Create search reports in the Search Ads 360 Reporting API

AI-generated Key Takeaways

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• The Search Ads 360 Reporting API allows retrieval of data using either SearchStream for large reports or Search for smaller reports, both utilizing the Search Ads 360 Query Language.

• Data is returned as a list of SearchAds360Row objects, containing only the attributes specified in the query's SELECT clause.

• Segmentation is achieved by including segments.<FIELD_NAME> in the SELECT clause, enabling analysis across various dimensions.

• Dates and date ranges within queries must adhere to the YYYY-MM-DD ISO 8601 format for proper filtering and analysis.

• While the API comprehensively covers most features, encountering the UNKNOWN enum type for certain resources signifies that they are not yet fully supported.

Read the sections below to learn how to create search reports in the Search Ads 360 Reporting API.

Search service

The Search Ads 360 Reporting API provides a special service for searching and reporting.

SearchAds360Service is a unified object retrieval and reporting service that provides two search methods: SearchStream and Search. Searches are passed in a query string written in the Search Ads 360 Query Language. You can define queries to:

• Retrieve specific attributes of objects.
• Retrieve performance metrics for objects based on a date range.
• Order objects based on their attributes.
• Filter your results using conditions that specify which objects to return
• Limit the number of objects returned.

Both search methods return all rows that match your query. For example, when you retrieve campaign.id, campaign.name, and metrics.clicks, the API returns a SearchAds360Row containing a campaign object with its id and name fields set, and a metrics object with its clicks field set.

Search methods

SearchStream

Sends a single request and initiates a persistent connection with the Search Ads 360 Reporting API regardless of report size.

• Data packets start downloading immediately with the entire result cached in a data buffer.
• Your code can start reading the buffered data without having to wait for the entire stream to finish.

Search

Sends multiple paginated requests to download the entire report.

SearchStream typically offers better performance because it eliminates the round-trip network time required to request individual pages. We recommend using SearchStream for all reports of more than 10,000 rows. There is no significant performance difference between the methods for smaller reports (<10,000 rows).

The method you use does not affect your API quotas and limits: a single query or report is counted as one operation regardless of whether the results are paged or streamed.

Example search query

This example query returns performance data for an account for the last 30 days by campaign, segmented by device:

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  campaign.status,
  segments.device,
  metrics.impressions,
  metrics.clicks,
  metrics.ctr,
  metrics.average_cpc,
  metrics.cost_micros
FROM campaign
WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS

Make a request

To issue a request, you need to pass a customer_id and a query string to the SearchAds360Service.SearchStream or SearchAds360Service.Search interface.

The request consists of an HTTP POST to the Search Ads 360 Reporting API server at either of the following URLs:

https://searchads360.googleapis.com/VERSION_NUMBER/customers/CUSTOMER_ID/searchads360:searchStream

https://searchads360.googleapis.com/VERSION_NUMBER/customers/CUSTOMER_ID/searchads360:search

Here's a complete example of the report definition to searchStream enclosed in an HTTP POST request:

POST /VERSION_NUMBER/customers/CUSTOMER_ID/searchads360:searchStream HTTP/1.1
Host: searchads360.googleapis.com
User-Agent: curl
Content-Type: application/json
Accept: application/json
Authorization: Bearer [OAUTH_2.0_ACCESS_TOKEN]

Parameters:
{
  "query" : "SELECT campaign.name, campaign.status, segments.device,
                    metrics.impressions, metrics.clicks, metrics.ctr,
                    metrics.average_cpc, metrics.cost_micros
            FROM campaign
            WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS"
}

Process a response

SearchAds360Service returns a list of SearchAds360Row objects.

Each SearchAds360Row represents an object returned by the query. Each object consists of a set of attributes that are populated based on the fields requested in the SELECT clause of the query. Attributes not included in the SELECT clause are not populated in the objects in the response.

