Google Ads BigQuery Transfer

• Introduction
• Configuration
  • Before you start
  • Start creating a transfer
  • Transfer configuration
  • Historical data

Introduction

Google BigQuery has a transfer that automatically pulls historical data from Google Ads to Google BigQuery. Thanks to this, we get access to many tables with which we can interact using ready-made WitCloud modules, among others ie combining costs with the Google Analytics data table. Additionally, tables can be queried using SQL language to create reports that would be difficult to reproduce in the Google Ads interface.

Configuration

Before you start

Access to the Google Ads and Google Cloud Platform advertising account

NOTE to use this module, you must have access to a Google Ads advertising account and to manage BigQuery in Google Cloud Platform.

Start creating a transfer

On the website related to the API, you must first activate the interface. Press the ENABLE button, you should also make sure that you are on a good project.

Link to activate the API (opens new window)

Then go to the BigQuery [Link to BigQuery Data Transfer] website (https://console.cloud.google.com/bigquery/transfers) and press the button Create Transfer

Transfer configuration

In the first step, we choose Google Ads transfer from the source field and give it any name.

Then we set the schedule options, i.e. at what times the export should start. For example, every day at 15:00

In the next step, we complete the information on the place where the data will be dumped.

Dataset ID- in this field we select the data set which will ultimately contain data from Google Ads. Select them from the list or, if we do not have a data set created yet, press the Create new dataset button

Then fill in the form for creating a new data set

Customer ID- enter the id of the Google Ads account that we want to export to BigQuery

Refresh Window- this field sets the value of how far back the data is to be updated. The standard is 7 days, the maximum can be set to 30 days.

After completing the entire form, press the Create button.

Ready! The transfer has already been created and the data should appear in the selected dataset according to the configured schedule.

Historical data

To download historical data after creating a transfer, go back to the list and select the previously created transfer: Transfer list (opens new window)

Then press the More button

We choose the Schedule backfill option

Then select the range and press the Ok button.

After a few minutes, depending on the size of the account, the data should appear in our data set.