URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT Behavior Changed

[Mark Rogoyski]

Hi,

It seems that the behavior of the URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT changed on November 3, 2015. Can someone confirm this?

Prior to Nov 3, if you had a mobile app install campaign that targeted broad placements such as mobile app categories, the URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT would report stats for the individual mobile apps that the ad showed in (the Url and DisplayName name columns). This was useful to see where the ads were showing at a granular mobile app level, even though the biddable placement was at a broader category level. Same for conversion optimizer campaigns.

However, since Nov 3, the URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT no longer seems to report the mobile apps, but instead is empty, or shows strings such as the following format in the Url and DisplayName columns: af0ecc031d813429.anonymous.google

Was there an intended change to how the URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT reports mobile apps when targeting broad mobile app category placements that happened on Nov 3? Querying for dates prior to Nov 3 still bring back the mobile app IDs. Querying for Nov 3 and onward exhibits the new behavior.

Thanks.

Mark

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for such a detailed explanation. I don't know of any recent changes in the URL_PERFORMANCE_REPORT. I could really use your help on figuring out one more thing, since my account doesn't have enough data to give this a try. Is this also happening in the AdWords user interface when you pull up the same report? Can you send me a campaign ID where you're seeing this?

Thanks,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hello Mark,

Thank you for providing the detailed information. It helps to know that the behavior is the same in both the user interface and the API.

What you're seeing is called anonymous placements. They've existed for a couple of years, but not everyone sees them. The first post here provides a pretty good explanation on how anonymous placements show up when publishers do not want to give their URL. It is possible to exclude these publishers from your campaign. I don't currently know of a reason why you would all of a sudden be seeing anonymous placements on a specific day. Perhaps, there was an exclusion in the campaign before that was keeping these anonymous placements from showing up.

Best,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Mark Rogoyski]

Hi Nadine,

The issue isn't the anonymous placements. Those have always been there. The issue is that the named mobile app placements stopped showing up from Nov 3 onward, where as prior to Nov 3 we could see the mobile app placements in the reports. So now all we see are the anonymous placements. We can no longer see all the non-anonymous placements.

Please let me know if you need any other information to troubleshoot.

Thank you.

Mark

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your patience in clarifying that it's disappearance of named mobile app placements that is the issue. I zeroed in quickly on the anonymous placements and missed that point. I'm running it by a few of the folks here to see if they know of anything general that could have caused that. I'll get back to you soon.

Regards,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Mark,

I asked around, but no one has heard of anything changing in this area. I've escalated up to the team that creates the URL Performance Report in the API. Perhaps, they've heard of some changes that affected both the API and the user interface. I'll get back to you when I hear back from them.

Best,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hello Mark,

I've talked to the folks who create the URL Performance Report. They are not aware of any changes in the API that would affect that report in the way you mentioned. At least that takes that possibility out of the equation when trying to figure this out. 

Regards,

Nadine, AdWords API Team