For example, the query below populates each SearchAds360Row object with only the campaign.id, campaign.name, and campaign.status. Other attributes, like campaign.engine_id or campaign.bidding_strategy_type, are omitted.

SELECT
  campaign.id,
  campaign.name,
  campaign.status
FROM campaign

Reference documentation

The Reference section includes all the information you need to correctly use each artifact. There is one page for each resource, for example ad_group and campaign. The segments and metrics pages list all available segments and metrics fields.

Some resources, segments, and metrics are incompatible and cannot be used together, while others are fully compatible and compliment each other. Each resource page includes the following information (if available and appropriate) and more:

Attributed resources

For some resources, you may have the option to implicitly join related resources by selecting their fields together with the fields of the resource in your FROM clause. For example, the campaign resource is an attributed resource of the ad_group resource. This means that you can include fields like campaign.id and campaign.bidding_strategy_type in your query when using ad_group in your FROM clause.

The Attributed resources section lists available attributed resources. Not all resources have attributed resources.

Resource fields column

All fields of the resource are included in the Resource fields column. Each resource field links to more details about the field, including its description, category, data type, type URL, and filterable, selectable, sortable, and repeated setting.

Segments column

Not all segment fields are selectable with a given resource.

The Segments column lists the segments fields that you can use in the same SELECT clause as the fields of the resource. Each field links to full details about the field, including its description, category, data type, type URL, and filterable, selectable, sortable, and repeated setting. If you are using the resource in your FROM clause, you can use the Yes/No dropdown to filter out segments that are not available.

Metrics column

Not all metrics fields are selectable with a given resource.

The Metrics column lists the metrics fields that you can use in the same SELECT clause as the fields of the resource. Each field links to full details about the field, including its description, category, data type, type URL, and filterable, selectable, sortable, and repeated setting. If you are using the resource in your FROM clause, use the Yes/No dropdown to filter out metrics that are not available.

Segmenting resources

Some resources have segmenting resource fields that you can select when the resource is in your FROM clause. For example, if you select a campaign resource field, like campaign.name, when using campaign_budget in your FROM clause, campaign.resource_name will automatically be returned and segmented on, because campaign is a segmenting resource of campaign_budget.

The Segmenting resources section lists available segmenting resources. Not all resources have segmenting resources.

Selectable with

Some segments fields are incompatible with other resources, segments, and metrics.

The segments page includes a Selectable with expandable for each segments field that lists all compatible resource fields, metrics fields, and other segments fields that you can include in your SELECT clause.

Segmentation

You can segment your search results by adding a segments.FIELD_NAME field to the SELECT clause of your query.

For example, segments.device in the query below, results in a report with a row for the impressions of each device for the resource specified in the FROM clause.

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  campaign.status,
  segments.device,
  metrics.impressions
FROM campaign

The results returned by SearchAds360Service.SearchStream look something like this JSON string:

{
  "results":[
    {
      "campaign":{
        "resourceName":"customers/1234567890/campaigns/111111111",
        "name":"Test campaign",
        "status":"ENABLED"
      },
      "metrics":{
        "impressions":"10922"
      },
      "segments":{
        "device":"MOBILE"
      }
    },
    {
      "campaign":{
        "resourceName":"customers/1234567890/campaigns/111111111",
        "name":"Test campaign",
        "status":"ENABLED"
      },
      "metrics":{
        "impressions":"28297"
      },
      "segments":{
        "device":"DESKTOP"
      }
    },
    ...
  ]
}

See segments for a list of available segment fields you can use.

Multiple segments

You can specify multiple segments in the SELECT clause of your query. The response contains one SearchAds360Row object for each combination of the instance of the main resource specified in the FROM clause and the value of each selected segment field.

For example, the following query will return one row for each combination of campaign, segments.ad_network_type, and segments.date.

SELECT
  segments.ad_network_type
  segments.date
FROM campaign

Note that results are implicitly segmented by each instance of the main resource, but not by the values of the individual selected fields.

