation, dishonest pricing, clickbait, misleading ad design, manipulated media, unreliable claims, unavailable offers) feed the strike ladder instead. **What a suspended account can still do.** Suspended accounts are **read-only**, with these exceptions (verbatim list): Account settings (cancel account, claim refunds); Billing options (make a payment, download tax documents, add a payment method); Appeals and verification (appeal suspension, advertiser verification); Security settings; navigating any page; reading and downloading reports. Notification arrives by email (listing all violated policies plus an appeal link) and an in-account banner. Related accounts — same payment method, same email, or same manager account — are suspended too, and new accounts you create are auto-suspended; reinstate first, then create. **Appeal path.** Click **Contact Us** in the in-account notification → appeal form opens with relevant policy info; status shows "Appeal pending" while processing; outcome arrives by email; if rejected you can re-appeal. Rules and thresholds: - At least **6 months** from suspension date to submit an appeal — but appeal early while you can still reconstruct events (Search Engine Land, medium confidence). - Submit **one appeal at a time**; appeal misuse suspends processing of appeals for **7 days**. - Selected advertisers must pass **advertiser verification**; after **3 failed identity attempts** they may not appeal at all. - Billing/payment appeals may require **payment-method verification within 30 days**: request a verification code (a temporary charge ≤ **$1.95 USD**, refunded within 30 days; last **6 digits** of the charge are the code — UI path **Admin → Policy → Account** → "Confirm your payment method" → **Start task → Verify → Get code → Submit code**), make a payment, or upload documents (legal name, address, date of birth, government ID, proof of address, image of payment method; color images, all 4 corners, not expired). Verification updates come from payments-noreply@google.com. - Accounts suspended only because other accounts verified with the same identity documents were suspended are **automatically reinstated** once those accounts win their appeals. - "Accounts are only reinstated in compelling circumstances, such as in the case of a mistake" — be thorough, accurate, and honest; explain context per violated policy (e.g., for cloaking, why Google saw different content; for phishing, prove the brand partnership). EU advertisers have extra Digital Services Act options. **Declined payments (pre-suspension).** Your bank or card company declines payments, not Google. Details (date, amount, reason if available) appear in the **Billing Summary**. Ads may stop until payment clears — some qualifying accounts keep serving briefly after a decline. Add a **backup payment method** (charged only if the primary declines). Per Search Engine Land (medium): billing/payment issues must be fixed **within 30 days** of suspension. Canceling an account charges the balance due within 60 days. ## Key Parameters - 7-day pre-suspension warning (non-egregious) / zero warning (egregious) - 3 strikes per policy; holds of 3 and 7 days, then suspension - ≥6 months to appeal; 1 appeal at a time; 3 verification attempts; 30-day payment verification window - Suspensions apply globally, to all locations and related accounts ## When To Use Read this page the moment the red suspension banner appears — before touching the appeal form. Identify the suspension type from the notification email first; the fix differs completely between billing, compromised-account, and policy suspensions. Use [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] to route the case. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Creating a new account is the worst move** — it gets auto-suspended and reads as circumventing systems, itself an egregious violation. - Spamming appeals freezes appeal processing for 7 days and signals misuse. - Per the Search Engine Land guide (Sophie Logan, March 2026 — medium confidence, attributed): egregious appeals effectively get *one* good chance, so fix business practices before appealing; Google said in November 2025 it cut incorrect suspensions by over 80% and resolves 99% of suspensions within 24 hours, but advertisers still report long appeal waits; linked Merchant Center accounts can be swept up and are lifted when the original suspension resolves. - Chargebacks against legitimate Google Ads balances trigger suspension — dispute charges through Google support instead. - Don't conflate a temporary payment-verification *pause* with a suspension; the pause clears via the Admin → Policy → Account tasks. - If you qualify for a refund after suspension, you must cancel the account to receive it. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — the enforcement ladder below suspension - [[concepts/account-setup]] — account/payment structures that create "related account" linkage - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — practitioner experience with appeals - [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] — step-by-step triage ## Sources - raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-overview-advertising-policies.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-billing-and-payment-suspensions-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-resolve-a-declined-payment-in-google-ads-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-abusing-the-ad-network-advertising-policies-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-misrepresentation-advertising-policies-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-what-advertisers-need-to-know.md (Search Engine Land, Sophie Logan, 2026-03-23 — medium, attributed) --- title: "The Ad Auction, Ad Rank & Quality Score" type: concept tags: [ad-auction, ad-rank, quality-score, search, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-auction-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-ad-rank-definition-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-quality-score-for-search-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md"] --- # The Ad Auction, Ad Rank & Quality Score ## Definition The ad auction is the process that happens with each Google search to decide which ads appear for that specific search, in what order — or whether any ads show at all. Ad Rank is the set of values that decides eligibility and position in that auction. Quality Score is a separate 1–10 *diagnostic* metric at the keyword level that tells you how your ad quality compares to other advertisers — explicitly **not** an input to the auction itself. ## How It Works **The auction, step by step:** 1. When someone searches, the Google Ads system finds all ads whose keywords match that search (see [[concepts/keywords-matching]]). 2. The system ignores ads that aren't eligible — for example, ads that target a different country or are disapproved for a policy violation ([[concepts/policies-enforcement]]). 3. Of the remaining ads, only those with a sufficiently high **Ad Rank** may show. The auction repeats for **every search**, so results differ with the competition at that moment — fluctuation in position, and in whether your ad shows at all, is normal. **Ad Rank** is calculated from many factors: your bid amount, the quality of your ads and landing page, the **Ad Rank thresholds** (minimum quality bars), the competitiveness of the auction, the context of the person's search (location, device, time of search, the nature of the search terms, the other ads and search results on the page, and other user signals and attributes), and the expected impact of assets and other ad formats (relevance, clickthrough rates, and prominence of those assets — see [[concepts/ads-assets]]). Ad Rank is computed **twice in each auction**: first to determine whether your ad is eligible to show at all, then a second time to rank it against other eligible ads. The headline implication, verbatim from Google: "even if your competition bids higher than you, you can still win a higher position — at a lower price — with highly relevant keywords and ads." Higher-quality, more relevant ads typically lead to lower costs and better ad positions. In [[entities/performance-max]] campaigns, when a user's query isn't identical to an eligible Search keyword (including the spell-corrected term), the campaign or ad with the highest Ad Rank is selected. **Quality Score** is calculated from the combined performance of 3 components: - **Expected clickthrough rate (CTR)** — the likelihood that your ad will be clicked when shown. - **Ad relevance** — how closely your ad matches the intent behind a user's search. - **Landing page experience** — how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad. Each component gets a status of **"Above average," "Average," or "Below average"**, based on comparison with other advertisers whose ads showed for the *exact same search* over the **last 90 days**. Because the score is based on historical impressions for exact searches of your keyword, **changing keyword match types will not impact Quality Score**. A "—" in the column means there aren't enough exactly-matching searches to compute a score. ## Key Parameters - **Quality Score scale**: 1–10, reported per keyword. - **Component statuses**: Above average / Average / Below average; "Average" or "Below average" flags an improvement opportunity. - **Where to check**: **Keywords within the Campaigns menu → columns icon → "Modify columns for keywords" → Quality score section**, adding columns for Quality Score, Landing Page Exp., Exp. CTR, and Ad Relevance — plus their "(hist.)" variants for past values (segment by day for daily changes). - **Ad Rank inputs** (summary): bid, ad/landing-page quality, Ad Rank thresholds, auction competitiveness, search context, expected asset impact. - Quality Score does **not** capture everything quality-related: device, user location, time of day, and assets affect auction-time ad quality but not the reported score. ## When To Use - Use Quality Score as a **triage tool** when CPCs feel high or impression share is low: a "Below average" component points to what to fix — ad copy (ad relevance), creative testing and tighter ad groups (expected CTR), or page speed/relevance/usefulness (landing page experience). - Reference Ad Rank mechanics when deciding between raising bids ([[concepts/bidding]]) and improving relevance — quality improvements can buy position more cheaply than bid increases. - Check component history after restructuring ad groups or rewriting ads to confirm the change moved the right lever. - When diagnosing "my ad isn't showing," remember step 2: policy disapprovals and targeting mismatches knock you out *before* Ad Rank matters (see [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]]). ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Optimizing Quality Score as a KPI.** Google is explicit: "Quality Score is not a key performance indicator and should not be optimized or aggregated with the rest of your data," and "Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction." Chasing a 10/10 instead of conversions inverts the goal. - **Confusing Quality Score with auction-time ad quality.** The auction uses real-time quality signals per query; the visible score is a coarse 90-day diagnostic. - **Expecting stable positions.** Each auction is independent; position fluctuates with competition and context by design. - **Switching match types to fix Quality Score** — it has no effect, since the score keys on exact searches of the keyword. - **Ignoring assets**: the expected impact of assets and ad formats is an Ad Rank factor, so a bare ad competes at a disadvantage against ads with sitelinks, callouts, and images. - A broad match keyword can display a Quality Score with zero impressions if a corresponding exact match keyword in the same ad group had impressions in the last 90 days — don't over-read it. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — what gets you into the auction - [[concepts/bidding]] — the bid component of Ad Rank - [[concepts/ads-assets]] — assets' expected impact on Ad Rank - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — disapprovals that block eligibility - [[concepts/optimization]] — acting on Quality Score diagnostics - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — where the auction is most visible - [[entities/performance-max]] — Ad Rank-based selection for non-identical queries ## Sources - raw/web_community-auction-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-ad-rank-definition-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-quality-score-for-search-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) --- title: "Responsive Search Ads, Ad Strength & Assets" type: concept tags: [responsive-search-ads, ad-strength, assets, sitelinks, callouts, image-assets, search] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-responsive-search-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-ad-strength-for-responsive-search-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-assets-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-sitelink-assets-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-callout-assets-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-image-assets-for-search-campaigns-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Responsive Search Ads, Ad Strength & Assets ## Definition A responsive search ad (RSA) — the standard Search ad format — takes multiple headlines and descriptions and lets Google Ads test combinations to find what performs best per query. Ad Strength is the "Incomplete / Poor / Average / Good / Excellent" feedback rating on an RSA's asset mix. Assets (formerly extensions) are the content pieces that build out the served ad: headlines, descriptions, sitelinks, callouts, images, calls, locations, prices, promotions, and more. ## How It Works **RSA assembly.** You provide a minimum of 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, up to **15 headlines and 4 descriptions**. Google Ads assembles combinations (avoiding redundancy), shows at least one headline and one description per ad, bolds text matching the user's query, and learns which combinations work for which queries. Limits: headlines **30 characters**, descriptions **90 characters**, paths **15 characters** (double-width languages like Korean, Japanese, Chinese count each character as 2). **Enhanced flexibility** lets headline text serve at the start of the description, and up to 2 unused headlines serve as link-based assets in the space previously reserved for sitelinks — even borrowed from another RSA in the same ad group (sensitive verticals excluded). **Pinning.** By default assets appear in any order. Pinning locks a headline/description to a position: content pinned to **Headline position 1, Headline position 2, or Description position 1 will always show**; Headline 3 and Description 2 positions are not guaranteed. Text that must appear in every ad (e.g., a legal disclaimer) must therefore be pinned to H1, H2, or D1. Pinning reduces testable combinations, so it "isn't recommended for most advertisers and can affect ad strength" — if you must pin, pin 2–3 variants to the same position. **Ad Strength** has two components: the overall rating (Incomplete → Poor → Average → Good → Excellent) and specific action items. It measures how well your creative combinations match the keywords in your ad group — asset–keyword relevance, headline/description quantity and diversity, and **sitelink sufficiency (6 or more sitelinks across account, campaign, or ad group level)**. Crucially, "the Ad strength rating of an ad doesn't directly influence your ad's serving eligibility" — it's pre-flight feedback, not an auction input (compare Quality Score in [[concepts/ad-auction]]). "Incomplete" usually means a missing final URL, missing ad group, or no keywords in the ad group. **The assets system.** Assets are free to add; you're charged as usual for clicks (call button, app download, sitelink — same CPC as a headline click), with two exceptions: seller-rating clicks are free, and Google charges **no more than two clicks per impression** per ad and its assets. Assets only show when (a) they're predicted to improve performance and (b) your Ad Rank is high enough — higher positions get more asset space. Google notes the incremental cost of adding assets is often lower than the incremental cost of moving up a position: more clicks for less money. Manage everything under **Assets within the Campaigns menu** ("Association" table view to edit, schedule, pause, or remove). ## Key Parameters - **Sitelinks**: link text limited to **25 characters** (12 in double-width languages); need at least 2 to show; desktop shows up to 6, mobile up to 8 in a carousel; video ads up to 4. Sitelinks at all levels of the same account > campaign > ad group "branch" can serve *together*. Same/similar sitelink text won't serve together. Descriptions are optional but unlock larger formats. - **Callouts**: 25 characters (12 double-width); up to 10 can show; non-clickable text snippets ("Free shipping", "24/7 customer support"). Unlike sitelinks, more-granular callouts *block* higher levels: a single ad-group callout stops campaign-level callouts from serving. - **Image assets**: up to 20 per campaign; **square (1x1) required** (min 300x300, recommended 1200x1200), landscape (1.91x1) optional (min 600x314, recommended 1200x628); PNG/JPG, max 5120 KB; keep content in the central 80%. Eligibility: account open at least 60 days, good policy compliance history, active campaigns, active text ads with Search spend in the last 30 days, non-sensitive vertical. - **Performance benchmarks** (Google internal data): improving Ad Strength Poor → Excellent ≈ **15% more conversions**; adding a 2nd RSA ≈ +6.6% conversions, a 3rd ≈ +3.7% at similar cost per conversion; 6 sitelinks per campaign ≈ up to +3.5% conversions; image assets ≈ +6% CTR. ## When To Use - In every Search ad group ([[entities/search-campaigns]]): at least **2 RSAs with "Good" or "Excellent" Ad Strength and a unique final URL each**, headlines that include your keywords ([[concepts/keywords-matching]]), and maximum unique headlines/descriptions. - Add **4 or more asset types** relevant to your goal: sitelinks/callouts/structured snippets for website conversions, call assets for phone contact, location assets for store visits, promotion assets for sales, lead form assets for sign-ups. - Create sitelinks and callouts at the **account level first** for coverage, with general text high in the hierarchy ("24/7 phone support") and specific text at ad group level ("20% off cameras"); add **4+ unique images** with both aspect ratios. - Schedule assets (e.g., call assets to business hours) via Advanced options start/end dates and day/time schedules. - Keep callout text short and concrete: "Free shipping" beats "We have free shipping"; "34 MPG max mileage" beats "Great fuel economy." ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Headlines serving in any combination**: each must stand alone — assets can appear in any order, and combinations must make sense and stay policy-compliant ([[concepts/policies-enforcement]]). - **Unpinned disclaimers**: legally required text not pinned to H1/H2/D1 may simply not show; Description position 2 may also be truncated when an image asset serves. - **Over-pinning** suppresses unpinned assets entirely if all positions are pinned, and degrades Ad Strength. - **Treating Ad Strength as a quality gate** — it doesn't affect serving eligibility; a "Poor" ad still serves. Conversely, don't expect assets to always show: disapproved assets don't serve, and low Ad Rank hides them even when approved. - **Callout hierarchy surprise**: one stray ad-group callout silently disables your campaign-level callouts. - **Asset clicks cost money** — budget for up to 2 billed clicks per impression ([[concepts/bidding]]). - Editing or removing headlines/descriptions changes which combinations serve and can disturb performance; stats don't reset for sitelink/callout edits, but ad-level edits restart learning. