Best Practices

Get the most out of your Google Ads data in Coupler.io by following these recommendations.

Recommended setup and configuration

Start with Campaign performance

This is the most versatile report type for dashboards and general performance tracking. It gives you spend, clicks, impressions, conversions, and other key metrics at the campaign level.

Pick the right report type for the job

Use performance reports (Campaign, Keywords, Ad group) for metrics and trends. Use structural reports (Campaigns, Ads, Ad groups) when you need configuration data like statuses, budgets, or settings.

Use search query reports regularly

The Search query performance report reveals the actual terms people searched before clicking your ads. Review it to discover new keyword opportunities and identify negative keyword candidates.

Try Custom GAQL for advanced needs

If the built-in report types don't cover your use case, use the Custom GAQL option with the Google Ads Query Builder to pull exactly the fields you need.

Data refresh and scheduling tips

Set your end date to yesterday

Google Ads conversion data can take up to 24 hours to finalize. Using yesterday as the end date ensures you always get complete numbers.

Keep date ranges current

Use a consistent rolling window (e.g., the last 30 or 60 days) and update dates periodically so your reports stay relevant. Pair this with auto-refresh to keep data flowing without manual intervention.

Schedule refreshes wisely

If you have multiple data flows pulling from the same ad account, stagger their schedules by a few minutes to avoid hitting API quota limits.

Daily split for trend analysis

Use Date as your time period split when you want to track day-over-day trends. Use Week or Month for longer-term views with fewer rows.

Performance optimization

Use appropriate time period splits

Each split multiplies the number of rows. A daily split over a full year produces 365 rows per campaign. For historical data, consider weekly or monthly splits to reduce volume.

Narrow your date range for backfills

Pulling years of historical data in one go can be slow or hit API limits. For initial backfills, consider pulling data in monthly or quarterly chunks.

Separate structural and performance data

Structural reports (Campaigns, Ads, Ad groups) don't change as frequently. Set these to refresh less often (e.g., daily or weekly) while performance reports can refresh more frequently.

Use multiple data flows when needed

If you need data from several report types, create separate data flows for each. This keeps each report focused and makes troubleshooting easier.

Dashboard accuracy

Impression Share metrics require recalculation

Search Impression Share, Search Lost IS (Rank), and Search Lost IS (Budget) are daily ratio metrics. You can't sum or average them across dates. To get accurate aggregated values, first calculate eligible impressions in a Coupler.io formula column: Eligible impressions = {impressions} / {search_impression_share}. Aggregate the raw numbers in your dashboard, then recalculate the ratios there.

Avoid "Campaign performance by ad network type" for totals

This report splits each campaign into rows by ad network (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.). If your dashboard sums all rows, you'll get correct totals — but if filters are involved, you may accidentally inflate numbers. Use the plain Campaign performance report unless you specifically need the network breakdown.

Match report type to your use case for conversions

The Campaign performance report shows aggregate conversions. If you need to see individual conversion actions (e.g., purchases vs. sign-ups), use Campaign performance with conversion actions name. For ad-group-level conversion breakdowns, use Custom GAQL.

Handle cost_micros in GAQL reports

When pulling cost via Custom GAQL, the API returns values in micros (millionths of the currency unit). Create a formula column dividing by 1,000,000 to get the actual value.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Do

• Use the plain Campaign performance report for general dashboards

• Pull daily data and aggregate in your destination

• Use Campaign performance with conversion actions name for conversion breakdowns

• Use Custom GAQL for hourly data (segments.hour) or advanced field combinations

• Use YYYY-MM-DD format for dates in GAQL: WHERE segments.date BETWEEN '2023-01-01' AND '2025-02-22'

Don't

• Don't sum Impression Share metrics across dates — recalculate from eligible impressions

• Don't expect Custom GAQL ad-group queries to include PMax data — PMax has no ad groups

• Don't compare Google Ads clicks to GA4 sessions — they measure different things

• Don't rely on today's conversion data — allow 24–72 hours for attribution to complete

• Don't forget that Custom GAQL returns cost in micros — divide by 1,000,000

Account limits — Google Ads is a tenant-based source in Coupler.io. Each ad account you select counts toward your plan's account limit. Reuse credentials instead of adding duplicates.

Deprecated report types — Placeholder and Placeholder feed item reports are deprecated. If you're using them, plan to switch to Asset-based reports.