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Migrating from the AdWords API to the Google Ads API in Analytics Canvas Desktop

As of April 2022, the Google Ads API fully replaces the Google AdWords API and the AdWords API will no longer return data. This guide is intended to help Analytics Canvas users to migrate their workflows from the old AdWords API to the new Google Ads API.

With the introduction of Google Ads, Google has made a change to the data model, including changes to definitions, changes to column names, and more.  Some queries made in AdWords do not translate directly to queries made in Google Ads.  As a result, you may have to adjust your queries or make multiple queries to retrieve the same data.

This document from Google explains the changes to reporting between AdWords and Google Ads.

In all cases, column names have changed though their definitions remain the same.  This guide will show you how to easily rename them back to their original names so that your workflows and reports do not break.  

How to update existing Canvas files using AdWords to use the new Google Ads API

The easiest way to update existing Canvases is to use the Google Ads API Query Migration Tool provided by Google. This will take an existing query in AdWords Query Language (AWQL) and convert it to Google Ads Query Language (GAQL).  You can then use the GAQL in a new Analytics Canvas Google Ads query. 

Unfortunately, Google has not provided an API to perform this migration, so this step will be manual and must be performed for each query.  If your query maps directly from the AdWords API to the Ads API, the process will take just a few minutes.  However, if your query does not map directly, the Query Migration Tool will provide an error message that should help.  

Step by Step guide to migrating from AdWords to Google Ads in Analytics Canvas

  1. Uninstall the existing version of Analytics Canvas from the Windows Control Panel, then download and install the version found here. 
  2. Take a back-up copy of your existing ACC files that have AdWords queries in them. This is just a precautionary measure. 
  3. Open an Analytics Canvas file that has a Google AdWords API connector in it.  Right click on an AdWords query and click "Edit Query", then in the query window, select "Get AWQL for this Query" and copy the query (as shown below).
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  1. Go to the Query Migration Tool, paste the AWQL query, click “Convert”, and copy the GAQL query.
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*** if your query cannot be mapped directly from Google AdWords to Google Ads, there will be an error message containing some direction. Contact support@analyticscanvas.com if you are unable to resolve the issue and develop the query you need.  ***

 

  1. Back in Canvas, add a new Google Ads query then simply paste the GAQL into the query window.  Make sure you adjust the time period to be the same as the original AdWords query, then click OK.  Your query will run.
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  1. Once the data lands you’ll notice that the column names are quite different. To easily identify and resolve the differences:
    1. Connect a calculate block to the original AdWords query.
    2. Disconnect that calculate block and connect it to the new Google Ads Query.  The calculation block will turn red.
    3. Click the centre of the calculation block to bring up the list of columns.  Highlighted in Red are any column labels that have changed.  
    4. Click the button with 3 dots [...] next to a column highlighted in red to bring up the Calculation Editor.  
    5. In the Calculation Editor, change the old column name to the new column name.  Repeat this step for each of the columns highlighted in red.
    6. Disconnect the AdWords block from the original workflow, then connect the output of the new Calculation block to those same inputs. Your data should then flow seamlessly.
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A note on the “Cost Micros” field:

This new field is “The sum of your cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) costs during this period.”.  It returns an integer.  To better align this with the cost values you’re used to seeing, and in anticipation of needing the cost in dollars, not micros, we are providing an additional field called “Cost” whenever Cost Micros is included in a query.

  1. Delete the old AdWords query and save the file. You can now use the updated file to continue your Google Ads reporting.
  2. If your files are used in Desktop/Cloud Automation, be sure to sync them so that the changes are included in the next automation run.  Those using Server Automation should update both the Password file AND the ACC files on the servers running the automation tasks. 

If you need any help whatsoever, contact us at support@analyticscanvas.com

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