This document contains frequently asked questions that arise when using the Google Ads data source. You can quickly navigate to a particular FAQ by using the table of contents below.
Did Google Ads used to be called Google AdWords?
Why do I see the same assignment multiple times in my Google Ads assignment screen?
What timezone is Google Ads data in?
Does TapClicks support Google Ads Responsive Ads?
Does TapClicks support any eCommerce data from Google Ads?
Can I get YouTube data through the Google Ads connector?
Does TapClicks support Performance Max campaigns through the Google Ads Connector?
Does TapClicks support Local Services and Local Ads campaigns through the Google Ads Connector?
How can I report on Store Visits through the Google Ads Connector?
Does TapClicks support Multi Asset Responsive Ad Details through the Google Ads Connector?
Why am I seeing a combination of search and search partners as a single network?
How come when I look at Google Ads Display, I might see Campaign Type of search in the results?
Why can't I see all my keywords?
Why don't I see symbols around my keywords in Google Ads?
Why don't Impression Share metrics from Google Ads match TapClicks?
Why don’t my Video Quartile metrics from Google Ads match TapClicks?
Why are my Geo fields not behaving as expected?
How come various metrics in TapClicks don’t match Google Ads exactly?
Does TapClicks respect my Google Ads Attribution window when fetching data?
How can I see what daily lookback is set for my Google Ads Connection?
Why aren't all of my ad previews appearing?
Can I see previews for HTML5 Ads?
What is the Google Ads Display tile?
What is the Google Search tile?
What is the Google Ads Video tile?
What if I need data from a Google Ads report that TapClicks doesn’t quite support?
What fields (metrics) are available?
What data can I assign to my Tap Client from this data source?
Did Google Ads used to be called Google AdWords?
Yes.
Why do I see the same assignment multiple times in my Google Ads assignment screen?
Check the underlying Advertiser IDs. It's likely that you have multiple Advertiser or Campaign records that look to be the same, but their ID values from Google Ads are different. To check this do the following:
1] Go to Manage Data Sources.
2] Click the Manage assignments link in the lower right corner of the screen, next to Update My Dashboard.
3] Select Google Ads from the Data Source drop down.
4] Click Download.
Review the generated Excel file to search for the Advertiser Name that appears duplicated and confirm that the associated ID values with each line are different.
The assignment screen presents data that exists in Google Ads. You can always review the available Advertisers directly in Google Ads. Just keep in mind that if you have multiple Google Ads usernames connected in TapClicks, you may need to contact a colleague to review the Google Ads Advertisers that they have access to.
I see a message with my Google Ads data fetches about “TWO_STEP_VERIFICATION_NOT_ENROLLED” and I have no data in TapClicks. How can I resolve it?
When you create a username (which is an email address) to access data from a Google Ads account, that email address can be enrolled in something called “Two Step Verification”. Details about two-step verification can be found here: https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/oauth/2sv.
The organization that owns that username can optionally choose to enforce two-step verification at login. This is a security setting available from Google for Google organizations. The username, like myname@tapclicks.com, may opt not to enroll in two-step verification if the Google organization does not require it.
Additionally, that username can be invited to work on other Google Ads accounts like Acme Agency. If the Acme Agency organization requires two-step verification and myname@tapclicks.com opts not to enroll in two-step, even though the username can still log into Google Ads and see the Google Ads data, they will be blocked from pulling data through the API because the authenticating user (myname@tapclicks.com) is not enrolled in two-step, which is a requirement from the organization that owns the Google Ads account (i.e., Acme Agency).
If you see this warning, you have two choices to resolve it:
- The username on the connection needs to enroll in two-step verification on the Google Ads side. Then the user would need to reauthenticate in TapClicks in order to update the auth token and reestablish data flow.
- The customer would need to add a new username enrolled in two-step verification and reassign it to pull data through into TapClicks
I see a message with my Google Ads data fetches about “CUSTOMER_NOT_ACTIVE” and I have no data in TapClicks for this Advertiser or Campaign. How can I resolve it?
