Geographical target ID lookup: REQUEST_SIZE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED

[Steve Renaker]

I have a long list of geographical locations which I would like to add to a campaign.  I would like to read from a list of zip codes, look up the criteria ID for each one, and add them all to a campaign. The bit of python code which does the ID lookup looks like this:

def find_ids(client):
  location_criterion_service = client.GetService(
      'LocationCriterionService', version='v201402')
 
  with open('zip_codes.txt') as temp_file:
    location_names = [line.rstrip('\n') for line in temp_file]

  selector = {
      'fields': ['Id', 'LocationName'],
      'predicates': [{
          'field': 'LocationName',
          'operator': 'IN',
          'values': location_names
      }, {
          'field': 'Locale',
          'operator': 'EQUALS',
          'values': ['en']
      }]
  }

  location_criteria = location_criterion_service.get(selector)

It works as long as the list of zip codes is no longer than 25. Any longer and it throws an error:

SizeLimitError.REQUEST_SIZE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED @ locationName; trigger:'25'

Is there a better way to do this, or do I need to set up a batching loop?

Thanks very much for any help.

- Steve Renaker

[Steve Renaker]

It looks like the solution here is to download the entire ID data file and do the ID lookups locally. But I've noticed something with the datafile -- not all U.S. zip codes are listed there. Only about 80% of all U.S. zip codes have a Criteria ID. Is there a reason for that?

Thanks,

- Steve

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Steve,

You're absolutely correct - using the CSV file is the best way to go. I would expect all valid zip codes to be in that list, however. If you have examples of missing zip codes, could you send them over?

Thanks,

Josh, AdWords API Team

[Steve Renaker]

Hi Josh,

I got a complete list of US zip codes from here: http://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/zip-code-database/

I compared it with the zip code section from the CSV file AdWords API Location Criteria 2014-07-23.csv

Attached is the diff output, about 10,000 lines.  I spot-checked a few lines against the lookup tool at https://developers.google.com/adwords/api/docs/appendix/geotargeting, but I haven't done an exhaustive check.  These are the zip codes I spot-checked: 19183 19184 19185 (which are all in Philadelphia).

Thanks and best regards,

- Steve

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for sending over the list. I'm following up with our doc team to update the geo targeting page.

Cheers,

Josh, AdWords API Team

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Steve,

I confirmed that this is intentional. The zip codes in your list are for non-geo locations such as PO boxes, so a user cannot actually physically be in that location. As a result, AdWords intentionally does not support targeting such locations.

Thanks,

Josh, AdWords API Team