The Optimize integration with Google Ads enables you to target experiments based on Google Ads accounts, campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. This allows you to create and deploy experiments to find changes to your landing pages that improve business outcomes.
In this article:Supported campaign types
The Optimize-Google Ads integration supports search and shopping campaigns. It supports Search Network with Display select, but only the search traffic from those campaigns (display traffic is excluded). Support for additional campaign types will be added in the future.
Prerequisites
To link Optimize to Google Ads, you must have:
- An Optimize account that's linked to Google Analytics
- An Optimize snippet installed on your website
Step 1: Link Google Ads to Analytics
The first step is to link Google Ads and Analytics to enable data flow between the products. This link can be created in either Google Ads or Analytics. If you are linking Google Ads to a Universal Analytics property, see Link/unlink Google Ads and Analytics. If you are linking Ads to a Google Analytics 4 property, see [GA4] Link Google Ads and Analytics.
Step 2: Enable Google Ads for use with Optimize
After Google Ads and Analytics are linked, you can enable Google Ads for Optimize. Choose an option below based on your Google Ads account type.
Option 1 – Google Ads individual account
To turn on Optimize sharing from a Google Ads individual account, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Ads individual account.
- Click
in the toolbar.
- Navigate to SETUP > Linked accounts.
- If you are linking to a Universal Analytics property, click DETAILS next to Google Analytics (UA).
- If you are linking to a Google Analytics 4 property, click DETAILS next to Google Analytics (GA4) & Firebase.
- Turn on Google Optimize sharing.
Option 2 – Google Ads manager account
To turn on Optimize sharing from a Google Ads manager account, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Ads manager account.
- Click
- Navigate to SETUP > Linked accounts.
- If you are linking to a Universal Analytics property, click DETAILS next to Google Analytics (UA).
- If you are linking to a Google Analytics 4 property, click DETAILS next to Google Analytics (GA4) & Firebase.
- Click TURN ON GOOGLE OPTIMIZE SHARING.
Turning on Optimize sharing for a Google Ads manager account enables it for all of its child accounts. Control over Optimize sharing remains at the individual account level and can be adjusted there.
When an individual Google Ads account is added to a manager hierarchy, it retains its individual Optimize sharing setting. You can turn on Google Optimize sharing for the new Google Ads accounts by returning to the Analytics linked accounts page above.
Permissions
To link Google Ads to Optimize, you only need Administrative access to Google Ads. You don't need access to Optimize itself.
Targeting Google Ads objects with Optimize requires the following access:
- Read-only access to the linked Google Ads account.
- Edit permission to the Optimize container – to create targeting rules.
- Read permission to the Optimize container – to view existing targeting rules.
Learn more about linking to Optimize in the Google Ads help center.
Notes
- Auto-tagging must be enabled for Optimize experiments to receive Google Ads-targeted sessions.
Step 3: Link Optimize to Analytics
The final step is to verify that your Optimize container is linked to the same Analytics property that you linked to from Google Ads in Step 1. This is usually done when setting up an Optimize container.
Learn more about linking Optimize to Analytics.
Target Google Ads objects in an experiment
Once you’ve confirmed that your Optimize container is linked to the correct Analytics property, it’s time to experiment!. To learn more about targeting Google Ads in Optimize, see the following articles:
Related resources
- Google Ads targeting
- Link Google Optimize and Google Ads (Google Ads help center)
- Google Ads policies (Google Ads policy help center)
Google Analytics 4
- Link Optimize to Analytics
- Link Google Ads and Analytics (Analytics help center)
Universal Analytics
- Link Optimize to Analytics
- Link Google Ads and Analytics (Analytics help center)