Automate Google Search Ads with Google Scripts

What This Script Does?

This JavaScript function is designed to run in the Google Ads Script environment. It automatically identifies search terms with poor click-through rates (CTR) and adds them as negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing for these underperforming queries.

function main() {

  var CTR_THRESHOLD = 0.05; // 5% CTR threshold

  var IMPRESSION_THRESHOLD = 10; // Minimum impressions to consider

  var DATE_RANGE = 'LAST_30_DAYS'; // Time period to analyze



  var query = "SELECT campaign.name, ad_group.name, search_term_view.search_term, " +

              "metrics.clicks, metrics.impressions, metrics.ctr " +

              "FROM search_term_view " +

              "WHERE campaign.advertising_channel_type = 'SEARCH' " +

              "AND metrics.impressions > " + IMPRESSION_THRESHOLD + " " +

              "AND metrics.ctr < " + CTR_THRESHOLD + " " +

              "AND segments.date DURING " + DATE_RANGE;



  var report = AdsApp.search(query);

  

  while (report.hasNext()) {

    var row = report.next();

    var campaignName = row.campaign.name;

    var adGroupName = row.adGroup.name;

    var searchTerm = row.searchTermView.searchTerm;

    var clicks = row.metrics.clicks;

    var impressions = row.metrics.impressions;

    var ctr = row.metrics.ctr;



    Logger.log("Campaign: " + campaignName + 

               ", Ad Group: " + adGroupName + 

               ", Search Term: " + searchTerm + 

               ", Clicks: " + clicks + 

               ", Impressions: " + impressions + 

               ", CTR: " + (ctr * 100).toFixed(2) + "%");



    // Add the search term as a negative keyword at the ad group level

    var adGroupIterator = AdsApp.adGroups()

      .withCondition("CampaignName = '" + campaignName.replace(/'/g, "\\'") + "'")

      .withCondition("Name = '" + adGroupName.replace(/'/g, "\\'") + "'")

      .get();



    if (adGroupIterator.hasNext()) {

      var adGroup = adGroupIterator.next();

      try {

        adGroup.createNegativeKeyword(searchTerm);

        Logger.log("Added negative keyword '" + searchTerm + "' to ad group '" + adGroupName + "' in campaign '" + campaignName + "'");

      } catch (e) {

        Logger.log("Error adding negative keyword '" + searchTerm + "' to ad group '" + adGroupName + "' in campaign '" + campaignName + "': " + e);

      }

    } else {

      Logger.log("Could not find ad group '" + adGroupName + "' in campaign '" + campaignName + "'");

    }

  }

}

Key Components Breakdown

1. Configuration Variables:
   • CTR_THRESHOLD = 0.05: Sets a 5% CTR cutoff – any search term below this is considered underperforming
   • IMPRESSION_THRESHOLD = 10: Only evaluates search terms with more than 10 impressions to ensure statistical relevance
   • DATE_RANGE = 'LAST_30_DAYS': Analyzes data from the past 30 days
2. Search Query:
   • Pulls data from Google Ads’ search term report
   • Filters for search campaigns only
   • Applies the impression threshold and CTR threshold
   • Restricts the date range to the specified period
3. Data Processing Loop:
   • Iterates through each under-performing search query
   • Logs detailed information about each term (campaign, ad group, metrics, etc.)
4. Negative Keyword Creation:
   • For each underperforming search query, the script:
     • Locates the correct ad group
     • Adds the search term as a negative keyword at the ad group level
     • Logs success or failure messages

Why This Is Useful?

This script automates an important optimization task that would be time-consuming to do manually. By automatically excluding search terms with poor CTR:

• It improves account quality score
• Reduces wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks
• Focuses your budget on better-performing queries
• Maintains a cleaner, more effective account

The script includes error handling to safeguard against failures when adding negative keywords and provides comprehensive logging so you can review what changes were made.

Steps to Implement Google Ads Script

To implement Google Ads scripts effectively, I’ll walk you through the process step by step:

1. Access Google Ads Scripts
   • Log into your Google Ads account
   • Click on “Tools & Settings” in the top navigation
   • Select “Scripts” under the “Bulk Actions” section
2. Create a New Script
   • Click the blue “+” button
   • Give your script a descriptive name that reflects its purpose
3. Write or Paste Your Script
   • Use the built-in editor to write JavaScript code
   • Google Ads scripts use a specialized JavaScript API specific to Google Ads
4. Test Your Script
   • Click “Preview” to test your script without making changes
   • Review logs and check for errors in the execution panel
5. Authorize API Access
   • Grant appropriate permissions when prompted
   • This allows the script to interact with your account data
6. Schedule Your Script (Optional)
   • Set frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly)
   • Choose specific times for execution
7. Save and Run Your Script
   • Click “Save” to store your script
   • Click “Run” to execute it immediately if needed