Reports attributes behavior

[Oksana Sulyma]

Hello Adwords API support team! I have a quick question on API Reports documentation.

Specifically for https://developers.google.com/adwords/api/docs/appendix/reports/shopping-performance-report

I see the list of attributes which are 'fields containing Setting of other fixed data'

My understanding was that Attributes is not the same as Segments(dimensions) and don't affect data groupping. But here is an example I see in report where CustomAttribute0 acts as dimension - see file attached. Is this expected behavior? Here is he list of fields I request:

'CampaignId',
                'AdGroupId',
                'Date',
                'AdNetworkType1',
                'Brand',
                'OfferId',
                'ProductTypeL1',
                'ProductTypeL2',
                'ProductTypeL3',
                'ProductTypeL4',
                'ProductTypeL5',
                'CustomAttribute0',
                'CustomAttribute1',
                'CustomAttribute2',
                'CustomAttribute3',
                'CustomAttribute4',
                'Impressions',
                'Clicks',
                'Cost',
                'Conversions',
                'AllConversionValue',
               'CategoryL1',
                'CategoryL2',
                'CategoryL3',
                'CategoryL4',
                'CategoryL5',
                'LanguageCriteriaId',
                'MerchantId',
                'StoreId',
                'AllConversions',
                'ConversionValue',
                'CrossDeviceConversions',
                'SearchClickShare',


Thanks so much in advance!


[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oksana,

Thank you for reaching out. This happens as the CustomAttribute0 value is ProductCustomAttribute level 0 value of the product and has been set. It behaves similar to the segmentation but not exactly the same as it. This is why you would see another record with the metrics containing 0 values.

Thanks and regards,
Xiaoming, Google Ads API Team

 

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[Oksana Sulyma]

Hi Xiaoming, thanks so much for looking at this!

I'm trying to understand some pattern on dimensions usage for this report.

In our system we need to know the full list of fields that behave like dimensions.




For example for data like:


'CampaignId' = 123
 'AdGroupId' = 456
 'Date' = '2019-12-28'
  'AdNetworkType1' = 'Cross-Network'
  'Brand' = 'abc'
  'OfferId' = 'edf'
'CategoryL5' = 'Old Category'





and

'CampaignId' = 123
 'AdGroupId' = 456
 'Date' = '2019-12-28'
  'AdNetworkType1' = 'Cross-Network'
  'Brand' = 'abc'
  'OfferId' = 'edf'
'CategoryL5' = 'New Category'


will there be 2 separate rows in Adwords Shopping report or one with 'CategoryL5' = 'New Category'  ?




Could you please help me to define the unique combination for fields which I pull?

Will it be 

 'CampaignId',
 'AdGroupId',
 'Date',
  'AdNetworkType1',
  'Brand',
  'OfferId',
                'ProductTypeL1',
                'ProductTypeL2',
                'ProductTypeL3',
                'ProductTypeL4',
                'ProductTypeL5',
                'CustomAttribute0',
                'CustomAttribute1',
                'CustomAttribute2',
                'CustomAttribute3',
                'CustomAttribute4',


                'CategoryL1',
                'CategoryL2',
                'CategoryL3',
                'CategoryL4',
                'CategoryL5',
                'LanguageCriteriaId',
                'MerchantId',
                'StoreId',


              - i.e. segments plus attributes


OR

'CampaignId',
 'AdGroupId',
 'Date',
  'AdNetworkType1',
  'Brand',
  'OfferId',


  'CustomAttribute0 ?




Thanks again for your help with this!

Oksana





[Oksana Sulyma]

Hello Adwords API team, any input on my question will be highly appreciated. Please let me know if you need me to provide any additional info. Thanks!

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hello,

The Shopping Performance Report returns rows at the OfferId level. Any product dimension will reflect the state of each dimension as of the date and time when AdWords recorded the corresponding event. So whichever Category L5 was recorded at the time will show in your report.

Regards,
Anthony

[Oksana Sulyma]

Thanks Anthony,

Do I understand correct that for my example you say that I'll see 2 rows in report?

What about other part of my question regarding unique combination of fields for row - this is very important for us to understand.

Thanks,

Oksana

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oksana,

You should only get one row. Could you please specify what you mean by the unique combinations? You should only be able to see unique rows per OfferId.

[Oksana Sulyma]

Thanks Anthony. At my screenshot above from Adwords Shopping report you can see 2 rows. There are some metrics: Impressions, Clicks, Cost. There are some segments and attributes as well, and for case of my screenshot I see the next fields acting like dimensions:

Campaign Id,
AdGroup Id,

Day,

Network,

Item Id,

Custom Attribute 0.

This way by unique combination I mean the list of fields acting like dimensions - which will have unique row in report, not 2 rows with metrics having different values.

For my example above:

 'CampaignId' = 123
 'AdGroupId' = 456
 'Date' = '2019-12-28'
  'AdNetworkType1' = 'Cross-Network'
  'Brand' = 'abc'
  'OfferId' = 'edf'
  'CategoryL5' = 'Old Category'





and

 'CampaignId' = 123
 'AdGroupId' = 456
 'Date' = '2019-12-28'
 'AdNetworkType1' = 'Cross-Network'
 'Brand' = 'abc'
 'OfferId' = 'edf'
 'CategoryL5' = 'New Category'





you say I should see only 1 row in report with 'CategoryL5' = 'New Category'.


