We are rolling out a new Explorer Access level access tier for Google Ads API over the next couple of weeks. This will allow new developers signing up for Google Ads API to gain immediate access to production accounts, no longer limited to test accounts. Here’s how it will work:

• Most new developers who sign for the Google Ads API will immediately be given Explorer Access level upon completing onboarding steps.
• Explorer Access level will give developers the ability to work with live serving accounts immediately.
• To limit abuse, developer tokens with Explorer Access will have some restrictions on functionality, such as creating new advertiser accounts and keyword planning.
• Explorer Access will allow 2880 operations/day.
• Developers can apply for Basic Access or Standard Access levels to increase the daily operation limits and remove the restrictions on functionality.

Existing developers are unaffected by this change. For example, those with Test Account Access, Basic Access and Standard Access levels will continue to have these access levels.

In the future, the Google Ads API team will continue to streamline the onboarding process with additional improvements, so stay tuned.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this post, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server.

 - Anash P. Oommen, Google Ads API Team

Today, we’re announcing the October 2025 update to the Display & Video 360 API. This update includes the following:

• The ability to create and retrieve assets that are used in YouTube and Demand Gen ads.
• Support for retrieving Demand Gen AdGroupAd resources.
• A new adPolicy field in AdGroupAd resources to expose policy reviews and appeal options for YouTube and Demand Gen ads.
• Support for Structured Data Files versions v9.1 and v9.2.

For a complete list of new features in this update, see the Display & Video 360 API release notes. Before using these new features, make sure to update your client library to the latest version.

If you need help with these new features, please contact us using our Display & Video 360 API Technical support contact form.

- Trevor Mulchay, Display & Video 360 API Team

Today, we’re announcing the v22 release of the Google Ads API. To use some of the v22 features, you must upgrade your client libraries and client code. All the updated client libraries and code examples have been published.

Here are some of the key features in this release:

• Smart Bidding Exploration for Target ROAS bidding strategies on Search: You can now retrieve time-segmented diversity metrics via the API. Learn more about Smart Bidding Exploration from our blog post and help center article.
• Improvements for DemandGen campaigns: We have added support for new asset generation automation options and bidding strategies for DemandGen campaigns.
• Generative AI support for asset generation: We have introduced a new AssetGenerationService in beta that generates text and image assets using generative AI.
• Improvements for Performance Max campaigns: We have added campaign level API support for image enhancement and image extraction asset automation settings. Additionally, we’ve enhanced the reporting for Performance Max campaigns with added reporting segments and a new feed_types field to indicate which types of feeds are attached to the campaign.
• Improvements for App campaigns for installs (ACi): We have added new bidding goals for App campaigns for installs (ACi) to optimize without specifying a target, which is useful for rapid scaling or when it is challenging to determine the right target.

Where can I learn more?

The following resources can help you get started:

• Release Notes
• Upgrade from a previous version
• Guides
• Reference
• Diff between v22 and v21

Please come join us for a walkthrough of this release in our "Google Ads API Release Highlights" event on discord on October 16th at 11am ET. If you have any questions or want to discuss this post, please also reach out to us in the #ads-api channel there.

For technical support issues, please reach out to https://support.google.com/google-ads/gethelp

 - Anash P. Oommen, Google Ads API Team

Google Ads is deprecating the call-only ad format. Google Ads API users currently creating or managing call-only ads will need to transition to using Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with call assets. This change will help advertisers achieve better campaign performance and leverage the latest ad innovations.

What’s Changing?

The call-only ad type, based on the legacy Expanded Text Ad (ETA) framework, is being phased out. Moving forward, phone call lead generation will be fully supported through Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) combined with call assets. RSAs offer greater flexibility and performance by utilizing machine learning to optimize ad creatives.

Why This Change?

• Improved Performance: Advertisers generally see better results and lower costs per call lead with RSAs and call assets compared to the static nature of call-only ads.
• Modern Infrastructure: RSAs benefit from ongoing improvements in AI and machine learning. The underlying ETA framework for call-only ads is deprecated.
• Consistency: This move aligns call-based advertising with the standard for all other Search ad formats, simplifying campaign management.

