Delayed Cost Data from Google Ads API

[Nivas Subramanian]

We are experiencing a significant delay when fetching cost data via the Google Ads API. Our team has observed that the cost figures returned by the API are not updating in real time, which is impacting our reporting and decision-making processes.

Issue Details:

• Problem: Delay in retrieving up-to-date cost data.
• Impact: Our financial reporting and optimization efforts are affected due to the lag in cost updates.
• Environment: We are using the latest version of the API, and our network configurations appear to be optimal. Despite this, the delay persists.

Steps Taken:

• Verified that our integration follows the recommended best practices.
• Ensured that all endpoints are being called correctly.
• Confirmed that our server environment is not causing additional delays.
  

==== Google Ads API Request ====

Version: V18

SDK/ Library: Google.Ads.GoogleAds (C#)

URL: https://googleads.googleapis.com/v18/customers/1326848168/googleAds:searchStream
Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer xxxxxxxx
  developer-token: xxxxxxx
  login-customer-id: xxxxxxx
Body:
{"query":"SELECT customer.currency_code, detail_placement_view.placement, metrics.clicks, metrics.conversions, metrics.cost_micros, metrics.impressions, \n                             ad_group.id, ad_group.name, segments.date, detail_placement_view.target_url, detail_placement_view.resource_name, detail_placement_view.placement_type, \n                             detail_placement_view.group_placement_target_url, detail_placement_view.display_name, ad_group.campaign, campaign.id, campaign.name, customer.id \n                      FROM detail_placement_view \n                      WHERE metrics.cost_micros > 0 AND campaign.advertising_channel_type != 'PERFORMANCE_MAX' AND segments.date BETWEEN '2025-02-23' AND '2025-02-24'"}
================================

==== Google Ads API Response ====
Status Code: OK
Headers:
  Vary: X-Origin, Referer, Origin, Accept-Encoding
  Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 06:57:01 GMT
  Server: ESF
  X-XSS-Protection: 0
  X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
  X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
  Alt-Svc: h3=":443"; ma=2592000, h3-29=":443"; ma=2592000
  Accept-Ranges: none
  Transfer-Encoding: chunked

Body:

(proper response but without the data of today.)

this is the full request and response 

 

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi,

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

Based on the information, I understand that you are facing a significant delay in fetching the cost data via the Google Ads API. The cost and clicks can be adjusted even after they're reported as explained in the Adjustment section of  this article. Any data older than 1 month should be quite stable, so if you send a request on Feb 24, data of Jan 24 or older should be stable. As you are fetching the data for yesterday and today so these data might not have still been reflected in the Google Ads UI so these costs might differ till the next 30 days and after that data will be quite stable.
 

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team

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[2025-02-24 12:23:34Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q02vH3Uh:ref" (ADR-00289476)

 

[Nivas Subramanian]

Hello,

Thank you for your response and for clarifying the adjustment process.

However, up until about two weeks ago, our integration was returning cost data for both yesterday and today, with updates approximately every three hours. Recently, however, we’ve noticed that the cost data remains at zero until around 6 PM Dubai time. Specifically, for today’s data, we are seeing zero cost values for the past 18 hours.

We understand that cost figures can be adjusted over the following 30 days. Nonetheless, the persistent zero values for today's data are impacting our reporting and decision-making processes. Could you please investigate this further or provide additional insights into why this might be happening?

Best regards,

Nivas Subramanian

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi,

Could you confirm whether the delay is occurring when the cost data is reflected in the Google Ads UI or if there is a delay in retrieving the cost data from the Google Ads API? Additionally, we can only assist if there is a discrepancy between the Google Ads UI and the Google Ads API. Specifically, if the cost column has a value in the Google Ads UI but is not being returned via the Google Ads API, we can investigate. However, if the issue lies in the cost data taking time to appear in the Google Ads UI, it falls outside our scope.
 

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team

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[2025-02-25 10:33:58Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q02vH3Uh:ref" (ADR-00289476)

[Nivas Subramanian]

Hello,

Thank you for your follow-up.

To clarify, we do not have any issues with the cost data as displayed in the Google Ads UI—we can see the cost data there without any delay. The issue lies solely with the Google Ads API. Specifically, when retrieving cost data via the API, we are not receiving today's cost values until after 6 PM Dubai time. This means that for the first 18 hours of the day, the API returns a cost value of zero, despite the UI reflecting the correct figures.

Could you please investigate this discrepancy between the API and the UI?

Thank you for your assistance.

Nivas Subramanian

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi Nivas,

To debug the issue further, could you provide us with the uncropped UI screenshot (from your Google Ads account) of the cost data that you are trying to fetch via the API? Ensure that you take the screenshot at the time when the API response returns empty but the UI has data. Also, provide us with the "complete API logs" (request and response logs with request-id and request header) generated at your end when empty data is returned.

Since you are using the C# client library, if you haven't enabled the logging yet, I would request you to enable it.

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team

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[2025-02-25 16:42:52Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q02vH3Uh:ref" (ADR-00289476)

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi,

You can send the details that we requested via Reply privately to the author option, or direct private reply to this email.

 

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team

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[2025-02-25 16:44:08Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q02vH3Uh:ref" (ADR-00289476)