Major Updates to Google Ads Scripts: A Comprehensive Guide

Google Ads Scripts have undergone significant changes to improve automation and streamline campaign management for advertisers. In this in-depth guide, we’ll explain the key updates and how they can help you optimize performance.

What Are Google Ads Scripts?

Google Ads Scripts allow advertisers to automate tasks and processes within their campaigns using JavaScript code. This provides a way to dynamically manage bids, budgets, and other settings based on various triggers and conditions.

Rather than manually adjusting everything, scripts can run automated rules to optimize in real-time. For example, a script may increase bids for high-converting keywords or lower bids for those with low ROI.

Scripts offer greater control and customization compared to basic scripts. However, previous versions had limitations that slowed adoption. The updates aim to address these issues.

ES6 Support Makes Coding Easier

One major change is full support for ECMAScript 2015 (ES6), the latest JavaScript specification. ES6 introduced many new features to improve language functionality and simplify code.

Previously, Google Ads Scripts only allowed a subset of ES6 syntax. Programmers now have access to modern features like:

• Arrow functions for cleaner syntax
• Object destructuring for working with objects
• Async/await for asynchronous code
• Class declarations for object-oriented programming

This alone makes coding scripts much more intuitive and readable. No longer do programmers need to write convoluted code workarounds.

Faster Processing Speeds

Slow script processing times frustrated many advertisers. What used to take hours can now run in minutes, according to Google. This is critical since scripts must respond quickly to changing conditions in real-time bidding.

Under the hood, Google optimized how campaign data is stored, accessed and manipulated by scripts. Caching and batch processing help speed things up significantly.

Other Notable Enhancements

• Error Handling: Robust validation and error handling prevents scripts from crashing or stalling due to issues.
• Iterators: Simple for/of loops allow iterating over large datasets instead of paginated calls.
• Keywords API: Access keyword data via the new KeywordsPlan service to avoid rate limits.
• Bidding Strategies: More robust bidding functions give greater control over bids.
• Logging: Helpful logs make debugging and auditing scripts easier.
• Typescript: Future support for the popular typed superset of JavaScript.

These combined changes pave the way for more robust, maintainable scripts that easily keep pace with real-world campaign changes.

How to Prepare for Future Updates

While the recent updates addressed major priorities, Google continues optimizing Ads Scripts. Here are some areas that may see enhancement:

• Auction Insights API Support: Access auction data like bid landscapes and query share. This Blog by Anthropic discusses how AI could leverage such data.
• Dark Mode: Given how much time is spent coding, an optional dark color theme would future-proof scripts and benefit eye health long-term.
• Code Formatting: Built-in linting, prettier integration, etc could standardize code quality.
• IDE Tools: Features like autocomplete, jump to definition, and refactoring in a developer IDE.

Staying up-to-date requires monitoring release notes. It’s also wise to structure code cleanly using best practices. This ensures smooth transitions to future capabilities.

Key Takeaways

To summarize, the major updates to Google Ads Scripts are:

• Introduced full ES6 support for modern JavaScript syntax
• Significantly improved script processing speeds
• Enhanced data access, error handling and logging
• Lay foundation for more robust bidding and automation capabilities

Migrating existing scripts and taking advantage of the new features can help advertisers get more from their campaigns through increased customization, automation and insight.

FAQs

Q: How do I access the updated Google Ads Scripts?

A: The new features are automatically available in the Google Ads UI. Go to Tools & Settings > Scripts to access the scripts editor.

Q: Is my existing code compatible?

A: Existing scripts may require minor edits to use new syntax but are generally forward compatible. Test thoroughly before deploying changes at scale.

Q: Can I write scripts without coding knowledge?

A: While scripts offer powerful automation, basic coding skills are required. Consider working with an agency experienced in Google Ads scripts to leverage this effectively.

Q: How much does it cost to use scripts?

A: Google Ads Scripts are free to use for all advertisers. However, advanced usage may require a Premium or Premium Plus account for access to more robust campaign features.

Q: Are there limits on script complexity?

A: Google enforces reasonable limits on factors like maximum file size and execution time to ensure scripts don’t hamper overall system performance. But complex logic is still very possible within these constraints.

Q: How do I get help with debugging scripts?

A: Reach out to Google Ads support or consulting agencies like OperationROI for troubleshooting. Helpful error messages, logging, and browser-based debugging make issue resolution much smoother compared to prior versions.