This page documents the types of targeting available in the AdWords API and how each is implemented.
Target type table
This table summarizes some of the basic properties for each target type.
Target Type | Implementation | Create With | Configurations |
---|---|---|---|
Age ranges | AgeRange | Criterion ID |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Category exclusion | ContentLabel | Type enum | Campaign Negative |
Custom radius | Proximity |
Latitude number Longitude number Radius number Radius units enum |
Campaign Positive |
Device type | Platform | Criterion ID | Campaign Positive |
Gender | Gender | Criterion ID |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Income range | IncomeRange | Criterion ID |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Interest category | CriterionUserInterest | User interest category ID (In-market | Affinity) |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Keyword | Keyword |
Text string Match type enum |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Language | Language | Criterion ID | Campaign Positive |
Location group | LocationGroups | Matching function | Campaign Positive |
Mobile and tablet carrier and wifi | Carrier | Criterion ID | Campaign Positive |
Mobile and tablet operating system | OperatingSystemVersion | Criterion ID | Campaign Positive |
Named location | Location | Criterion ID |
Campaign Positive Campaign Negative |
Network | NetworkSetting* | N/A | Campaign Positive |
Parental status | Parent | Criterion ID |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Placement | Placement | URL string |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Product scope | ProductScope | Product dimensions | Campaign Positive |
Remarketing list | CriterionUserList | UserList ID |
Campaign Negative Campaign Positive Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
Schedule | AdSchedule |
Day enum Hour number Minute enum |
Campaign Positive |
Vertical | Vertical | Criterion ID |
Campaign Negative Ad Group Biddable Ad Group Negative |
* Not implemented using criteria.
For a complete list of where each type of targeting can be used, including a breakdown by campaign, ad group, and campaign type, check out the Criteria Usage matrix.
Keyword
This is implemented as Keyword criteria and is created using free-form text and one of the match type enum values. Only certain symbols are allowed in keyword text, and it has a maximum length.
Placement
This is implemented as Placement criteria and is created using a custom URL. There are limits on the length and depth of the URLs used. In addition, the following restrictions exist:
- Starting with v201806, positive placements on Search campaigns are not allowed.
- As of September 18, 2018, negative placements with a
url
of exactlyadsenseformobileapps.com
are not allowed. For more details, check out the related blog post.
Vertical
This is implemented as Vertical criteria and are created using a fixed set of category IDs.
Audience
Remarketing list and custom combinations
These are implemented as CriterionUserList criteria and are created using the ID of an existing UserList in your account.
Interest category
This is implemented as CriterionUserInterest criteria and is created using a fixed set of user interest category IDs (In-market | Affinity).
Product scope
This is implemented as ProductScope criteria and is created using a set of product dimensions.
Location
Named location
This is implemented as Location criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs. The available IDs are listed in the documentation and can be individually searched for using the LocationCriterionService. These criteria can be configured as either positive or negative, with negative targets overriding positive ones. By default a new campaign will contain no location criteria, which means that all locations are targeted.
Custom radius target
Radius target is implemented as Proximity criteria and is created using a latitude, longitude, and radius. This targeting type can only be configured as positive, and by default a new campaign will not contain proximity criteria.
Location group
Location groups allow you to reach customers based on the types of places they visit, demographic information based on their location, or when they are at or near your places of business (based on your location extensions). Location groups are managed in the API through CampaignCriterionService.
Language
This is implemented as Language criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs. The available IDs are listed in the documentation and can be retrieved programmatically using the ConstantDataService. Only positive targeting is allowed and by default for a new campaign will contain no language criteria, which means that all languages are targeted.
Network
This is implemented as boolean fields within the NetworkSetting object, where a value of "true" targets the network and "false" excludes the field. The fields map to the networks in the UI as follows:
Field | Network |
---|---|
targetGoogleSearch |
Google search |
targetSearchNetwork |
Search partners |
targetContentNetwork |
Display Network |
targetPartnerSearchNetwork |
N/A |
The targetPartnerSearchNetwork
is available only to select partners and should
be set to "false" or "null" for everyone else.
The NetworkSetting object is contained within the
Campaign object,
so updates must be made by calling CampaignService.mutate()
. It is recommended
to explicitly set a false value for networks you don't wish to target, as
sending null values will leave the field unchanged. By default a new campaign
created in the API will target the Google search and Search partners networks.
Devices
Device type
This is implemented as
Platform
criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in
the documentation. Only
positive targeting is allowed and by default a new campaign will contain a
platform criterion for each of Desktop
, HighEndMobile
, Tablet
, and
ConnectedTv
. With enhanced
campaigns, removing Platform
criteria is not allowed.
To favor HighEndMobile devices over Desktop and Tablet in ad targeting, use the
AdGroupAdService.devicePreference
field.
Mobile and tablet operating systems
These are implemented as OperatingSystemVersion criteria and are created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in the documentation. Only positive targeting is allowed and by default a new campaign will contain no OSV criteria, which means that all mobile operating systems are targeted.
Mobile and tablet carriers and wifi
These are implemented as Carrier criteria and are created using a fixed set of criteria IDs. The available IDs are listed in the documentation and can be retrieved using the ConstantDataService. Only positive targeting is allowed and the default for a new campaign is no carrier criteria, which means that all mobile carriers are targeted.
Demographics
Age range
This is implemented as AgeRange criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in the documentation. By default a new campaign will contain no age range criteria, which means that all ages are targeted.
Gender
This is implemented as Gender criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in the documentation. By default a new campaign will contain no gender criteria, which means that all genders are targeted.
Income Range
This is implemented as IncomeRange criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in the documentation. By default a new campaign will contain no income range criteria, which means that all income ranges are targeted.
Parental status
This is implemented as Parent criteria and is created using a fixed set of criteria IDs that are listed in the documentation. By default a new campaign will contain no parental status criteria, which means that all parental status categories are targeted.
Schedule
This is implemented as AdSchedule criteria. By default a new campaign will contain no ad schedules, meaning that ads will run for all time periods. You can set up an ad schedule, down to a quarter of an hour, to determine more precisely when to run your ads. Refer to the Ad Scheduling guide for more information and example code.
Category exclusion
This is implemented as ContentLabel criteria and is created using a fixed set of enum values. Only negative targeting is allowed and the default for a new campaign is no content label criteria, meaning that all categories are targeted.