Which one is our current bid in a bid simulation data?

[Kanan Farzali]

Hi Google Team,

When I get data from Adwords API (BidLandscape), it gives the data in a similar format:

{"data":{"entries":[

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160308","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":430000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":2,"cost":{"microAmount":810000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":39,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":460000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":1110000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":49,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":490000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":4,"cost":{"microAmount":1980000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":56,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":530000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":6,"cost":{"microAmount":3130000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":63,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":590000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":7,"cost":{"microAmount":3910000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":68,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":870000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":11,"cost":{"microAmount":8660000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":74,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160306","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":230000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":2,"cost":{"microAmount":290000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":49,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":280000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":490000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":59,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":350000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":510000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":69,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":440000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":4,"cost":{"microAmount":860000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":79,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":740000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":5,"cost":{"microAmount":2350000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":93,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160303","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":20000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":15,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":80000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":23,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":380000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":29,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

etc.

]}} 

It is all good, but there is no way I know which one is the current bid (the one you show in a bid simulator). Is it possible to get some kind of a flag to know that?

Cheers,

Kanan

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Kanan,

If you include LandscapeCurrent in your Selector, then you'll get back results with the landscapeCurrent boolean attribute populated. This will be set to true for the landscape for the current bid.

Cheers,

Josh, AdWords API Team

[Kanan Farzali]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for your response.

My selector list is 'CampaignId,StartDate,EndDate,LocalCost,LocalClicks,LocalImpressions,LandscapeCurrent', but it still sets as a null. And also, even if landscapeCurrent is set to true, I still won't know which bid in 'LandscapePoints' array is the current one.

I am using PHP if that helps.

Thanks,

Kanan

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Kanan,

Thanks for clarifying -- I see what you're saying and I'm seeing the same behavior when I try this on my side. I'll look into this and let you know once I have more information.

In the meantime, as a workaround you could issue a separate AdGroupService request to get the current bid for the ad group, and then compare that bid to the landscape points to find the point that matches your bid. I know this isn't ideal, but it might help if you urgently need to match up the data in this way.

Thanks,

Josh, AdWords API Team

[Kanan Farzali]

Thanks Josh.

Well, actually my problem is a bit different. I am trying to get the simulation data on a client level. I get all active ad groups for a particular client, add them up in the respective order (1 - 1, 2 - 2, 3 - 3, etc.). If one of them has got more bid points then I add them with the last element of a shorter array. It gives some discrepancy though.

Is there any other way to get a simulation data in at least campaign level?

Cheers,

Kanan

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi,

I'm still waiting on more information regarding the LandscapeCurrent field.

I'm not sure I completely understand your use case. Could you perhaps provide some examples using sample data?

Thanks,

Josh, AdWords API Team

[Kanan Farzali]

Hi Josh,

I get the simulation data in the format below:

{"data":{"entries":[

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160308","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":430000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":2,"cost":{"microAmount":810000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":39,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":460000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":1110000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":49,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":490000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":4,"cost":{"microAmount":1980000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":56,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":530000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":6,"cost":{"microAmount":3130000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":63,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":590000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":7,"cost":{"microAmount":3910000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":68,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":870000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":11,"cost":{"microAmount":8660000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":74,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160306","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":230000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":2,"cost":{"microAmount":290000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":49,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":280000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":490000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":59,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":350000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":3,"cost":{"microAmount":510000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":69,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":440000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":4,"cost":{"microAmount":860000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":79,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":740000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":5,"cost":{"microAmount":2350000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":93,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

{"type":"UNIFORM","landscapeCurrent":null,"campaignId":"xxx","adGroupId":"xxx","startDate":"20160303","endDate":"20160309","landscapePoints":[{"bid":{"microAmount":20000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":15,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":80000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":23,"promotedImpressions":0},{"bid":{"microAmount":380000,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"clicks":0,"cost":{"microAmount":0,"ComparableValueType":"Money"},"impressions":29,"promotedImpressions":0}],"DataEntryType":"AdGroupBidLandscape"},

etc.

]}} 

There are hundreds (even thousands) of ad group objects inside of the data->entries array ( I have put just 3 for simplicity) for one client.  I wanna convert ad group level simulation data into a client level. So, I sum ad groups in a way that their landscape points get summed up in respective order: the first point of one ad group gets added with the first point of another ad group, the second - with the second, etc. But there are two problems which result in discrepancy in the final data: firstly each ad group has different start and end date, and every ad group has different number of landscape points: some has two, some has 6. That is why when I get real data from AdGroupsPerformance Report for the same ad group ids it has slightly different results.

Are there any workarounds for this problem?

Cheers,

Kanan

[Josh Radcliff (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Kanan,

Do all of your ad groups have the exact same set of criteria? If not, I don't think there's much meaning to correlating bid landscape 1 from ad group A with bid landscape 1 from ad group B.

Thanks,

Josh, AdWords API Team