Strange behavior of Demographic criterion

[Oliver]

We're using AdWords API v201809

We need to be able to set bid modifiers for AgeRange, Gender, etc.  We're aware we have to use AdgroupCriterionService (not AdGroupBidModifierService) for this and provide the relevant BiddableAdGroupCriterion objects.

It seems, however, to set a bid modifier, we have to use the ADD operator (and not SET).  This is because, even though the UI is showing the criteron is enabled (i.e. added), it's added by default and not by user choice.   If an adgroup has multiple AgeRange criterion enabled by default, and you ADD one criterion so you can set its bid modifier, all other AgeRange criterion are excluded/removed imemdiately!  This behavior is confirmed in this post by Srilakshmi on 28/6/2018.  

We find this way the API works very strange and confusing.  It means we can't set a bid modifier on such criterion before first getting all the existing criterion in an adgroup, ADD them all first so that they are no longer added by default, and then use the SET operator to change the bid modifier.  

This doesn't sound right so we're hoping we missed something somewhere.  Can you please confirm how bid modifiers should be set for Demographic criterion?

Thanks

Oliver

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oliver, 

The campaign level bid modifiers can only set for the Platform and InteractionType criteria using the CampaignCriterionService and CampaignBidModifierService. Please refer to this guide for more information. If you're using AdGroup level bid modifiers, you may use the ADD operator to add a new modifier and the SET operator to update an existing one. If your concern is different, could you please elaborate a bit more, so I can better assist you. 

Thanks,
Bharani, Google Ads API Team

ref:_00D1U1174p._5001UJamnB:ref

[Oliver]

Hi Bharani,

Thanks but this is not what we were asking.  We are already aware of everything you mentioned as we stated in our first post.

Our concern is when we use ADD to add a new modifier for an AgeRange criterion to an adgroup, the result of this operation removes/excludes all other AgeRanges in that adgroup.  Please refer to the post we linked to in our previous message for confirmation.

What we expect to happen is for other AgeRange criterion to stay the same.  This doesn't seem to be the case.

Please confirm why other criterion are removed as a result of adding a criterion?

Oliver

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oliver, 

Thank you for clarifying this. By default a new campaign/ad group will contain no age range criteria, which means that the targeting is applied to all ages. If you're targeting the campaigns to any specific age range, this will automatically exclude the remaining age range criteria. Since the other age range criteria are not explicitly added and are available by default, targeting any specific criteria the remaining will be removed. 

Regards,