Override a Search Ads 360 bid strategy's bid

When you apply a Search Ads 360 bid strategy to a biddable item, the bid strategy starts to monitor and potentially change the biddable item's Max CPC setting, which is the highest amount that you are willing to pay per click. Note that often you'll pay less than the max CPC because in each auction, the most you'll pay is what's needed to rank higher than the advertiser immediately below you.

You can manually override the max CPC that a bid strategy has set for one or more biddable items. This allows you to change bids for your competitive, high-value biddable items. There may be circumstances when you don't want to wait for the Search Ads 360 optimization system to run through its processes to update the max CPC. For example, based on sudden changes in the business landscape, you need a more aggressive bid strategy on a keyword for the next few days. Therefore, you want to manually increase the max CPC to enable higher bids and achieve the desired results.

When you manually override the max CPC, the new max CPC will remain for 24 hours; the Search Ads 360 optimization system will not update the max CPC during this time. After 24 hours, Search Ads 360 will resume optimizing your bids to meet the goals of the bid strategy, starting at the manually set max CPC.

 

• Changing the default CPC or maximum CPC at the ad group level doesn't override the bid strategy because a bid strategy explicitly sets max CPC for each biddable item it manages. It does not set max CPC for ad groups.

• Syncing manually set bid changes doesn't override a bid strategy. Even though the bids are updated in Search Ads 360, the bid strategy will continue to optimize bids.
• You can view the history of bid strategy overrides and other bid strategy changes in a change history report. Learn more about how to view a history of bid changes.
• Google Ads portfolio bid strategy should be set to manual bidding in each campaign that is managed by the Search Ads 360 bid strategy. Google Ads portfolio bid strategies should not be used in combination with a Search Ads 360 bid strategy. Learn more about Google Ads bid strategies in Search Ads 360.

How to override a Search Ads 360 bid strategy's bid

You can use any of the following methods to override the max CPC for a biddable item:

• Edit the value in the Max CPC column
• Edit the max CPC for multiple items (and set schedule)
• Apply a rule to edit the max CPC (and set schedule)
• Use a bulksheet to edit the max CPC

Overrides to the max CPC can only be done in Search Ads 360. You can't override the max CPC in the engines.

Edit the value in the Max CPC column

1. Navigate to an engine account or lower scope (such as a specific campaign or ad group).

   Steps for navigating to an engine account

   1. In the left navigation panel, click All accounts.
      What if the left navigation pane isn't visible?

   2. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   3. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   4. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser that contains the engine account.

   5. In the "Account" list, click on the engine account.

   6. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the engine account page.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Click the Keywords tab.
   • Click the Targets▼ tab, and then click Product groups.

3. If the Max CPC column doesn't already display in the reporting table, add it.

4. Click the value in the Max CPC column to change it.

 

Edit the max CPC for multiple items

1. Navigate to an engine account or lower scope (such as a specific campaign or ad group).

   Steps for navigating to an advertiser

   1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

   4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Click the Keywords tab.
   • Click the Targets▼ tab, and then click Product groups.

3. If the Max CPC column doesn't already display in the reporting table, add it.

4. Filter the table or select the checkboxes next to each item that you want to edit.
5. In the toolbar above the reporting table, click Edit ▼, and then click Change bid. 

6. Under New bid value, do one of the following:

   • Next to Set to, enter the new value for the max CPC.

   • Click ▼ (down arrow), and then select:

     • Increase by. Enter an amount or percentage to increase the max CPC.
     • Decrease by. Enter an amount or percentage to decrease the max CPC.
     • Set to formula column. Select a formula column that calculates the value of the max CPC.
7. Optionally, specify a schedule for the change.
8. Click Save.

Apply a rule to change the max CPC

1. Navigate to an engine account or lower scope (such as a specific campaign or ad group).

   Steps for navigating to an advertiser

   1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

   4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Click the Keywords tab.
   • Click the Targets▼ tab, and then click Product groups.

3. If the Max CPC column doesn't already display in the reporting table, add it.

4. In the toolbar above the reporting table, click Rules, and then click Create new rule.

5. Enter a name that is meaningful to you, and then click Next.

6. Specify the criteria for the attribute or metric of the objects that you want to change, and then click Next.

7. Specify the amount to edit the bids.

   1. Under Select an action, click ▼ (arrow), and then click Change bid.

      Additional settings display.

   2. Do one of the following:
      • Next to Set to, select the currency and enter the new value for the max CPC.

      • Click ▼ (down arrow), and then select:

        • Increase by. Enter an amount or percentage to increase the max CPC.
        • Decrease by. Enter an amount or percentage to decrease the max CPC.
        • Set to formula column. Select a formula column that calculates the value of the max CPC.
   3. Enter the email addresses to be alerted about the change.
8. Click Next.
9. Optionally, specify a schedule to apply the rule.
10. Click Save rule.

Use a bulksheet to override a bid strategy's bid

1. Download an Editable columns (for re-upload) report that contains the biddable items you want to override. For example:

   1. Navigate to an advertiser and click the Campaigns tab.

      Steps for navigating to an advertiser

      1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

      2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

      3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

      4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

      Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

   2. Do one of the following:

      • Click the Keywords tab.
      • Click the Targets▼ tab, and then click Product groups.
      Use filters to find just the biddable items you want to override.

   3. In the reporting table, select the check box next to each biddable item you want to override.

   4. Click  the download icon  in the toolbar above the reporting table.

   5. Leave the Columns list set to the default Editable columns (for re-upload).

   6. In the Include types list, leave Keywords and/or Product groups selected.

   7. Click Download.

   8. After Search Ads 360 finishes generating the download, click the Download now link that appears above the reporting table.

2. Open the downloaded spreadsheet and change the value in the Keyword max CPC column or Product group max CPC for each keyword or product group you want to override.

3. Upload the spreadsheet.