Best practices

This page details limits and best practices for managing targeting using the Display & Video 360 API.

Targeting assigned at line item creation

Some targeting types have default values assigned at line item creation. Those targeting types are:

To avoid errors, be aware of the full targeting suite that is assigned to your line items upon creation. You can retrieve all targeting assigned to a line item across use bulkListAssignedTargetingOptions.

Some settings are implied when no targeting of a type is assigned. For example, if a line item doesn't have a TARGETING_TYPE_AUTHORIZED_SELLER_STATUS targeting option assigned, the line item will use "Authorized Direct Sellers and Resellers" when serving ads.

Targeting options may be deprecated

Targeting options are not static. A small number of options may be deprecated from time to time. Deprecated targeting options don't affect a line item's ad serving. After deprecation, these options will be unassigned. Requests attempting to retrieve or assign these options will result in errors.

To avoid these errors, regularly check stored targeting option IDs. To conserve quota, we recommend caching regularly-used IDs. Storing IDs means that you may not realize a targeting option has been deprecated. Regularly use the get method to retrieve all stored targeting option IDs to confirm that they are still supported by Display & Video 360.

Concurrent targeting requests to the same line item will fail

Attempting to update settings or assigned targeting for a line item using concurrent requests will return an error.

To add or remove multiple assigned targeting options for a single line item at the same time, use a single bulkEditAssignedTargetingOptions request. If you want to update a line item's settings and targeting, queue your requests to ensure that they are sent in sequence.

Common targeting errors

There are three common causes of errors when managing targeting using the Display & Video 360 API.

Configuration errors

Targeting is bound by configuration restrictions. If a request attempts to update targeting so that it violates these rules, the request will return an error.

Configuration errors are often caused by existing targeting. To avoid this, do the following:

  1. Get existing targeting of a given type using a list request.
  2. Review existing targeting. Assess what targeting needs to be added or removed to result in wanted configuration.
  3. Update targeting using a bulkEditAssignedTargetingOptions request.

Targeting inherited by parent resources can't be removed but can cause these errors.

YouTube & Partners errors

You can't update YouTube & Partners targeting using the Display & Video 360 API. Requests that attempt to update this targeting will return an error.

This targeting is defined as:

  • Any targeting assigned to a YouTube & partners line item or ad group.
  • Advertiser targeting of session positions and individual YouTube channels and videos.

Concurrency errors

Requests updating the settings or targeting of the same line item at the same time can return an error.

To avoid this:

  • Manage targeting in bulk using a bulk edit request.
  • Queue requests that update the same line item. Don't send a request until the previous request returns a response.