How to bulk upload search only campaign type? (using ads script) -- Part 2

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi,

I'm trying to create a bulk upload template that allows me to create a Google Ads search campaign – google search and partner networks, no display network.

In the past I used the following template  (see png attached) for several bulk uploads and never faced any problems. When creating this template I relied on a work around provided by the author of the following conversation here in this forum:

https://groups.google.com/g/adwords-scripts/c/ilRoMwZM3jQ/m/lXjJ43c-BAAJ

However, it appears as if the supported bulk upload entities have changed. Using my bulk upload template the way it is setup right now, it is no longer possible to (1) create a google search campaigns with partner network activated but no display network and (2) to add a single location right from the start.

I found no update note in the references and thus try to figure out a way to make my bulk upload template work again. I also tried some other solutions like "Search only" or "Search Network Only". 

Could you please help me out.

Thanks,

Jonas

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for reaching out. It does seem that you are trying to use an older version of the template spreadsheet. You should be able to download this spreadsheet by going through the Google Ads UI and click Campaigns > More > Upload and then View Templates. I have also attached the spreadsheet file for your convenience.

 

Kindly try this at your end then let me know.

 

Thanks,

Harry Cliford Rivera Google Ads Scripts Team

ref:_00D1U1174p._5004Q29RzrW:ref

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

thanks for your reply and the attached campaign template. I tried to update my template for the last two hours or so but still couldn't make it work. It drives me nuts! I feel stupid because I can't figure out the mistake I make. May I ask you for a second opinion?

In my template I integrated all the required columns first and then build my way up column by column (see png attached). What works so far are columns Campaign state, Campaign, Campaign type, Networks, Bid strategy type, Currency code (no errors with and without this column) and Budget type. However, as soon as I tried to integrate column Budget Google Ads throws an error. It appears as if Google Ads now thinks I'm trying to upload an ad group but without all the required information. Why's that!? I unsuccessfully tried to upload different budget formats, e.g., 10.12, 10.12. or 10,12 – nothing works.

No problems with a script though!

function main() {
 var columns = ['Campaign', 'Budget', 'Bid Strategy type', 'Campaign type', 'Campaign state', 'Networks'];
 
 var upload = AdsApp.bulkUploads().newCsvUpload(columns);
 
 upload.append({
    "Campaign": "Test Campaign 1",
    "Campaign state": "paused",
    "Budget": 2.34,
    "Bid Strategy type": "maximize conversions",
    "Campaign type": "Search",
    "Networks": "Google search;Search Partners",
   
 });
 upload.forCampaignManagement();
 upload.preview();
}

This code snippet works fine and I have no problems adding a budget. But why doesn't it work with a regular bulk upload? Is there something I'm doing wrong?

Thanks,

Jonas

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Sorry, forgot to upload the Png

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for coming back. Can you kindly follow steps below so we can take a look at what causes the issue?

 

1. Click the tools & settings icon in the top-right corner of your account.
2. Under “Bulk actions,” click All bulk actions.
3. In the row with your report, click Download results to look at the errors within your account.
4. In the "Results" column in the spreadsheet you can find the issue with each row. Kindly provide these so we can have a look.

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

Apologies for the delayed response. I had to run a few tests to make absolutely sure there's no error on my end. 

This morning I tried to run the bulk upload template again and it worked. No errors occurred and I could easily upload a test campaign with my preferred settings. Tonight I wanted to extend the bulk upload template a bit further and started my tests the same template that worked this morning. This time, however, the same error message from before occurred. 

Please find attached a screenshot of the document I tried to upload as well as a screenshot of the error message. It's the same error I see when I download the results.

It's frustrating to have this error again because this morning the upload worked and since then I didn't  change anything in the template.

Cheers,

Jonas

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for coming back. Can you kindly provide your CID and the bulk upload file that you are using via Reply privately to author or Reply to author option instead, so I could check this on our end? If those options aren't working on your end, you can send those requested details on this email (googleadsscr...@google.com) and include the link of this thread so we could keep track of this existing conversation.

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

I send you an email with the required information. I hope it helps to solve the issue. Please let me know when you find out what I'm doing wrong.

Cheers,

Jonas

On Tuesday, 22 December 2020 at 04:34:54 UTC+1 adsscriptsforumadvisor wrote:

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for coming back. Can you kindly provide your CID and the bulk upload file that you are using via Reply privately to author or Reply to author option instead, so I could check this on our end? If those options aren't working on your end, you can send those requested details on this email (googleadsscripts-support@google.com) and include the link of this thread so we could keep track of this existing conversation.

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for coming back. Unfortunately, I am unable to read the bulk upload file that you have provided. Can you kindly privately provide a shareable link instead through the options I have mentioned previously? As you have also stated that you are using a test account, kindly check that the ad group you have specified in your template does exist in that same account.