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — assets' expected impact is an Ad Rank factor; Quality Score vs Ad Strength - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — keyword relevance drives both Ad Strength and Quality Score - [[concepts/bidding]] — how asset clicks are charged - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — ad and asset review/disapprovals - [[concepts/optimization]] — asset reports and combination reports - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — primary home of RSAs - [[entities/performance-max]] — asset groups and shared sitelink behavior ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-responsive-search-ads-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-ad-strength-for-responsive-search-ads-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-assets-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-sitelink-assets-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-callout-assets-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-image-assets-for-search-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) --- title: "Attribution & Privacy-Safe Measurement" type: concept tags: [measurement, attribution, privacy, enhanced-conversions, consent-mode, advanced] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-enhanced-conversions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-set-up-enhanced-conversions-for-web-using-the-google-tag-goo.md", "raw/web_community-about-attribution-models-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-offline-conversion-imports-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-consent-mode-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Attribution & Privacy-Safe Measurement ## Definition This page covers the layer of Google Ads measurement that sits on top of basic [[concepts/conversion-tracking]]: *attribution models* decide how much credit each ad interaction gets for a conversion; *enhanced conversions*, *offline conversion imports*, and *consent mode* recover or model conversion signal that cookies alone can no longer capture, using hashed first-party data and consent-aware tagging. ## How It Works **Enhanced conversions (concept).** Enhanced conversions supplements existing conversion tags by sending hashed first-party conversion data (email, name, home address, phone) to Google, hashed with the one-way **SHA256** algorithm before sending. The hashed data is matched to signed-in Google accounts that engaged with your ads. Two variants: - **Enhanced conversions for web** — for sales/events that happen *on* your website; improves online conversion measurement. - **Enhanced conversions for leads** — for sales that happen *off* the website from website leads (e.g., an online inquiry closed later); hashed lead data plus imports attribute offline outcomes back to the campaign. **Enhanced conversions for web — setup (Google tag).** UI path: **Settings** within the **Goals** icon → expand "Enhanced conversions" → check **"Turn on enhanced conversions"** → agree to the customer data terms (the Google Ads Data Processing Terms apply) → choose the method dropdown → "Google tag." Data capture options on the Tag details screen: 1. **Automatically detect user-provided data** — minimal effort, works for most advertisers; exclusions possible via "Add exclusions" 2. **Specify CSS selectors or Javascript variables** — right-click the data on your conversion page → Inspect → Copy → Selector → paste into Google Ads 3. **Add a code snippet** — `gtag('set', 'user_data', {...})` on the conversion page; most accurate; code-snippet data is always prioritized and methods can be combined Field rules (verbatim): at least one of **email (preferred)**, or **address (first name, last name, postal code, and country required)**; phone number only *with* email or full name and address. Normalization before hashing: remove leading/trailing whitespace, lowercase, phone in **E.164 format** (11–15 digits with + prefix and country code, no dashes/parentheses/spaces), strip periods before the domain in gmail.com/googlemail.com addresses; hash with **hex SHA256**. Up to 3 values for email/phone and 2 addresses may be sent as arrays. Validate via Chrome DevTools → Network tab → request to `googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/` → look for an `em` parameter starting with `tv.1~em` followed by a hash (empty `tv.1~em` means the parameter fired with no data). A **Diagnostics** report appears under Goals → Summary → conversion action about 72 hours after implementation; impact results appear after ~30 days. **Attribution models.** Attribution models choose how credit for a conversion is split across the ad interactions on the path. Only two are supported: **Last click** (all credit to the last-clicked ad and keyword) and **Data-driven** (credit distributed using your account's own data; the default for most conversion actions). *First click, linear, time decay, and position-based models are no longer supported* — actions using them were upgraded to data-driven. The model set per conversion action affects the "Conversions" and "All conversions" columns and therefore any Smart Bidding strategy optimizing on them (Target CPA, ECPC, Target ROAS). Compare models in the **Model comparison** report (Goals menu → **Attribution** → **Model comparison**), using "Cost / conv." and "Conv. value / cost" to find keywords undervalued on a last-click basis. Changing a model only affects counting going forward; "(current model)" columns let you restate history. With cross-account conversion tracking, set the model in the manager account. **Offline conversion imports.** When an ad starts a journey that closes offline (in your office, over the phone), you import the outcome. Classic flow: Google Ads issues a unique **GCLID** (Google Click ID) per ad click; you store it with the lead, then upload it back with conversion type and time when the deal closes. Google now recommends **enhanced conversions for leads** instead — an upgraded import that adds hashed user-provided data to GCLIDs, configured entirely in Google Ads via **Data Manager**, enabling engaged-view and cross-device conversions. Advertisers using first-party data alongside GCLIDs saw a *median 10% increase in conversions* versus standard imports. Deadline: starting **June 15, 2026**, offline conversion imports and enhanced-conversions-for-leads uploads migrate to the Data Manager API and are blocked in the Google Ads API; and starting **April 2026**, enhanced conversions for web and leads merge into a single on/off setting. **Consent mode.** Consent mode communicates users' cookie/app-identifier consent status to Google so tags adjust behavior; it is *not* a consent banner — it interacts with yours. Two implementations: - **Basic**: Google tags are blocked until the user interacts with the banner; if consent is denied, *no data is sent at all*. Conversion modeling falls back to a general model. - **Advanced**: tags load immediately with defaults set to denied, send **cookieless pings** (consent state, key event, and Analytics pings carrying timestamp, user agent, referrer, ad-click presence, consent booleans) while denied, and full data once granted. Enables an advertiser-specific model — better modeling than basic. Modeling requires meeting a data-collection threshold; uplift reporting appears after at least 7 full days. ## Key Parameters - Attribution model per conversion action: **Last click** or **Data-driven** (default) - Enhanced conversions data source method: Google tag / Tag Manager / API — data sent via a method other than the one selected **is not processed** - Consent types: `ad_storage`, `analytics_storage`; the ads cookie used by automatic/CSS collection respects `ad_storage` status - Match keys: email, phone (E.164), name + address; GCLID for offline imports ## When To Use Turn on enhanced conversions whenever your conversion pages collect customer data — it is the standard accuracy upgrade. Use enhanced conversions for leads (not bare GCLID import) for any lead-gen business closing offline. Implement consent mode (advanced if you can) wherever EU user consent rules or similar apply. Prefer data-driven attribution unless you have a specific reason to hold last click; test via Model comparison before switching bids. ## Risks & Pitfalls - GA-imported goal conversions **don't support enhanced conversions** — create a Google tag/Tag Manager action instead. - URL-based (codeless) conversions only support the CSS-selector/JavaScript or automatic enhanced-conversions methods. - Sending a field as an empty value breaks matching — remove unused fields entirely from the snippet. - Customer data must be present *when the conversion tag fires*; data collected on an earlier page must be carried forward. - Basic consent mode discards all signal from non-consenting users; expect a reporting gap filled only by general-model estimates. - Turning enhanced conversions off stops bidding/reporting use but does not delete existing data. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — the base layer these features enhance - [[concepts/bidding]] — attribution choice changes what Smart Bidding optimizes - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — customer data policies and consent obligations - [[syntheses/measurement-setup-recipe]] — recommended setup order ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-enhanced-conversions-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-set-up-enhanced-conversions-for-web-using-the-google-tag-goo.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-attribution-models-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-offline-conversion-imports-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-consent-mode-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Audiences, Location Targeting & Ad Scheduling" type: concept tags: [audiences, remarketing, your-data, location-targeting, ad-scheduling, targeting] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-audience-segments-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-your-data-segments-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-target-ads-to-geographic-locations-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-ad-scheduling-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Audiences, Location Targeting & Ad Scheduling ## Definition Targeting controls *who* sees your ads and *where and when* they see them. Audience segments reach people based on who they are, their interests and habits, what they're actively researching, or how they've interacted with your business ("your data" segments — the new name for remarketing). Location targeting restricts ads to selected geographies; ad scheduling restricts them to chosen days and hours, optionally with bid adjustments. ## How It Works **Audience segments.** For Display, Search, Video, Hotel and Standard Shopping campaigns, audiences are made up of segments — groups of people with specific interests, intents, and demographics as estimated by Google from activity on Google products and third-party websites. Terminology note: "audience types" are now called **audience segments**, and "remarketing" is now **"your data"**. Reporting lives under **Audiences within the Campaigns menu**. The segment types: - **Affinity segments** — passions, habits and interests (e.g., /Sports & Fitness/Health & Fitness Buffs). - **In-market segments** — recent purchase intent; consumers close to completing a purchase. - **Life events** — milestones like graduating, moving, marrying; infrequent, but larger than in-market because one event drives many purchases. - **Detailed demographics** — long-term life facts (college students, homeowners, new parents). - **Custom segments** — you define the segment with keywords, URLs, and apps (e.g., "Avid Marathon Runners" instead of the broad Sports Fans affinity). Not available for Search. - **Your data segments** — website and app visitors, Customer Match (uploaded CRM contact lists, matched to signed-in users), YouTube engagers, lead-form submitters, and Google-engaged audiences (auto-created). Lookalike segments (built from a "seed" list) are only available in Demand Gen campaigns. Availability varies by campaign type: Search supports affinity, detailed demographics, in-market, and your data — but **not** custom segments or life events; Display, Video and Demand Gen support all types. **Manual vs optimized targeting.** With manual targeting, ads reach only people you specify. With optimized targeting — and always in [[entities/performance-max]], where audience selections are just **audience signals** — your selections become starting signals and ads may serve to people outside them if they're likely to convert. Each campaign and ad group (or asset group in Performance Max) can include only **one audience at a time** (an audience may contain several segments). Exclusions are only possible for your data segments and custom segments. **Location targeting.** Three levels: **countries**, **areas within a country** (regions, cities, postal codes), and a **radius** around a location (minimum 1 km; not available for Hotel campaigns). The default behavior, broad geo targeting (**"Presence or Interest"**), reaches people in *or interested in* your locations; **"Presence"** restricts to people physically there — use it for sensitive verticals or strict service areas. Targeting is signal-based (user settings, devices, behavior) and "100% accuracy is not guaranteed." Setup: **Locations within the Campaigns menu → blue pencil icon → Select a campaign**; bulk lists accept up to 1,000 locations at a time. **Ad scheduling.** Campaigns default to **"All day."** An ad schedule limits eligibility to chosen hours/days and can attach bid adjustments that raise or lower bids for specific times. Scheduling is not compatible with App campaigns. Crucially, with ad schedules **campaigns still pace toward a monthly spend of 30.4 times your average daily budget regardless of how many days the campaign is active** — see [[concepts/bidding]] for budget pacing and overdelivery. ## Key Parameters - **One audience per ad group/asset group**; editable any time. - **Audience data refresh**: weekly, 30-day lookback; Search data refreshes 1–2 weeks into the following month with a 3-year lookback. - **Radius minimum**: 1 km; locations below privacy thresholds (minimum area/user counts) can't be targeted at all. - **Presence or Interest vs Presence**: advertisers in Travel, Real Estate, and Education who switched from "Presence" to "Presence or Interest" saw +5% conversions on Search (Google internal data, 2022). - **Bid interaction across campaigns**: the auction selects the highest *effective* bid — a $5 base bid with no audience multiplier beats a $2 base bid with a +100% audience multiplier. - **Ad schedule pacing**: monthly spend target = 30.4 × average daily budget, independent of scheduled days. ## When To Use - Layer **your data segments** on [[entities/search-campaigns]] (formerly RLSA) to re-engage past visitors doing follow-up searches, or cart abandoners on Display. - Use **in-market** when optimizing for conversions from likely buyers; **affinity** for awareness; **custom segments** on Display/Video/Demand Gen when prebuilt segments are too broad. - Target **all locations you serve, not where you sit** — an e-commerce business should target everywhere it ships. - Keep language and location consistent (English ads for English targeting in England). - Schedule ads to business hours only when someone must answer inquiries (calls, live chat); otherwise leave "All day" and let bidding allocate. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Expecting audience signals to limit Performance Max** — they speed up learning but never restrict serving. - **Small radius or tiny locations** may cause ads to show intermittently or not at all. - **City-name ambiguity**: enter the country/state too — Paris, Texas vs Paris, France. - **Targeting away from home means you won't see your own ad** on Google.com; use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool instead. - **Apple ATT impact**: website, app, and Customer Match segments may be degraded on iOS 14+ traffic, including exclusions — see [[concepts/attribution-privacy]]. - **Scheduling doesn't cut spend proportionally** — the 30.4× monthly pacing means fewer active days concentrate budget, not reduce it. - Cutting days/hours where no one searches your keywords does nothing — ads weren't showing anyway. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/bidding]] — bid adjustments, budget pacing and overdelivery - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — the intent layer audiences sit on top of - [[concepts/attribution-privacy]] — consent and tracking limits affecting your-data segments - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — required for optimized targeting to learn - [[entities/display-campaigns]] — primary home of audience-first targeting - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] — lookalike segments - [[entities/performance-max]] — audience signals model ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-audience-segments-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-your-data-segments-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-target-ads-to-geographic-locations-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-ad-scheduling-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) --- title: "Bidding & Budgets" type: concept tags: [bidding, smart-bidding, target-cpa, target-roas, budgets, overdelivery, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-determine-a-bid-strategy-based-on-your-goals-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-automated-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-smart-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-target-cpa-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-target-roas-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-maximize-conversions-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-maximize-conversion-value-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-maximize-clicks-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-manual-cpc-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-average-daily-budgets-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-overdelivery-and-your-average-daily-budget-google-ads-.md", "raw/web_community-set-and-change-an-average-daily-budget-for-your-campaign-com.md", "raw/web_community-the-pros-cons-of-every-automated-bidding-strategy-in-google.md"] --- # Bidding & Budgets ## Definition A bid strategy tells Google Ads how to compete in each auction; the average daily budget caps how much a campaign spends. Choose by goal: conversions or conversion value → **Smart Bidding** (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value); traffic → Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC; visibility → Target Impression Share / vCPM; video views → CPV. Smart Bidding is the subset of automated bidding that uses "auction-time bidding" — Google AI sets a bid for every individual query. ## How It Works **Automated vs Smart Bidding.** Automated bidding removes manual bid updates: Google sets bids based on the ad's likelihood to produce a click or conversion. Smart Bidding adds auction-time signals — device, location, location intent, time of day, remarketing list, language, operating system, browser, the actual search query, and more — to tailor a bid per auction. As WordStream puts it: all Smart Bidding strategies are automated, but not all automated strategies are Smart Bidding (Maximize Clicks and Target Impression Share are automated but not conversion-based). Note: Enhanced CPC (ECPC) was deprecated for Search and Display effective the week of March 31, 2025; unmigrated campaigns are effectively using Manual CPC. **The conversion strategies.** Target fields are now layered onto the Maximize strategies in Search: "Maximize conversions with a set target CPA behaves like a Target CPA strategy" and "Maximize conversion value with a set target ROAS will behave like a Target ROAS strategy." Without a target, both Maximize strategies aim to spend your full budget. - **Target CPA** — you set a desired average cost per conversion; some conversions cost more, some less, averaging to target. Usable with no conversion history. Recommended target = your average CPA from the last 30 days, adjusted for conversion delays. - **Target ROAS** — bids to a conversion-value-per-cost ratio. Example: you want $5 in sales per $1 spend → $5 ÷ $1 × 100% = **500% target ROAS**. Requires conversion *values*; Search/Shopping need **at least 15 conversions in the past 30 days**; Demand Gen needs 50 conversions in 35 days (10 in past 7 days) or 100 account-wide; Video Action 30/30 days; App campaigns 10/day. Set the target at or below historical Conv. value/cost × 100. - **Maximize conversions / Maximize conversion value** — spend the budget for the most conversions (count) or most value respectively. Both require conversion tracking; value bidding requires transaction-specific values. - **Maximize Clicks** — most clicks within budget; supports an optional **maximum CPC bid limit** cap. Does not optimize toward impression share. - **Manual CPC** — you set max CPC at ad group level (default bid) or per keyword/placement. Actual cost can exceed your max CPC with bid adjustments or Search Partners manual bidding. **Bid adjustments mostly don't apply** under Smart Bidding: with Target ROAS, Maximize conversions, and Maximize conversion value, existing bid adjustments aren't used — the one exception is a device bid adjustment of **-100%** (to exclude a device). Under Target CPA, device adjustments modify the *CPA target* rather than the bid (target $10 with +40% mobile → $14 target on mobile). **Budgets, pacing, overdelivery.