Discover v2009: Setting ad parameters with the AdParamService

In a blog post yesterday we introduced ad parameters, a new AdWords feature that allows for dynamic insertion of numeric and currency values into ads while retaining ad history. To manage ad parameters, a new service was added to the v200909 API: the AdParamService.

In the example introduced earlier, you own a business selling antique cups that wants to add price and inventory information to your ads. To leverage ad parameters you create a text ad like:

and you configure the following ad parameters on your keywords:

keyword	param1	param2
antique cups	$80	18

A user searching for "antique cups" would will see the following ad text:

Text ads, even those with ad parameter placeholders, can be created using the normal methods of the AdGroupAdService. The AdParamService is only used for setting ad parameter values on keywords. This service allows for the getting and setting of AdParam objects, which contain the ad group ID and criterion ID for the target keyword, the insertion text, and the parameter index.

For example, to set the ad parameters for "antique cups" we would use the following PHP code (using the AdWords API PHP Client Library):

$adParam1 = new AdParam($adGroupId, $criterionId, '$80', 1);

$adParam2 = new AdParam($adGroupId, $criterionId, '18', 2);

$operation1 = new AdParamOperation($adParam1, 'SET');

$operation2 = new AdParamOperation($adParam2, 'SET');

$adParams = $adParamService->mutate(array($operation1, $operation2));

Existing ad params can be selected by ad group ID or by ad group ID and criterion ID. To get the ad parameters set above we would run the following:

$selector = new AdParamSelector(array($adGroupId), array($criterionId));

$adParamPage = AdParamServiceTest::$service->get($selector);

Some key points to remember about the ad parameters and the AdParamService are:

• Ad parameters are set on keywords, not ads.
• Ad parameters can only accept numerical and currency values, but the default text of the placeholder in the ad can be any string.
• The length of the default text in the placeholder contributes to the total length of the line in the ad, but the curly braces, parameters name, and colon do not.
• Ad parameters are 1-based indexed, meaning the two parameters are "1" and "2".
• The AdParamOperation should always use the "SET" operator, even when you are setting the parameters for the first time.

To help you get started, we've included support for this service in our client libraries. As always, we are here to answer your questions, collect feedback, and assist with migration to v2009 of the AdWords API.