le Ads scripts bring a new era to the industry with API access

Since nearly a decade now, Google Ads Scripts have been unsung heroes of advertisers looking to automate accounts.

These scripts were originally created to provide users with JavaScript-driven automated capabilities. Now, they can use the Google Ads’ API “mutate” feature.

Ads API allows advertisers to directly integrate with all the capabilities of the Ads API. The script team no longer limits them to the entities and functions of ads that they have enabled.

Google Ads scripts are a bridge to the Ads API

Scripts were initially introduced to allow users to automate repetitive tasks using JavaScript. However, they have evolved over time, reflecting the ever-changing digital advertising landscape.

The addition of a mutate feature to Google Ads API scripts has helped bridge the gap between the two.

This integration allows advertisers to directly control and manipulate virtually any component in their Google Ads accounts, reaching a level previously only available for those who interacted directly with the API.

This evolution is a reflection of Google’s efforts to make powerful advertising tools more accessible to a wider range of users.

PPC Automation: The options available

The new mutate functionality in scripts has changed the way we think about automation options for search engine marketing.

Google Ads scripts is just one option for PPC marketers. They can also use third-party PPC tools, the Ads Interface, or simple built-in automation mechanisms like those found in Google Ads’ frontend.

Take a look at each of these options and their potential advantages and disadvantages.

Third-party PPC Management Tools

These platforms are usually comprehensive and provide features like:

• Bulk editing.
• Reporting on performance.
• Automated systems with sophisticated capabilities.

These tools manage API calls and the complexity of maintaining code. They are user-friendly for even non-technical marketing professionals.

These tools may have a steeper learning curve, and higher costs.

Google Ads API

Google Ads API offers granular, robust control over campaigns. It allows for automation, integration, and customisation. It provides access to all Google Ads functionality, including mutate.

It’s also the most technically demanding option. You need to understand API calls, authenticate, and maintain a server environment.

This is best for large teams of developers, or businesses that have very specific requirements. Off-the-shelf software can’t always meet these needs.

Google Ads Scripts

APIs are heavy-lifting and require a lot of technical work. Scripts can be used to automate custom tasks.

These ads are JavaScript based and run on the Google Ads Platform, eliminating the need for complex setups or external servers.

Recent additions of mutate functions have significantly increased their capabilities. They have limited execution times and are not suitable for large-scale or complex operations.

Google Ads Frontend now has built-in automation

This is the simplest method. It includes automated bidding rules and strategies.

All advertisers, no matter their technical skill level, can easily use these tools for simple automation tasks.

They lack the customisation and control that other methods offer.

Use cases for Google Ads scripts

Here are some examples of things that advertisers automate with scripts.

Bid management

• Scripts automate the bidding process based on predefined rules. This can save time and optimize bids for best performance.

Reporting

• You can create custom scripts to generate the reports you need. These reports could include keyword performance, cost analysis, and much more. (e.g. Reporting + GPT script)

Budget Management

• You can use scripts to automatically adjust budgets for campaigns based on the performance of a campaign or other external factors, such as seasonality.

Keyword and Ad Management

• The script can be used to add, remove, or pause keywords and ads depending on conditions such as performance metrics. (e.g. Script for creating RSAs using GPT).

Alerts and notifications

• Advertisers can use scripts to notify them of significant changes in their accounts.

These scripts allow advertisers to streamline operations by focusing on their strategic goals while the scripts handle routine tasks.

Why adding the “mutate” capability to scripts can be a game changer

Google Ads API is a powerful tool for those who have a deep understanding of technology, such as large in-house advertising teams and tool developers.

The API interface required many technical nuances, such as managing developer tokens and authentication. These nuances were not directly related to ad-management.

The Ads API no longer belongs exclusively to experienced developers.

Google Ads Scripts now offers advertisers unprecedented access to API capabilities, allowing them to go beyond the limits of the scripts.

Since scripts take care of the technical aspects such as tokens and server management, they allow marketers to focus on their strengths: optimising ad campaigns and adding value to brands.

Now, they have a much wider range of options for optimizing scripts.

What is the function’mutate?’

Its breadth and depth are a great improvement for users of scripts.

This feature allows for most resource changes, whether it’s creating, updating or removing items from an ads account.

Take a look at them all:

Create resources

Google Ads’ “create” function allows you to create new entities.

Users must provide a complete JSON representation for the resource that they plan to create.

After a successful API request, the response contains the name of the newly created object. This can be used to further manipulate the object.

Update existing resources

This API operation ” Update ” allows for a more intuitive way to make modifications.

Users can update a resource sparingly instead of repeating every detail.

You can then change only those fields that you want.

This selectivity is possible with the UpdateMask Attribute. It ensures that only certain fields are changed, which comes in handy for objects with multiple settings, such as campaigns.

Changes to a campaign’s name or status can be made without affecting any other aspects.

Remove resources

Decluttering, simplifying and updating are all important.

This is why the ” Remove ” operation of the Mutate function was created. It does not permanently delete the object, but it changes its Google Ads Status to ” REMOVAL.”

The “mutate” feature also allows you to combine these operations.

Advertisers are able to send a single API request that encompasses multiple actions on different resources. This optimizes efficiency.

The Google Ads API also ensures Atomicity, meaning that actions within a single API are seen as an entire set, whether they succeed or fail completely, guaranteeing consistency in operations.

Some examples of how the “mutate” capability can be used

Google Ads bulk-changes: How to make changes across all campaigns

The Google Ads API’s mutate feature is a great way to make changes in bulk across multiple campaigns with a single click.

Imagine you want to adjust the bidding strategy for multiple campaigns at high traffic periods such as Black Friday or Christmas.

Advertisers can use the Mutate function to make large-scale changes to hundreds of campaigns, groups or keywords. This allows them maximize their ROI in these critical periods.

Using Ads Scripts before required more complex and iterative code, which could potentially run into execution time limitations.

Comprehensive campaign setup processes

The holistic creation of campaigns is another transformative use-case.

Creating a new campaign used to require multiple steps, including creating the campaign, adding the ad group, assigning the keywords, etc. Each of these steps was its own script function.

With the Mutate function, advertisers are able to create a complete campaign setup, where they can create the campaign and its associated ad group, the relevant ads, as well as the targeted keywords, all with a single API request.

This will speed up the process, and ensure that no elements are missed or overlooked.

In this sample from the Google Developers website, a single click creates a budget shared, a campaign, and a group of ads, and places the campaign into the budget shared.

Error-checking

The Mutate function has an integrated error checking mechanism.

The entire operation can be stopped if an element (like an advertising group) is unable to create interlinked components.

Advertisers will not end up with unfinished campaigns or structures.

Scripts would run sequentially, without a fail-safe integrated, resulting in incomplete campaign structures, which would need manual checking and corrections.

Here are a few examples that demonstrate the potential for the mutate feature to transform processes, ensuring a more robust management of ad campaigns.

Consider these caveats

Although adding “mutate’ capabilities to Google Adsscripts can open up new avenues for automated account management, there are limitations.

Ad scripts, for example, have a maximum runtime of 30 minutes.

For complex tasks that may exceed the time limit, direct API integrations and third-party tools are better options.

Revolutionizing Google Ads management

Google Ads scripts have a wealth of new capabilities that are bringing a new age to advertising automation.

They’re making sophisticated advertising management more accessible by bridging that gap between advertisers and the Google Ads API.

Advertisers are in for an exciting time. These advancements will redefine what is possible, whether you are a Google Ads novice or an experienced professional.

Keep informed, experiment and use these tools to the fullest!

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