The following example query results in one row per campaign, not one row per distinct value of the campaign.status field.

SELECT
  campaign.status,
  metrics.impressions
FROM campaign
WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_14_DAYS

Implicit segmentation

Every report is initially segmented by the resource specified in the FROM clause. Metrics are segmented by the resource_name field of this resource

This example query automatically returns ad_group.resource_name and implicitly uses it to segment metrics at the ad_group level.

SELECT metrics.impressions
FROM ad_group

The returned JSON string looks similar to this:

{
  "results":[
    {
      "adGroup":{
        "resourceName":"customers/1234567890/adGroups/2222222222"
      },
      "metrics":{
        "impressions":"237"
      }
    },
    {
      "adGroup":{
        "resourceName":"customers/1234567890/adGroups/33333333333"
      },
      "metrics":{
        "impressions":"15"
      }
    },
    {
      "adGroup":{
        "resourceName":"customers/1234567890/adGroups/44444444444"
      },
      "metrics":{
        "impressions":"0"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Core date segments

You can use core date segments in your WHERE clause to specify a date or time period.

The following segments fields are known as core date segments: segments.date, segments.week, segments.month, segments.quarter, and segments.year.

This example query returns campaign clicks metrics for the last 30 days.

SELECT
  campaign.id,
  campaign.name,
  segments.date,
  metrics.clicks
FROM campaign
WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS

Core date segments fields are an exception to the general rule that you cannot use a segments field in your WHERE clause, unless you also include the field in your SELECT clause. See Prohibited filtering for more information.

Core date segment rules:

• You may use a core date field in your WHERE clause without including it in your SELECT clause. You may also include the field in both clauses if you like.

  This example query returns clicks metrics by campaign name during the date range. Note that segments.date is not included in the SELECT clause.

  SELECT
      campaign.name,
      metrics.clicks
  FROM campaign
  WHERE segments.date > '2022-02-01'
    AND segments.date < '2022-03-01'
  

• If you include a core date field in your SELECT clause, you must specify a finite date or date range in your WHERE clause. The fields specified in the SELECT and WHERE clauses do not need to match.

  This example query returns clicks metrics by campaign name segmented by month for all days in the date range.

  SELECT
    campaign.name,
    metrics.clicks,
    segments.month
  FROM campaign
  WHERE segments.date > '2022-02-01'
    AND segments.date < '2022-03-01'
  

ISO 8601 dates

You can use the YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601) format to specify dates and date ranges, for example:

WHERE segments.date BETWEEN '2022-06-01' AND '2022-06-30'

WHERE segments.date >= '2022-06-01' AND segments.date <= '2022-06-30'

For core date segments that require a time period (segments.week, segments.month, segments.quarter) you can use the = operator with the first day of the time period, for example:

WHERE segments.month = '2022-06-01'

Predefined dates

You can also use the following predefined dates and date ranges:

Example:

WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS

Zero metrics

When you execute a query, you may encounter metrics with a value of zero for some entities. Learn about how to handle zero metrics in your queries.

UNKNOWN enum types

If a resource is returned with the UNKNOWN enum data type, this means that the type is not fully supported in the API version. These resources may have been created through other interfaces. For example, a new campaign or ad is introduced in the Search Ads 360 UI, but is not yet supported in the API version you are querying.

You can still select metrics when a resource has the type UNKNOWN, but you need to keep the following in mind:

• A resource with an UNKNOWN type may be supported later, but it could remain UNKNOWN indefinitely.
• New objects with type UNKNOWN may appear at any time. These objects are backwards compatible because the enum value is already available. We introduce resources with this change as they are available so that you have an accurate view of your account. The UNKNOWN resource may appear because of new activity in your account through other interfaces or because a resource becomes no longer formally supported.
• UNKNOWN resources may have detailed metrics attached to them that you can query.
• UNKNOWN resources are typically fully visible in the Search Ads 360 UI.