Create an ad group template

An ad group template generates one ad group for each unique value or combination of values in the inventory data selected by a campaign. The value or value combination you specify is called the ad group multiplier. For example, you can specify a multiplier that generates different ad groups for leather, suede, canvas, or mesh shoes in each campaign.

Ad group templates work within the scope of the inventory plan and campaign template

Filters and multipliers limit the data that's available to an ad group template. If you use filters to limit the inventory data available to the plan and additional filters in the campaign template, the ad group template will only be applied to data that matches both filters.

In addition, within each campaign, the ad group template is applied only to the data available after applying the campaign multiplier. For example, if CampaignA contains "ComfyWalkers - loafers" and CampaignB contains "SpeedyShoes - loafers", then ad group templates will only generate ad groups related to "ComfyWalkers - loafers" in CampaignA and "SpeedyShoes - loafers" in CampaignB.

You don't need to repeat the filters and multipliers specified in the campaign template or inventory plan.

Create an ad group template

Here's an overview of creating an ad group template (the details are below):

1. Specify the ad group multiplier and optional filters.
2. Enter settings, such as ad group names, default CPC (depending on the type of engine account the plan specifies), Search Ads 360 URL templates, and so on.
3. Preview some of the ad groups that will be generated.

If you've already created an ad group template for another campaign template in the current plan, you can reuse the template.

1. Specify the ad group multiplier and optional filters

Here's an example of multipliers and filters that generate one ad group for each type of loafer (this example assumes that one campaign is already being generated for each brand and for the "loafer" type of product). The filter guarantees that campaigns will be generated only for items for which the Google product type level 5 attribute specifies the words "leather" or "suede" or "canvas" or "mesh".

To specify multipliers and filters for a new ad group template:

1. Navigate to an advertiser.

   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 Templates.
3. Click the Inventory management tab and click the name of an inventory plan.
4. In a row that contains a campaign, click + and select Ad group.
   
5. Enter a name for the template. The name appears in the reporting table for the inventory plan. You can also filter on the name to see performance metrics for all ad groups generated by the template.
6. Under Multiplier, click +Feed column and select a column from your feed that uniquely identifies the product or group of products you want in the ad group. The list contains all of the product attributes defined in the inventory feed you selected for the inventory plan.
   
   For example, to generate an ad group for each "Product type level 5" in the campaign, select the Product type level 5 column.
   
   To generate ad groups from a unique combination of values, click +Feed column and select another column.
7. Optionally enter a filter to generate ad groups for specific types of items in your inventory feed. For example, use a filter to generate ad groups only for "leather", "suede", "canvas", or "mesh" loafers in each campaign.
   
   To enter a filter:
   1. Under Feed filters click + Attribute or metric and select an attribute from the inventory feed.
      The list contains all of the product attributes defined in the inventory feed you selected for the inventory plan.
   2. Select an operator, such as Equals or Starts with.
      If you need complex filters, you can use regular expressions in the filter.
   3. Enter a value to match.
   4. You can specify additional filters. Ad groups will generate only for those items that match all of the attributes.

      For example, if you add Price Greater than $50 to the filter in the previous step, the template will only generate ad groups for items that cost more than $50.

   5. To remove a filter, click the X that appears at the end of the line.

8. Optionally select the check box to create ad groups for specific match types.
9. Click the Preview button to see the list of products that match the filter.
10. Specify criteria for removing and pausing ad groups.
11. Optionally specify existing labels or rows from business data tables to apply to the ad groups generated by the template.
12. To receive an email when the plan creates new ad groups, select Send email when new ad groups are created.

    Each time the inventory plan evaluates your inventory feed and creates new ad groups, you'll receive one email that lists all of the newly created ad groups. If you also select the Send email option in the plan's campaign templates, the email will also contain the list of newly created campaigns.

13. When you've selected the multipliers and filters you want, click Next.
    The editor for ad group settings appears.

Status settings for ad groups

By default ad groups are created in the active state, and Search Ads 360 removes an ad group when all of its inventory items no longer appear in the feed. In the Status section, choose any of the following settings:

• When items are no longer found in the feed, set the status to:
  • Removed: Search Ads 360 removes an ad group when all of its inventory items no longer appear in the feed. For example, if you use the Product type level 5 inventory attribute as the multiplier and then you later remove a specific product type from the feed, the ad group that was generated for the removed product type will be removed.