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to reply privately to your message. However, the data I'm experimenting with are not sensitive and I can share the link to the document openly. Here you go: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O0WZgWDo7zR_0WMNznMy3VbT5qLy56TECdzrV2n835s/edit?usp=sharing

With reference to your answer, I would like to mention two points: 

• First, I'm not trying to upload an ad group. I'm trying to upload a campaign. In my bulk upload template I'm not specifying any ad group at all. In my understanding I'm uploading the campaigns first, then the ad groups followed by ETAs and RSAs. Thus there's no existing ad group in my account since the previous step, the bulk upload on campaign level, doesn't work.
  
  
• Second, if you are using a Google Sheet to upload the campaign you are doing it differently than me. I had some troublesome experiences with bulk uploads from Google Sheets in the past and since then find it more reliable to work with Excel CSV files uploaded directly from my hard drive. Which by the way is my and my colleagues preferred way of doing a bulk upload.

Thanks,

Jonas

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Can you kindly try uploading your CSV file in your Google Drive instead, then try the following script at your end? You may check the results in Upload - Bulk Actions menu. Let me know how it goes after trying.

 

var file = DriveApp.getFilesByName('CSV FILE NAME').next();
  var upload = AdsApp.bulkUploads().newFileUpload(file);
  upload.forCampaignManagement();
  
  // Use upload.apply() to make changes without previewing.
  upload.preview();

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

Thanks for the code snippet. I'll try it later today. However, it's not the solution I'm actually looking for. To use a Google Ads Script, not to mention to write one, is for most of my colleagues a topic they don't want to deal with. The reason why I'm asking for the 'right way' to upload data on campaign, ad group or ads level is because I wrote a Google Apps Script that utilises the data we use, reorganises them and thus prepares upload-ready templates to use for the Google Ads bulk upload function. As a matter of fact, I don't want to bother my colleagues with another Google Ads script. However, if it needs to be done, I mean to write the Apps Script first to prepare the data, store it as a CSV file in Google Drive and then use the Google Ads Script to upload it to the account, then be it. One question though: Do I need to store several CSV files, e.g., one for campaign level information, one for ad group level information and so on, or can I utilise the different data sheets in one file.

Coming back to the original question, there's one thing I'd like to add. I experimented around with the bulk upload template and found out that the upload works when I change the language settings to English. At first that makes sense because I'm using '.' as a separator, for example 100.00 €. Since my colleagues and I usually use Google Ads in German I changed the columns names of my template and the number format (i.e., 100,00 €) in my bulk upload template. However, it looks as if the column 'networks' is not supported in German. At least I'm not able to find the correct specifications/translations for this column in German – question: is there a link to an overview of columns names in German somewhere? 

If I try to mix languages as I did in the past, for example to use some well known columns names in German, use English in column 'networks' only and also keep the number format in German, I'm getting the error I have screenshotted earlier. I'm really wondering what causes this error. I know for a fact that a language mix in columns names has worked in the past. Right now it appears as if the bulk upload function in Google Ads, ad least in the way I'd like to use it, works only when I change the account language settings to English. 

Any thoughts on this issue?

Thanks,

Jonas

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for coming back and clarifying your requirement. You would need separate bulk upload template spreadsheet per entity / level. Can you kindly provide a screenshot where you change your account language settings where the bulk upload works when it is changed to English?

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

Sure, I'll upload the screenshots with this email.

Tools and Settings >> Settings >> Language Preferences.

 As I mentioned earlier, it is important to change both the language of the user interface as well as the number format to English. Otherwise the upload won't work. However, the problem with this method is that by changing these language settings I'm changing the displayed language for everyone using the account. Maybe that's due to the fact that I'm working with a manager account to manage several customer accounts. There appears to be no option to change the language settings just for a single user. So everyone who is logged in to the account now works with the changed settings.

Note: In my screenshot (screenshot_3_2020-12-28) I tried a mix of German (displayed language) and English (number format). It won't work! As I mentioned earlier both options have to be set to English to make it work.

Cheers,

Jonas

Screenshots:

Screenshots 1 & 2: Where I changed the language settings.

Screenshot 3: Proof that the upload now works

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

Thanks for additional information. Unfortunately, I cannot be more of help to you since you are using the Bulk Upload function in the UI which is already out of our expertise. I would suggest that reach out to the Google Ads Product Team instead for better assistance and also for you to be enlightened on the number formats which causes the issue on your end. You may seek assistance from their team through this link.

 

If you have other questions/concerns regarding the Google Ads Scripts, please do let me know.

[Jonas Joha Johanson]

Hi Harry,

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate the work you and the rest of the Google Ads Script support do. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to make the bulk upload work. II think it's only a matter of time.

One last question to the code snippet you provided, though. Can I use this code for all my files, for example campaigns, add groups and ads or is your code specific for an upload on campaign level and looks different for the other levels? Just to make sure. I'm actually not familiar with the Google Ads Script properties. 

Thanks again for your help, Harry!

Cheers,

Jonas

[Google Ads Scripts Forum Advisor]

Hi Jonas,

 

I would also like to express my appreciation for contacting us. Yes, you should be able to bulk upload supported entities by using the code snippet I have provided previously. If you'll encounter issues implementing please do not hesitate to contact us back.