Create rules and add video variants

Rules let you reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time. Create rules based on various signals, then add and customize variants to those rules. You can create variants for your video project either before or after setting up rules.

If you don't plan to use rules to customize variants, you should create variants on the Variants page instead.

About rules and targeting in Google Ads

For video projects exported to Google Ads, the rules set up in Ads Creative Studio aren't directly connected to any targeting or serving in Google Ads. Instead, rules can be translated into targeting information after the project is imported into Google Ads, and can be edited when creating campaigns. See Import a video project into Google Ads for more details.

About rules and targeting in Campaign Manager 360

For video projects exported to Campaign Manager 360, the rules set up in Ads Creative Studio are exported with the project. The rules can be edited and used for targeting in Campaign Manager 360.

Each video project you create for Campaign Manager 360 requires at least one rule with at least one valid signal. To be eligible for export, each variant in the project must have at least 1 rule applied.

Create rules

Rules use signals such as the customer's location or topics of interest to determine when they apply.

Open the project you want to work on, then go to the Rules page.
Click Create rule.
Select the signal type you want to use.
A blank table displays with a column for the signal type you selected. Optionally, add more signal types by clicking Add signal type.
Add signals for each signal type. For example, if you chose Location as a signal type, click Add location. The signal selection window opens.
Search, browse, or enter the specific signals that you want to add. You'll see a running list of all the signals you select or specify.
Click Apply.
Repeat the signal selection process as necessary for each signal type. You don't have to fill in a signal for every signal type.

To set up another rule, click Add row. You can also copy existing rules by selecting the checkbox next to the rules you want to duplicate, then clicking Duplicate rule or Duplicate rules. Duplicating a rule doesn't copy its variant assignment, only its signals.

Multiple signals

You can add multiple signals to a row.

If you add multiple signals of the same type (that is, within the same table cell), your rule will apply when any of those signals match (an "OR" relationship).
If you add multiple signals of different types (that is, in different table cells), your rule will apply when all of the signal types match (an "AND" relationship).

Example

The below row applies when the location is either San Francisco or Oakland, and only during June 2022 for either location.

a table containing a single row of data, with columns for Location (San Francisco and Oakland), Schedule (June 2022), and Variant name ("SF / Oak")

Rule limits

A project can have up to 100 rows.

Modify rules and signals

You can change rules by editing or removing signals, or deleting rows and signal types.

Edit a single rule

To change the signals in a cell, click Edit in the cell.
To remove a specific signal, click Dismissnext to the signal.
To delete a row, select the checkbox to the left of the row, then click Delete at the top of the table.
To delete a signal type, hover over the column header for the signal type, click MoreDelete.

Edit signals in bulk

Bulk editing lets you make changes to signals in multiple rows.

Select the checkbox next to each row that you want to edit.
Click Edit Edit signals at the top of the table. The Edit signals panel opens.
Make any changes you want to apply to all of the selected rows:
- Add signals that should be added to all selected rows.
- Delete signals that should be removed from all selected rows.
Click Apply.

The Edit signals panel lists all signals included across all selected rows, and doesn't indicate when different rows contain different signals. Only signals that you explicitly add within the panel will be added to all selected rows.

Filter rules

If you're working with a lot of rules, you may find it helpful to filter the rules table to show only certain rows.

When you apply filters:

Only the rows that match your filter are shown in the rules table.
The other rows still exist, but are hidden from view.
You won't be able to edit any rows that are hidden from view until you remove the filters that are hiding them.

Add filters

Click Filter at the top right of the table. The field opens at the top of the table.
Click Add filter. A menu pops up.
Select the type of filter you want to apply. For example, you can filter by signal assignment, signal name, variant assignment, variant name, asset assignment, or asset name.
Specify the values you want to use to filter rules.
Click Apply.

Only rows that match the active filters will show in the table. You can add multiple filters by repeating the steps above.

Remove filters

To remove a single filter, click Dismiss next to the filter.
To remove all filters, click Remove all filters at the right end of the field.

Add variants

Once you've added rules, you can add variants to each row. The signals for each row will determine the intended audience or context for the variant.

Click Add variant in the row with the rule you want to apply. A table will display any existing variants for the project.
Create a new variant, duplicate an existing variant, or select an existing variant from the table.
- To create a new variant, click Create variant, enter the new variant name, then click Save. You'll be able to add assets to the variant later.
- To make a copy of an existing variant, select a variant in the table, then click Copy variant.
- To find an existing variant, you can search for the variant name in the Search field, or view only variants that are currently assigned or unassigned to the current rule by selecting the appropriate filters.
Repeat the previous step to add additional variants. You can assign multiple variants to the same row to enable creative rotation. You can also assign the same variant to more than one row.
Click Apply to add all of the selected variants to the row.

Multiple variants assigned to a row

If you assign more than one variant to a row, you'll see "Variants assigned" with the number of variants in parentheses, and additional rows below for each assigned variant. These additional rows contain no signals and don't count against your row limit. You can use these rows to edit variants that are assigned to that rule.

Edit variants

When a variant is assigned to a row, the rules table displays the assets for each swappable element. You can swap out assets directly within the rules table to edit those variants.

Edit a single variant

To swap out an asset, click Edit next to the asset.
To remove an asset, click Remove next to the asset.
To rename a variant, click Rename next to the variant name.

Edit assets in bulk

Bulk editing is useful when you want to use the same asset in multiple variants.

Select the checkbox next to each variant that you want to edit.
Click Edit Edit assets at the top of the table. The Edit assets panel opens.
For each asset that you want to change:
- To swap out an asset for all selected variants, click Edit next to the asset. For text, enter new text in the field.
- To remove an asset from all selected variants, click Remove next to the asset.
Click Apply.

If you edit or remove assets in a row displaying "Variants assigned" to indicate multiple variants, your changes will affect all of the variants assigned to that row.

If you don't want to see the assets for each variant in the rules table, click Hide Assets at the top of the table.

Preview variants

You can preview variants on the Rules page in the bottom panel.

Select a rule to see a preview of the assigned variant. You can select multiple rows, as well as rows with multiple variant assignments.

The preview panel only shows one variant at a time. If you selected multiple variants, click the left or right arrows next to the video to view other variants. Use the video controls to play the current video.

You can resize the preview panel by dragging the handle at the top of the pane upward or downward.

Reassign and unassign variants

You can change your variant assignments.

To assign a different variant or assign additional variants, click Edit next to the variant name and select the variants that you want to assign.
To unassign a single variant, click Dismiss next to the variant name.
To unassign all variants from a row with multiple variants, click Remove .

Next steps

Once you're done with the rules page, click Save. Your next steps may vary.

If you haven't yet created a template for your project, go to the Template page.
If you want to view all your variants, go to the Variants page.
If you're done making changes to your project, you can review it.