Retrieving Correct Click Data for Non-Search Campaigns (YouTube Video Ads)

[GAdsAPIUser]

Hi,

Whenever I run a query to retrieve click data for my YouTube ads, I get too many results. For example, when I run this query:

SELECT

          click_view.gclid,

          click_view.location_of_presence.city,

          campaign.name

FROM click_view

WHERE segments.date = '2021-11-29'

AND click_view.location_of_presence.city = 'geoTargetConstants/1001754'

I get back 10 rows of data, each row with a unique gclid, indicating that I received 10 clicks from that location on that day.

However, since I am capturing the gclid on the landing page, I can see in my database that this can't be true.

I only received 1 user landing on this page on that day (only 1 gclid was captured that day).

I get the same problem on every date that I query.

Even accounting for invalid clicks, this cannot be accurate data.

The only explanation that I can come up with is that the data that I get back here aren't just actual clicks, but also ad interactions for my YouTube video ads. I am getting that idea from this snippet here related to ClickView:

"For non-Search campaigns, metrics.clicks represents the number of valid and invalid interactions."

Perhaps the gclid data is also from "interactions" and not only actual clicks? An interaction can be someone watching the video ad for >10 seconds. I only need gclid data from actual clicks, though.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks.

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi there,

Here's a product support page that explains what interactions are for Youtube.

Regards,

Aryeh Baker Google Ads API Team

ref:_00D1U1174p._5004Q2SdGq9:ref

[Wesley]

Please read my question, it's not about the definition of interactions, it's about why I'm getting results that indicate I got many clicks when in reality I only got 1 click from that location on that day.

Thanks.

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi Wesley,

Thank you for your follow up. I work with Aryeh and allow me to assist you as well.

GCLIDs are generated from impressions and during the said impression time, as also mentioned in this earlier blog post. However, regarding how you appear to be generating more GCLIDs than what you have expected, then this appears to be a matter related to conversion tracking at the Product level. The API would only return what has been processed in the back end.

That being said, I would recommend that you clarify further with the Product team, via this link, on other factors that affect the generation of GCLIDs, so you may then reconcile the records from your internal tracking.

Best regards,

Peter Laurence Napa Oliquino Google Ads API Team

ref:_00D1U1174p._5004Q2SdGq9:ref

[Igor Selitsky]

We've faced with the same problem, but analytics show significantly lower amount of sessions in some cases.
For example for one of PERFORMANCE_MAX campaign we see 38 sessions in GA vs 453 clicks in Google Ads campaign report.
Other PERFORMANCE_MAX campaigns on this project show close numbers, clicks session ratio is about 90%.
Auto-tagging is on.

Landing page report in Google Ads show significantly less amount of clicks: 218.

If we segment this campaign by ad destination:
WEBSITE - 194 clicks

Map directions - 60 clicks

Location listing - 285 clicks.

We want to determine amount of clicks landed on website.
Is it possible got get this info in Google Ads API?
Which report should we use? Landing Page?

[Igor Selitsky]

Numbers by ad destination from campaign report.

[Google Ads API Forum Advisor]

Hi Igor,

Thanks for reaching out to the Google Ads API Team. I hope you are doing well today.

With regards to your concern, could you please provide to us the complete or uncropped screenshots from the Google Ads UI, the data that you want to retrieve from API?

This will help us to further compare, investigate, validate the reporting that you are referring to, and to provide accurate information or recommendations on this matter.

You can provide these via the Reply privately to author option. If this option is not available, then send it instead on this email address googleadsa...@google.com.

Your response is highly appreciated. Have a great day.
 

This message is in relation to case "ref:_00D1U1174p._5004Q2SdGq9:ref"

Thanks,
 

Google Ads API Team