Google Ads Migration Guide
DataForSEO Google Ads API is based on the latest version of Google Ads API that has replaced legacy Google AdWords API.
Google Ads API is the latest programmatic interface to the Google Ads platform that offers new features and improvements while also deprecating some of the concepts of the preceding Google AdWords API. This Migration Guide is aimed at helping you make sense of these changes and make the transition as smooth and convenient as possible.
Preparing for migration takes three simple, but nonetheless crucial steps:
1. Configure the client
If you’re using our recommended PHP client, you have to change the search engine parameter in the URLs of POST and GET requests.
Just replace google with google_ads in the string.
2. Modify your POST requests
Aside from changing URL parameters, you may also have to modify parameters in your POST requests.
While all the required fields remain unchanged, there are a few new features you can implement.
3. Check new and deprecated response fields
The new version introduces a number of new fields in each endpoint. However, you will see that some fields from the old version are now deprecated.
You will find more information in this guide, as well as on our blog
4. Test and iterate
This is not an incremental update, so you may need to run a few tests and iterate the POST data parameters to achieve the desired results.
We offer a free Sandbox feature to facilitate the process.
Below you will find the description of differences between the old DataForSEO Google Adwords API and its new Google Ads API counterpart.
Major changes
| Change | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Higher limits | read more | New version allows getting from 1,000 to 20,000 keywords in a single request |
| Date ranges | read more | Specify the dates to get data for a certain period of time |
| Strict keyword requirements | read more | The new version has strict requirements for the keywords you can and cannot specify, e.g., keywords with UTF-8 symbols are not allowed |
| Sorting parameters | read more | You can now apply the sort_by parameter to sort the results |
| New traffic estimation | read more | Ad Traffic By Keywords now returns stats for the specified forecasting time period |
Deprecated endpoints
| Endpoint | Reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ad traffic by Platforms | Platforms not supported | Google Ads API provides data aggregated for all platform types |
| Keywords for Category | Categories not supported | Google Ads API has no alternative for categories |
| Categories | Categories not supported | Google Ads API has no alternative for categories |
Deprecated Request Parameters
| Parameter | Endpoint | Notes |
|---|---|---|
keywords_negative |
Keywords For Site, Keywords For Keywords |
negative keywords are not supported for now, but will be added in the nearest future |
closely_variants |
Keywords For Keywords | closely variants are not supported in the new version |
Deprecated Response Parameters
| Parameter | Endpoint | Notes |
|---|---|---|
cpc |
Search Volume Keywords For Site Keywords For Keywords |
cpc data is not supported in the new version |
categories |
Search Volume Keywords For Site Keywords For Keywords |
categories are not supported in the new version |
ad_position_min |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | the concept of ad positions is deprecated |
ad_position_max |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | the concept of ad positions is deprecated |
ad_position_average |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | the concept of ad positions is deprecated |
cpc_min |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only average cpc historically paid for the keyword is supported |
cpc_max |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only average cpc historically paid for the keyword is supported |
cpc_average |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | average cpc historically paid for the keyword is represented by average_cpc |
daily_impressions_min |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only impressions for the specified time period are supported |
daily_impressions_max |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only impressions for the specified time period are supported |
daily_impressions_average |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only impressions for the specified time period are supported |
daily_clicks_min |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only clicks for the specified time period are supported |
daily_clicks_max |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only clicks for the specified time period are supported |
daily_clicks_average |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | only clicks for the specified time period are supported |
daily_cost_min |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | cost for the specified time period is represented by cost_micros |
daily_cost_max |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | cost for the specified time period is represented by cost_micros |
daily_cost_average |
Ad Traffic By Keywords | cost for the specified time period is represented by cost_micros |
Core Google Ads/Adwords API parallels
Note
In order to keep your software functional and avoid any issues that might occur when Google sunsets its Google AdWords API, we recommend fully migrating by April 2022. DataForSEO is committed to helping all its customers transition to the new version as soon as possible. Please, don’t hesitate to contact our support team if you have any questions or require assistance with the migration process.