When you see this message it means that the Advertiser or Campaign is not active in the Google Ads system. To resolve it, log into Google Ads, reactivate the Advertiser or Campaign, then hit Update Dashboard. Alternatively, if this Advertiser or Campaign will never be active in the future, you can choose to ignore this message.
I see a message with my Google Ads data fetches about “USER_PERMISSION_DENIED” and I have no data in TapClicks for this Advertiser or Campaign. How can I resolve it?
When you see this message it means the authenticated credentials in TapClicks no longer have access to the Advertiser or Campaign on the Google Ads side. The rights for the username to access that Advertiser or Campaign in Google Ads may have been removed. To access the data, review the record in Google Ads and grant access back to the authenticating username. Then hit Update Dashboard.
What timezone is Google Ads data in?
Data from Google Ads is returned in the timezone of the account.
Does TapClicks support Google Ads Responsive Ads?
Yes. On the Ads data view there are fields that are specific to Responsive Ads.
Does TapClicks support any eCommerce data from Google Ads?
Yes. There is a “Shopping” data view that is available by request for customers. If you’re interested in learning more about this offering, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com.
Can I get YouTube data through the Google Ads connector?
If you have Google Ads Campaigns that are targeting the YouTube Network, then yes, that data can be accessed through this connector. A good rule of thumb is that if the data can be seen in the source platform, it’s nearly certain that TapClicks can expose it. Sometimes this is available out of the box with no additional effort like with YouTube Network for Google Ads. But in other cases, there may be development work required to bring your additional data into the platform.
If you currently access YouTube Ads instead through the YouTube UI, you may want to try the YouTube connector instead of the Google Ads connector.
Does TapClicks support Performance Max campaigns through the Google Ads Connector?
Yes, this is a dedicated Campaign Type that flows into the Google Ads connector. To see what type a given campaign is within TapClicks, refer to the Campaign Type field on various data views. To see the different Campaign Types available from Google Ads, check out this Google Reference.
Does TapClicks support Local Services and Local Ads campaigns through the Google Ads Connector?
Yes, these are dedicated Campaign Types that flow into the Google Ads connector. To see what type a given campaign is within TapClicks, refer to the Campaign Type field on various data views.
Please note that Local Campaigns will start to be migrated to Performance Max campaigns on the Google side starting in August 2022 (see this article from Google). TapClicks will continue to support data from Campaign Types as long as they are available from Google Ads. To see the different Campaign Types available from Google Ads, check out this Google Reference.
How can I report on Store Visits through the Google Ads Connector?
Use the Conversion Details data view or the Conversions Extended data view. The Conversion Name field will contain Store Visits, which enables you to report on this specific conversion.
Example: for Conversion Details data view, there is a dedicated metric for Store Visits.
Example: for Conversions Extended data view, there is a dedicated dimension for Conversion Action Name that contains Store visits.
If you don’t have access to one of these data views and are interested in learning more, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com
Does TapClicks support Multi Asset Responsive Ad Details through the Google Ads Connector?
Yes, this is a child data view of the Ads data view for Google Ads. It contains a breakdown of each of the multiple assets that apply to individual ads, allowing you to review each asset as it applies to each Ad ID.
This data view does not require any additional configuration and is available to any customer with access to the Ads data view.
How do the Google Ads advertising channels / networks correspond to the previous Google AdWords networks?
You can use the reference table below to see how the networks values relate between the two versions. You can also refer to the Advertising Channel field that is now available from the Google Ads API.
|
Google AdWords Values (previous) |
Google Ads Values (current) |
|
Search Network |
SEARCH, SEARCH_PARTNERS |
|
Display Network |
CONTENT |
|
Cross-network |
MIXED |
|
unknown |
UNKNOWN |
|
YouTube Search |
YOUTUBE_SEARCH |
|
YouTube Videos |
YOUTUBE_WATCH |
Why am I seeing a combination of search and search partners as a single network?
The Google Ads API has two separate networks for search and search partners. During the API migration, TapClicks used this combined string to ensure data continuity for historical data loaded into your instance. Data loaded after the migration to Google Ads in April 2022 will have appropriate search or search partner networks applied.