** The average daily budget is "the average amount you set... on a per-day basis." Google optimizes spend toward higher-traffic/higher-ROI days, so daily spend fluctuates — but you never pay more than your **daily spending limit (two times your average daily budget)** on any day, or your **monthly spending limit (30.4 times your average daily budget)** in any month (30.4 = 365/12). To convert a monthly budget: $304/month ÷ 30.4 = $10/day. When served costs exceed these limits (**overdelivery**), the excess is not billed; verify via **Campaigns → Insights and reports → Report editor → Billing → Billed cost report**, subtracting "Billed cost" from "Served cost." Edit budgets any time from the Campaigns page Budget column pencil icon. ## Key Parameters - **Target CPA / Target ROAS values** — set vs achieved; compare "Avg. target CPA"/"Avg. target ROAS" columns against actuals in bid strategy reports. - **Evaluation windows**: measure performance over periods with **at least 30 conversions** (50 for Target ROAS), typically a month+; after changing value reporting, wait 4 weeks or 3 conversion cycles. - **Bid limits** on tCPA/tROAS: portfolio strategies only, Search auctions only, and discouraged because they restrict optimization. - **Standard vs portfolio strategy**: single campaign vs shared across campaigns (Tools → Budgets and bidding → Bid strategies). Fewer, larger campaigns with more conversions generally perform better. - **Spending limits**: daily = 2× average daily budget; monthly = 30.4× average daily budget. ## When To Use Match strategy to goal (see [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] for a full decision guide): - **Maximize conversions** — priority is spending the budget, no specific ROI target, conversions worth roughly the same. - **Target CPA** — specific cost-per-action goal, similar conversion values. - **Maximize conversion value** — spend the budget, conversions differ in value, no ROI target. - **Target ROAS** — specific return target with differentiated conversion values. Run tCPA first to establish a baseline before moving to value bidding. - **Maximize Clicks** — traffic goals, consistent budget delivery, or new accounts that don't know what to bid; **Manual CPC** — you know which keywords/placements are profitable and want direct control. - Pair Smart Bidding with broad match keywords ([[concepts/keywords-matching]]) — the bidder sets a per-query bid, so match-type segmentation isn't needed. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **No conversion tracking = no Smart Bidding.** All conversion strategies require [[concepts/conversion-tracking]]; WordStream warns that running Maximize conversions without tracking leads the algorithm to "make bad decisions" (medium confidence, attributed). - **Maximize strategies spend the whole budget by design** — campaigns are "limited by budget" by design, so the "Lost IS (budget)" column is incompatible/misleading. If you're underspending today, switching can increase spend significantly. - **Shared budgets + Maximize conversions**: WordStream notes the strategy will spend the whole shared group's daily budget, not just its share — give such campaigns their own budget (medium confidence). - **CPC creep on Maximize Clicks/Conversions**: set a max CPC bid limit on Maximize Clicks and monitor average CPC (WordStream, medium confidence). - **Targets that are too aggressive throttle volume**: a too-low tCPA forgoes convertible clicks; a too-high tROAS limits traffic. To grow volume, *lower* tROAS gradually; allow 1–2 conversion cycles after target changes. - **Expecting daily budget to be a daily cap** — daily spend can hit 2× budget; only the 30.4× monthly limit is firm. Ad schedules don't reduce the monthly pacing ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]). - Leftover manual bid adjustments give a false sense of control — they're ignored under Smart Bidding (except device -100%). ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — what bids buy: Ad Rank and position - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — prerequisite for all conversion-based strategies - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — broad match + Smart Bidding pairing - [[concepts/account-setup]] — payment thresholds and what you're billed - [[concepts/optimization]] — bid strategy reports, simulators, recommendations - [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] — decision framework - [[entities/performance-max]], [[entities/shopping-campaigns]] — campaign types with their own bidding constraints ## Sources - raw/web_community-determine-a-bid-strategy-based-on-your-goals-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-automated-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-smart-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-target-cpa-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-target-roas-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-maximize-conversions-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-maximize-conversion-value-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-maximize-clicks-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-manual-cpc-bidding-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-average-daily-budgets-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-overdelivery-and-your-average-daily-budget-google-ads-.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-set-and-change-an-average-daily-budget-for-your-campaign-com.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-the-pros-cons-of-every-automated-bidding-strategy-in-google.md (wordstream.com, medium — attributed) --- title: "Conversion Tracking" type: concept tags: [measurement, conversions, google-tag, setup, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-conversion-measurement-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-set-up-your-web-conversions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-the-google-tag-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-create-conversions-from-google-analytics-events-in-google-ad.md"] --- # Conversion Tracking ## Definition Conversion tracking is how Google Ads measures the customer actions you define as valuable — a purchase, sign-up, or phone call — and ties them back to the ad interaction that drove them. You choose what counts as a conversion, Google records it when it happens, and that data feeds reporting, ROI analysis, and [[concepts/bidding]] automation. Without it, Smart Bidding strategies (Maximize Conversions, target CPA, target ROAS) have nothing to optimize toward. ## How It Works **The measurement model.** Setup follows four steps: (1) select the surfaces where conversions happen, (2) select a data source, (3) create conversion actions, (4) finish setup. A *conversion action* is "a specific customer activity that is valuable to your business." The supported surfaces are: - **Website conversions** — purchases, sign-ups, and other on-site actions after an ad interaction - **App conversions** — installs of Android/iOS apps and in-app actions (App Connect bridges web-to-app if you have both) - **Phone call conversions** — calls from ads, calls to a number on your website, and clicks on a number on your mobile site - **Offline conversions** — in-store or CRM outcomes, imported back into Google Ads (see [[concepts/attribution-privacy]]) For most tagged types, the mechanics are: you add a Google tag (code snippet) to your site or app; when a customer clicks your ad (or views your video ad), a temporary cookie is placed on their device; when they complete the defined action, the system recognizes the cookie and records a conversion. Some types need no tag: phone calls from call assets or call-only ads use a Google forwarding number (capturing call duration, start/end time, caller area code), and Google Play app downloads and in-app purchases record automatically. **The Google tag.** The Google tag (gtag.js) — formerly the "global site tag," all of which were converted automatically — is a single tag with one tag ID that you install once across your entire website and connect to multiple destinations (Google Ads, Google Analytics, Campaign Manager 360). It automatically measures conversions and campaign performance in Google Ads and page views/clicks/scrolls in Analytics, and most settings are then configured from the product UIs rather than code. Tag user access is managed in the "Admin" tab, separately from product access. **Web conversion setup (UI path).** Navigate to **Summary** within the **Goals** menu → **+ Create conversion action** → **Conversions on a website** → **Add URL** → enter your domain → **Scan**. The scan detects whether the Google tag is already present or a Google Analytics property exists (linking an existing GA property is recommended). You then pick a conversion category and define the conversion one of two ways: 1. **Conversions with a URL (codeless)** — fastest path; track a page load (match types: "URL is," URL *contains* e.g. "thank-you," URL *starts with* e.g. "confirmation/"). No code required. 2. **Setup manually using code** — required for button/link clicks or when you need value tracking, transaction IDs, or custom parameters; you implement an event snippet via the Google tag or Google Tag Manager. Optional **Conversion settings** per action: Action optimization, Conversion name, Value, Count, Click-through conversion window, Engaged-view conversion window, View-through conversion window, Attribution. Dynamic values (value, transaction ID, currency) can be captured codelessly via CSS selectors copied from Chrome Developer Tools ("Copy Selector" → paste into the "Extraction location" field, Extraction mode = CSS selector). **GA4 event import.** Instead of (or alongside) direct tagging, you can import Google Analytics events as Google Ads conversions. Requirements: link the accounts, turn on auto-tagging, at least a Marketer role in GA plus admin access in Google Ads, and ensure the GCLID (Google Click Identifier) isn't dropped by redirects. An event must be marked as a **key event** in GA (Admin → **Events** under **Data display** → toggle "Mark as key event") before import. Conversions created through the GA interface arrive set as **secondary** — change their action optimization in Google Ads to use them for bidding. Data takes up to 24 hours to appear, and historical pre-import data is excluded. ## Key Parameters - **Count**: "Every" (all conversions per interaction) vs. "One" (one per click) — a leading cause of GA-vs-Ads discrepancies - **Conversion windows**: click-through window configurable between 1 and 90 days (Google Ads cookies expire 90 days after click; GA cookies last up to 2 years) - **Primary vs. secondary actions**: only primary actions populate the "Conversions" column and drive bidding; secondary actions appear in "All conversions" - **Conversion date**: Google Ads attributes the conversion to the date of the *click*, GA to the date of the conversion event ## When To Use Set up conversion tracking before launching any campaign that uses Smart Bidding — it is a prerequisite, not an optimization. Use the codeless URL method for simple page-load goals; use code when you need values or click-level triggers; use GA4 import when Analytics is already the source of truth for site measurement (GA can also capture non-Google Ads traffic, which pure Ads tagging cannot). ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Tag problems silently undercount.** Verify with Google Tag Assistant; check action status under **Goals → Summary** (Status column). With Google Tag Manager, the Conversion Linker tag must be configured. - **Comparing the wrong columns.** "Conversions" (primary only, your counting method) vs. "All conversions" (includes secondary and view-through) vs. GA key-event counts will not match — by design. Invalid-click filtering and the 90-day window also remove conversions GA still shows. - **Consent gaps.** Google requires clear disclosure and legally required consent (including Google's EU user consent policy); without consent you must disable personalized-ads data collection — see [[concepts/attribution-privacy]]. - **API migration deadline.** Starting June 15, 2026, offline conversion imports and enhanced conversions for leads uploads migrate to the Data Manager API and are blocked in the Google Ads API. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/attribution-privacy]] — enhanced conversions, attribution models, consent mode - [[concepts/bidding]] — Smart Bidding consumes conversion data - [[concepts/optimization]] — conversion data drives recommendations and experiments - [[concepts/account-setup]] — account linking and access roles - [[syntheses/measurement-setup-recipe]] — end-to-end setup order ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-conversion-measurement-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-set-up-your-web-conversions-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-the-google-tag-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-create-conversions-from-google-analytics-events-in-google-ad.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Keywords & Match Types" type: concept tags: [keywords, match-types, negative-keywords, keyword-planner, search, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-keyword-matching-options-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-negative-keywords-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-use-keyword-planner-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Keywords & Match Types ## Definition Keywords are words or phrases used to match your ads with the terms people are searching for. The keyword match type dictates how closely a keyword needs to match the user's search query for the ad to be considered for the auction; negative keywords do the opposite, excluding your ads from searches you don't want. Keyword Planner is the built-in research tool for discovering keywords and forecasting their traffic and cost. ## How It Works When a search matches one of your keywords, your ad enters the [[concepts/ad-auction]]. Cost per keyword depends on keyword quality, auction competition, and other factors; each keyword gets a Quality Score based on expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. **The three match types (positive):** - **Broad match** — the default; syntax is simply the keyword (`tennis shoes`). Ads may show on searches *related to* your keyword, including searches that don't contain the direct meaning. To deliver relevant matches it may also consider the user's recent search activities, the content of the landing pages and assets, and other keywords in the ad group to better understand intent. Per Google: "It's critical to use Smart Bidding with broad match" so the system competes only in the right auctions at the right bid (see [[concepts/bidding]]). - **Phrase match** — syntax is quotes (`"tennis shoes"`). Ads may show on searches that *include the meaning* of your keyword; the meaning can be implied, and searches can be a more specific form of it. - **Exact match** — syntax is square brackets (`[red shoe]`). Ads may show on searches with the *same meaning or intent* as the keyword — the most steering, the fewest searches. Broader types are supersets: phrase matches everything exact does, broad matches everything phrase and exact do, plus more — so you don't need to duplicate keywords across match types. Near-duplicate keywords ("red car" vs "car red") are deduplicated; the one with the higher Ad Rank serves, with no cost penalty. **Negative keywords** behave differently from positive types. They do **not** match to close variants or expansions — negative broad match "flowers" blocks "red flowers" but not "red flower" — so you must add synonyms, singular *and* plural forms yourself (casing and misspellings are handled automatically). Semantics: - **Negative broad** (default): blocks only if the search contains *all* keyword terms, in any order. - **Negative phrase**: blocks if the search contains the exact terms in the same order, even with extra words. - **Negative exact**: blocks only the exact terms, same order, no extra words. An **account-level negative keyword list** applies automatically across all eligible search and shopping inventory. For Display and Video, a maximum of 1,000 negative keywords is considered at the account level, and exclusions work topically rather than literally. **Search vs Performance Max priority:** if a query is *identical* to an eligible exact match keyword, your Search campaign wins over Performance Max. Identical phrase/broad keywords share priority with identical PMax search themes; otherwise AI-based relevance, then Ad Rank, decides. PMax can "steal" traffic when the Search campaign is limited by budget, the keyword has low search volume status, or all creatives/landing pages in the ad group are disapproved. ## Key Parameters - **Match type syntax**: broad = bare keyword; phrase = `"keyword"`; exact = `[keyword]`. - **Keyword length guidance**: keywords with 2–3 words tend to work most effectively; Keyword Planner enforces 80 characters and a maximum of 10 words per keyword. - **Negative keyword 16-word limit**: your ad can still show if your negative keyword appears *after* the 16th word of a long search. - **Symbols in negatives**: ampersands (&), accent marks (á), and asterisks (*) are recognized as distinct; periods are ignored; symbols like `, ! @ % ^ () = {} ; ~` are invalid. - **Keyword Planner** (Tools menu → Keyword planner): "Discover new keywords" (start with keywords or a website) and "Get search volume and forecasts" (paste/upload a CSV). Forecasts are refreshed daily, based on the last 7–10 days adjusted for seasonality. Requires completed billing setup; "Organize keywords into ad groups" is English only. ## When To Use - **Broad match** when you run Smart Bidding and conversion tracking — it gives the bidding system the widest learning surface. - **Phrase/exact** when you need tighter steering over which searches trigger ads, e.g., strict budgets, manual bidding, or brand terms. - **Negative keywords** whenever the search terms report shows irrelevant queries — e.g., an optometrist excluding "wine glasses" (see [[concepts/optimization]]). - **Keyword Planner** before launching a [[entities/search-campaigns]] campaign to size demand and estimate costs; plan weekly rather than monthly during market instability. - Group keywords into tightly themed ad groups (e.g., "engagement rings" vs "wedding rings") with matching ads — this drives relevance and Quality Score. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Broad match without Smart Bidding** can buy loosely related queries at uncontrolled cost — the match type and bid strategy are a package deal. - **Assuming negatives block close variants** — they don't; plural/singular and synonyms each need their own negative. - **Over-negating**: too many negative keywords shrinks reach. - **Maps "near me" expansion**: on Google Maps, "near me" may be appended to a user's search; add "near me" as a negative if you don't want this (English, French, German, Spanish only). - **Keyword Planner forecasts ≠ results**: actual performance depends on bid, budget, ad quality, and location targeting; sensitive categories (health, finance) return no data. - **Data discrepancies in Keyword Planner** can come from how you logged in (directly to child account vs via manager account). ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — what happens after a keyword matches; Quality Score - [[concepts/bidding]] — Smart Bidding's interaction with broad match - [[concepts/ads-assets]] — the ads your keywords trigger - [[concepts/audiences-targeting]] — layering audiences over keyword targeting - [[concepts/optimization]] — search terms report and keyword refinement - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — where keywords live - [[entities/performance-max]] — keyword/search-theme prioritization rules ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-keyword-matching-options-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-negative-keywords-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) - raw/web_community-use-keyword-planner-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com, high) --- title: "Optimization" type: concept tags: [optimization, recommendations, optimization-score, search-terms, experiments, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-optimization-score-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-recommendations-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-the-search-terms-report-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-custom-experiments-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Optimization ## Definition Optimization in Google Ads is the ongoing loop of improving running campaigns using the platform's built-in feedback tools: **optimization score** (a 0–100% estimate of how well your account is set to perform), the **Recommendations page** that drives it, the **search terms report** (what people actually searched before your ad showed), and **custom experiments** (controlled tests of changes before applying them). ## How It Works **Optimization score.