Today we announced the limited release of AdWords scripts , a new way to programmatically access and manipulate your AdWords campaigns. Built on Google Apps Script technology, these scripts are written in JavaScript, stored in your AdWords account, and run in the cloud. They provide simple access to the most popular AdWords data and functionality, making it possible for a wide range of users to build tools and integrations quickly.
AdWords scripts include built-in support for Google Spreadsheets and HTTP services, allowing you to pull in important data and take action in your account. Additionally, the ability to send email makes it possible to develop advanced reporting and data analysis solutions. We expect that customers with limited resources or technical expertise will find this a compelling platform for building specialized tools and workflows.
AdWords scripts are a supplement to the existing AdWords API , and their compact interface makes them ideal for building small projects or for performing one time actions. For example, let’s compare the code needed to add a keyword to an ad group.
AdWords API (Java)
// Create keyword.
Keyword keyword = new Keyword();
keyword.setText("mars");
keyword.setMatchType(KeywordMatchType.BROAD);
// Create biddable ad group criterion.
BiddableAdGroupCriterion biddableAdGroupCriterion =
new BiddableAdGroupCriterion();
biddableAdGroupCriterion.setAdGroupId(adGroupId);
biddableAdGroupCriterion.setCriterion(keyword);
biddableAdGroupCriterion.setDestinationUrl(
"http://www.example.com/mars");
ManualCPCAdGroupCriterionBids bids = new ManualCPCAdGroupCriterionBids();
bids.setMaxCpc(new Bid(new Money(null, 500000L)));
biddableAdGroupCriterion.setBids(bids);
// Create operation.
AdGroupCriterionOperation operation =
new AdGroupCriterionOperation();
operation.setOperand(biddableAdGroupCriterion);
operation.setOperator(Operator.ADD);
AdGroupCriterionOperation[] operations = new
AdGroupCriterionOperation[] {operation};
// Add keyword.
AdGroupCriterionReturnValue result =
adGroupCriterionService.mutate(operations);
AdWords scripts
adGroup.createKeyword("mars", 0.50, "http://www.example.com/mars");
Having a simple interface means that not every feature or setting is exposed, but it should limit the need for deprecations and migrations. Scripts can currently operate against campaigns, ad groups, ads and keywords, with the possibility of new data being made available based on customer demand. No registration or developer token is required to write scripts and they are free to use.
For more information about AdWords scripts see our developer documentation , which includes example scripts and tutorials. If you have questions or comments please reach out to us on the forum , and we can’t wait to hear about the exciting scripts you come up with!
Eric Koleda , AdWords scripts team