How come when I look at Google Ads Display, I might see Campaign Type of search in the results?
This is because the TapClicks-built Network Split services are run off of the network field from Google Ads. The reason that you may see a Campaign Type = Search when you look at Google Ads Display is because according to Google, Search Campaign Types can be run on both networks.
In your reporting, you can opt to exclude this Campaign Type from your widgets depending on how you wish to tell your data story. Please note that the Network Split is part of a legacy feature of TapClicks called the Network Split. We recommend that you instead use the filter capabilities on widgets to create the visualizations you need in the system.
Why can't I see all my keywords?
The API call that returns keyword data will not return any keywords where there were zero impressions served. As such, if you have a keyword for a period with zero impressions, that keyword will not be represented in TapClicks
Why don't I see symbols around my keywords in Google AdWords?
Symbols like brackets and quotations are not returned by the Google Ads API. However, if you’re interested in extrapolating these symbols with our Advanced Calculation feature, you can use the reference table below against the Match Type field. The table contains the match types and the symbols they correlate to.
|
Match Type |
Symbol |
|
Broad |
+ |
|
Phrase |
" " |
|
Exact |
[ ] |
|
Negative |
- |
Why don't Impression Share metrics from Google Ads match TapClicks?
This has to do with the fact that the Impression Share (IS) values are stored on a daily level. TapClicks has a number of options available to you when it comes to Impression Share reporting. Check out additional information in this article.
Why don’t my Video Quartile metrics from Google Ads match TapClicks?
Video Quartile metrics are similar to Impression Share metrics mentioned above. TapClicks stores data for you on a day-over-day basis, which means that each quartile percentage value is stored for a single day. When looking over a date range, TapClicks applies a specialized formula that may not be an exact match to what you see in Google Ads. The alternative solution paths that are identified in this article for Impression Share also apply to Video Quartile metrics.
Why are my Geo fields not behaving as expected?
With the Google Ads API, there is a lot more flexibility in how you can report on geographic data within the Google Ads user interface. In early 2022, one of the initial goals in migrating to the Google Ads API was to maintain continuity between the new data methods and the legacy Google AdWords data loaded to date. As such, it’s possible that your unique reporting needs within the Google Ads reporting suite may not exactly line up with how TapClicks is currently pulling API data into the dashboard for reporting purposes.
The good news is that we have a number of ways to report on Geo data. If you’re encountering issues with how data is rendering in your dashboard, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com with a report sample of the geo data that you’re looking to report on within TapClicks and we will work with you to meet you needs.
How come various metrics in TapClicks don’t match Google Ads exactly?
There are a few reasons that this could occur. As mentioned elsewhere in this article, there are some fields (Impression Share, Video Quartile) that cannot be replicated exactly in the Instant On connector. For those data sets, there are alternative methods to report on this data. See the Impression Share article here.
Another reason that you could be seeing variations in data is that the date range you selected in TapClicks doesn't match the date range selected in Google Ads. Double check this to be certain that your comparing apples to apples.
It could also be the result of timezone differences. Google Ads returns data in the account’s timezone. It’s possible that the user in Google Ads is using a different timezone than the Google Ads account setting.
Additionally, Google Ads allows a lot more flexibility now in how you can report on your data with custom dimensions and metrics. TapClicks has a few key dimensions that are required for data storage like Day, Network, Advertiser ID, Campaign ID and others depending on the data view. When you create a report in Google Ads, it’s possible that one or more of these dimensions aren’t included in the report. As such, the Google Ads report has a different granularity than the one that TapClicks asks for through the API, meaning that the data could vary slightly based on that definition.
Best practice is to always include the Day, Advertiser ID, Campaign ID, and Network fields when you build your reports to get as close to TapClicks’ definition as possible. If you are still having trouble, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com to further guide you through the required fields.
If there's a specific report set that you’re looking for in TapClicks, we also have a few ways to bring that data into the dashboard. You can do it either through the Smart Connector, Live Call Widgets or through an enhancement to the native feed. For more information, see this FAQ.
