Targeting Idea Service Empty results

[Prashant Nagar]

Hi,
Recently I have started seeing that output returned by Targeting Idea Service (<requestType>STATS</requestType>) doesn't match the input count. Previously, the output count and input count always used to be same even if there was not data for some specific keywords.
Below is the soap request and response. Can you please advice if there has been a recent change in api that I might have missed? or if there is something else that I need to do..
In the below example if you will see that I am giving keywords which are associated with Canada, however I am passing location as USA. Even then I am very sure that previously it used to return me results with empty values. Input count was always equal to output count.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
                  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <soapenv:Header>
        <ns1:RequestHeader soapenv:mustUnderstand="0" xmlns:ns1="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
            <ns2:clientCustomerId...../>
            <ns3:developerToken ..../>
            <ns4:userAgent .../>
            <ns5:validateOnly xmlns:ns5="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">false</ns5:validateOnly>
            <ns6:partialFailure xmlns:ns6="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">true</ns6:partialFailure>
        </ns1:RequestHeader>
    </soapenv:Header>
    <soapenv:Body>
        <get xmlns="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
            <selector>
                <searchParameters xsi:type="ns7:RelatedToQuerySearchParameter"
                                  xmlns:ns7="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
                    <ns7:queries>+morkie +puppies +classifieds +in +toronto</ns7:queries>
                    <ns7:queries>kijiji ottawa houses sale</ns7:queries>
                </searchParameters>
                <searchParameters xsi:type="ns8:LanguageSearchParameter"
                                  xmlns:ns8="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
                    <ns8:languages>
                        <ns9:id xmlns:ns9="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">1000</ns9:id>
                    </ns8:languages>
                </searchParameters>
                <searchParameters xsi:type="ns10:LocationSearchParameter"
                                  xmlns:ns10="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
                    <ns10:locations>
                        <ns11:id xmlns:ns11="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">2840</ns11:id>
                    </ns10:locations>
                </searchParameters>
                <ideaType>KEYWORD</ideaType>
                <requestType>STATS</requestType>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>KEYWORD_TEXT</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>SEARCH_VOLUME</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>AVERAGE_CPC</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>COMPETITION</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>TARGETED_MONTHLY_SEARCHES</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <requestedAttributeTypes>CATEGORY_PRODUCTS_AND_SERVICES</requestedAttributeTypes>
                <paging>
                    <ns12:startIndex xmlns:ns12="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">0</ns12:startIndex>
                    <ns13:numberResults xmlns:ns13="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506">2
                    </ns13:numberResults>
                </paging>
            </selector>
        </get>
    </soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>


<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
    <soap:Header>
        <ResponseHeader xmlns:ns2="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506"
                        xmlns="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
            <ns2:requestId>00052201ef2d72700a4c0c871500e68d</ns2:requestId>
            <ns2:serviceName>AccountService</ns2:serviceName>
            <ns2:methodName>get</ns2:methodName>
            <ns2:operations>0</ns2:operations>
            <ns2:responseTime>391</ns2:responseTime>
        </ResponseHeader>
    </soap:Header>
    <soap:Body>
        <getResponse xmlns:ns2="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/cm/v201506"
                     xmlns="https://adwords.google.com/api/adwords/o/v201506">
            <rval>
                <totalNumEntries>0</totalNumEntries>
            </rval>
        </getResponse>
    </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Prashant,

I don't know of any changes recently in the API's Targeting Idea Service that would cause that to happen. I also gave this a try in v201502, and it's the same behavior. Would you happen to have an old log that shows a case where you were receiving empty results?

Cheers,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Prashant Nagar]

No, unfortunately, I do not have logs for older results.
Has some other parameter changed? or was it in a release before 201502? I am very sure that I used to get input and output count as same.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Prashant

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Prashant,

I double-checked the release notes and the migration guides. There were changes to some of the parameters in the last year, but none of the those parameters should have had an effect on the results returning differently. It would really help if you could supply which version of the API you remember it working that way. That way it would be easier for me to try to look through the code base with a time range in mind.

Cheers,

Nadine, AdWords API Team 

[Prashant Nagar]

Hi Nadine,
After trying out some more variations, it seems that Language and Location parameters in selectors is causing the less number of results than input set. I am using TargetingIdeaService since v201309 and passing the language and location parameters since then. (mostly UNITED_STATES and ENGLISH). At present I am on v201502 and trying to move on v201506. I am certain about same number of results being returned till v201409.

Seems like Language and Location filters are now being more restrictive than it used to be. Can you please check if it is true?

Thanks for your help!
Prashant

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Prashant,

From an API perspective, I don't see any indication that something changed around v201409. I gave this a try through the user interface, and the user interface seems to be returning the same data as the API. It may be worth asking the general AdWords forum if the Location and Language have become more restrictive over time. 

Regards,

Nadine, AdWords API Team

[Prashant Nagar]

Hi,
I have posted the question there as you said.
Did you try after removing the Language and Location? I am not sure if I should add the logic to handle the missing results or if there is some sort of parameter that I can pass which will return me all the results back? Interesting though that nobody else has faced this!

Thanks,
Prashant

[Nadine Sundquist (AdWords API Team)]

Hello Prashant,

I did try removing the Language and Location as well. It resulted in getting back results just as you saw. As you noticed, being less restrictive returns results. That's not the case for all words. For example, if I use the word 'flowers', it's fine with having the language specified as English.

I don't know of a parameter for this service that would force always returning the same number of values back.

Best,

Nadine, AdWords API Team