Creating default audiences (userlists) using API

[Alexey Terekhov]

Hi all!

We use the latest API version - v201607.

When creating a new AdWords campaign using web interface it's possible to configure dynamic ad settings - this will automatically create 6 default audiences ('Searchers', 'Past converters', etc.).

And we'd like to copy this behaviour using API - that is to create the same audiences and link newly created ad groups to one of them using AdGroupCriterionService.

The problem is that we can't figure out how to create the very same 6 audiences using API (and whether it's possible at all). Or to be more precise: what exactly distinguishes these default audiences from any audience created manually using AdwordsUserListService?

Another question is how audiences are related to conversion trackers - do we need to create AdWordsConversionTracker beforehand and link it to each audience or it can be created automatically when creating audience itself?

We'd be very glad if you could clarify these questions for us.

Thanks in advance!

[Anthony Madrigal]

Hi Alexey,

In order to create a campaign with dynamic ad settings, you will need to create a Search campaign and configure the DynamicSearchAdsSetting in the settings object of the campaign. Please have a look at our Remarketing guide. It details the different types of user lists you can create using the API, including ones that use conversion tracking.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers,

Anthony

AdWords API Team

[Alexey Terekhov]

Hi Anthony,

We need to create Display campaigns - in AdWords we can set up dynamic ads (dynamic remarketing) for them too. As far as I know remarketing tag is created automatically when account is created. But for dynamic remarketing we need additional script with google_tag_params:

<script type="text/javascript">

var google_tag_params = {

dynx_itemid: 'REPLACE_WITH_VALUE',

dynx_itemid2: 'REPLACE_WITH_VALUE',

dynx_pagetype: 'REPLACE_WITH_VALUE',

dynx_totalvalue: 'REPLACE_WITH_VALUE',

};

This augmented remarketing tag must be created in UI wizard exactly when configuring dynamic ads for Display campaign - as a result 6 standard audiences mentioned before are created as well.

So it turns to have these audiences created with API we should create dynamic remarketing tag. Is it right? If yes can you please point to the service that allows to create dynamic remarketing tag?

Our primary goal is to have these 6 standard audiences created so that we link ad groups to them.

Regards, Alexey.

[Anthony Madrigal]

Hi Alexey,

Unfortunately, there is no way to create custom parameters for your remarketing tag via the API. You will need to create them through the UI. You can find your remarketing tag from the RemarketingSettings by calling getCustomers in CustomerService.

You can, however, create dynamic remarketing ads using the API. Here is our guide that describes how to and the different types of dynamic remarketing available.  

Regards,

Anthony

AdWords API Team

[Alexey Terekhov]

Thanks for the links, Anthony.

But still our primary purpose is to create standard audiences using API. I've mentioned dynamic ads configuration in UI only because it triggered creating these audiences (or at least it seemed so).

Now we have come up with an idea to create these audiences manually as rule-based userlists (as apparently there is no way to have them created automatically via API). Now the problem is that it's not clear what rules to specify for 'Conversion abandoners' audience - user must send 'ecomm_pagetype = cart' but not send 'ecomm_pagetype = purchase' later. Rule allows to specify conditions for some particular event - not for sequence of events in time.

Please comment on our guess - whether this is a right approach to simulate standard audiences.

Regards, Alexey.

[Anthony Madrigal]

Hi Alexey,

My guess would be to have a rule that says pagetype equals cart AND pagetype not equals purchase. This would mean users that have things in their carts but did not purchase the items. To be sure, I would ask the AdWords Community Forum since they support product and UI related questions.

Although it is possible to create rule-based user lists through the API. Here is the section from the guide I provided earlier that details it. 

[Alexey Terekhov]

I am not sure but most likely it's not allowed to specify pagetype for sequence of page visits. That is if current pagetype is cart then it doesn't make sense to specify that it doesn't equal purchase because it's not current event - it might or might not happen in the future. And AdWords doesn't allow to combine these 2 events in a rule. But this is just my guess.

That's why we have ended with a rule just 'ecomm_pagetype = cart' for 'Conversion abandoners' userlist. We'll see whether it corresponds to standard audience or not.

Thanks for help.