** Scores run from **0–100%**, with 100% meaning the account "can perform at its full potential." It is calculated in real time from statistics, settings, account/campaign status, the relevant impact of available recommendations, and recent recommendations history. It exists at the **Campaign, Account, and Manager Account levels** and is shown only for active **Search, Display, Video Action, App, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Shopping** campaigns. The score's *focus* (conversions, impression share, clicks…) is derived from your bid strategy — status icons: green checkmark (Google understands your bid strategy), yellow question mark (focus based on a recommendation), red minus (defaulted to conversion focus; fix by setting a bid strategy). You can override the inferred objective by choosing max conversions, max conversion value, target CPA, target ROAS, or target IS, and steer which conversions count via the **"Include in 'Conversions'"** setting. Quality Score is a separate per-keyword diagnostic; optimization score does not feed it. **Recommendations.** The Recommendations page generates suggestions from your performance history, campaign settings, and Google search trends. Each carries a **score uplift from <0.1% to 100%**; applying a 5%-uplift recommendation raises your score by 5%, and the account reaches 100% by *applying or dismissing* every recommendation (dismissing is a legitimate path — uplifts can sum past 100 because some recommendations invalidate others). Apply: Recommendations page → **View** → **Apply** (or **Apply all** per type). Dismiss: hover the card's top-right corner → **X** (or 3-dot icon → **Dismiss all**). Dismissed recommendations can reappear later if they become relevant. New accounts may see none at first. **Search terms report.** Path: **Campaigns** → **Insights and reports** → **Search terms**. It lists the actual searches (used by a significant number of people — low-volume queries are omitted for privacy) that triggered impressions and clicks. A *search term* is what the user typed; a *keyword* is what you bid on (see [[concepts/keywords-matching]]). Two key columns: - **Keyword** (off by default; column icon → Attributes → check "Keyword") — which of your keywords matched the search. - **Match type** — how closely the search related to your keyword. Important subtlety: a broad match keyword can register narrower search-term match types (broad `purple flowers` matched by the search "purple flowers" reports as *Exact match*); close variants (plurals, stems, misspellings, same-meaning variants) are flagged. Dynamic Search Ads and Shopping have no keywords, so they report "Exact" with an empty keyword field. Use it to: add irrelevant terms as negative keywords (selling eyeglasses but matching "wine glasses" → add "wine" as negative), tighten match types, and mine creative/landing-page ideas. In [[entities/performance-max]], the report surfaces which search terms produced conversions. Store visits and store sales conversions are not compatible with the report. *Search terms insights* is the companion view that clusters terms into themes/subthemes (labels built from the last 56 days of data) and absorbs the low-volume queries the report hides. **Custom experiments.** Propose and test changes to **Search, Display, Demand Gen, and Video** campaigns against the original before committing. Flow: set up the experiment (choose run length and the share of the original campaign's traffic and budget); monitor and compare; then **apply** to the original (manually or automatically) or convert the experiment into a new campaign and pause the original. Experiment types: **Ad variations** (text/RSA tests, recommended for Search creative), **Custom** (Search/Display/Demand Gen/Video), and **Video** (asset tests). You can name up to **2 primary success metrics** for tailored reporting. Traffic splits are not exact: each ad slot is a fresh auction, so different bids/assets, budget exhaustion, or automated-bidding learning can skew exposure between arms. ## Key Parameters - Optimization score range 0–100%; per-recommendation uplift <0.1%–100% - Search terms inclusion threshold: "a significant number of people" (privacy floor) - Experiment traffic/budget split and duration — both set at creation; end dates can be moved up - Unsupported in experiments: shared budgets, auction insights, bid landscapes, ad schedule reports, search terms reports, keyword diagnosis, scheduled email reports, display placements reports, "Target campaign/ad group" ad customizers ## When To Use Work the Recommendations page on a regular cadence, but treat the score as a prioritized to-do list, not a grade to maximize blindly — dismissing irrelevant suggestions is part of reaching 100%. Mine the search terms report whenever broad match or [[entities/performance-max]] is in play. Run a custom experiment before any change you'd hesitate to make account-wide (bid strategy switches like Target ROAS, new ad formats), as in the Anthony example: a one-month tROAS experiment that auto-applied after winning. ## Risks & Pitfalls - **Applying all recommendations uncritically.** Recommendations are forecasts from your data plus Google trends; they don't guarantee outcomes. Auto-applying budget or keyword expansions can raise spend without raising profit. - **Score focus mismatch.** A yellow/red focus icon means the score is optimizing toward an inferred or default goal, not yours — set the right bid strategy first ([[concepts/bidding]], [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]]). - **Experiment contamination.** No shared budgets in experiments (switch to individual budgets); one arm can starve the other when budgets cap; experiments are unavailable for App and Shopping campaigns (App asset experiments are the exception). - **Search terms blind spots.** Privacy thresholds hide low-volume queries; you can't add keywords/negatives directly from the Report editor version of the report. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/keywords-matching]] — match types behind the search terms report - [[concepts/bidding]] — bid strategy defines the optimization-score focus - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — conversions are the raw material for all of this - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — why experiment splits drift - [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] — choosing the strategy recommendations push toward ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-optimization-score-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-recommendations-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-the-search-terms-report-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-custom-experiments-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Policies & Enforcement" type: concept tags: [policy, enforcement, disapproval, appeals, compliance, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-google-ads-policies-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-what-happens-if-you-violate-our-policies-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-fix-a-disapproved-ad-or-appeal-a-policy-decision-google-ads-.md"] --- # Policies & Enforcement ## Definition Google Ads policies are the rules every ad, asset, and destination must follow to serve on the Google Network. Enforcement is graduated: ad/asset disapproval for individual violations, "Eligible (limited)" serving restrictions for sensitive categories, strikes for repeat violations, and account suspension for repeated or egregious violations (covered in depth at [[concepts/account-suspensions]]). The English-language version of the policies is the official one used for enforcement. ## How It Works **The policy system — four broad areas (verbatim category names):** 1. **Prohibited content** — content you can't advertise at all: *Counterfeit goods*, *Dangerous products or services* (drugs, weapons, explosives, tobacco), *Enabling dishonest behavior* (hacking software, fake documents, academic cheating services), *Inappropriate content* (hate, violence, shocking content). 2. **Prohibited practices** — things you can't do: *Abusing the ad network* (malware, cloaking, arbitrage, "bridge"/"gateway" destinations, gaming review systems), *Data collection and use* (mishandling personal data, insecure credit-card collection), *Misrepresentation* (hidden billing details, unavailable offers, unrealistic claims, phishing). These two are the most common suspension triggers — see [[concepts/account-suspensions]]. 3. **Restricted content and features** — advertisable with limitations and often certification: ad protections for children and teens, sexual content, alcohol, copyrights, gambling and games, healthcare and medicines, political content, financial products and services, cryptocurrencies (exchanges/wallets/coin trusts require certification), trademarks (enforced only on a valid owner complaint), legal requirements, other restricted businesses, restricted ad formats, and *limited ad serving* (impression limits for ads with higher abuse potential until the advertiser is "qualified"). 4. **Editorial and technical** — quality standards: editorial (no "Buy products here" vagueness, no gimmicks like "f-r-e-e" or "F₹€€!!"), destination requirements (no under-construction sites, no display-URL/landing-page mismatch, no disabled back button), technical requirements, and per-format requirements (character limits, image sizes, video lengths; no non-family-safe content in image/video formats). **Detection.** Google uses a combination of Google AI (modeled on human reviewers' decisions) and human evaluation. Automated models block clear violations; nuanced cases go to trained operators and analysts, whose decisions feed back into model training. Evidence reviewed includes ads, accounts, websites, user complaints, consumer reviews, and regulatory warnings and rulings. **What happens on violation — the enforcement ladder:** - **Ad or asset disapproval** — the ad can't run until fixed and re-reviewed; shown in the "Status" column. - **"Eligible (limited)" / "Eligible (limited all locations)"** — the ad runs but only where policy allows (common for Alcohol, Copyrights, Gambling, Healthcare, Trademarks). Restrictions can be based on location, device, viewer age, or certification status. Note: limitation can trigger merely because your *website* contains regulated-industry terms, even if your product is compliant. - **Strikes** — for repeat violations of a policy; penalties escalate per strike, with a **maximum of 3 strikes per policy** before account suspension. - **Account suspension** — egregious violations suspend immediately *without prior warning*; for other suspension-level violations Google sends a warning **at least 7 days before suspension**. Related accounts (e.g., same payment method) are suspended too. See [[concepts/account-suspensions]]. - **Remarketing list disabling** and **Customer Match compliance reviews** for data-policy issues. **Fixing a disapproved ad.** Find the reason: **Campaigns menu → Ads** (or Ad groups) → hover the "Disapproved" status → **Read the policy**; or add the **"Policy details"** column (Columns icon → Attributes → Policy details); or follow **View and fix policy issues** from the disapproval email. Then fix: - *Ad content violation*: Campaigns → Ads → hover → **Edit** → bring the ad into compliance → **Save** to resubmit; review is automatic. - *Destination violation* (Destination not working, Destination mismatch, etc.): fix the landing page or edit the ad to a compliant destination, then appeal to trigger re-review. **Appeals.** File from **Tools menu → Troubleshooting → Policy manager** → "Policy issues" tab → **Appeal**, choosing reason **Dispute decision** or **Made changes to comply with policy**; or from the Ads page via checkbox → **Edit → Appeal policy decision** (batch appeals per ad group/campaign supported; whole-account appeals run slower). Track in Policy manager's **Appeal history** tab — statuses *Review complete / In progress / Not reviewed*; results *Successful / Partially successful / Error: Try again / Failed / Duplicate*. EU advertisers have additional Digital Services Act redress options. Incorrectly applied "Eligible (limited)" labels are appealed the same way. ## Key Parameters - **3 appeals maximum per ad** — after 3 failures you must contact customer support - **24 hours minimum between appeals** on the same ads, or they're marked Duplicate; too many unique appeals in a 24-hour window can suspend appeal processing - **3 strikes per policy** maximum before suspension - **7 days** minimum warning before non-egregious suspension; zero for egregious ## When To Use Consult this page whenever an ad shows "Disapproved" or "Eligible (limited)," before entering a restricted vertical (check certification needs first), and when designing landing pages (destination requirements bite as often as ad text). Triage flow: [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]]. ## Risks & Pitfalls - Resubmitting without actually fixing the violation burns one of your 3 appeals and builds a record of appeal misuse. - Repeatedly editing/resubmitting violating ads accumulates strikes toward suspension — the disapproval ladder and the suspension system are connected. - Restricted-category ads disapprove in non-approved locations even when approved elsewhere (e.g., Complex speculative financial products approved for Singapore still disapprove targeting other regions). - Policy labels can be triggered by website content alone; scrub regulated-industry terms you don't need. - Translated policy pages are not authoritative — only the English version governs enforcement. ## Related Concepts - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — what happens past the strike ladder - [[concepts/ads-assets]] — editorial and format requirements apply per asset - [[concepts/account-setup]] — related-account linkage (payment methods) matters for suspensions - [[summaries/policy-center-map]] — full policy catalog - [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] — decision tree for enforcement events ## Sources - raw/web_community-google-ads-policies-advertising-policies-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-what-happens-if-you-violate-our-policies-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-fix-a-disapproved-ad-or-appeal-a-policy-decision-google-ads-.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "App Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, app, installs, engagement, automation] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-app-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # App Campaigns ## Overview App campaigns promote mobile apps across Google's largest properties — **Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover on Google Search, and the Google Display Network** — from a single campaign. They are the most automated campaign type: "you can simply add a few lines of text, a bid, some assets, and App campaigns automatically optimizes your ads for you." There is no per-network ad creation; Google's system assembles and tests ad combinations from your text ideas, images, videos, and your app's store listing, then serves the best performers. Per the campaign-type chooser, this spans "Search, Play, YouTube, Discover and over 3 million sites and apps." ## Characteristics **Where ads show (verbatim placement list):** - **Google Search Network** — Google Search and search partners - **Google Play** — Play search results; the related-apps sections *"You might also like"* and *"Related to this app"*; the homepage *"Suggested for you"* - **YouTube** — relevant pages and content - **Google Display Network** — Gmail, other apps, and mobile websites of news sites, blogs, and other sites - **Discover on Google Search** **Three subtypes (account eligibility permitting):** 1. **App campaigns for installs** — focus ads on driving downloads. 2. **App campaigns for engagement (ACe)** — get *existing* users to take in-app actions; pairs with **App Connect** so web campaigns also drive users into the app. 3. **App campaigns for pre-registration** — promote pre-registration for apps before they release on Google Play. **What makes it different.** Targeting, bidding, and ad creation are all Google AI-powered; your levers are the assets you feed it, the bid/budget, languages and locations, and the conversion events you optimize toward (installs vs. in-app actions like purchases). Performance tracking happens in the standard Google Ads reports. ## How to Use **Eligibility and requirements (verbatim list):** an app published on the **Google Play Store or Apple App Store** and available for download; a valid payment method on file; basic app information (name, category, target audience); and uploaded ad assets — text, images, videos, and HTML5 assets if relevant. 1. Pick the subtype by lifecycle stage: pre-registration before launch (Play only), installs for growth, engagement to reactivate the installed base. 2. Provide ad text ideas, your strongest image and video assets, a starting bid, budget, languages, and locations — the system handles combination testing and placement. 3. Define the conversion you actually want ([[concepts/conversion-tracking]]): Google Play installs and in-app purchases record automatically without a tag; deeper in-app events need app conversion setup (and App Connect bridges web-to-app measurement). 4. Let automated optimization accumulate data before judging results; adjust by swapping weak assets rather than micro-managing settings ([[concepts/optimization]]). ## Related Entities - [[entities/performance-max]] — the equivalent "one campaign, all channels" philosophy for web goals - [[entities/video-campaigns]] — dedicated YouTube buying when you need format control beyond app promotion - [[entities/display-campaigns]] — GDN-only visual reach for web destinations - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — keyword control for web traffic; App campaigns own the app-install moment instead - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — when app goals beat web goals ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-app-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Demand Gen Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, demand-gen, youtube, shorts, social-style, lookalike] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-demand-gen-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Demand Gen Campaigns ## Overview Demand Gen campaigns capture engagement and action across Google's most visual, feed-like surfaces — **YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps, and the Google Display Network**. They are positioned as the home for "social advertisers" who want visually appealing, multi-format ads, reaching up to **3 billion monthly active users** and Shorts' **50+ billion daily views**. Strategically important: **Google Display Ads campaigns are moving into Demand Gen** — eligible advertisers can voluntarily migrate from **June 2026**, and later new campaigns will only be creatable in Demand Gen with remaining eligible campaigns auto-migrated. ## Characteristics **Where ads show — with channel choice.