Set up ad group templates

Create an Ad group template

Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
Navigate to the relevant sub-manager account.
Click Tools and settings.
Click Templates.
On the “Templates” page, click
Click + Ad group template.
Follow the instructions in the sections below, starting with Ad group template pre-stage.
Click Continue to complete each stage and proceed to the next one.

For information about configuring dynamic template elements, see About custom columns in templates and Configure custom columns in templates.

For dynamic settings, examples based on a flights theme are provided. Click below to view the flights feed table to which they refer.

'Flights" feed table

In this example, the "Flights" feed table contains the following columns of product data supplied by a new Search Ads 360 customer, Example Airways.

Example Airways operates two brands. Albatross Flights sells transatlantic tickets between the US and European destinations, while Golden Eagle Flights markets route tickets within Europe.

The example feed table only contains information for one route for each brand to ease understanding.

Feed column name	Column description	Column value example 1	Column value example 2
"product_id"	Flight origin airport international air transport association (IATA) code –destination airport IATA code	CDG-LHR	SEA-CDG
"brand"	The brand name for the flight	Golden Eagle Flights	Albatross Flights
"availability"	Flight ticket availability	Available	Not available
"seats_left"	Number of unsold seats on the flight	11	0
"origin_iata"	Flight origin airport’s IATA code	CDG	SEA
"origin_name"	Flight departure location	Paris	Seattle
"origin_country"	Flight origin country’s name	France	USA
"destination _iata"	Flight destination airport´s IATA code	LHR	CDG
"destination_name"	Flight destination´s name	London	Paris
"destination_country"	Flight destination country’s name	UK	France
"price_usd"	The flight price in US dollars	400	900

Click the headings below to learn about each stage in the template creation flow, including stage settings with dynamic content examples.

Ad group template pre-stage

Stage	Panel	Applies to	Settings and descriptions
“Pre-stage”	"New ad group template"		Select the parent campaign template. Note: The feed is inherited from the parent and is not editable. Set any filters for the feed.

Stage 1 Ad group settings

Stage	Panel	Applies to	Settings and descriptions
Stage 1 "Template settings”	"Template name" Required Must be unique at the sub-manager level		Name your ad group template.
	"Campaign templates"		Inherited from the pre-stage.
	"Feed"		Inherited from the pre-stage. Optional filters can be edited.
	"Multiplier"		Multipliers define the columns from which the unique value combinations are derived. The unique value combinations determine the ad group instances that are generated from ad group templates. There are two options: Use feed columns from the ad group name formula that is defined on the next stage (Recommended), Stage 2. Alternatively, use custom selected feed columns. Click Select multipliers. Select the required multiplier columns from the feed columns. Click Done.
	"Label associations"		Associate existing labels with template-generated campaigns, ad groups, ads, and keywords. Enter static or dynamic values. Learn more about associating labels. Click Add label to enter additional values.
	"Custom dimensions"		Associate existing custom dimension values with template-generated campaigns, ad groups, ads, and keywords. Enter static or dynamic values to match against feed data to determine the custom dimension value to be associated. Learn more about associating custom dimensions. Click Add custom dimensions data to select additional custom dimensions to associate values from.
	"Group by match type"		By default, the template does not subdivide your ad group by keyword match type. If you want to divide your ad groups by keyword match type, click the option to Create all keywords in match type-specific ad groups. When this option is selected, depending on your keyword configuration, this template may create multiple ad groups with names suffixed with "_exact" and "_broad" to match what’s configured as match types for your keywords. Example: The ad group name created in the template at step 2 is: `f:"brand" & f:"origin_country" & "/" & f:"destination_country"` If the keywords are both broad and exact match type in the keyword template, and the Create all keywords in match type-specific ad groups option is selected, the ad group names generated would be: Golden Eagle Flights France/UK_exact Golden Eagle Flights France/UK_broad Albatross Flights USA/France_exact Albatross Flights USA/France_broad If the keywords are all broad match type in the keyword template, and the Create all keywords in match type-specific ad groups option is selected, the ad group names generated would be: Golden Eagle Flights France/UK_broad Albatross Flights USA/France_broad If the Create all keywords in match type-specific ad groups option is not selected, keyword match types do not affect ad group names: Golden Eagle Flights France/UK Albatross Flights USA/France
	Coming soon: "Email notifications"		Select the preferred email result after ad groups are generated: No emails. Every time ad groups are generated.
	"Status"		Select Remove, Pause, or No changes to set the template and both new and existing entity statuses when items are no longer found in the feed. If required, select Create ad groups in a paused state. If required, select Pause ad groups when a condition is met, then create your condition using a custom column. Example: Ad groups are paused when the condition no seats left is matched: `f:"seats_left" < 1`

