Set up custom Floodlight metrics and dimensions

Before you set up custom metrics and dimensions in Search Ads 360, you need to create custom Floodlight variables in the Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that is associated with your Search Ads 360 advertiser. 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.

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

Note: When 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, Search Ads 360 will convert the value to “ma”.

Special permissions required

Only Search Ads 360 agency managers or advertiser managers can set up custom Floodlight metrics and dimensions. 

Set up custom metrics and dimensions in Search Ads 360

1. Navigate to an advertiser in Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.

   Steps for navigating to an advertiser

   1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

   4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

2. In the left navigation panel, click Advertiser settings.
   
   Don't see Advertiser settings? Only Search Ads 360 agency managers or advertiser managers can see Advertiser settings in the left navigation panel. 

3. Click the Floodlight▼ tab and select Custom Floodlight variables.
   The tab lists all custom Floodlight variables that Search Ads 360 has discovered for the Campaign Manager 360 advertiser.

   All of the newly discovered variables display Inactive in the Status column.

4. Initially, the data type for a custom variable is not set in 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 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 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. 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 Search Ads 360 reports.

     • 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 Search Ads 360 bid strategy. 

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 Search Ads 360, you can change it to dimension. Similarly, if you set up a numeric custom Floodlight variable as a dimension, you can change it to a metric (only numeric custom Floodlight variables can be used as metrics in 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 Floodlight 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. Navigate to an advertiser in Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.

   Steps for navigating to an advertiser

   1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

   4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

2. In the left navigation panel, click Advertiser settings.
   
   Don't see Advertiser settings? Only Search Ads 360 agency managers or advertiser managers can see Advertiser settings in the left navigation panel. 

3. Click the Floodlight▼ tab and select Custom Floodlight variables.

4. 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 Floodlight columns that use the variable.

   2. Edit each Floodlight 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 Search Ads 360.  
      
      Now you’ll see Not in use in the variable’s Status column.

5. 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 is not restored.

1. Navigate to an advertiser in Search Ads 360 that's associated with a Campaign Manager 360 advertiser that contains custom Floodlight variables.

   Steps for navigating to an advertiser

   1. Click the navigation bar to display navigation options.

   2. In the "Agency" list, click on the agency that contains the advertiser. You can search for an agency by name or scroll through the list.

   3. In the "Advertiser" list, click on the advertiser.

   4. Click Apply or press the Enter key.

   Search Ads 360 displays the advertiser page, which contains data for all of the advertiser’s engine accounts.

2. In the left navigation panel, click Advertiser settings.
   
   Don't see Advertiser settings? Only Search Ads 360 agency managers or advertiser managers can see Advertiser settings in the left navigation panel. 

3. Click the Floodlight▼ tab and select Custom Floodlight variables.

4. 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 Floodlight columns that use the variable.

   2. Edit each Floodlight 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 Search Ads 360.  
      
      Now you’ll see Not in use in the variable’s Status column.

5. In the variable's Type column, select Not set.