** Unlike [[entities/performance-max]] (no channel control), Demand Gen lets you *choose channels*: YouTube Shorts, YouTube in-feed, YouTube Home feed, YouTube watch next, YouTube Search, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network — e.g., serve a vertical creator video on Shorts only. Google video partners are also an available surface. **Positioning vs. Search and Performance Max (from Google's comparison table):** - **Search**: maximize performance on Google Search; bidding includes Target IS, Clicks, Conversions, Conversion Value. - **Performance Max**: maximize across *all* channels; AI steered by signals, no hard audience targeting. - **Demand Gen**: "generate demand and deliver business results on Google's most visual, entertaining surfaces"; bidding Clicks, Conversions, Conversion Value; and — its differentiator — **true audience targeting**, including **Lookalike segments** built from past purchasers, website visitors, or YouTube channel viewers ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]). **Creative assets supported:** images (Landscape 1.91:1, Logo 1:1, Portrait 4:5, Square 1:1), text (headline, description, final URL, business name, CTA), video (landscape, portrait, square, vertical), **carousel ads** (2–10 image cards with logo) — a format the other types lack — and **product feeds** from Google Merchant Center, with product-feed formats on all visual surfaces and optional cover image/video. More assets generally means better performance. **Measurement extras:** Brand Lift (allowlist), Search Lift, and Conversion Lift studies; **creative A/B experiments**; product-level reporting for GMC feeds; insights for individual assets/formats. Advanced goals include NCA (new customer acquisition), NCA high-value-optimization, and re-engagement. Per Google's stats: advertisers adding Google Display Ads to Demand Gen or Video Action campaigns saw a **+16% lift in Demand Gen conversions**; 1 in 3 consumers bought something on Google feeds they weren't shopping for. ## How to Use 1. **Before launch (Google's checklist):** gather high-quality creative — brand/inspirational imagery, minimal text, good lighting; repurpose top assets from social/email. Set up [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] with the Google tag verified, optimizing for *lightweight* events like "add to basket" or "site visit" to feed the system faster. 2. **Budget rule (verbatim):** for target CPA bidding, set a budget **at least 15 times your target CPA**; for Maximize conversions, use the tCPA scaling simulator for traffic estimates. Don't set tCPA far below your historical average. 3. Choose channels deliberately per creative format; build Lookalike segments from your best first-party lists. 4. Attach a Merchant Center product feed for shoppable formats if you're in retail ([[entities/shopping-campaigns]]). 5. Run A/B experiments to iterate creative; check Ad Strength on existing images/videos before reuse. 6. Watch for "Eligible (limited)" due to **"Implied Interactivity"** — those ads must be fixed before they'll serve (see [[concepts/policies-enforcement]]). ## Related Entities - [[entities/display-campaigns]] — being absorbed into Demand Gen (GDN as a Demand Gen channel) - [[entities/video-campaigns]] — format-driven YouTube buying vs. Demand Gen's audience-first buying - [[entities/performance-max]] — all-channel automation without channel/audience control - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — intent capture downstream of the demand Demand Gen creates - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — choosing among them ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-demand-gen-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Display Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, display, gdn, responsive-ads, awareness, remarketing] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-display-ads-and-the-google-display-network-google-ads-.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Display Campaigns ## Overview Display campaigns serve visually engaging image ads across the **Google Display Network (GDN)** — reaching people worldwide across **35 million websites and apps** plus Google-owned properties (YouTube and Gmail) as they browse, rather than as they search. Where [[entities/search-campaigns]] catch demonstrated intent, Display captures attention *earlier* in the buying cycle — "before they start searching for what you offer" — and re-engages past visitors via your data segments. The former Smart Display campaign type has been merged into this single Display campaign: existing Smart Display campaigns migrated automatically, and you now choose your preferred level of AI integration for bidding, creatives, and targeting. ## Characteristics **Where ads show.** Millions of GDN websites and apps, YouTube, and Gmail. Responsive ads render "native," blending into the publisher's font and feel. **Three AI-assisted pillars:** - **Bidding** — Smart Bidding strategies are recommended per your goals but can be manually overridden. Distinctive option: **pay for conversions** instead of clicks on campaigns using Target CPA — in the "Bidding" section, under the "Pay for" header, select **Conversions** from the dropdown. - **Creatives** — **responsive display ads** are the default (unless you upload your own): you supply assets (images, headlines, logos, videos, descriptions) and Google AI picks the optimal combination, size, appearance, and format per impression, then grades each asset's conversion performance in the asset report ("View more sizes" shows rendered examples). A free image library is available. Alternative: **uploaded image ads** (fixed sizes or HTML5) for full creative control. - **Targeting** — **optimized targeting** is the default: it uses signals like your landing-page keywords to find audiences likely to convert; you can switch it off in favor of chosen audiences ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]), including data segments for remarketing to site/app visitors. **Timing realities (verbatim figures):** GDN changes (bids, budget, targeting) take **12–24 hours** to apply — set campaigns up days early with a future start date. New or significantly changed campaigns enter a **learning phase of typically 5–7 days**; avoid frequent changes during it (they reset learning), and allow **7–14 days** of stabilization before judging performance. Reactivating a long-paused campaign restarts learning. Multiple changes within 24 hours may apply out of order. **Deep linking.** With App Links (Android) / Universal Links (iOS) and Google Analytics for Firebase, Display (plus Search and Shopping) ads can send app users straight to in-app content. ## How to Use 1. Create a Display campaign with a goal — sales, leads, website traffic, or awareness/consideration. 2. Upload responsive ad assets: multiple headlines, descriptions, logos, and images (square and landscape versions sized correctly — Google's tip is to prepare both with an image editor). 3. Accept or override the recommended Smart Bidding strategy; consider Target CPA with pay-for-conversions to cap risk ([[concepts/bidding]], [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]]). 4. Keep optimized targeting on for prospecting, or pin data segments for remarketing. 5. Resolve campaign-construction notifications before publishing, set the start date a few days out, then leave the learning phase alone. 6. After assets accrue data, prune low-graded assets and feed the winners ([[concepts/optimization]]). ## Related Entities - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — intent capture vs. Display's attention capture; Search campaigns can opt into GDN reach - [[entities/video-campaigns]] — the video-first sibling on YouTube - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] — visually rich feed/social-style surfaces with audience-first targeting - [[entities/performance-max]] — includes Display inventory automatically - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — choosing among them ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-display-ads-and-the-google-display-network-google-ads-.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Performance Max" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, performance-max, automation, smart-bidding, cross-channel] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-performance-max-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Performance Max ## Overview Performance Max is a goal-based campaign type that gives performance advertisers access to *all* Google Ads inventory from a single campaign — YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. It is designed to **complement** keyword-based [[entities/search-campaigns]], not replace them: Google AI handles bidding, budget allocation, audiences, creatives, and attribution against the conversion goals you specify (e.g., a CPA or ROAS target), steered by the creative assets, audience signals, and optional data feeds you provide. It appears as a campaign-type choice when your objective is **"Sales," "Leads," or "Local store visits and promotions."** ## Characteristics **Where ads show.** Everywhere Google serves ads: YouTube, Display Network, Search (including text formats), Discover, Gmail, Maps, and — with a Merchant Center feed — the Shopping tab, Google Images, and local inventory surfaces. New inventory and formats are picked up automatically as they launch. **How it works.** Smart Bidding plus attribution technology picks the auctions "that have the highest probability of meeting your business goals in real-time," using data-driven attribution across channels to optimize for the most incremental touchpoints. Inputs you control: budget; conversion goals and values (including value rules); **asset groups** — collections of text, image, and video creatives "centered on a theme or target audience" from which ads are assembled; **audience signals** (including your customer data) that accelerate AI learning; and account-level brand-safety settings. **Search controls (verbatim list):** keywordless targeting, Final URL expansion or asset optimization, search themes, negative keywords, brand exclusions. Two automation settings deserve attention: with **Final URL expansion** on, Google may replace your final URL with a more relevant landing page based on the query and generate a dynamic headline/description to match; **auto-generated videos** can show a different product than the landing page — restrict asset-group products with product filters if that matters. **Interaction with Search campaigns (the prioritization rules):** - If the user's query is *identical to an exact match keyword* in your Search campaign, **the Search campaign is prioritized** over Performance Max. - Search themes rank equal to phrase and broad match keywords. - Performance Max may still show for your branded terms — even exact-match ones — if the Search campaign is budget-limited or more strictly targeted. Prevent overlap with brand exclusions or negative keywords in the Performance Max campaign. **Limits and variants.** Up to **100 Performance Max campaigns per account**; Google recommends consolidating. Retail: with a linked Merchant Center feed (business details, US tax info, verified/claimed website, shipping settings, full product feed required) you can launch with *no* creative assets — ads may be auto-generated — though supplying assets is recommended; integrations exist for Shopify, WooCommerce, GoDaddy, BigCommerce, and PrestaShop; in Europe it works with any Comparison Shopping Service. Store goals: the successor to Local campaigns. Travel goals: property-specific asset groups for hotel advertisers. Ad Grants accounts may not be eligible for all inventory. **Reporting.** Asset-level metrics, asset group reporting, channel performance, placement reports, Google Analytics integration, and the Insights page (rising search trends, the "Combinations" report showing how top assets are assembled). ## How to Use 1. Set up [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] first — Performance Max is steered entirely by conversion goals and values; weak measurement means weak optimization. 2. Create the campaign with objective Sales, Leads, or Local store visits and promotions; set a CPA or ROAS target if you have one ([[concepts/bidding]]). 3. Build asset groups per theme/audience with high-quality text, images, and video; add audience signals from your best customer data ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]). 4. Retailers: link Merchant Center before campaign creation and attach the feed. 5. Add brand exclusions/negative keywords if you run brand Search campaigns alongside; review Final URL expansion and auto-generated video settings deliberately. 6. Monitor via asset reporting and the search terms report ([[concepts/optimization]]) to see which queries convert. ## Related Entities - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — the keyword-based complement, with defined priority rules - [[entities/shopping-campaigns]] — Standard Shopping is the channel-limited alternative for retail feeds - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]], [[entities/display-campaigns]], [[entities/video-campaigns]] — single-channel types whose inventory Performance Max spans - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — when to choose Performance Max vs. dedicated types ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-performance-max-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Search Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, search, keywords, text-ads, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-create-a-search-campaign-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Search Campaigns ## Overview Search campaigns are text ads on Google search results — the original and most direct Google Ads campaign type. You bid on keywords so your ads reach "people actively searching online for your products and services," making Search the workhorse for sales, leads, and website traffic. Setup is deliberately lightweight: "Write text ads and pick keywords. Skip special files or assets" — unlike [[entities/display-campaigns]], [[entities/shopping-campaigns]], or [[entities/video-campaigns]], which require images, product feeds, or videos. ## Characteristics **Where ads show.** Google search results pages; optionally **Google search partners** (additional search engines beyond Google — a checkbox at setup) and optionally the **Display Network** ("Most of your ads will likely appear on searches, but if there's an opportunity to effectively show your ads on other sites, Google will take it"). With the Display option on, keywords are contextually matched to page content (a brownie-recipe page can show chocolate-brownie ads). On Google Maps, "near me" may be appended to searches in English, French, German, and Spanish — block this by adding "near me" as a negative keyword. Ads may also appear in the Search Generative Experience for opted-in Search Labs users. **How matching works.** Keywords match user searches and trigger an [[concepts/ad-auction]]; each keyword carries a Quality Score based on expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience — higher quality typically means lower costs and better positions. Match-type syntax (verbatim): default is **broad match**; quotation marks `" "` for **phrase match** ("searches that include the meaning of your keyword"); brackets `[ ]` for **exact match** ("searches that have the same meaning"); minus sign `-` for **negative keywords**. Full detail in [[concepts/keywords-matching]]. **Structure.** Campaign → ad groups → ads + keywords. Each ad group should map to one search theme (a furniture store's "Couches" ad group targets "leather couches," "sofas," "loveseats," with couch ads linking to the couches section). Two ad-group types, and **only one type per campaign**: **Standard** (you supply keywords and ads) or **Dynamic** (Dynamic Search Ads — Google targets searches and generates the final URL, headline, and display URL from your site content; you write only the description; recommended for larger programs, not beginners). ## How to Use Creation walkthrough (UI path): **Campaigns menu → Campaigns → + New campaign** → choose an objective among **Sales, Leads, or Website traffic** (or "Create a campaign without a goal's guidance" — but at least one conversion goal is still required) → under "Select a campaign type" select **Search** → **Continue**. Drafts save automatically and appear at the top of the campaign list ("Resume and continue"). 1. **Bidding** — pick a focus matching your objective: Conversions (sales/leads — requires [[concepts/conversion-tracking]]), Clicks (traffic), Conversion value (with values set; enables ROAS targeting), or Impression Share. Experienced users can "Select a bid strategy directly" (see [[concepts/bidding]] and [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]]). "Show more settings" exposes Conversions, Ad schedule, and Ad rotation. 2. **Targeting** — search partners and Display checkboxes; geographic locations with exclusions and **Location options** (e.g., "People searching for your targeted locations" for an Austin event drawing out-of-towners); languages (write ads/keywords in those languages); optional audiences ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]). 3. **Assets** — sitelinks, callouts, calls, structured snippets, app, promotion, lead form, price, location, and image assets make ads larger and more interactive; sitelink, callout, and call assets populate by default ([[concepts/ads-assets]]). 4. **Ad groups and keywords** — enter keywords one per line; get ideas via "Get keyword ideas" or Keyword Planner. Keywords of **2–3 words tend to work most effectively**; group by theme ("engagement rings" vs. "wedding rings" get separate ad groups and ads). 5. **Ads** — final URL, 1–3 headlines, up to 2 description lines of **90 characters** each, optional display path and tracking parameters. Create **at least 3 ads per ad group**, tightly relevant to the ad group's keywords. 6. **Budget** — average daily budget (overspend on strong days, averaging out over the month) or a campaign total budget (requires start and end dates). Then fix any "Fix it" alerts (billing, missing keywords/ads, invalid final URL) and **Publish**. Ads are typically approved within one business day; allow a few days before ads show and longer for bidding to fully optimize. ## Related Entities - [[entities/performance-max]] — the AI alternative that includes search inventory; often run alongside Search - [[entities/display-campaigns]] — where the optional Display reach extension goes - [[entities/shopping-campaigns]] — feed-based product listings for retailers - [[concepts/keywords-matching]], [[concepts/bidding]], [[concepts/ads-assets]], [[concepts/optimization]] — the levers inside a Search campaign - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — when Search vs. the other six types ## Sources - raw/web_community-create-a-search-campaign-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-about-keywords-in-search-network-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Shopping Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, shopping, retail, merchant-center, product-feed] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-shopping-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Shopping Campaigns ## Overview Shopping campaigns serve **Shopping ads** — product listings showing a product photo, title, price, store name, and more — for retailers promoting online and local inventory. Unlike text ads, the user sees the product and price *before* clicking, which produces better-qualified leads further down the purchase funnel (Google's example: Sally searching "fish bowl" can judge style and budget from the ad itself). Retailers run Shopping ads through either **Standard Shopping campaigns** or [[entities/performance-max]] with a Merchant Center feed. ## Characteristics **No keywords.** Shopping ads use your **Merchant Center product data** — not keywords — to decide how and where to show. Google matches the user's search against your submitted product attributes, and may enrich ads with content from your landing page, images, feed, and Google AI-generated content (opt out via your account manager or support; requests take 3–5 business days). You browse inventory inside Google Ads and build **product groups** for bidding instead of keyword lists. **Where ads show (Standard Shopping):** the Shopping tab; Google Search next to search results (separate from text ads); Google Images; Google Search Partner websites if the campaign includes search partners. With Performance Max instead, the same feed also reaches Google Search text ads, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Demand Gen, and Maps (via Local Inventory Ads), plus new inventory automatically. **Standard Shopping vs. Performance Max (key contrasts from Google's comparison table):** - **Billing**: Standard Shopping charges **cost-per-click (CPC)** — only when someone clicks through to your site or the Google-hosted local landing page. Performance Max bills on performance (e.g., clicks or CPM). - **Bidding**: Standard Shopping supports automated **Target ROAS** and **Maximize Clicks**, plus **Manual CPC**. Performance Max supports Maximize Conversion value (optional ROAS target) and Maximize Conversions (optional CPA target) only. - **Creatives**: Standard Shopping ads are built purely from the Merchant Center feed (additional text/image/video assets "not available yet"); Performance Max also auto-generates from asset groups. - **Local Inventory Ads**: Standard Shopping shows online products only by default — check **"Enable ads for products sold in local stores"** in campaign settings to enable them; Performance Max opts in automatically when a local products inventory feed is attached. - **Audiences**: Standard Shopping offers audience *targeting*; Performance Max takes audience *signals*, Final URL expansion, and a new-customer-acquisition goal. **Reach quirks worth knowing:** more than one of your Shopping ads can appear for a single search, and a Shopping ad plus a text ad can show simultaneously — doubling potential presence for one query. Reporting lets you filter performance at any product-attribute level (e.g., clicks for one shoe brand without new product groups), with benchmarking data, impression share, and the Bid Simulator for competitive insight. **CSS countries.