Stage 2 Ad group settings

Stage	Panel	Applies to	Settings and descriptions
Stage 2 "Ad group settings”	"Ad group name"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: Add a general static or dynamic Ad group name using a custom column. If you selected Use feed columns from the campaign name formula that is defined on the next page as the multiplier in Stage 1, the columns you use become the multiplier, and are presented in the setting at Stage 1 as the multiplier. Under the completed name you’ll view the feed columns used in the multiplier and this message: Feed attributes used to scale ad group creation For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different ad group names by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad group structure. For example: `f:"brand" & "/" & f:"origin_name" & "/" & f:"destination_name"` The brand/origin_name/destination_name columns become the ad group multiplier used to scale ad group creation. An ad group is created for each unique value combination generated. Example output: Albatross Flights/Seattle/Paris Golden Eagle Flights/Paris/London If the option to Create all keywords in match-type specific ad groups is selected in Stage 1 "Template settings", and only the keyword match types broad and exact are used, the ad group names generated would be: goldeneagleflights/paris/london_exact goldeneagleflights/paris/london_broad albatrossflights/seattle/paris_exact albatrossflights/seattle/paris_broad Custom settings based on advertising platform or selected client accounts can be used. See Apply custom settings.
	"Start date" and "End date"	Microsoft only	For all advertising platforms and client accounts: "Start date" As soon as ad groups are created — The campaigns start as soon as they are generated by the templates and sent to the advertising platform. days from creation — The ad groups will start a specific number of days after they are generated by the templates and sent to the advertising platform. Date picker — The ad groups start on a specific date after they are generated by the templates and sent to the advertising platform. "End date" No end date — The ad groups never end. days after start — The ad groups stop a specific number of days after they start. Date picker — The ad groups stop on a specific date. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to configure start and end settings based on selected advertising platforms or client accounts.
	"Max CPC"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: Enter a static or dynamic Max CPC using a custom column. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different ad group max CPCs by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad group structure. Example: Max CPC could be a static numerical value such as 2.5. It could also be based on a formula. In this example, the `if` function is used. If the ticket price in the feed is > 1000, the Max CPC is set at 2.5. If the ticket price is < 1000, the Max CPC is set at 2 `if(f:"price_usd" > 1000, 2.5,2)`
	"Device bid adjustments"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: Enter the required option for mobile, tablet, and desktop from: None Decrease by - enter a percentage. Increase by - enter a percentage. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different ad group device bid adjustment targets by account type or specific client account to better customize your device bid adjustment structure.
	"Ad rotation"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: Select Optimize or Rotate for ad rotation. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different ad group ad rotation by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad rotation structure.
	"Ad group URL options"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: Add a static or dynamic Ad group URL that can include a tracking template. It must start with http:// or https:// (recommended): Enter the URL you want the ad click to go to. Alternatively, configure a custom column as the tracking URL you want the ad click to go to for tracking. Add a static or dynamic final URL suffix. Define custom parameters that can be included in the final URL suffix for tracking user information. Each custom parameter requires a name and value. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different ad group URL options by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad group URL structure. For example: `"{lpurl}?campaign=[Campaign]&keyword=[KeywordID]&o_name=" & f:"origin_name" & "&d_name=" & f:"destination_name"` Example output: https://www.example.com/albatrossflights/us/france?campaign=1234&keyword=6789&o_country=us&d_country=france https://www.example.com/goldeneagleflights/france/uk?campaign=4321&keyword=9876&o_country=france&d_country=uk Another option is to simply leave this blank, leaving a tracking template set at a lower level in the template hierarchy to take precedence as the tracking URL. URLs must start with http:// or https:// (recommended). The brand/origin_country columns become the ad group URL multiplier used to scale ad group URL creation. An ad group URL tracking template is created for each unique value combination generated. This URL uses existing advertising platform parameters, in this case for Google Ads. Custom settings based on advertising platform or selected client accounts can be used. See Apply custom settings.
	"Languages"	Microsoft Advertising only	Select a language from the drop-down menu. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different language settings by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad group language structure.
	"Targeting"		For all advertising platforms and client accounts: You can select audience segments on the “Audiences” page after campaigns have been generated. Targeting Narrow the reach of your ad groups to audience segments, with the option to adjust the bids. Observation (recommended) Don’t narrow the reach of your ad groups, with the option to adjust the bids on audience segments. For specific advertising platforms and client accounts: Click Add a custom setting to create different targeting settings by account type or specific client account to better customize your ad group targeting structure.
	Coming soon: "Sitelink extensions"		By default, sitelink extensions generated by template or created manually are allowed. If you want to disable both, click the option to Disable generated and manual sitelinks.

Stage 3 Confirmation

Stage	Panel	Applies to	Settings and descriptions
Stage 3 "Confirmation”	"Ad group preview"		Generates a preview of the first 100 ad groups. Return to the previous settings stages to make required changes. Click Create template to create the ad group template.

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