Smart Bidding uses conversions and conversion value data in Google Ads to help meet your goals. If you have any issues with conversion tracking, you can use data exclusions to help reduce the impact that these issues may have on Smart Bidding Performance.
How it works
Data exclusions is an advanced tool that helps you to inform your Smart Bidding strategy of an issue with conversion data, to help reduce the impact to performance.
Conversion issues that may affect Smart Bidding include anything that causes reported conversions or conversion value in Google Ads to be incorrect. For example:
- Tagging issues
- Website outages
- Data import issues
Data exclusions for Smart Bidding are available for Search, Display, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns. Learn how to Use data exclusions.
Instructions to add data exclusions
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
.
- Click the Budgets and bidding drop down in the section menu.
- Click Adjustments.
- Select the Exclusions tab at the top.
- Click the plus button
to add a new data exclusion.
- Next to “Settings”, enter a name and description.
- Enter the start date and time and end date and time for the data you’d like to exclude. Since conversions can be attributed to clicks in the past, select a date range that accounts for the typical conversion delay.
- Next to "Scope", select campaigns and devices for this adjustment. You can select individual campaigns to exclude or the entire account.
- Select devices to exclude. For example, the conversion issue may only have affected mobile tracking.
- Click Save.
- Data exclusions may change how your bid strategies perform. Before you create an exclusion, confirm that the information is correct. Click Create data exclusion.
- Data exclusions can be applied at the MCC or sub account level. The start and end times are based on the account's time zone.
What to know about data exclusions
Data exclusions can only be used with conversions and conversion value based Smart Bidding strategies. Keep the below best practices and key points in mind when using data exclusions. Learn how to Use data exclusions.
- Data exclusions apply to clicks: Your data exclusions must exclude clicks that could have had the affected conversions attributed to them. When these clicks are excluded, the associated conversions are also excluded.
- Data exclusions apply to most campaign types: If you applied an exclusion for the entire account, conversions for Search, Display, Shopping Network, and Performance Max campaigns will be excluded.
- Data exclusions aren't supported in Hotel campaigns.
- Data exclusions don’t affect conversion reporting: Data exclusions only affect the data that Smart Bidding uses. You can still find these excluded conversions in your reporting.
- Data exclusions may take up to a week to fully process. In the meantime, we suggest adjusting CPA or ROAS targets to achieve desired performance, while ensuring budgets are set to acceptable levels.