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How do I create Google Ads data sources?

Updated

If you want to create Google Ads data sources for custom Klips, you're in the right place.

If you want to add pre-built Google Ads Klips, see Pre-built Klips and the Klip Gallery and Klip Gallery: Google Ads.

If you want to add a pre-built Google Ads dashboard, see Pre-built Klip dashboards and the Dashboard Gallery.

 

Visualize, discover, and act on your data with Klips and Klip dashboards.

Ready to get the most from your Google Ads data? Get started by setting up a connection between Klipfolio and your Google Ads data and adding some data sources.

When you're finished adding Google Ads data sources, you'll use them to power your custom Klips.

Notes:

  • Account access: Depending on the data source you want to create, you may require access to a Google Ads Manager Account. Learn how to gain or grant access to a manager account.
  • Google Ads money values: Money type fields in Google Ads reports return money values in micro currency units (also known as micros). For example, $1.23 US currency is returned as 1,230,000 micros (1.23 x 1,000,000). To convert micros to the currency used by reports, you need to divide the number of micros by 1,000,000. Options for any money fields must also be in micros.

This article includes:

Connecting Klipfolio to your Google Ads data

The first step in creating a Google Ads data source is to connect Klipfolio to your data.

Here are a couple things to note:

Your data is safe with us. The first time you connect your Google Ads data to Klipfolio, you'll be prompted to sign in to Google Ads and give permission to allow Klipfolio to securely access data within your Google Ads account. We are serious about protecting your data privacy.

Managing your connections. By default, your connection name looks like this: yourname@GoogleAds <date and time created>. You can modify the default connection name when you create a new connection or from your list of connections, accessed by clicking your Account Name (located at the bottom of the left navigation sidebar) and selecting Account > Connected Accounts or by clicking the button in the left navigation sidebar and selecting Connections.

You can use the same account connection every time you connect to Google Ads. If you have trouble accessing an existing connection, your OAuth token may have expired. If that happens to you, check out these troubleshooting tips.

Adding a Google Ads custom data source

Create your own custom data sources from scratch. If you need some help writing queries, you can refer to the Google Ads API documentation for inspiration.

To add a Google Ads custom data source:

  1. In the left navigation sidebar, click the 3-dot menu beside Data Sources and select +New data source.
    If you don’t see this option, go to the bottom of the left navigation sidebar and click your Account Name > Data Sources > +New data source.
  2. On the Where is your data? page, select Google Ads.
  3. On the Which account do you want to use? page:
    • If this is your first time connecting to Google Ads, click Connect an account. Enter your Google Ads login credentials and click Next. If prompted, click Allow Access to enable Klipfolio to securely access your Google Ads data. Click Continue.
    • If you've connected with Google Ads before, select an existing connection (token) from the drop-down list and click Continue.
  4. In the Query URL field, replace <clientAccountId> with the Client Account ID you want to query.
  5. At Data Format, select JSON.
  6. At Method, select POST.

  1. Click Get data.
  2. Ensure this is the data you’re looking for and, optionally, select the checkbox to Model your data. Learn more about modelling your data source. Note: Google Ads returns JSON formatted data. Learn how to model JSON data.
  3. Click Continue.
  4. Name, choose refresh settings, and, optionally, share your data source.
  5. Click Save.

The data source is added to your account and is ready to use for custom Klips. You can see all your data sources in your Data Source Library, accessed by clicking Data Sources in the left navigation sidebar.

Custom building: About APIs and queries

Klipfolio connects to hundreds of services in the cloud that have a REST API. If you take the time to learn your service’s API to create queries for the data you want, your possibilities are endless. Here’s a quick overview video on APIs and Klipfolio:

Klipfolio API's 101

If you need help using APIs, ask a data analyst or developer.

See the reference table below for API related information and sample queries.

API Documentation Google Ads API documentation
Authentication Method OAuth Token Authentication
Response Format JSON
Sample Queries

Get Google Ads data (group name, click-through-rate, and campaign name) for the last month:

{"query": "SELECT
ad_group.name, metrics.ctr, campaign.name
FROM keyword_view
WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_MONTH"}
Date Format

The default format for Google Ads is yyyy-MM-dd.

Date parameters must be on separate lines in the query (apart from the rest of the body).

For example, {“query”:“SELECT customer.descriptive_name, campaign.name, metrics.clicks, segments.date FROM keyword_view WHERE segments.date BETWEEN

‘{date.add(-7).format()}’

AND

'{date.today}'

"}
Notes

Learn more about Google Ads reports.

Go here for more information on custom and predefined Google Ads date ranges.

For information on error messages you might receive when using Google Ads API, go to the Common Errors page.

Creating Google Ads custom Klips

Now that you've created a Google Ads data source, you can return to it and use it to make custom Klips. A single data source can be used to create a single or multiple custom Klips.

To create a Google Ads custom Klip:

  1. In the left navigation sidebar, click Data Sources to open your Data Source Library.
  2. Select the Google Ads data source you want to use for your custom Klip.
  3. On its details page, click Create a Klip.
  4. In the Klip Editor, configure your custom Klip.
    If you need help, go to this article. (You can skip the “Choose the data source” step in the linked article. You’ve already chosen it.) You'll also find lots of articles on working with Klips in this section of our Knowledge Base.
  5. Click Save.
    Your new Klip is ready to add to a dashboard. Learn about dashboards.

Note: You can also add Google Ads pre-built Klips. You'll find them in the Klip Gallery or, if you're a White-Label customer, in the Integration Gallery. Go to this article for detailed instructions on adding pre-built Google Ads Klips to your dashboards.

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