Does TapClicks respect my Google Ads Attribution window when fetching data?
Yes. When we get data from your account, we first check to see what your account attribution settings are on the Google Ads side. That helps us know if we need to fetch the last 3 days or last 30 days every day to ensure that your data is as accurate as it can be.
How can I see what daily lookback is set for my Google Ads Connection?
Take a look at the Data Load Status Page, specifically at data connections to Google Ads on Connection Status. There is a column for Lookback Period which will tell you your connection's unique daily lookback. For more information about the Data Load Status page, check out this article.
Why aren't all of my ad previews appearing?
There are multiple preview type fields from Google Ads and not all of them apply to all ads. For example, Image Ad Preview is used for display ads like banner images and GIFs, while Ad Preview is used for search ads. You likely won’t find an ad that has both since they’re different ad types.
If you filter a Google Ads widget by Network, Campaign Type or Ad Type, you can customize your visualization.
Best practice is to show these different ad types in separate widgets since they often have different margins and strategies behind them, allowing you to craft a focused story.
Can I see previews for HTML5 Ads?
Not at this time. Google Ads has not made it possible to access HTML5 previews through the Google Ads API. Once it’s available from Google, we’ll be happy to explore exposing this information for your reporting needs. For more information about this from Google, check out the Google Support Forum.
What is this “Split Google Ads Search Network from Google Ads Display Network and Google Ads Video?” on my data profile?
This is a setting on your data profile that exposes a legacy feature called the Network Split. This presents Google Ads Display, Google Ads Search and (for some customers) Google Ads Video as separate data sources when building widget visualizations and working with other TapClicks features.
TapClicks recommends that instead, you leverage the Google Ads data source and apply filters to your visualizations as you see fit. If you need more information about this feature, feel free to contact you Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com.
What is the Google Ads Display tile?
The Google Ads Display tile is part of a legacy feature of TapClicks called the Network Split. We recommend that you instead use the filter capabilities on widgets to create the visualizations you need in the system.
This data source does not get assigned to TapClicks clients like Google Ads and other data sources. Instead, any assignments that are in place for Google Ads will automatically apply to this data source.
What is the Google Search tile?
The Google Ads Search tile is part of a legacy feature of TapClicks called the Network Split. We recommend that you instead use the filter capabilities on widgets to create the visualizations you need in the system.
This data source does not get assigned to TapClicks clients like Google Ads and other data sources. Instead, any assignments that are in place for Google Ads will automatically apply to this data source.
What is the Google Ads Video tile?
The Google Ads Video tile is part of a legacy feature of TapClicks called the Network Split. We recommend that you instead use the filter capabilities on widgets to create the visualizations you need in the system.
This data source does not get assigned to TapClicks clients like Google Ads and other data sources. Instead, any assignments that are in place for Google Ads will automatically apply to this data source.
What if I need data from a Google Ads report that TapClicks doesn’t quite support?
There are a few ways to approach this situation.
- Create a Smart Connector to bring this data into your dashboard.
- This will allow you to get to your data fast.
- This path could be used in the long term.
- Or you can use this path while waiting for an enhancement to the Google Ads connector.
- Review if the data you need can be accessed through Live Call Widgets.
- Similar to the Smart Connector option above, this will allow you to get to your data fast.
- This path has some limitations on which TapClicks features can be applied to the data set. For example, you cannot currently use Channels with live call data sets.
- Submit a request to the product team to evaluate bringing this data into the Instant On connector.
- Make sure to include report extract examples so that we can review exactly the dimensions and metrics you’re looking for in your dashboard.
- If you need help with this process, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com.
What fields (metrics) are available?
After you connect a data source to TapClicks, you can use that data in your reports. These fields are organized into groups of similar types of data called Data Views. You can view all fields and data views for a given data source in the Connector Marketplace. For Google Ads, you will find a list of all dimensions and metrics available for use in TapClicks, organized by data view, here: Google Ads metrics in the Connector Marketplace.
What data can I assign to my Tap Client from this data source?
Level 1 - Account
Level 2 - Campaign