Make changes with bulk uploads

Intro to bulk uploads

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Using bulk uploads is an efficient way to make changes to your Google Ads account(s). This feature saves you time by allowing you to download templated spreadsheet reports, make line-item changes offline and then upload those changes back into your account or manager account. If you’re using a manager account, you can upload a single spreadsheet that affects any group of accounts that you choose beneath your manager account hierarchy.

This allows you to take immediate bulk action on issues and opportunities that you observe in your data. We’ll explain how to download, edit and upload a spreadsheet below.

Example

Amy is an online retailer who sells sporting equipment. She has thousands of keywords spread across dozens of ad groups. In the past, she used spreadsheets and a proprietary formula to make changes to her bids, which she entered manually into her Google Ads account. With bulk uploads, she can download a spreadsheet of her keywords, change her bids by applying her proprietary formula to the spreadsheet, then upload this same spreadsheet directly into her Google Ads account.

Once Amy has uploaded the edited spreadsheet, she can preview any changes, get details of possible errors and apply the changes when she’s ready – all in the same tab. She can even share her preview with colleagues if she wants a second opinion.

Step 1: Download spreadsheets to edit

There are two options that you have to start making an uploadable spreadsheet. The first option is to download a report containing your existing data within Google Ads, which is great when you intend to make line-item changes to existing data. The second option is to make an upload spreadsheet from scratch using the supported column headers available in Google Ads. This can be useful if you are making something new (like creating many new campaigns), rather than making line-item edits to something that already exists (like making precise bid adjustments on a group of existing campaigns).

Option 1: Download spreadsheet directly from Google Ads account

Downloading your spreadsheet from your Google Account is highly recommended as it not only gives you the required editable columns that you need, but also populates those columns with your existing data. This will allow you to make simple line-item changes to your data rather than having to manually import the required data needed to make changes.

In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
Click the Campaigns drop-down menu. Next, click Campaigns, Ad groups, Ads or Product groups.
- Alternatively, you can click the Audiences, keywords and content drop-down menu. Next, click Search keywords (depending on the type of edits you’d like to make).
Click the download icon and select More options at the bottom of the drop-down.
Select a format for your spreadsheet.
Under 'Include', tick the box for Editable columns for Bulk Upload.
Click Download.

Try it now

Note: If you download a report, it may not include all of the fields that you can edit. Please review the list of supported columns to see all editable columns that you are able to affect with bulk upload

Option 2: Download or Create a Spreadsheet Template

While Option 1 is often the best choice, sometimes downloading your existing data is not helpful to your use case. It may be easier to start with a blank template and fill in the required changes on your own. (For example, if you are creating new campaigns). If that is your goal, downloading a pre-built template or making your own template may be a more efficient option.

Download a pre-made template from our Templates page that matches your use case and save your original downloaded spreadsheet.

Note: We recommend that you always save a copy of your original downloaded report in case you ever need to see what your settings were before you made changes

Move on to step 2: Format spreadsheets for bulk uploading

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