And I'm confused now:  Custom Attribute 0 can act as dimension while  CategoryL5 can't, is this correct?





For the list of Attributes I see at https://developers.google.com/adwords/api/docs/appendix/reports/shopping-performance-report , which one could work as dimensions? Per my screenshot example I see that Custom Attribute 0 can, what else?




Here is the list of fields which we pull in Adwords Shopping performance report and which all my questions are related to:

  'CampaignId',
  'AdGroupId',
  'Date',
  'AdNetworkType1',
  'Brand',
  'OfferId',
  'ProductTypeL1',
  'ProductTypeL2',
  'ProductTypeL3',
  'ProductTypeL4',
  'ProductTypeL5',
  'CustomAttribute0',
  'CustomAttribute1',
  'CustomAttribute2',
  'CustomAttribute3',
  'CustomAttribute4',

  'CategoryL1',
  'CategoryL2',
  'CategoryL3',
  'CategoryL4',
  'CategoryL5',
  'LanguageCriteriaId',
  'MerchantId',
  'StoreId',

'Impressions',
'Clicks',
'Cost',

'Conversions',
'AllConversionValue',


'AllConversions',
'ConversionValue',
'CrossDeviceConversions',
'SearchClickShare'




Will this be correct to assume that combination of:

  'CampaignId',
  'AdGroupId',
  'Date',
  'AdNetworkType1',

  'OfferId',
  'CustomAttribute0',

will be unique in such report data?

Or each field listed as attribute in documentation can actually add data breakdown? Like:

Camapign Id, AdGroup Id, Date,           Network,             Offer Id, CustomAttribute0, ProductTypeL1, Impressions

123,               456,             2019-12-28, Search Network, 'edf',      'yes',                      '-- '                   , 100
123,               456,             2019-12-28, Search Network, 'edf',      'yes',                      'yes '                , 0








Tried my best to explain my question.. Please advice. Please help and answer all the questions above:

- Custom Attribute 0 can act as dimension while  CategoryL5 can't, is this correct?

- For the list of Attributes at https://developers.google.com/adwords/api/docs/appendix/reports/shopping-performance-report , which one could work as dimensions? Can each field listed as attribute in documentation add data breakdown?

- Will this be correct to assume that combination of:

  'CampaignId',
  'AdGroupId',
  'Date',
  'AdNetworkType1',

  'OfferId',
  'CustomAttribute0',

will be unique in report data?

- Will this be correct to assume that combination of:

  'CampaignId',  'AdGroupId',  'Date',  'AdNetworkType1',  'OfferId',  'CustomAttribute0',

will be unique in report data?

If no, which other attributes shell I add to this list to get unique combination?

Thanks so much for all the efforts to sort out this complicated question!




[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oksana,

Can you please share through reply privately to author your report definition and a copy of your report?

Thanks,

[Oksana Sulyma]

Details sent privately.

To be clear - we have thousands of accounts served in our App and we need to understand general behavior of Attributes, not something for specific account. 

Thanks so much for your help!

Oksana

[Oksana Sulyma]

For reference, got the next answer:

"Hi Oksana,

You should see one row per OfferId unless you include any Segment fields. Here is a description on the different field types and how they behave.

Regards,

Anthony
Google Ads API Team"

Sent complete report definition and report example with OfferId and no segments requested for which I see 2 rows with the same Offer Id... Please advice.

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor Prod]

Hi Oksana,

I noticed that you're not using any ad group identifiers in your report. Please try and run the report with AdGroupId in your selector and see if you get duplicate rows.

Regards,
Anthony
Google Ads API Team

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[Mat]

Hi Oksana,

from my experience, you'll get multiple rows for an OfferID if any of the fields you've included in your selector (like "ProductType", "Title", "CustomAttribute", "Brand" etc.) has changed its value during the date range you're pulling.

So, to be on the safe side, you should add up the metics for each offerID when you're processing the report.

Best regards

Mat

[Oksana Sulyma]

Hi Mat, thanks for your answer. This is what I think too and I need kind of official confirmation from Google Ads team.

In our application we show detailed attributes, not only orderID, so basically I need to know all the dimensions that force metrics breakdown.

[Oksana Sulyma]

Posting here the latest info for reference:

"Hi Oksana,

CustomAttribute0 in SHOPPING_PERFORMANCE_REPORT is an attribute and does not serve as a segment. However, I understand your question. I looked into the data further. I noticed your query does not return duplicate entries with the offerId you specified on Nov 30th, 2019, while it does return duplicate entries in December. Do you remember if there was any change in the product feed before December? Meanwhile, I have also filed a ticket internally for further investigation. 

As a reminder, please share any private data via "reply privately to author". 


Thanks,

Poki, AdWords API Team"

Thanks so much guys, we are waiting for clear answer at this topic question!

[Oksana Sulyma]

And the answer for feed changes is sent privately.

[Oksana Sulyma]

Hey Google Ads API team,

Any news on my question?

Looking forward to hear from you!

Thanks!

[Oksana Sulyma]

Hello!

It's already a month since last response here... Any information on this topic will help to understand the best solution at our side. Thanks!