    When an ad group is removed, all of its ads and keywords are also effectively removed. Note that while you can include the removed ad group in reports, the removed ad group cannot be re-activated. When at least one inventory item matching the ad group multiplier and filters is returned to the feed, Search Ads 360 generates a new ad group. Performance data from the old ad group is not applied to the new ad group.

  • Paused: Search Ads 360 pauses an ad group when all of its inventory items no longer appear in the feed. For example, if you use the Product type level 5 inventory attribute as the multiplier and then you later remove a specific product type from the feed, the ad group that was generated for the removed product type will be paused.

    When at least one inventory item matching the ad group multiplier and filters is returned to the feed, Search Ads 360 resumes the ad group.

    This setting only affects the status of the overall ad group. The status of ads and keywords within a resumed ad group depends on the status setting you chose in the corresponding templates. For example, if you set up keywords to pause when their inventory items are removed from the feed, when Search Ads 360 resumes an ad group, only the keywords with inventory items in the feed will be resumed.

  • Current status: Search Ads 360 doesn't change the ad group's status, even if all of its inventory items no longer appear in the feed.
• Create ad groups in a paused state: The template always pauses new ad groups. This gives you the chance to review the newly created ad groups before their ads start serving. After you activate the paused ad groups, restore inventory management for the ad groups.
• Pause ad groups when a condition is met: Pauses ad groups when an update to your inventory data matches conditions you specify in a formula. For example, you can pause ad group when the availability of related inventory items falls below a quantity threshold you specify. Search Ads 360 resumes the ad group if your inventory data no longer matches the conditions.

If you're using an ad group template in more than one campaign template, be aware that these status settings apply to all ad groups generated by the template across all campaigns.

2. Enter ad group settings

1. After you specify the ad group multiplier and optional filters, Search Ads 360 displays ad group settings.
2. Enter settings as you would for a manual ad group.
   • You can use functions, inventory attributes, and formula columns in any setting to generate unique values for each ad group. 
   • To use the same value for all ad groups, enter static text or numbers depending on the setting's data type.

   Use the following syntax for ad group settings:

   • Static text and numbers can be entered directly into a template.
   • Dates always need to be entered in a function, such as the date function.
   • All functions, inventory attributes, and formula columns need to be surrounded by[ ] (square brackets) 
     To include the [ ] characters in your ad copy, escape them as follows:
     \[ \]

   Example: \[*EngineAccountType*\]) - Escapes a macro. 

   Here are some examples of basic settings:

   Setting	Value	Description
   Name	Loafers -  [Item_product_type_level_5]	Combines static text with an inventory attribute to generate names such as: Loafers - leather Loafers - mesh
   Default Search CPC	1.00	A static number that specifies a default bid of $1.00 (or €1, ¥1, or other currency depending on the engine's currency)

3. Click Next.

3. Preview ad groups

1. After entering your settings (as outlined earlier), in the last step before saving the template, Search Ads 360 shows a preview window containing up to the first 50 campaigns that will be generated with the current settings and inventory data.
2. Look through the list of campaigns to make sure your formulas create the campaign names, budgets, and other output that you expect.
3. You can click the Previous button, adjust your formulas as needed, and return to the preview. 
4. When you're satisfied with the preview, click Save template.

Search Ads 360 saves the template and pauses it. The template won't be applied to the plan's inventory data until you change its status to Active.

Next steps

Create at least one ad template and keyword template. If you've already created one of these templates in the current plan, you can use the existing template instead of creating a new one.

Use existing ad group template

If you've already created an ad group template for a campaign template in the current plan, do the following to reuse the template in another campaign template:

1. Navigate to an advertiser.

   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 Feeds.
3. Click the Inventory plans tab and click the name of an inventory plan.
4. In the reporting table, click (gear icon) next to the ad group.

   If the ad group isn't visible in the table, click ▶ next to the campaign template in which you originally created the ad group template.
   

5. From the Use in campaign template list, select one or more additional campaign templates in inventory plan.
6. Click Save template.

If the ad group template is active, and if the newly selected campaign is active, Search Ads 360 automatically applies the template the next time it evaluates inventory data.