Delete key-values

To delete keys or values, select the checkbox next to the key or value and click Delete.

To re-add keys or values, you need to create them from scratch, duplicating the name of the previously deleted entity (though you don’t need to duplicate the casing). When you re-add a key, any values that existed when the key was deleted are also re-added automatically.

Network limits

When you delete key-values, they no longer count toward system limits.

Ad serving

Line items targeted to deleted key-values no longer take these objects into account when serving. The line item continues to show the deleted objects in its targeting criteria; these objects are marked as "deleted."

Example

Let’s say that on Monday you target Line item A to the following:

Ad unit: /1234/home
Key: pos=top AND color=blue

Here’s how Line item A serves to the two tags on Monday:

Tag 1: /1234/home, pos=top, color=blue

• Line item serves

Tag 2: /1234/home, pos=top, color=red

• Line item does not serve

Then on Tuesday, you delete the color key, but do not change line item targeting.

Here’s how Line item A serves to the two tags on Tuesday:

Tag 1: /1234/home, pos=top, color=blue

• Line item serves

Tag 2: /1234/home, pos=top, color=red

• Line item serves

When you look at the targeting picker for Line item A on Tuesday, you see that under "Key-values and audience segments" the following is displayed:

pos (pos) is top
and
color (deleted) is blue

On Wednesday, you re-add the color key in the user interface (the associated values are re-added automatically). The line item then serves as it did on Monday, and you see that under "Key-values" the following is displayed: pos (pos) is top
and
color (color) is blue

Reporting

Deleting key-values can improve reporting performance on existing key-values.

Reporting metrics are collected on existing keys-values. When you delete keys, reporting metrics are no longer collected on that key or its values. If you run a report on a deleted key or value, you'll see reporting data during the period when the key or value existed.

Forecasting

Your tags need to be updated with key-values for enough time for those criteria to be accurately reflected in forecasts.

Deleting and casing

Once a key is created, you can't edit the key or delete it and recreate it with different casing. If you recreate a previously deleted key, Ad Manager reuses the previous key’s casing in the targeting picker.

For example, let's say that there is an existing key gender with values female and male.

Suppose you deleted this key and then re-add it as Gender (either as a dynamic or a predefined key). When traffickers target a line item to this key-value, the targeting picker shows the original key name as gender, rather than Gender.

Key-values in Ad Manager are not case-sensitive, so this has no impact on ad serving or reporting.