** In Comparison Shopping Service program countries you participate in Shopping ads through one or more CSSs of your choice — some manage your data and campaigns, others provide self-service tools. ## How to Use 1. **Set up Google Merchant Center first** — a Merchant Center account with uploaded product inventory is a prerequisite for any Shopping campaign. 2. **Link Merchant Center to Google Ads.** 3. Choose the campaign type: Standard Shopping for channel control, manual/CPC bidding, or deliberate testing; Performance Max with the feed for maximum reach and automation (see [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]]). 4. Structure product groups around margin/intent tiers and set bids ([[concepts/bidding]]). 5. Selling from physical stores? Attach a local products inventory feed / enable the local-stores checkbox to run local inventory ads. 6. Watch the search terms report and impression-share benchmarks to refine feed titles and bids ([[concepts/optimization]]); feed quality drives matching the way keywords drive [[entities/search-campaigns]]. ## Related Entities - [[entities/performance-max]] — the feed-powered alternative with full-channel reach - [[entities/search-campaigns]] — text-ad counterpart; both can serve on one query - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] — visual demand creation upstream of shopping intent - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — value tracking is essential for ROAS bidding on retail - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — Standard Shopping vs. Performance Max decision ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-shopping-ads-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Video Campaigns" type: entity tags: [campaign-type, video, youtube, awareness, ad-formats] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-video-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Video Campaigns ## Overview Video campaigns show video ads on **YouTube and on websites and apps running on Google video partners**. They span the funnel: some subtypes build general brand awareness, others drive conversions or shopping. Google recommends them "for all Google advertisers, from first-timers to more-experienced pros" — setup is simpler than it looks because you reuse videos from your own YouTube account. Prerequisite: create the video ad and upload it to YouTube first. ## Characteristics **Where ads show.** YouTube (watch pages, Home feed, Shorts feed, search/discovery surfaces) and Google video partner sites and apps. Some non-skippable in-stream and bumper ads may also appear on YouTube TV, depending on eligibility. **Ad formats (verbatim definitions):** - **Skippable in-stream ads** — play before, during, or after other videos; viewer can skip after **5 seconds**. - **Non-skippable in-stream ads** — deliver your entire message; **15 seconds or less**. - **Bumper ads** — **6 seconds or less**, non-skippable; short, memorable awareness messages at broad reach. - **In-feed video ads** — YouTube-only, shown where people discover content; clicking the thumbnail plays the video on its watch or channel page. - **Masthead ads** — native video format in the YouTube Home feed across all devices; for massive reach, *reserved in advance rather than bought in the auction* (CPM Masthead). - **YouTube Shorts ads** — skippable video or image ads in the Shorts feed, mobile-optimized, up to **60 seconds**; YouTube's Shorts creation tools can build them. **Campaign subtypes** (from the campaign-type chooser): **Drive conversions** (Video action campaigns — action-focused ads and targeting for sales/leads), **Video reach campaigns** (most reach per budget: unique-user reach via bumpers, skippable in-stream, or a mix; or full-message reach via non-skippables), **Get views** (consideration via skippable in-stream or in-feed), and **Ad sequence** (tell a story across a series of ads). The former "Awareness and consideration" objective is now named **"YouTube reach, views, and engagements"** — same features, new label. **Targeting and measurement.** Reach people by topics, keywords, demographics, and audiences ([[concepts/audiences-targeting]]); track views, costs, and budget in Google Ads. Google's example: a new restaurant can reach people on food blogs and restaurant-review sites, and viewers of YouTube videos about its cuisine. ## How to Use 1. Upload your video(s) to YouTube. 2. Pick the subtype by goal: Drive conversions for sales/leads (pair with [[concepts/conversion-tracking]]); Video reach for awareness at efficient CPM; Get views for consideration; Ad sequence for storytelling; Masthead (reserved) for launch-scale visibility. 3. Match format to message length: 6s bumper for a single memorable hook, ≤15s non-skippable for a complete message, skippable in-stream when watch-time beyond 5 seconds is the engagement signal, Shorts for mobile-first reach. 4. Target by audience/topic/keyword and set bidding per the subtype's goal ([[concepts/bidding]]). 5. Test creatives with video experiments ([[concepts/optimization]]) rather than swapping assets mid-flight. ## Related Entities - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] — also serves YouTube (including Shorts) but audience-first and image-capable - [[entities/display-campaigns]] — the static-visual sibling for browsing contexts - [[entities/performance-max]] — includes YouTube inventory automatically - [[entities/app-campaigns]] — also serve on YouTube from a single asset pool - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — Video vs. Demand Gen vs. Performance Max for video goals ## Sources - raw/web_community-about-video-campaigns-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) - raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md (support.google.com — high) --- title: "Activity Log" type: log --- # Activity Log Append-only record of all wiki changes. ## Format Each entry follows this format: ``` ### YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM — [Action Type] - **Source/Trigger**: what initiated the action - **Pages created**: list of new pages - **Pages updated**: list of updated pages - **Notes**: any contradictions flagged, decisions made ``` --- ### 2026-04-08 00:00 — Setup - **Source/Trigger**: Repository initialized - **Pages created**: index.md, log.md, dashboard.md, analytics.md, flashcards.md - **Pages updated**: none - **Notes**: Empty knowledge base ready for first source ingestion --- ### 2026-06-11 — [Initial compilation] - **Source/Trigger**: KB created via source-pipeline (URL-scoped gather + agent curation per RECIPE Phase 3, MEDIUM retention ring) - **Pages created**: full initial set — see index.md - **Sources**: 70 provenance-stamped files in raw/ (per-URL fetch-verified by scoping agent; official docs high confidence, community sources medium and attributed) - **Notes**: practitioner domain, no repo anchor; declared gaps in index.md Gaps/TODO --- title: "Community Field Notes: What Practitioners Say That Official Docs Don't" type: summary tags: [community, bidding, suspensions, ppc-fundamentals, optimization] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: medium sources: ["raw/web_community-what-is-ppc-learn-the-basics-of-pay-per-click-marketing.md", "raw/web_community-the-pros-cons-of-every-automated-bidding-strategy-in-google.md", "raw/web_community-the-ultimate-guide-to-google-ads-bid-strategy-with-examples.md", "raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-what-advertisers-need-to-know.md"] --- # Community Field Notes: What Practitioners Say That Official Docs Don't Distillation of the practitioner-authored sources in this KB: WordStream's PPC fundamentals guide, WordStream's automated-bidding pros/cons (Michelle Morgan, Paid Media Pros, updated 2026-04-30), Semrush's bid-strategy guide (Sydney Go, 2024-03-26), and Search Engine Land's suspension field guide (Sophie Logan, Diamond Google Ads Product Expert, 2026-03-23). **Everything on this page is medium confidence: experienced-practitioner claims, attributed, not official Google guidance.** For the official counterpart pages see [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] and [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]]. ## Key Points ### Bidding: practitioner corrections to official thresholds (WordStream / Michelle Morgan) - **Google's Target CPA minimum is too low in practice.** "At the campaign level, Google says the minimum is 15 conversions in the last 30 days, but we've found this to be on the low side. Ideally, you should have at least 30 conversions, if not 50, in the past 30 days before testing tCPA bidding." If individual campaigns don't reach it, try portfolio level; if still short, tCPA "shouldn't be on your list." - **Set the initial tCPA above your real goal, then walk it down.** If your 6-month average CPA is $40, don't set $20 — it starves the algorithm of auctions. Set slightly above recent average (or accept Google's suggestion), plan on "the first two weeks to a month being a learning phase," then lower gradually. Mirror logic for tROAS: start slightly *lower* than historical ROAS, raise over time. - **Maximize Conversions will always spend the full daily budget — never put it in a shared budget.** "If included in a shared budget, Maximize Conversions will spend the daily budget of the entire shared group, not just its own allotment." Each campaign on this strategy needs its own daily budget. Expect CPC/spend creep as Google bids aggressively; the higher conversion rate usually balances CPA back out. - **Never run conversion-based strategies without conversion tracking** — "the algorithm is more likely to make bad decisions." - **Maximize Conversion Value is useless without values assigned to every action** — "a conversion worth $1000 to your business deserves a higher bid than one worth only $5." - **Maximize Clicks: always set a max CPC** — it too will spend the entire daily budget "even if clicks are far more expensive than normal." - **Target Impression Share: ignore Google's caution and set a max CPC anyway** — start at a 20%–50% increase over your current bid. And keep expectations realistic: "Very few auctions will actually see 100% coverage anymore… don't be surprised or frustrated if you show up closer to 95% as a top achievable number." - **Manual CPC is still the recommended starting point for beginners** "despite the friendly warning from Google" — its two real drawbacks are time cost and being underinformed (automated bidding sees data points "we don't even know exist"). - **You don't have to accept Google's auto-selected bid strategy at campaign setup.** Click the blue "Select a bid strategy directly (not recommended)" link. Strategies can differ per ad group/campaign/portfolio — pick per goal, and "set it and *don't* forget it": schedule check-ins. - tCPA bid caps (min/max) exist but are **portfolio-level only** — not available on individual campaigns. ### Auction mechanics in plain terms (Semrush, WordStream) - You pay just enough to beat the next bidder: "If you bid 50 cents, but the next highest bid is 30 cents, you might only pay 31 cents for that click." (Semrush) - ECPC "can exceed this max CPC temporarily" for high-conversion-probability auctions — e.g. a $1 max bid raised to $1.70 (Semrush). - Quality discounts are real: platforms "reward advertisers who create relevant, trustworthy pay-per-click campaigns with higher ad positioning and lower costs" (WordStream). See [[concepts/ad-auction]]. - Semrush echoes the official threshold: most campaign types need "at least 15 conversions in the last 30 days" for Target ROAS. ### Account management habits (WordStream PPC fundamentals) - "Regular account activity is one of the best predictors of account success." The maintenance loop: continuously add keywords, add non-converting terms as negatives, shut off expensive under-performers, refine landing pages per query ("Don't send all your traffic to the same page"), and split ad groups smaller for tighter ad text. See [[concepts/optimization]] and [[concepts/keywords-matching]]. - Long-tail keywords are "more specific and less common, but they add up to account for the majority of search-driven traffic" and are cheaper; keyword research is iterative, not one-time. ### Suspension reality check (Search Engine Land / Sophie Logan) - **Google's own accuracy stats (Nov 2025 announcement, reported by SEL):** incorrect suspensions reduced "by over 80%," resolution times improved 70%, "99% of suspensions now resolved within a 24-hour window." Practitioner experience differs: "many advertisers are reporting long wait times to hear back about their appeal." - **Don't spam appeals** — extra appeals don't speed anything up and "may result in the suspension of your appeal process for seven days." - **Egregious violations effectively get one shot**: "egregious violations only get one chance to submit an appeal" — fix business practices *before* appealing, and be honest. - **Be upfront about your own errors** — e.g. "opening a new account for a business when there was already a dormant account created before you joined" — honesty materially helps appeals. - **Appeal early.** You have a minimum of six months, but "it can be very tricky to return to an account that was suspended years ago and accurately recall the steps that led to the suspension." - **Collateral suspensions are normal**: linked Merchant Center accounts and accounts under the same manager account get suspended too, "lifted if or when the original suspension is resolved." - Billing-caused suspensions must be fixed **within 30 days**; advertiser verification feeds the Ads Transparency Center. - For editorial-requirement suspensions, the boring stuff matters: re-check ad copy for "capitalization, spacing, spelling, and symbols" before appealing. There's an account troubleshooter beta on the suspensions-overview page. ## Relevant Concepts - [[concepts/bidding]] — bid strategy mechanics this page comments on - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — auction pricing and Quality Score - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — official suspension/appeal process - [[concepts/optimization]] — ongoing account management - [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] — decision tree merging these notes with official guidance - [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] — triage page merging these notes with official policy ## Source Metadata - **Type**: Third-party practitioner articles (blog posts / industry press) - **Authors/Outlets**: WordStream (PPC University, "What Is PPC?"); Michelle Morgan via WordStream blog ("The Pros & Cons of Every Automated Bidding Strategy", updated 2026-04-30); Sydney Go via Semrush blog ("The Ultimate Guide to Google Ads Bid Strategy", 2024-03-26); Sophie Logan via Search Engine Land ("Google Ads account suspensions: What advertisers need to know", 2026-03-23) - **Fetched**: 2026-06-11 - **Confidence**: medium throughout — single-outlet practitioner experience; where claims contradict official docs, both are stated and attributed. Note: the curation work order groups 5 sources under "community field notes"; only these 4 raw files are genuinely third-party — the fifth suspension source (`google-ads-account-suspensions-overview`) is official Google text and is cited in [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] instead. --- title: "Policy Center Map: The Four Google Ads Policy Families" type: summary tags: [policy, enforcement, compliance, suspensions, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-google-ads-policies-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-misrepresentation-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-abusing-the-ad-network-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-trademarks-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-destination-requirements-advertising-policies-help.md"] --- # Policy Center Map: The Four Google Ads Policy Families Catalog-style map of the Google Ads policy space. Google's advertising policies cover **4 broad areas**: Prohibited content, Prohibited practices, Restricted content and features, and Editorial and technical requirements. Enforcement is by "a combination of Google AI and human evaluation," with the English-language Policy Center as the official enforcement text. For triage when something is already disapproved or suspended, use [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]]. ## Key Points ### Family 1 — Prohibited content (things you can't advertise at all) | Policy | What it prohibits | |---|---| | **Counterfeit goods** | Sale/promotion of goods with a trademark "identical to or substantially indistinguishable from" another's; applies to ad AND website/app. Egregious-class policy. | | **Dangerous products or services** | Recreational drugs, psychoactive substances, drug-use equipment, weapons, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, explosive-making instructions, tobacco products. | | **Enabling dishonest behavior** | Hacking software/instructions, artificial traffic-inflation services, fake documents, academic cheating services. | | **Inappropriate content** | Bullying/intimidation, racial discrimination, hate groups/paraphernalia, graphic crime/accident images, animal cruelty, self-harm, extortion, endangered-species trade, profanity in ads, sexual exploitation of minors. | ### Family 2 — Prohibited practices (things you can't do) - **Abusing the ad network** — 7 named sub-policies (full guide: `raw/web_community-abusing-the-ad-network-advertising-policies-help.md`): - **Malicious software** — distributing malware. **EGREGIOUS: immediate suspension without prior warning; "you will not be allowed to advertise with Google Ads again."** - **Compromised sites** — hijacked/hacked destinations. - **Unwanted software** — deceptive installs, undisclosed functions, hard to remove, undisclosed data collection/bundling. - **Unfair advantage** — using the Google Network to gain an unfair traffic advantage over other auction participants. - **Evasive ad content** — manipulating text/image/video/domain/subdomains to bypass detection or enforcement. - **Circumventing systems** — practices that circumvent or interfere with Google's advertising systems and review processes (cloaking, "gaming" settings, and — critically — creating new accounts after suspension). **EGREGIOUS: immediate suspension, permanent ban.** - **Spam policies for Google Web Search** violations. - **Data collection and use** — careless handling of personal data (full name, email, financial status, health, etc.); e.g. collecting card data over non-secure servers; extra rules for personalized advertising/remarketing. - **Misrepresentation** — 10 named sub-policies: Unacceptable business practices (**egregious**: fake brand/government affiliation, undeliverable offers, impersonation — immediate suspension, permanent), Coordinated deceptive practices (**egregious**: concealed identity in political/social-issue content), Misleading representation, Dishonest pricing practices (failure to "clearly and conspicuously disclose the payment model or full expense"), Clickbait ads (incl. exploiting negative life events: death, accidents, illness, arrests, bankruptcy), Misleading ad design (fake buttons/dialogs/system notifications), Manipulated media, Unreliable claims (improbable results presented as likely), Unclear relevance, Unavailable offers. ### Family 3 — Restricted content and features (allowed, with limits) Allowed "on a limited basis" — may not show to every user/location, may need certification, status often **"Eligible (limited)"**: - **Ad protections for children and teens** — personalization disabled, sensitive categories restricted. - **Sexual content** — limited by query, age, local law; never targeting minors; non-family-safe content banned entirely in image/video/non-text formats. - **Alcohol** — only in explicitly allowed countries, never targeting minors; includes non-alcoholic beer/wine lookalikes. - **Copyrights** — requires certification to advertise copyrighted content you're authorized to use. - **Gambling and games** — requires Google Ads certification, approved countries only, landing page must display responsible-gambling information, never target minors. - **Healthcare and medicines** — location + certification gated; with proper certification ads run as "Eligible (limited)". - **Political content** — must comply with local election law incl. mandated "silence periods". - **Financial products and services** — local disclosure rules; personal loans, loan modification, credit repair restricted. - **Cryptocurrencies** — exchanges, wallets, coin trusts require Google certification; merchants merely accepting crypto, mining hardware, in-game NFT items may not. - **Trademarks** — complaint-driven only ("these policies apply only when a trademark owner has submitted a valid complaint"). Google will NOT restrict trademarks used as keywords or in the second-level domain of the display URL. It WILL restrict trademark use in ad text by direct competitors or in confusing/deceptive ways; resellers and informational sites are exempt if the landing page clearly sells or informs about the trademarked product. **Not immediate-suspension class: "A warning will be issued at least 7 days prior to any suspension."