Unable to Fetch or Enable Removed User Lists via Google Ads API

[Dnyaneshwar Dhakane]

Hello Google Ads API Support Team,

I’m reaching out regarding an issue I’m facing while trying to manage user lists via the Google Ads API.

In the Google Ads UI, I can see several user lists under the “Removed” segment filter, and I’m able to manually re-enable them there. However, when I attempt to fetch user lists through the API, I only receive the enabled lists — the removed ones do not appear in the query results.

Here’s the query I’m using:

                                                  SELECT
                                                 user_list.type,
                                                 user_list.size_range_for_search,
                                                 user_list.size_range_for_display,
                                                 user_list.size_for_search,
                                                 user_list.size_for_display,
                                                 user_list.similar_user_list.seed_user_list,
                                                 user_list.name,
                                                 user_list.access_reason,
                                                 user_list.description,
                                                 user_list.resource_name,
                                                 user_list.id,
                                                 user_list.membership_status,
                                                 user_list.membership_life_span,
                                                     user_list.account_user_list_status
                                                FROM
                                                user_list

I have tried with and without SearchSetting and ValidateOnly options from below request

SearchGoogleAdsRequest request = new SearchGoogleAdsRequest
{
    Query = query,
    CustomerId = $"{clientId}",
    SearchSettings = new SearchSettings
    {
        OmitResults = false,
        ReturnTotalResultsCount = true
    },
    ValidateOnly = false,
};

Could you please confirm:

1. How can I retrieve removed user lists via the API?

2. Once fetched, what is the proper method or API operation to re-enable those removed user lists programmatically?

Any guidance or sample request would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

Best regards,
Dnyaneshwar Dhakane

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi Dnyaneshwar,

 

Thank you for reaching out to the Google Ads API support team. 

 

Please find the answers for your questions below:

1. How can I retrieve removed user lists via the API?

• Kindly note that there is no way to retrieve the removed user lists using the Google Ads API. The user_list report will fetch only the 'Enabled' user lists using the Google Ads API. 

2. Once fetched, what is the proper method or API operation to re-enable those removed user lists programmatically?

• There is no way to re-enable the removed user lists programmatically using the Google Ads API. Alternatively, you can re-enable the removed user lists using the Google Ads UI. You can navigate to your Google Ads account > Tools > Shared Library > Audience manager > Your data segments > Right side there will be drop down, select the 'Removed audiences' > Select the audience segment ID for which you want to re-enable > Click on edit > Enable > You will see the audience agent will be enabled now. 

I hope this clarifies. 

 

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team

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[2025-11-07 21:12:19Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!500Ht01vSyaR:ref" (ADR-00338756)