Google Ads Scripts: Automation Guide for PPC

Google Ads Scripts let you automate account management tasks using JavaScript. No engineering degree required—most useful scripts are simple and can be copied and customized.

What Scripts Can Do

Reporting:

• Automated performance reports
• Custom dashboards
• Scheduled email reports
• Data exports to Google Sheets

Monitoring:

• Broken link alerts
• Budget pacing alerts
• Performance anomaly detection
• Conversion tracking verification

Optimization:

• Automated bid adjustments
• Keyword management
• Negative keyword additions
• Ad scheduling updates

Bulk Operations:

• Mass updates across accounts
• Label management
• Campaign/ad group changes
• URL updates

Why Use Scripts

Time savings:

• Automate tasks you do weekly/daily
• Run reports while you sleep
• Catch issues immediately

Consistency:

• Same logic applied every time
• No human error in repetitive tasks
• Documented automation

Scale:

• Manage more accounts
• Handle complexity
• Free up strategic time

Getting Started

Access scripts:

1. Sign into Google Ads
2. Tools & Settings > Bulk Actions > Scripts
3. Click the + button to create new

No coding background?

• Most scripts can be copied and pasted
• Customize variables only
• Start with simple scripts

Automate your reporting with these script templates.

Daily Performance Email Script

This script sends daily performance summary via email.

What it does:

• Runs daily at your scheduled time
• Compares yesterday to previous period
• Emails key metrics summary

Setup:

1. Create new script
2. Paste the script code
3. Set your email address
4. Schedule to run daily

Key metrics included:

• Spend
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Cost per conversion
• ROAS
• Comparison to prior period

Customization points:

• Email recipients
• Metrics to include
• Comparison period
• Date range

Google Sheets Report Script

Automatically populate a Google Sheet with performance data.

What it does:

• Pulls data from your account
• Writes to specified Google Sheet
• Updates on schedule

Use cases:

• Custom dashboards
• Client reporting
• Historical data tracking
• Multi-account consolidation

Setup:

1. Create Google Sheet
2. Get Sheet URL and tab name
3. Configure script with your parameters
4. Authorize and schedule

Campaign Performance Report

Detailed campaign-level data export.

Columns included:

• Campaign name
• Status
• Budget
• Spend (configurable period)
• Impressions
• Clicks
• CTR
• Conversions
• Conversion rate
• Cost per conversion
• Conversion value
• ROAS

Report customization:

• Add/remove columns
• Filter by campaign type
• Set date ranges
• Include/exclude paused campaigns

Catch problems before they become expensive.

Budget Pacing Alert

Get notified when campaigns are under or overspending.

What it monitors:

• Actual spend vs. expected spend
• Daily pacing against monthly budget
• Budget nearly exhausted warnings

Alert triggers:

• Spend below 80% of expected
• Spend above 120% of expected
• Budget will exhaust before month end
• Campaign ran out of budget

How to use:

• Set your alert threshold (e.g., 20% variance)
• Configure email recipients
• Schedule to run daily or hourly

Broken URL Alert

Detect when landing pages are broken.

What it checks:

• Final URL status codes
• 404 errors
• Server errors (500)
• Redirect issues

When it runs:

• Daily recommended
• Hourly during peak periods (optional)

Why it matters:

• Broken pages = wasted spend
• Catch issues before they cost money
• Maintain Quality Score

Conversion Tracking Alert

Detect when conversions drop unexpectedly.

What it monitors:

• Conversion count vs. historical average
• Sudden drops (e.g., 50%+ decrease)
• Zero conversions for extended period

Alert logic:

• Compare today to same day last week
• Compare to rolling average
• Flag significant deviations

Common catches:

• Tracking pixel removed/broken
• Website changes affecting conversion
• Promotional period ending

Performance Anomaly Alert

Catch unusual performance changes.

Metrics monitored:

• CTR drops
• CPC spikes
• Conversion rate changes
• ROAS fluctuations

Alert thresholds (customizable):

• CTR down 30%+
• CPC up 50%+
• CVR down 40%+
• ROAS down 30%+

Comparison period:

• Yesterday vs. prior 7-day average
• This week vs. prior 4 weeks
• Customizable

Automate optimization tasks that you do repeatedly.

Automatic Negative Keywords

Add negative keywords based on search term performance.

Logic:

• Pull search terms with X+ clicks and 0 conversions
• Pull search terms below CVR threshold
• Add as exact match negatives

Parameters to set:

• Minimum clicks before action
• CVR threshold
• Date range to analyze
• Campaigns to include/exclude

Safety features:

• Review mode (shows what would be added)
• Apply mode (actually adds negatives)
• Log of all additions

Bid Adjustments by Time

Adjust bids based on time-of-day performance.

What it does:

• Analyzes performance by hour
• Calculates optimal bid modifiers
• Applies adjustments

Logic example:

• High CVR hours: Increase bids
• Low CVR hours: Decrease bids
• Based on your data, not assumptions

Settings:

• Minimum data threshold
• Max adjustment percentage
• Smoothing factor
• Campaigns to include

Ad Pause/Enable by Schedule

Run different ads at different times.

Use cases:

• Lunch specials (pause at 2pm)
• Weekend promotions
• Holiday messaging
• Time-zone management

How it works:

• Check current time/day
• Enable or pause ads with specific labels
• Run hourly to catch transitions

Low Quality Score Alert and Pause

Monitor and manage Quality Score.

What it does:

• Scans all keywords for QS
• Flags keywords below threshold
• Optionally pauses problem keywords

Actions:

• Alert only (for review)
• Pause and alert
• Log for later review

Thresholds:

• QS below 3: High priority
• QS below 5: Medium priority
• Monitor changes over time

Step-by-step guide to getting your first script running.

