Data Different from API and Front End

[Terry]

Is this a known issue? My data coming out of the API doesn't match the
front end numbers at all?

[Groople]

Hi Terry,

What data? Note that time data in reports etc. is relative to the
timezone of Mountain View, California.

Regards,
Tom

(Precise question, better answer)

[Zach B]

We see this all the time. There appears to be some sort of caching
mechanism for the adwords.google.com front-end. We find the following
often "clears the cache" so you can see your lastest changes:

1) Try making a chagne to the campaign/adgroup that is not updated on
the front end.
2) If this doesn't work, trying going to your MCC, loading a different
account, go back to your MCC, load the original account.
3) If this doesn't work, try logging out and logging back in.
4) If this doesn't work, try another browser (If you're using IE, try
firefox).
5) If this doesn't work, try another computer at a different external
IP address. This always works if the above do not.

[Terry]

For instance:

Front End:
Aug 14 - Aug 20 Keyword Summary
Clicks: 2,200
Cost: $1009.90

API:
Aug 14 - Aug 20 Keyword Summary
Clicks: 1,555
Cost: $710.25

I have seen this happening week after week. Not sure what could be
missing.

[Terry]

Ok, for some reason if I pass in:

8/15/2005 -> 8/20/2005 11:59:59 PM

Then the API spits back the exact same stats as selecting 8/14/2005 ->
8/20/2005 from the front end.

Not sure how that works.

[hmcclungiii]

Check out this FAQ

http://www.google.com/support/adwordsapi/bin/answer.py?answer=15140&topic=23

[JezC]

I suspect that there are at least two effects here:

* date of reporting (see hmcclungiiii's posting - good FAQ answer for
that problem)
* caching

like Zach B, I have recently been seeing a mismatch between data
reported from UI and API *when* and *only when* the data is for "today"
(which means the most recent data from midnight PST). Like Zach, I can
resolve the problem by using a different machine.

This suggests to me that Google have a multiplicity of servers under
same domain name, that these machines download (every 15 minutes) some
data, and that occasionally the update fails. If you use a different
client machine you will probably be given the IP address of a different
server system, so you access a different cache. This suggests that if
you clear your local DNS cache you might also be able to reach a
different server.

However, Terry's clarifying answer about specific dates suggests that
the timezone issue is the root of the problem.

Cheers, JeremyC.
--
Merjis : customer focused internet marketing : http://merjis.com/