Create ad assets

Unlike those that are served by other types of line items, creatives served by Demand Gen ads are constructed in the AdGroupAd resources themselves. The image and video assets assigned to ads to build these creatives are represented in the Display & Video 360 API by AdAsset resources.

Before creating an AdGroupAd resource, create the relevant AdAsset resources that the ad will use if they don't already exist. If they were previously created using the UI or API, you can retrieve existing assets using the advertisers.adAssets service get and list methods.

Image and video AdAsset resources are created using different methods:

The adAssetId of an AdAsset resource is used to associate an asset with a Demand Gen ad.

Upload image assets

Upload image files to create AD_ASSET_TYPE_IMAGE assets that can be used as companion banners, logos, and marketing images.

Here's how to upload an image asset to create an AdAsset resource:

Java

// Provide the parent advertiser ID to upload the media file under.
long advertiserId = advertiser-id;

// Provide the local path to the media file.
String assetPath = asset-path;

// Get filename from path.
String assetFilename = new File(assetPath).getName();

// Create the asset upload request content.
UploadAdAssetRequest content =
    new UploadAdAssetRequest()
        .setFilename(assetFilename)
        .setAdAssetType("AD_ASSET_TYPE_IMAGE");

// Parse filename for appropriate MIME type.
FileNameMap filenameMap = URLConnection.getFileNameMap();
String mimeType = filenameMap.getContentTypeFor(assetFilename);
if (mimeType == null) {
  mimeType = "application/octet-stream";
}

// Create input stream for the ad asset.
InputStreamContent assetStream =
    new InputStreamContent(mimeType, new FileInputStream(assetPath));

// Configure the ad asset upload request.
AdAssets.Upload uploadRequest =
    service
        .advertisers()
        .adAssets()
        .upload(advertiserId, content, assetStream);

// Upload the asset.
UploadAdAssetResponse assetResponse = uploadRequest.execute();

// Display the new asset media ID.
System.out.printf(
    "Ad asset was created with asset ID %s.",
    assetResponse.getAdAsset().getAdAssetId());

Python

# Import the object used as the media body for the upload request.
from apiclient.http import MediaFileUpload

# Provide the parent advertiser ID to upload the media file under.
advertiser_id = advertiser-id

# Provide the filename and local path to the media file.
asset_filename = asset-filename
asset_path = asset-path

# Create the request body.
body = {"filename": asset_filename, "adAssetType": "AD_ASSET_TYPE_IMAGE"}

# Create the upload object and use a default MIME type if not identified.
media = MediaFileUpload(asset_path)
if not media.mimetype():
  media = MediaFileUpload(asset_path, "application/octet-stream")

# Upload the asset.
upload_response = (
    service.advertisers()
    .adAssets()
    .upload(advertiserId=advertiser_id, body=body, media_body=media)
    .execute()
)

# Display the new ad asset.
print(f"Ad asset {upload_response['adAsset']['name']} was created.")

PHP

// Provide the parent advertiser ID to upload the media file under.
$advertiserId = advertiser-id;

// Provide the local path to the media file.
$assetPath = asset-path;

// Provide the name of the media file.
$assetFilename = asset-filename;

// Create the request object.
$body = new Google_Service_DisplayVideo_UploadAdAssetRequest();
$body->setFilename($assetFilename);
$body->setAdAssetType('AD_ASSET_TYPE_IMAGE');

// Set the query parameters
$optParams = array(
    'data' => file_get_contents($assetPath),
    'mimeType' => mime_content_type($assetFilename),
    'uploadType' => 'media'
);

// Upload the asset.
try {
    $result = $this->service->advertisers_adAssets->upload(
        $advertiserId,
        $body,
        $optParams
    );
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    $this->renderError($e);
    return;
}

// Display the new ad asset.
printf(
    '<p>Ad Asset was created with asset ID %s.</p>',
    $result->getAdAsset()->getAdAssetId()
);

Create YouTube assets

Provide YouTube video IDs to create AD_ASSET_TYPE_YOUTUBE_VIDEO assets that can be used in Demand Gen video ads.

Here's how to create a YouTube video asset to create an AdAsset resource:

Java

// Provide the ID of the parent advertiser.
long advertiserId = advertiser-id;

// Provide the YouTube video ID.
String youtubeVideoId = youtube-video-id;

// Create the ad asset structure.
AdAsset adAsset =
    new AdAsset()
        .setAdAssetType("AD_ASSET_TYPE_YOUTUBE_VIDEO")
        .setYoutubeVideoAsset(
            new YoutubeVideoAsset().setYoutubeVideoId(youtubeVideoId));

// Configure the create request.
AdAssets.Create request =
    service
        .advertisers()
        .adAssets()
        .create(
            advertiserId, new CreateAdAssetRequest().setAdAsset(adAsset));

// Create the ad asset.
AdAsset response = request.execute();

// Display the new ad asset.
System.out.printf("Ad asset %s was created.", response.getName());

Python

# Provide the ID of the parent advertiser.
advertiser_id = advertiser-id

# Provide the YouTube video ID.
youtube_video_id = youtube-video-id

# Create the ad asset structure.
ad_asset_create_body = {
    "adAsset": {
        "adAssetType": "AD_ASSET_TYPE_YOUTUBE_VIDEO",
        "youtubeVideoAsset": {"youtubeVideoId": youtube_video_id},
    }
}

# Create the ad asset.
response = (
    service.advertisers()
    .adAssets()
    .create(advertiserId=advertiser_id, body=ad_asset_create_body)
    .execute()
)

# Display the new ad asset.
print(f"Ad asset {response['name']} was created.")

PHP

// Provide the ID of the parent advertiser.
$advertiserId = advertiser-id;

// Provide the YouTube video ID.
$youtubeVideoId = youtube-video-id;

// Create the ad asset structure.
$youtubeVideoAsset =
    new Google_Service_DisplayVideo_YoutubeVideoAsset();
$youtubeVideoAsset->setYoutubeVideoId($youtubeVideoId);
$adAsset = new Google_Service_DisplayVideo_AdAsset();
$adAsset->setAdAssetType('AD_ASSET_TYPE_YOUTUBE_VIDEO');
$adAsset->setYoutubeVideoAsset($youtubeVideoAsset);

// Create the create request.
$createAdAssetRequest =
    new Google_Service_DisplayVideo_CreateAdAssetRequest();
$createAdAssetRequest->setAdAsset($adAsset);

// Create the ad asset.
try {
    $result =
        $this->service->advertisers_adAssets->create(
            $advertiserId,
            $createAdAssetRequest
        );
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    $this->renderError($e);
    return;
}

// Display the new ad asset.
printf(
    '<p>Ad Asset was created with asset ID %s.</p>',
    $result['adAssetId']
);
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Create a Demand Gen ad