** Restrictions, once applied, persist per second-level domain of the final URL. - **Legal requirements / Other restricted businesses / Restricted ad formats / Limited ad serving** — catch-alls: Google may limit businesses "that pose an unreasonable risk" even if otherwise compliant, and limits impressions for unqualified advertisers in abuse-prone categories. ### Family 4 — Editorial and technical requirements (quality bar) - **Editorial** — no overly generic ads ("Buy products here"), no gimmicky text ("FREE, f-r-e-e, F₹€€!!"). - **Destination requirements** — 11 named disapproval reasons: Destination not working (HTTP errors for Google AdsBot), Destination mismatch (display URL domain ≠ final/mobile URL; redirects to a different domain; tracking template leads elsewhere), Destination not crawlable (blocked from AdsBot), Destination not accessible in the targeted location, Destination experience (hard to navigate, direct-download/email links, abusive experiences, Better Ads Standards violations), Insufficient original content (made-for-ads pages, scraped content, bridge pages, "under construction"), App/web store policy violation, Unacceptable URL (IP address as display URL, bad syntax), Unrecognized app, Unverified phone number, Unacceptable phone number (fax, premium, vanity, non-local, virtual numbers, no voicemail). **Also warning-first: at least 7 days notice before any account suspension.** Debug tip: override your user agent in Chrome DevTools to mimic the AdsBot crawler. - **Technical requirements** — account limits, unsupported targeting language, broken HTML5 ads. - **Ad format requirements** — character limits, image/file sizes, video lengths, aspect ratios per format. ### Enforcement levels (lowest to highest) 1. **Ad/asset disapproval** — ad stops serving until fixed and re-reviewed. 2. **Eligible (limited)** — ad serves but restricted by location/device/age/certification. 3. **Strikes for repeat violations** — escalating penalties leading to suspension (detail in [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]]). 4. **Account suspension with warning** — most policies (incl. Trademarks, Destination requirements): warning **at least 7 days** before suspension. 5. **Immediate suspension, no warning, permanent ban** — egregious policies (Unacceptable business practices, Coordinated deceptive practices, Malicious software, Circumventing systems, Counterfeit, and others). Accounts "only reinstated in compelling circumstances." ## Relevant Concepts - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — enforcement machinery and strike system - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — suspension types and appeals - [[syntheses/disapproval-suspension-triage]] — symptom-to-action decision page - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — what practitioners report about enforcement in practice ## Source Metadata - **Type**: Official Google Advertising Policies Help Center pages (5 pages) - **Author**: Google - **URLs**: support.google.com/adspolicy answers 6008942 (overview), 6020955 (Misrepresentation), 6020954 (Abusing the ad network), 6118 (Trademarks), 6368661 (Destination requirements) - **Fetched**: 2026-06-11 - **Confidence**: high (official policy text; English version is the enforced version) --- title: "Bid Strategy Picker: The Full Decision Tree with Volume Thresholds" type: synthesis tags: [bidding, smart-bidding, decision-guide, thresholds, comparison] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-determine-a-bid-strategy-based-on-your-goals-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-smart-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-target-cpa-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-target-roas-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-maximize-conversions-bidding-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-the-pros-cons-of-every-automated-bidding-strategy-in-google.md", "raw/web_community-the-ultimate-guide-to-google-ads-bid-strategy-with-examples.md"] --- # Bid Strategy Picker: The Full Decision Tree with Volume Thresholds How to pick a bid strategy by goal type, conversion volume, and data requirements. Official Google guidance (high confidence) merged with practitioner pros/cons (medium confidence, attributed — fuller set in [[summaries/community-field-notes]]). Background mechanics: [[concepts/bidding]] and [[concepts/ad-auction]]. ## Comparison ### The decision tree **Step 1 — What's your goal?** | Goal | Strategy family | |---|---| | Direct actions/conversions (with conversion tracking) | Smart Bidding: Maximize Conversions, Target CPA, Maximize Conversion Value, Target ROAS (+ ECPC as manual hybrid) | | Website traffic | Maximize Clicks, Target CPC (Demand Gen), Manual CPC | | Brand visibility on search results | Target Impression Share | | Brand awareness via impressions | CPM, tCPM, vCPM (Display/YouTube) | | Video views / consideration | CPV (a "view" = 30 seconds watched, the whole video if shorter, or an interaction) | **Step 2 — Conversions: count or value? Target or budget-spend?** (Google's own quadrant, from the Target ROAS doc) | | Spend the budget | Hit a specific efficiency target | |---|---|---| | **Conversions have similar value** | **Maximize Conversions** — "priority is to spend the budget… no specific ROI target" | **Target CPA** — specific ROI target | | **Conversions have different values** | **Maximize Conversion Value** | **Target ROAS** | Note: in Search campaigns, tCPA and tROAS are now optional target fields inside Maximize Conversions / Maximize Conversion Value — "Maximize conversions with a set target CPA behaves like a Target CPA strategy." **Step 3 — Do you clear the data thresholds?** (verbatim official requirements) | Strategy / campaign type | Official minimum | |---|---| | Target CPA (any) | None required — "Advertisers can start using Target CPA with no conversion history" (official); but see practitioner threshold below | | Target ROAS — Search & Shopping | **15 conversions in the past 30 days** at the conversion tracking level | | Target ROAS — Display | **15 conversions (with valid conversion values) in the past 30 days** across all campaigns combined (new Display campaigns no longer need own history) | | Target ROAS — App | **10 conversions every day (or 300 conversions in 30 days)** + Google Analytics for Firebase SDK; run a tCPA campaign first to baseline ROAS | | Target ROAS — Demand Gen | **50 conversions in the past 35 days (10 in the past 7 days)** in the campaign, or **100 in the past 35 days** across all Demand Gen campaigns in the account; conversion value must be > 0 | | Target ROAS — Video Action | **30 conversions in the past 30 days** | | Target ROAS — Hotel / Travel | **50 conversions per week** / **50 conversions in the past 7 days** at campaign level | | Evaluating any Smart Bidding | Measure over periods with **at least 30 conversions (50 for Target ROAS)**, e.g. a month or longer | | Maximize Conversions / Conversion Value | Conversion tracking mandatory; values assigned for value bidding | ### Per-strategy summary with practitioner verdicts | Strategy | Official positioning | Practitioner pros/cons (WordStream/Morgan; Semrush — medium confidence) | |---|---|---| | **Maximize Conversions** | Most conversions while spending your budget; optional tCPA | Will *always* spend full daily budget — never use in a shared budget (it "will spend the daily budget of the entire shared group"); watch CPC creep; great for "more leads for cheaper" if budget isn't tight | | **Maximize Conversion Value** | Most value within budget; optional tROAS | Useless without values on every action ("a conversion worth $1000… deserves a higher bid than one worth only $5"); quality-over-quantity | | **Target CPA** | Avg cost per conversion at your target; recommendation = last-30-day CPA adjusted for conversion delay | Despite official "no history needed": want **30–50 conversions/30 days** before testing; set initial target *above* historical CPA, lower gradually; expect 2 weeks–1 month learning; bid caps portfolio-only | | **Target ROAS** | Avg conversion value per spend; e.g. $5 sales per $1 spend = 500% target. Report values **4 weeks or 3 conversion cycles** before adopting; set target **at or below** historical conv.value/cost × 100; lower target → more volume, raise → more value; allow 1–2 conversion cycles after target changes | Same cautions as tCPA; don't set target "restrictively high right off the bat" — start slightly below recent performance and raise | | **ECPC** | Adjusts your manual bids toward conversions; optional add-on to Manual CPC | Balances control and automation; can temporarily exceed your max CPC (e.g. $1 bid pushed to $1.70) | | **Maximize Clicks** | Most clicks within average daily budget; simplest click strategy | Always set a max CPC limit — it will spend the full budget even when clicks are expensive; click quality can be poor | | **Target CPC** (Demand Gen) | As many clicks as possible at your target average CPC | — | | **Manual CPC** | Full control per ad group/keyword/placement; no target-budget pacing | Best starting point for beginners "despite the friendly warning from Google"; costs: your time + fewer signals than the algorithm sees | | **Target Impression Share** | Auto-bids for Absolute Top / Top / Anywhere on page on Google search results | Set a max CPC despite Google's caution (start +20–50% over current bid); expect ~95% achievable, not 100% | | **CPM / tCPM / vCPM** | Pay per (viewable) thousand impressions; vCPM viewability = 50% of ad on screen ≥1s (Display) / ≥2s (video) | Watch frequency on small audiences; check placement reports | | **CPV** | Pay per view (30s / full video / interaction); "bid up" alongside popular YouTube content | Bad fit with loose targeting; best for hyper-focused video in competitive spaces | ## Analysis - **Smart Bidding ≠ automated bidding.** Smart Bidding is the auction-time-bidding subset: Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, Target CPA, Target ROAS. Maximize Clicks, Target Impression Share, vCPM, CPV are automated but not "Smart." - **Conversion tracking is the gate for the entire left side of the tree.** Every conversion-based strategy explicitly requires it ([[concepts/conversion-tracking]]); your attribution model choice also feeds the bidder ([[concepts/attribution-privacy]], [[syntheses/measurement-setup-recipe]]). - **Budget mechanics surprise people**: Google recommends being comfortable spending **up to 2× your average daily budget** on any given day (monthly cap = avg daily budget × 30.4). Target/budget interplay: a too-aggressive target (low CPA / high ROAS) throttles volume; the official troubleshooting lever is the target, not the bid. - **Bid adjustments mostly die under Smart Bidding** — existing adjustments aren't used, except device **-100%** still works; under tCPA, device adjustments modify the *target*, not the bid (+40% mobile on $10 tCPA → $14 mobile target). - **Bid limits are an anti-pattern under targets**: only available on portfolio strategies, only applied in Search auctions, and officially discouraged because they restrict optimization. - **Official vs. practitioner threshold gap is consistent**: Google says tCPA works from zero history and tROAS from 15 conversions; practitioners want 2–3× that before trusting it. Both are recorded here; weigh by your risk tolerance. - **Broad match + Smart Bidding pairing is official guidance** — the bidder prices each query at auction time, so match-type segmentation is unnecessary for optimization ([[concepts/keywords-matching]]). ## Recommendations - **New account, no conversion history, tight budget** → Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks with a max CPC cap; install conversion tracking on day one so you can graduate. - **Lead gen with steady volume (≥30–50 conv/30d by the practitioner bar)** → Maximize Conversions, then add a tCPA set slightly above your trailing average; tighten over 2–4 weeks. - **E-commerce with revenue tracking and ≥15 conv/30d (Search/Shopping)** → Maximize Conversion Value; add tROAS at or below historical conv.value/cost × 100 after 4 weeks / 3 conversion cycles of clean value data. - **Spending under budget and want growth** → Maximize Conversions/Value *without* a target (it spends the budget); confirm each campaign has its own budget. - **Brand defense / visibility** → Target Impression Share (Absolute Top) with a max CPC cap. - **Awareness with no click goal** → vCPM (Display) or CPV/CPM (video); consideration → CPV. - **Per campaign, not per account**: choose strategy campaign-by-campaign (or portfolio); consolidate low-volume campaigns into portfolios to clear thresholds. "Performance will generally improve if you run fewer, larger campaigns that get more conversions" (official, Target ROAS doc). ## Pages Compared - [[concepts/bidding]] — core bidding concept page - [[concepts/ad-auction]] — Ad Rank and auction-time signals - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — prerequisite for all Smart Bidding - [[concepts/attribution-privacy]] — attribution feeds the bidder - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — practitioner source detail - [[syntheses/measurement-setup-recipe]] — getting the data layer right first - [[syntheses/campaign-type-picker]] — strategy availability differs by campaign type --- title: "Campaign Type Picker: All 7 Google Ads Campaign Types Compared" type: synthesis tags: [campaign-types, decision-guide, comparison, foundational] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-choose-the-right-campaign-type-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-performance-max-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-shopping-ads-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-display-ads-and-the-google-display-network-google-ads-.md", "raw/web_community-about-video-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-demand-gen-campaigns-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-app-campaigns-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Campaign Type Picker: All 7 Google Ads Campaign Types Compared Decision guide for choosing among the 7 campaign types: [[entities/search-campaigns]], [[entities/performance-max]], [[entities/shopping-campaigns]], [[entities/display-campaigns]], [[entities/video-campaigns]], [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]], [[entities/app-campaigns]]. Google's own framing: "You'll choose a campaign type based on your marketing goals, brand strategy, and how much time you can invest." ## Comparison | Type | Goal fit | Inventory | Control level | Hard requirements | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Search** | Sales, leads, site traffic — capture active intent ("reach people while they're searching… for the products and services you offer") | Google Search + Search Partners | **Highest**: you pick keywords, match types, ad text; bid options incl. Target Impression Share, clicks, conversions, value | None special — "Write text ads and pick keywords. Skip special files or assets." | | **Performance Max** | Conversion goals (Sales / Leads / Local store visits and promotions — it only appears as an option under those objectives) | **All** Google channels from one campaign: Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps | **Lowest targeting control** ("no hard targeting") — steer with audience signals, search themes, negative keywords, brand exclusions, value rules, final-URL expansion on/off | Conversion goals defined; Smart Bidding only (Max Conversions / Max Conversion Value, optional tCPA/tROAS); Merchant Center link for retail; **max 100 PMax campaigns per account** | | **Shopping (Standard)** | Retail: promote product inventory, online + local store | Shopping tab, Google Search (separate from text ads), Google Images, Search Partners | **Medium-high**: product groups for bidding, campaign priorities; manual CPC available | **Merchant Center account with product feed, linked to Google Ads**; no keywords (matching from product data) | | **Display** | Awareness, consideration, remarketing; sales/leads via visual CTAs | 35 million websites/apps + YouTube, Gmail (Google Display Network) | **Medium**: choose AI-integration level for bidding/creatives/targeting; optimized targeting is default but can be replaced; pay-for-conversions option with tCPA | Image assets (square + landscape); note 12–24h for changes to apply, 5–7 day learning phase | | **Video** | YouTube reach/views/engagement; "Drive conversions" subtype for action | YouTube + Google video partner sites/apps | **Medium**: 6 subtypes (Drive conversions, Video reach, Get views, Ad sequence…); format choice (skippable, non-skippable ≤15s, bumper ≤6s, in-feed, Shorts ≤60s, Masthead) | **Video must already be uploaded to YouTube** | | **Demand Gen** | "Generate demand… on Google's most visual, entertaining surfaces"; social-style advertisers; full-funnel from consideration to conversion | YouTube (incl. Shorts, in-feed, Watch Next, Search), Discover, Gmail, Google Display Network — **you can pick specific channels** | **Medium-high among AI types**: channel selection, Lookalike segments, A/B experiments, carousel formats, product feed | Conversion tracking recommended; **budget ≥15× target CPA for tCPA campaigns**; image/video assets | | **App** | App installs, in-app engagement, pre-registration (3 subtypes) | Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover, Display Network ("over 3 million sites and apps") | **Low**: AI builds and tests ad combinations from your text/assets/store listing | **App published on Google Play or Apple App Store**; payment method on file; assets uploaded | ## Analysis - **Control vs. coverage is the axis.** Search gives maximum lever access (keywords, match types, per-keyword bids); Performance Max and App trade nearly all of that for cross-channel AI optimization. Demand Gen sits in between — AI-driven but with channel selection and Lookalike audience targeting that PMax lacks. - **PMax and Search are designed to coexist, with explicit priority rules**: "If the user's query is identical to an exact match keyword in your Search campaign, the Search campaign will be prioritized over Performance Max." Search themes rank like phrase/broad keywords. PMax can still poach branded traffic when your Search campaign is budget-limited — fix with brand exclusions or PMax negative keywords. - **Shopping is now a fork, not a single type**: Standard Shopping (CPC billing, Shopping ad formats, manual CPC available, controllable) vs. PMax-with-Merchant-Center-feed (all channels and formats, auto-generated creatives, Maximize Conversions/Value only). Retailers with a feed don't even need creative assets to launch a feed-based PMax campaign — but Google recommends adding them. - **Display is being absorbed into Demand Gen.