Impact on Google Ads API Users

If your application uses the Google Ads API to create or manage call-only ads, you will be affected.

• New Call-Only Ad Creation: Starting January 2026, coinciding with the v23 API release, you will no longer be able to create new call-only ads or duplicate existing ones through the API. The call-only ad type will be removed from the latest API version.
• Existing Call-Only Ads: Your existing call-only ads will continue to serve and be manageable via the API until February 2027.
• API Support Sunset: Support for call-only ads will be progressively removed from all active API versions, with full cessation by February 2027.

Key Dates for API Users:

• January 2026:
  • Creation of new call-only ads (including duplication) is blocked in all Google Ads API versions and all other interfaces (Google Ads UI, Google Ads Editor, SA360).
• Until February 2027:
  • Existing call-only ads continue to serve.
  • API users can still update existing call-only ads. We strongly recommend using this time to migrate.
• As of February 2027:
  • All call-only ads will stop serving.
  • Full support for call-only ads is removed from all active Google Ads API versions.

What You Need to Do:

1. Update API Integrations: Modify your API client libraries and applications to stop creating call-only ad types.
2. Migrate to RSAs with Call Assets: Transition your ad creation and management workflows to use Responsive Search Ads. Ensure you attach call assets to these RSAs to continue driving phone call leads.
   • To create an RSA, you'll provide multiple headlines and descriptions.
   • Phone numbers are added as assets linked at the customer, campaign, or ad group level.

Benefits of Migrating Early:

• Take advantage of the better performance of RSAs.
• Ensure a smooth transition without service interruption.
• Maintain full control over your ad copy and settings.

We recommend updating your API integrations and migrating your call-only ad strategies well before the deadlines. Please refer to the Google Ads API developer documentation for the latest guidance on working with Responsive Search Ads and call assets.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this post, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server.

On June 30, 2025 we announced that we would roll out a change that would cause our bidding models to start using the presence of the ClickConversion.conversion_environment field in imported in-app conversions for campaign performance.

That change, which may have caused performance degradation in certain campaigns where this is not set, will no longer be implemented. However we still recommend that users who import conversions using the Google Ads API set the conversion_environment field in order to gain the following benefits:

• Accurate cross-environment attribution: Understand the full value of your campaigns across website and app sources.
• Ad destination reporting: Gain insights into where the user lands after clicking your ad, and the relative performance of each segment.
• Streamlined Google support: Receive faster and more effective troubleshooting.

For more details see this Help Center article.

If you have any questions or need help, see the Google Ads API support page for options.

- Ben Karl, on behalf of the Google Ads API Team

We're thrilled to announce the open source release of the Google Ads API Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, available here. This project marks a significant step in democratizing access to Google Ads data for the next generation of AI tools and agent developers.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the open standard that allows Large Language Models (LLMs), like Google Gemini, to connect with and act upon external data sources and applications. By releasing an MCP Server specifically for the Google Ads API, we are making it possible for any MCP-compatible AI application to understand and analyze advertising campaigns through natural language.

This initial release is read-only, meaning it can be used for reporting and diagnostics but will not make changes to your account.

Please use the GitHub repo for technical issues with the MCP server.

For technical support issues with the API, reach out to the Google Ads API support channel.

If you have other questions or want to discuss this post, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server.

- Dean Lukies, Google Ads API Team

When we released V21 of the Google Ads API, we released a field with the wrong name in the BudgetPerDayMinimumErrorDetails message: the field minimum_budget_amount_micros was mistakenly released as minimum_bugdet_amount_micros, with the word “budget” misspelled.

We already corrected the error in V22 of the API; however, we are also retroactively correcting it in V21 starting from October 15th, 2025 (the same day of the V22 release).

What do I need to do?

If you are using one of our officially supported client libraries, they will keep working seamlessly when we release the field rename.

However, when you upgrade to the latest version of your client library, you will have to modify your existing code that accesses this field to comply with the field rename, even if you are still using V21.

If you are using the Google Ads API with the REST transport layer, make sure your code is handling the minimum_budget_amount_micros field by its correct name instead of the mistakenly released one.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this post, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server.

 - Mattia Tommasone, Google Ads API Team