Applying audiences at a campaign level

[Sam Green]

Hi,

There is a recent development where audiences can be applied at a campaign level as opposed to an ad group level. 

Up to now I have used the AdGroupCriterionService to pull all connected user lists and identify which ad groups have audiences applied. Could you please confirm whether this will remain sufficient (that is, that applying audiences at a campaign level links ad groups to user lists) or whether I should now check both the CampaignCriterionService for audiences connected at a campaign level, and then the AdGroupCriterionService for ad groups connected separately?

Thanks

Sam

[Sreelakshmi Sasidharan (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Sam, 

Please check our guide on Remarketing and Audience targeting. You could target the user lists at both levels. However the positive (biddable) user lists can only be set at one level at a given time. To set them at the campaign level, you might have to remove the positive user list criteria from all the ad groups within the campaign.

Thanks,

Sreelakshmi, AdWords API Team

[Sam Green]

Hi Sreelakshmi,

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure this answers my question though.

My question is - if I'm trying to identify what areas of an account have audience coverage and which do not, my understanding is that prior to this change I needed to use the AdGroupCriterionService to identify the USER_LIST items which could then be matched to ad groups to which the USER_LIST was applied. Now that audiences can also be applied at a campaign level, do I need to do the same check at CampaignCriterionService, or do the changes propagate at an ad group level anyway?

Please let me know if you want me to elaborate, and thank you for your help.

Sam

[Sreelakshmi Sasidharan (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Sam, 

If you want to target the ads in a campaign to a user list, you need to use the CampaignCriterionService and then apply the CriterionUserList at the campaign level. The criterion will be applicable for all the AdGroups under that campaign. Please check here for reference.  

The help center document also should be helpful. Hope I answered your question. 

Thanks,

Sreelakshmi, AdWords API Team

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 8:35:55 AM UTC-5, Sam Green wrote: