Set up custom Floodlight metrics and dimensions in the new Search Ads 360

Before you set up custom metrics and dimensions in the new Search Ads 360, you need to create custom Floodlight variables in the Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that is associated with your Search Ads 360 sub-manager account. Then set up your Floodlight tags to record data for the variables or use the Search Ads 360 API to upload data for the variables.

The new Search Ads 360 checks with the Campaign Manager 360 advertiser every 2 hours for new custom Floodlight variables. When the new Search Ads 360 finds a new variable, it adds the variable to the new Search Ads 360 sub-manager account’s “Custom variables” tab. You'll need to map each custom Floodlight variable to a data type in the new Search Ads 360 before you can use the data in a report in the new Search Ads 360.

Note: When the new Search Ads 360 receives text data from a custom Floodlight variable, it converts the text to all lower case. For example, if a Floodlight variable sends “MA” as the name of a state, the new Search Ads 360 will convert the value to “ma”.

Special permissions required

Only manager accounts or sub-manager accounts in the new Search Ads 360 can set up custom Floodlight metrics and dimensions.

Set up custom metrics and dimensions in the new Search Ads 360

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a sub-manager account in the new Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.
3. From the page menu, under “Tools & settings”, click Conversions.
4. Click Custom variables.
   • The tab lists all custom Floodlight variables that the new Search Ads 360 has discovered for the Campaign Manager 360 advertiser.
   • All of the newly discovered variables display “Inactive” in the “Status” column.
5. Initially, the data type for a custom variable isn’t set in the new Search Ads 360. You'll need to set the data type by making one of the following selections:
   • If you specified “string” as a variable’s type in Campaign Manager 360, select Dimension in the “Type” column.
     • String variables can only be used as dimensions in the new Search Ads 360.
   • If you specified “number” as a variable’s type in Campaign Manager 360, select one of the following in the “Type” column depending on how you want to use the data in the new Search Ads 360:
     • Metric: The variable’s value will be aggregated. For example, if the variable is an item count for conversions or is keeping track of overall shipping costs for purchases, you’ll want to indicate a “metric” data type. The new Search Ads 360 will add these values together each time Floodlight sends an update for the variable, and you’ll see the total number of conversions or the total shipping costs when you add the column to your reports in the new Search Ads 360.
     • Dimension: The variable’s value will be used to filter data in a column. For example, if the variable is a department number or numeric product ID, you’ll want to indicate a “dimension” data type. You can then create a Floodlight activity column that contains only the data from a specific department. You can also use custom dimensions in a bid strategy in the new Search Ads 360.

Now you’ll see “Not in use” in the variable’s “Status” column, which means the variable is set up and ready to use in a Floodlight column.

Change from a metric to a dimension

If you originally set up a custom Floodlight variable as a metric in the new Search Ads 360, you can change it to a dimension. Similarly, if you set up a numeric custom Floodlight variable as a dimension, you can change it to a metric. Note that only numeric custom Floodlight variables can be used as metrics in the new Search Ads 360.

If the variable is used in a Floodlight column, you have to remove the variable from the column before you can make the change. The “Custom variables” reporting table will show you which Floodlight columns use the variable.

When you change a metric to a dimension or when you change a metric to "Not set", all of the historical data that was collected by the variable is lost. You can't recover the lost data by switching the variable back to a metric.

When you change a dimension to a metric, the variable will start to collect data from that moment going forward.

How to change from a metric to a dimension

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a sub-manager account in the new Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.
3. From the page menu, under “Tools & settings”, click Conversions.
4. Click Custom variables.
5. If the variable's “Status” column says “In use”, do the following:
   1. Hover over the “In use” link. A popup appears and lists the names of custom columns that use the variable.
   2. Edit each custom column listed in the popup to remove the custom Floodlight variable.

   3. If the variable is the only data used in the column, either select a different metric for the column or remove the custom column from the new Search Ads 360.

      Now you’ll see “Not in use” in the variable’s “Status” column.

6. In the variable's “Type” column, change “Dimension” or “Metric” to Not set.

Unset a custom variable

If you no longer want to include data from a custom variable in Search Ads 360, you can unset the variable. When you unset a variable, all of the historical data that was collected by the variable is lost. While you can add the variable back later, the historical data isn’t restored.

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a sub-manager account in the new Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.
3. From the page menu, under “Tools & settings”, click Conversions.
4. Click Custom variables.
5. If the variable's “Status” column says “In use”, do the following:
   1. Hover over the “In use” link. A popup appears and lists the names of custom columns that use the variable.
   2. Edit each custom column listed in the popup to remove the custom Floodlight variable.

   3. If the variable is the only data used in the column, either select a different metric for the column or remove the custom column from the new Search Ads 360.

      Now you’ll see “Not in use” in the variable’s “Status” column.

6. In the variable's “Type” column, select Not set.