Reporting Bug Fixed

We have identified and corrected the ReportService bug we reported yesterday. The ReportService has been functioning normally for the last several hours.

We apologize again for the inconvenience and are working hard to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again.

-- Patrick Chanezon, AdWords API evangelist

AdWords Support for Local Time Zones

This May we will enable AdWords and MCC account owners to set their accounts' time zones. This means that all metrics returned for a given account will be reported in that account's time zone (currently all accounts are reported in US Pacific Standard Time (PST) – the time zone for Google's headquarters in California). In addition, billing and budgeting cycles will be based on each account's time zone.

Advertisers and MCC managers will be invited to set their time zones in May, at which point we will release a new version of the AdWords API that includes "set" and "get" time zone functionality. We plan to release more detailed/technical FAQs (via the AdWords API Blog) as we get closer to the launch date.

In the meantime, we'd like to give you a high-level overview of time-zone related functionality and implications for developers.

What is Time Zone Support?

Advertisers can select any time zone in the world for their AdWords account. All reporting, ad serving, and billing will be based on the time zone set by the advertiser. Advertisers or MCC managers who choose not to establish account time zone settings will continue to have their accounts managed in US PST, as they have been in the past. It is important to note that each account's time zone may only be set once, so advertisers should be careful when setting their time zone.

What will change in the web application?

Starting in early May, existing advertisers who login to the AdWords website will receive an invitation to set their account’s local time zone. New advertisers will be asked to specify their local time zone during the account setup process.

How will Time Zone support impact AdWords API developers?

The interfaces for submitting and returning date/time values already support local time zones (even though all data is currently submitted/reported in US Pacific Standard Time). Therefore, the impact should be minimal.

• You will be able to get and set your local time zone through new methods in AccountService, as well as get the effective date of the most recent time zone change.
• Statistics will be collected at standardized times within each account's local time zone boundaries. For example, if a customer in Tokyo sets her account for Japan Standard Time (JST), that account's stats will be collected from midnight to midnight, JST. Likewise, accounts set to PST will have their stats collected from midnight to midnight, PST.
• The start and end time specified in report jobs sent to ReportService will be interpreted in the account's local time zone.
• Where appropriate, date parameters will be used instead of date-time (xsd:date instead of xsd:dateTime). This includes the start and end day of a campaign, the start and end period for stat methods, and the start and end day of report jobs. The day will automatically be interpreted in the account's local time. If a time zone is specified along with the day, it must match the account's local time zone.
• If you schedule a single report to aggregate data across multiple accounts (and those accounts are in different time zones), the report will aggregate each account’s local daily data.
• If you schedule a single report to aggregate data across multiple accounts (and those accounts are in different time zones), the report will aggregate each account’s local daily data.

Will this change be backward-compatible with V3?

Once you begin setting time zones for your accounts, you will still be able to use the current version (V3) of the API. However, there will be one difference. In V3, all API calls will still return account statistics in PST (regardless of each account’s specified time zone) except for reports, whose day boundaries will be calculated in each account’s local time zone.

Once you migrate to the new version (V4), all API calls will return statistics and reports calculated in each account’s local time zone. However, we understand that some developers may want to return all account statistics in one time zone. Therefore, you will be able to access all account statistics in PST by passing in a flag to the stat methods. The coming release notes will have more information on this.

We hope you find this information helpful, and we promise to release further technical details as soon as possible.

-- Rohit Dhawan, Product Manager

Known Bug with API Reporting

Yesterday we identified an issue with our ReportService that is causing some reports to return incomplete or no data. We are working quickly to resolve this issue.

As this is a non-systematic (and therefore unpredictable) issue, we recommend that you double-check your reports in order to ensure that they are complete. You can diagnose incomplete/truncated reports by checking if the report’s XML is valid.

This bug is specific to the AdWords API and does not affect the AdWords web interface (http://adwords.google.com). Therefore, you can still pull complete reports via the web interface.

We apologize again for the inconvenience, and will notify you as soon as we have more information.

