Fixing common upload issues

Handle upload timeouts

• Uploads timeout after 2 hours of processing so if you are attempting to upload a large amount of changes in a single spreadsheet it’s possible that all rows will not be processed within that period of time. 
• If a timeout occurs, you will need to download the results, remove the rows that were completed (rows that have been processed will have data present in the “results” column), and begin a new upload containing the rows that weren’t completed.

Upload is attempting to make a different change than what you intended

When you upload a spreadsheet into Google Ads we will automatically determine what change you intend to make. Sometimes, you may find that Google Ads may misinterpret your intent and attempt to do something different. 

For example, you may have prepared a spreadsheet intended to update campaign budgets, but upon preview you notice that Google Ads thinks you are trying to create new campaigns.

This is often because Google Ads is expecting some columns for your use case that are not present in your spreadsheet. Please refer to our Templates page to make sure that your spreadsheet contains all the required columns needed to make your intended change.

Tip: It’s always a good idea to preview your changes on upload before applying to ensure that you are getting the results you expect.

Identify errors

Note: The instructions below are part of the new design for the Google Ads user experience. To use the previous design, click the "Appearance" icon, and select Use previous design. If you're using the previous version of Google Ads, review the Quick reference map or use the Search bar in the top navigation panel of Google Ads to find the page you’re searching for.

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon .
2. Click the Bulk actions drop down in the section menu.
3. Click All bulk actions.
4. In the row with your report, click Download results to look at the errors within your account.
5. In the "Results" column in the spreadsheet you can find the issue with each row.

Note: Once the errors have been addressed, you would then start a new upload.

Common Errors and Solutions

Error	Solution
There are conflicting changes.	Make sure no one else is trying to edit your account and try again.
Items in your file do not meet editorial guidelines.	Make sure all the items in your file follow Google Ads Editorial guidelines.
Your file is missing a header row.	The first row of an uploaded file must be used for headers. Note: When you download the file from Google Ads, headers are already present.
Column contains the wrong type of information.	Please make sure the information you entered meets the requirements.
This row is missing a value.	Please make sure to enter a value for all required columns
Your keywords have characters that are not allowed.	Remove any non-standard characters ( ! @ % , *) from your keywords. Get more information on formatting keywords
One of the IDs does not exists.	If you’re adding an element, remove the value from the ID column. If you’re making changes to an element, make sure that the ID is correct and that the entity has not been removed. If you’re adding an element to an ad group or campaign, please make sure the campaign or ad group has a valid ID.
To update your data set or feed, you'll need to include an "Action" column.	A column with the header ‘Action’ is required for sitelinks and other feeds changes via bulk uploads (possible values are “SET”, “ADD” or “REMOVE”).

Related links 

• Add or edit price assets in bulk
• Create, save, and schedule reports
• Learn more about keyword performance