Step 1: Access Scripts

1. Sign into Google Ads
2. Click Tools & Settings (wrench icon)
3. Under "Bulk Actions," click "Scripts"
4. Click the blue "+" to create new script

Step 2: Create a New Script

1. Give your script a name (descriptive)
2. You'll see the script editor
3. This is where code goes

Step 3: Paste Script Code

Important: Delete the default "function main()" before pasting.

1. Copy full script code
2. Paste into editor
3. Replace any placeholder values

Step 4: Customize Variables

Most scripts have a configuration section at the top:

// CONFIGURATION - Edit these values
var EMAIL_ADDRESS = "your@email.com";
var THRESHOLD = 0.20;  // 20%
var DATE_RANGE = "LAST_7_DAYS";

Update these to match your needs.

Step 5: Authorize

1. Click "Preview" or "Run"
2. You'll see an authorization dialog
3. Click "Authorize"
4. Sign in with your Google account
5. Grant permissions

Step 6: Preview First

Always preview before running:

1. Click "Preview"
2. Review the log output
3. Check for errors
4. Verify logic is correct

Step 7: Schedule

1. Once tested, click "Save"
2. Go back to Scripts list
3. Click the pencil icon to edit schedule
4. Set frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly)
5. Set specific time if relevant
6. Enable the schedule

Step 8: Monitor

1. Check email alerts (if configured)
2. Review logs periodically
3. Verify outputs (sheets, actions)
4. Adjust as needed

Common issues and how to fix them.

Error: Unauthorized

Cause: Script needs re-authorization

Fix:

1. Open the script
2. Click "Preview"
3. Re-authorize when prompted

Why it happens:

• Password change
• Account permission changes
• Extended period of inactivity

Error: Exceeded Execution Time

Cause: Script takes too long (30-minute limit)

Fix:

• Process fewer entities at once
• Add filters to reduce scope
• Split into multiple scripts
• Use batch processing

Example fix: Instead of processing all campaigns, process by label groups.

Error: Quota Exceeded

Cause: Too many API calls

Fix:

• Add delays between operations
• Batch operations together
• Reduce frequency of runs
• Process subsets

Error: Sheet Not Found

Cause: Google Sheet URL or tab name incorrect

Fix:

• Verify Sheet URL is correct
• Check tab name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
• Ensure Sheet is shared with script account
• Re-authorize if needed

Error: Invalid Date Range

Cause: Date format issues

Fix:

• Use Google Ads date formats:
  • "TODAY"
  • "YESTERDAY"
  • "LAST_7_DAYS"
  • "LAST_30_DAYS"
  • "THIS_MONTH"
  • "LAST_MONTH"

Script Runs But Nothing Happens

Possible causes:

• Filters too restrictive
• No entities match criteria
• Action is in "preview" mode
• Logic error in conditions

Debug steps:

1. Add Logger.log() statements
2. Check for empty results
3. Loosen filters to test
4. Verify variable values

Email Not Sending

Possible causes:

• Email quota exceeded
• Email address incorrect
• Email content empty

Fix:

• Check daily email quota (limited per account)
• Verify email address spelling
• Ensure report has data

Follow these practices for reliable automation.

1. Always Preview First

Before running or scheduling:

• Click "Preview"
• Review all log output
• Verify expected behavior
• Check for errors

Never trust a script without testing.

2. Start Conservative

When automating:

• Set tight thresholds initially
• Use alert-only mode first
• Review before auto-applying
• Expand scope gradually

Example: First run: Alert when CVR drops 50% After tuning: Alert at 30% After trust: Auto-pause at 50% drop

3. Add Logging

Good logging:

• Records what the script did
• Shows values used in decisions
• Helps debug issues
• Provides audit trail

Add Logger.log() statements at key points.

4. Handle Errors Gracefully

Use try-catch:

• Catch errors instead of crashing
• Log the error
• Continue with other items
• Send alert if critical

5. Document Your Scripts

Include comments:

• What the script does
• Configuration options
• Date created/modified
• Author

Future you will thank you.

6. Version Control

Track changes:

• Keep copies before editing
• Note what was changed
• Maintain changelog
• Store in external location (Drive, GitHub)

7. Monitor Regularly

Check scripts periodically:

• Are they still running?
• Are outputs expected?
• Any new errors in logs?
• Performance still relevant?

8. Clean Up Old Scripts

Review periodically:

• Pause scripts no longer needed
• Archive old versions
• Remove test scripts
• Keep list organized

Where to find scripts and learn more.

Official Resources

Google Ads Scripts Documentation:

• developers.google.com/google-ads/scripts
• Reference documentation
• Code samples
• Best practices

Google Ads Scripts Forum:

• Community support
• Script sharing
• Troubleshooting help

Free Script Libraries

Google's Script Library:

• Pre-built scripts from Google
• Covers common use cases
• Good starting points

Third-Party Libraries:

• Numerous blogs share free scripts
• Search for specific use cases
• Always test before trusting

Paid Script Solutions

When to consider:

• Complex requirements
• Multi-account management
• Enterprise features
• Dedicated support

Options:

• Script development agencies
• SaaS script platforms
• Freelance developers

Learning JavaScript Basics

If you want to customize:

• Codecademy (free intro)
• JavaScript basics courses
• Google's JavaScript tutorial
• Practice with simple modifications

Key concepts to learn:

• Variables
• Functions
• Loops
• Conditionals
• Arrays and objects

Building Your Script Library

Recommended starter scripts:

1. Budget pacing alert
2. Broken URL checker
3. Performance anomaly alert
4. Daily report to email
5. Search term mining

As you advance:

1. Bid adjustments by day/hour
2. Negative keyword automation
3. Quality Score monitoring
4. Custom dashboards
5. Multi-account reporting