-- Rohit Dhawan, Product Manager

System Maintenance - April 22

We will be performing routine AdWords system maintenance from 10am PST to 2pm PST on Saturday, April 22, 2006. While all AdWords advertisements will continue to run as normal, you will not be able to perform any API operations during this maintenance period.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

--Patrick Chanezon, AdWords API evangelist

Version 2 Phase-Out on May 2

Just a reminder… per our announcement on March 9, we will shutdown Version 2 of the API on Tuesday, May 2, 2006.

Please make sure you have migrated your applications to Version 3 by May 2. You can find more information about Version 3 (including the release notes) at http://www.google.com/apis/adwords/developer/index.html.

-- Patrick Chanezon, AdWords API evangelist

Phasing-out the KeywordService

We’d like to update you all on our planned phase-out of KeywordService (originally announced on 9/20/05).

Based on developer feedback and usage levels (and in light of our Feb 27 CriterionService enhancement), we’ve established a timeline for shutdown of the KeywordService.

• June 2006 – We will release a new version of the API that does not include the KeywordService.
• August 2006 – Per our two month version support policy, we will turn-off the previous version of the API (the last version to include KeywordService).

Therefore, all API applications will need to switch over from KeywordService to CriterionService by August, 2006. Once we launch the new June version of the API, we will be able to set an exact date in August for the shutdown.

Thank you again for your support of the AdWords API.

-- Patrick Chanezon, AdWords API evangelist

Revisions to the AdWords API Beta Program

First, I want to thank you all for your feedback, support and patience over the last several months as we worked to redefine the AdWords API in a way that would better meet everyone's needs.

Back in November we formed an internal task force to re-examine the API beta program’s structure and quota allocation system. Our goal was to come up with a revised system that better aligns the needs of all developers with our own needs as an organization. Over the last few months this group has gathered developer feedback from multiple sources including your emails as well as feedback provided via the AdWords API Developer Forum.

As a result of our task force review process, we've decided to change the overall structure of the AdWords API Beta program. We believe these changes will better balance the needs of developers and advertisers with our own system and resource needs.

Based on our interactions and conversations with you, we have identified four key issues that needed to be addressed as part of any new API plan.

• Flexibility and scalability: Our developers need a more flexible and scalable API program that can address each developer’s needs, but that also can be applied equitably to all developers in order to maintain a level playing field for everyone.
• Commercialization terms: The terms and conditions need to be modified so all developers have the opportunity to commercialize their applications.
• Usage and functional standards: We need to maintain certain usage and functional standards that increase overall advertiser returns.
• Incentives for efficiency: We need to implement incentives for developers to design more efficient applications. This, in turn, will ensure greater system availability for all.

Based on these needs, we will implement two major changes to the AdWords API Beta program on July 1st, 2006.

• Revised quota allocation system & pricing model: We are changing the quota allocation system and pricing model to create a more flexible and level playing field that encourages efficient coding and application design. Effective July 1, 2006, the current free quota system will be replaced by a usage-based system. Under this new model, AdWords API token holders will be charged a nominal $0.25/1000 quota units consumed. As a result, current developer quota caps will be removed in order to provide a more flexible and scalable system for quota allocation and consumption.
• Modified terms and conditions: We are modifying our terms and conditions in order to simplify developers’ abilities to commercialize their applications while at the same time ensuring that advertiser returns are maximized through the promotion of certain functional standards. These new terms also will go into effect on July 1, 2006. Prior to that date, you will be able to view an advanced copy of these terms and conditions at http://www.google.com/apis/adwords/terms_preview.html.

In June we will launch an API registration micro-site that provides more details on these new billing processes and procedures. Please note that certain developers, such as those who design proprietary applications to advertise their own businesses, may be exempt from a portion of these fees and terms. The registration micro-site will provide more details on these exemptions.

Thank you all again for your feedback and patience over these last few months. We'll be in touch again shortly to provide you with more details.

-- Rohit Dhawan, Product Manager

UPDATE as of 6/21/06
Based on developer feedback, we have decided to delay these revisions by one quarter. Therefore, the new pricing model will launch on October 1, 2006, and the new registration pages and new Terms and Conditions will be posted in August. For more information, please review our June 21 posting.

UPDATE as of 9/06/06
The new AdWords Terms and Conditions (referenced above) are now available on the AdWords API website, or by visiting http://www.google.com/apis/adwords/terms.html.