** As of June 2026, "eligible advertisers can begin voluntarily moving existing campaigns using the migration tool"; later, "new campaigns can only be created within Demand Gen, and any remaining eligible campaigns will be automatically migrated." Plan new visual campaigns in Demand Gen. - **Requirements are the practical filter**: no Merchant Center → no Shopping; no YouTube-hosted video → no Video campaign; no published app → no App campaign. Search has the lowest barrier to entry. - Vendor-reported performance claims (use with caution, Google internal data): adding Display to Demand Gen/VAC lifted Demand Gen conversions +16%; web-and-app together claim a 21% web-ROI increase. ## Recommendations Pick by business situation: - **You sell a service or non-feed product and people search for it** → Search. Add PMax later for incremental reach once conversion tracking is solid. - **You're an e-commerce retailer with a product feed** → Standard Shopping if you want control (or low conversion volume / manual bidding); PMax with Merchant Center feed once you have conversion volume and want all-channel reach. See [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] for volume thresholds. - **You have clear conversion goals, working conversion tracking, and don't care which channel converts** → Performance Max. Don't launch it without conversion tracking — it is steered entirely by conversion goals ([[concepts/conversion-tracking]]). - **You want social-media-style visual prospecting with audience control (Lookalikes, channel choice)** → Demand Gen. Budget at least 15× your tCPA. - **You want awareness/remarketing on websites and apps** → Display today, Demand Gen going forward (migration is already underway). - **Brand goal on video, or video-first storytelling** → Video (reach subtypes for awareness, "Drive conversions" for action). You need the video on YouTube first. - **Your product is a mobile app** → App campaigns (installs, engagement, or pre-registration on Google Play). - **Limited time to manage** → PMax/App (most automated). **Limited budget and need predictability** → Search with tight keywords; see [[summaries/community-field-notes]] for practitioner budget cautions about auto-spending strategies. ## Pages Compared - [[entities/search-campaigns]] - [[entities/performance-max]] - [[entities/shopping-campaigns]] - [[entities/display-campaigns]] - [[entities/video-campaigns]] - [[entities/demand-gen-campaigns]] - [[entities/app-campaigns]] - Related: [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]], [[concepts/conversion-tracking]], [[concepts/audiences-targeting]] --- title: "Disapproval & Suspension Triage: Symptom → Severity → Action" type: synthesis tags: [troubleshooting, policy, suspensions, appeals, decision-guide] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-fix-a-disapproved-ad-or-appeal-a-policy-decision-google-ads-.md", "raw/web_community-what-happens-if-you-violate-our-policies-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-overview-advertising-policies.md", "raw/web_community-billing-and-payment-suspensions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-abusing-the-ad-network-advertising-policies-help.md", "raw/web_community-google-ads-account-suspensions-what-advertisers-need-to-know.md"] --- # Disapproval & Suspension Triage: Symptom → Severity → Action Highest-intent troubleshooting page: identify what you're actually dealing with — disapproved ad, limited serving, or suspended account — then take the right action path and avoid the moves that make it permanent. Policy background: [[summaries/policy-center-map]] and [[concepts/policies-enforcement]]. ## Comparison ### Symptom → severity ladder | Symptom you see | What it is | Severity | First action | |---|---|---|---| | "Disapproved" in the Status column of one or more ads/assets | **Ad/asset disapproval** — ad won't run until fixed and re-reviewed | Low (ad-level) | Hover the status → "Read the policy"; fix or appeal | | "Eligible (limited)" status | **Serving restriction**, not necessarily a violation — restricted by location, device, age, or certification (common: Alcohol, Copyrights, Gambling, Healthcare, Trademarks) | Low–medium | Check if you need certification/application for the targeted location; appeal via Policy manager if mislabeled | | Warning email naming a policy + remedial action | **Pre-suspension warning** — sent "at least 7 days before suspension action" | Medium–high | Remediate everything named, account-wide, within the window | | Strike notification | **Repeat-violation strike system**: no strike for the first violation; max 3 strikes per policy; strike 1 = **3-day** account hold, strike 2 = **7-day** hold, strike 3 = **suspension** | Medium–high | Stop re-running the violating pattern; fix root cause, not just the flagged ad | | Red banner: account suspended (policy) | **Policy suspension** — ads stop; account read-only | High | Fix the violation *first*, then one appeal | | Account suspended, no prior warning | **Egregious violation** — "suspended immediately without prior warning… you will not be allowed to advertise with Google Ads again." Egregious list: Circumventing systems, Coordinated deceptive practices, Counterfeit, Malicious software, Prescription opioid painkillers, Unauthorized pharmacies, Unacceptable business practices, Trade sanctions violation, Sexually explicit content, Child sexual abuse and exploitation | Maximum — permanent unless appeal succeeds | One thorough, honest appeal; SEL field guide (medium confidence): "egregious violations only get one chance" | | Suspension citing payments | **Billing & payment suspension**: unpaid balance, suspicious payment activity, chargeback request, promotional code abuse | High | Fix billing, verify payment method (within **30 days** when asked), then appeal | | Account temporarily paused, asked to confirm payment | **Payment challenge — not a suspension** | Low | Admin user completes the task under Admin > Policy > Account (verify code or make a payment) | | Suspended after unusual access/spend | **Unauthorized account activity** — protective suspension | Medium | Change Google password, check signed-in devices, submit the compromised-account form | ### Appeal routes | Situation | Route | Verbatim limits | |---|---|---| | Disapproved ad — you fixed it | Edit ad → Save (auto re-review), or Appeal with reason "Made changes to comply with policy" | Each ad: **max 3 appeals**, then customer support only; wait **24 hours** between appeals on the same ads or they're marked Duplicate; too many unique appeals in a 24h window suspends processing | | Disapproved ad — you think Google is wrong | Appeal with "Dispute decision" from Policy manager (Tools → Troubleshooting → Policy manager) or Ads page (select ads → Edit → Appeal policy decision); track on the "Appeal history" tab (statuses: Successful / Partially successful / Failed / Duplicate / Error / Exceeded appeal retry-limit) | Appeal in batches per ad group/campaign — appealing the whole account at once slows review | | Account suspension | "Contact Us" link in the in-account notification → appeal form | One appeal at a time ("If you file too many appeals for the same account suspension, we may not process them"); misuse → appeal processing suspended **7 days**; **at least 6 months** from suspension date to appeal; some advertisers must pass **advertiser verification — 3 identity attempts max**; reinstatement "only in compelling circumstances" | | Billing suspension | Appeal + payment verification: code (temporary charge ≤ **$1.95 USD**, last **6 digits** are the code, refunded within 30 days), make a payment, or upload documents (color, all 4 corners, not expired, same legal name) | Verification within **30 days**; updates come from payments-noreply@google.com | | Multiple related accounts suspended | Separate appeal per account | If suspended for shared identity documents, your account auto-reinstates when the other accounts win their appeals | | EU advertisers | Additional redress under the **EU Digital Services Act** | — | ### What NOT to do - **Do not create a new account to keep advertising.** "Any new accounts that the advertiser tries to create may also be suspended" — and deliberately working around suspension is **Circumventing systems**, itself an egregious policy: immediate suspension, permanent ban. Reinstate the suspended account first. - **Do not appeal before fixing.** Accounts are reinstated "in compelling circumstances, such as in the case of a mistake" — an unfixed violation guarantees denial and burns limited appeal attempts. - **Do not spam appeals.** Account level: appeal-processing suspended 7 days for misuse. Ad level: 3 appeals max per ad, 24h spacing. - **Do not ignore related accounts.** Accounts sharing payment method, email, or manager account get suspended together; "Before appealing, ensure that all linked (or previously linked) and all related accounts comply." - **Do not request a chargeback** on a legitimate balance — that is itself a suspension trigger. - **Do not be vague or dishonest in appeals.** Official guidance: be "thorough, accurate, and honest"; explain context (e.g. cloaking: why content differed; phishing flag: prove the brand partnership). Practitioner note (SEL, medium confidence): admit your own errors upfront — e.g. a duplicate account created before you joined. ## Analysis - **The severity question to ask first: was there a warning?** Warning-first (≥7 days) means a standard policy path with a fixable remediation. No warning means Google classified it egregious — judged at the *business* level, "not necessarily its campaigns or accounts" (SEL), so the appeal must address business practices, not ad copy. - **Suspended ≠ locked out.** Suspended accounts are read-only but you can still: cancel the account and claim refunds, make payments, download tax documents and reports, appeal, complete verification, and update security settings. - **Detection is multi-source.** Google reviews "ads, accounts, websites, content, user complaints, consumer reviews, regulatory warnings and rulings, and other third-party sources" — cleaning the ad alone won't survive a review if the site or business record still violates. - **The system has improved but is still slow at the margins** (medium confidence, SEL reporting Google's Nov 2025 numbers): incorrect suspensions down >80%, 99% of suspensions resolved within 24 hours — yet practitioners still report long appeal waits. Patience beats re-filing. - Disapprovals split into **ad-content problems** (edit text/assets, save, auto re-review) and **destination problems** (fix the landing page or point the ad at a compliant URL, then appeal) — see the Destination requirements catalog in [[summaries/policy-center-map]]. ## Recommendations - **Single ad disapproved, others fine** → fix and resubmit; appeal only with a real dispute. Add the "Policy details" column on the Ads page to see exactly which policy hit. - **"Eligible (limited)"** → usually certification/territory, not error. Apply to advertise for the category/location, or appeal if genuinely mislabeled. - **Warning received** → treat as a 7-day account-wide audit deadline: ad copy (capitalization, spacing, spelling, symbols), landing pages, and every related account. - **Suspended (non-egregious)** → fix first, verify identity if asked, one complete appeal, then wait; escalate to re-appeal only after making further changes. - **Suspended (egregious)** → assume one realistic shot. Overhaul the business practice at issue, gather evidence, write the most thorough honest appeal you can. - **Billing suspension** → check the billing section (payment method current, no declines), complete payment verification within 30 days; refunds via account cancellation if you exit. - Pair this page with [[summaries/community-field-notes]] for practitioner appeal tactics and [[concepts/account-suspensions]] / [[concepts/account-setup]] for prevention (correct age on the Google account, no promo-code stacking, secure access). ## Pages Compared - [[summaries/policy-center-map]] — which policy family you violated - [[concepts/policies-enforcement]] — strike system and detection - [[concepts/account-suspensions]] — suspension lifecycle - [[concepts/account-setup]] — prevention at account creation - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — practitioner appeal experience --- title: "Measurement Setup Recipe: Tagging, Conversions, Enhanced Conversions, Consent, Attribution" type: synthesis tags: [conversion-tracking, measurement, consent-mode, attribution, how-to] created: 2026-06-11 updated: 2026-06-11 confidence: high sources: ["raw/web_community-about-the-google-tag-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-set-up-your-web-conversions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-create-conversions-from-google-analytics-events-in-google-ad.md", "raw/web_community-about-enhanced-conversions-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-set-up-enhanced-conversions-for-web-using-the-google-tag-goo.md", "raw/web_community-about-consent-mode-google-ads-help.md", "raw/web_community-about-attribution-models-google-ads-help.md"] --- # Measurement Setup Recipe: The Working Setup Path Ordered recipe for a measurement stack that Smart Bidding can actually use. Do these in order — every step downstream of step 1 depends on the tag, and [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] depends on all of it. Concept background: [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] and [[concepts/attribution-privacy]]. ## Comparison ### The core decision: Google tag direct vs. GA4 import | | Google Ads conversion measurement (Google tag direct) | GA4 key-event import | |---|---|---| | Best when | "You're interested only in conversions" from Google Ads sources | You're "interested in measurement and conversions across your app or website," including **non-Google Ads traffic**; GA4 property already exists | | Source of truth | Google Ads conversion actions | Google Analytics — events must be marked **"key event"** in GA4 before import | | Prerequisites | Google tag on site | Ads↔GA4 accounts linked, **auto-tagging ON**, GCLID not stripped by redirects, Marketer role in GA + admin in Ads | | Default action status | Primary (biddable) as configured | **Imported GA conversions default to Secondary** — flip action optimization in Google Ads or they won't drive bidding | | Latency | Near-real-time | Up to **24 hours** for imported data | | Reporting quirks | Conversion attributed to click date | GA attributes to conversion date; Ads cookie window 1–90 days vs GA cookie up to 2 years; counting "One" vs "Every"; invalid clicks filtered on import | | Can you combine? | **Yes** — "You can use any combination of these 2 at the same time"; select both Google tag and GA properties as data sources | | **Rule of thumb (official lean):** "Connecting using Google Analytics is recommended if your website already has a Google Analytics property setup." Otherwise tag directly. Don't double-count the same action as Primary from both sources. ## The recipe (ordered) ### Step 1 — Install the Google tag once, site-wide The Google tag (gtag.js, ex–global site tag) is "a single tag… across your entire website" connecting multiple destinations (Ads, GA4, Campaign Manager 360). In Google Ads: Goals menu → Summary → **+ Create conversion action** → Conversions on a website → Add URL → **Scan**. Scan detects an existing Google tag and any GA4 property (linked or linkable). No tag and no GA → you get the tag code to install. Existing gtag.js installs need no code change. ### Step 2 — Choose your data source (table above) and link if GA4 If GA4: link the property, choose what to share (app/web metrics, GA audiences). To import an event it must be toggled "Mark as key event" in GA4 (Admin → Data display → Events); event names must match exactly. Bulk-create conversions from existing GA4 events is offered during setup. ### Step 3 — Create conversion actions - **Codeless (URL-based)**: trigger on page load or form submission; match type "URL is" / "contains" (e.g. `thank-you`) / "starts with" (e.g. `confirmation/`). "Fastest and easiest" — use when no transaction values needed. - **Code snippet**: for button/link clicks, transaction IDs, dynamic values, custom parameters. Dynamic values can be scraped via CSS selectors (Chrome DevTools → Inspect → Copy Selector → "Extraction location" field). - Set per-action settings: category, **action optimization (Primary = feeds the "Conversions" column and bidding; Secondary = observation)**, value, count ("One" vs "Every" — leads usually One, purchases Every), click-through/engaged-view/view-through windows (click window configurable 1–90 days), attribution model. - Verify status in Goals → Summary "Status" column; debug with Google Tag Assistant. ### Step 4 — Turn on enhanced conversions Enhanced conversions sends **SHA256-hashed first-party data** (email, name, address, phone) with conversions to recover attribution where cookies fail. Two variants: **web** (online conversions) and **leads** (offline sales from website leads, paired with offline imports). Setup: in the conversion flow or settings, check **"Turn on enhanced conversions"** and accept the customer data terms (you confirm compliance with Google Ads Data Processing Terms). Requirements: the customer data must be present on the page where the conversion tag fires. Verify afterward in the **tag Diagnostics report** (enhanced conversions section). ### Step 5 — Consent mode (mandatory thinking for EEA traffic) Consent mode relays your cookie banner's consent state to Google tags; it "does not provide a consent banner." Two implementations: | | Basic | Advanced | |---|---|---| | Tag loading | Blocked until banner interaction | Loads immediately, defaults **denied** | | On deny | Nothing sent at all | **Cookieless pings** (consent state, key events, GA pings) | | Modeling | General model | **Advertiser-specific model** (better conversion modeling) | Choose advanced if your legal review allows cookieless pings — it directly improves modeled conversions feeding Smart Bidding. Uplift reporting appears after **at least 7 full days** of implementation, subject to data thresholds. ### Step 6 — Pick attribution - Only two models remain: **Data-driven (default)** and **Last click**. First click, linear, time decay, and position-based are **no longer supported** (auto-upgraded to data-driven). - The model applies per conversion action and "affects any bid strategies that use the data in the 'Conversions' column" — i.e. your tCPA/tROAS optimize against it. - Use the **Model comparison report** (Goals → Attribution → Model comparison) to compare Last click vs Data-driven on Cost/conv and Conv.value/cost before/after switching; changes apply going forward, with "(current model)" columns for historical re-reads. ## Analysis - **Order matters because each layer feeds the next**: tag → conversion actions → enhanced conversions (accuracy) → consent mode (coverage where consent is denied) → attribution (credit) → Smart Bidding (decisions). Skipping consent mode in the EEA doesn't just risk compliance — it silently shrinks the conversion data the bidder learns from. - **The most common self-inflicted wounds in this setup**, per official troubleshooting notes: GA-imported actions left as Secondary (bidding ignores them), GCLID dropped by redirects (GA conversions can't attribute to Ads), event names mismatched between GA4 and Ads, tags missing on thank-you/confirmation pages, and comparing Ads "Conversions" against GA totals without accounting for counting method and date-of-click vs date-of-conversion. - **Discrepancies between GA and Ads are expected, not broken** — date attribution, counting method, invalid-click filtering, cookie windows, and the up-to-24h import delay all diverge by design. - Enhanced conversions and consent mode are both **modeling inputs**: hashed matches recover signed-in conversions; advanced consent mode pings recover consent-denied conversions. Together they keep the "Conversions" column trustworthy under privacy constraints ([[concepts/attribution-privacy]]). ## Recommendations - **Have GA4 already?** Link it, import key events, but manage Primary/Secondary deliberately in Ads — one Primary source of truth per action. - **No GA4, simple site, Ads-only goals?** Google tag direct with a codeless URL conversion; add value tracking via snippet when revenue matters. - **E-commerce going to value bidding** ([[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]]): use snippet/dynamic values with transaction IDs and currency now — tROAS requires real values. - **Any EEA traffic**: implement consent mode before scaling spend; prefer advanced, accept basic if legal requires hard-blocking. - **Leave Data-driven attribution on** unless you have a specific reason for Last click; run the Model comparison report before and after to anchor CPA/ROAS targets. - Turn on enhanced conversions account-wide — it's the lowest-effort accuracy gain in the stack — and check the Diagnostics report a week later. ## Pages Compared - [[concepts/conversion-tracking]] — conversion action mechanics - [[concepts/attribution-privacy]] — models, consent, modeling - [[concepts/account-setup]] — linking accounts and auto-tagging - [[syntheses/bid-strategy-picker]] — what this data unlocks - [[summaries/community-field-notes]] — practitioner emphasis on never bidding without tracking