Dynamic feeds QA checklist

Dynamic creatives with feeds

To preview and test dynamic creatives, you'll need:

  • Access to the Dynamic Content tab of Studio.
  • Access to the Studio advertiser.
  • Access to the feed.

If you're using scheduled feed uploads, please disable this feature during QA. Previews can't be accessed while the feed is being updated.

Review the checklist below, which is organized by dynamic strategy. If your creative doesn't use a certain strategy, skip that section and move to the next. After each question, common creative problems are listed. Click a problem to see the solution.

Feed setup for all strategies

Open the feed to review what elements and content should appear in the creative. To make quick adjustments to the profile as you test, test your dynamic creative in Draft mode instead of Published mode. Learn how to test dynamic feeds

Are the dynamic elements in the feed displaying correctly in the creative?

One or more dynamic elements aren't showing content from my feed.

If dynamic elements are empty, check your feed setup, then check the creative code to make sure the dynamic code for that element was inserted correctly. If the creative has a different problem, use the dynamic troubleshooting guide to find a solution.

Is any of the feed content displaying poorly in the creative?

The creative has words that are cut off.

Increase the size of the text field in the creative, or add custom code to scale down the font size based on the length of the dynamic text content.

Learn best practices for dynamic creative elements

 

Geo-targeting

If the creative includes geo-targeting, test with at least three different locations from the feed to see how the creative reacts. You should also check the default content to make sure the creative works properly when the viewer's location doesn't match a location in the feed.

Is the creative showing the correct content for each location?

The wrong content is showing for a geo-targeting creative location.

The default column values are shown if you're testing a location that's not in the feed or isn’t available in the API.

For geo-targeted previews, you can test with an accurate location available in the feed or an abbreviated version. For example, for the canonical name London,England,United Kingdom you can test with London or London, United Kingdom. Studio automatically resolves the abbreviation to a known location.

If the location is correct, make sure you're using the correct location format. Learn more from the Geographical Targeting API documentation.

Testing default content

When testing the default, you don't need to enter a location in the preview, just leave it blank. This will allow you to check whether a valid default content column has been set. There are two potential results, depending on how the feed was created:

  • If there is a "Default" content column in the feed, the default content row will be served. If there is no matching location for a user and the default content row is set to TRUE in the feed, the user will be served the default.
  • If you did not include a "Default" content column in the feed, there is no eligible content to serve when the user's existing location can't be determined. Campaign Manager 360 chooses another creative in the rotation (based on priority) to serve to this user. If there is no other creative in rotation, Campaign Manager 360 serves the default ad.

 

Campaign Manager 360 ID filtering

If the creative includes Campaign Manager 360 ID filtering, test at least 3 different IDs from the feed, and make sure you have a default content column set.

Campaign Manager 360 ID filtering may include:

  • Ad ID
  • Advertiser ID
  • Placement ID
  • Site ID
  • Campaign ID
  • Creative ID
  • Keyword

Is the creative showing the correct content for each Campaign Manager 360 ID?

The wrong content is showing for a Campaign Manager 360 ID.

If the creative is showing the default value when testing an ID that's in the feed, someone may have changed the IDs in the feed without retransforming the feed in the profile.

When using test IDs

It is possible to use test IDs for Campaign Manager 360 ID filtering that are not real IDs in Campaign Manager 360. These may work in the Dynamic Preview, however they won't work when the creative is live. Make sure that before setting the creative live that these test IDs are replaced with real IDs from the media agency's or client's Campaign Manager 360 account. Make sure to retransform the feed and republish the profile. Verify with the media agency or your client.

Testing default content

When testing the default, you do not need to enter any IDs in the preview, just leave it blank. This will allow you to check whether a valid default content column has been set. There are two potential results, depending on how the feed was created:

  • If there is a "Default" content column in the feed, then the default content row will be served. As long as the default content row is set to TRUE in the feed, the user will be served the default.
  • If you did not include a "Default" content column in the feed, there is no eligible content to serve. Campaign Manager 360 chooses another creative in the rotation (based on priority) to serve to this user. If there is no other creative in rotation, Campaign Manager 360 serves the default ad.
 

Data pass

If the creative includes data passing, test at least 3 different values from the feed, and make sure you have a default content column set.

Data pass campaigns include all campaigns using the "Custom value" filtering option in Studio. The media agency should also test the behavior via the tag. Learn how to test live data pass tags

Is the creative showing the correct content for each data pass value?

The wrong content is showing when testing values from the feed.

The default value is shown if you are testing a data pass value that isn’t available in the feed. Make sure to have a default column set in your feed.

Testing default content

When testing the default, you do not need to enter any values in the preview, just leave it blank. This will allow you to check whether a valid default content column has been set. There are two potential results, depending on how the feed was created:

  • If there is a "Default" content column in the feed, then the default content row will be served. As long as there is no matching data pass value for a user, and the default content row is set to TRUE in the feed, the user will be served the default.
  • If you did not include a "Default" content column in the feed, there is no eligible content to serve. Campaign Manager 360 chooses another creative in the rotation (based on priority) to serve to this user. If there is no other creative in rotation, Campaign Manager 360 serves the default ad.
 

Date or time-based elements

If your creative includes date or time-based elements (also known as start/end date flighting), test at least three dates: beginning, middle, and end.

Is the creative showing the correct content for each date and time?

The wrong content appears for a scheduled creative date.

The default value is shown if the date and time used is not within the set range in the feed. If you didn't set a "Default" content column in the feed, it's a good idea to set one.

If the date is correct, make sure you're using the proper date format.

Testing default content

For example, the user's current date is 10/21/2030, but there are no rows of matching content in the feed for that date. Dates without a specified time are equivalent to 12:00am of that day. If you wish to serve content through the end of a day, enter the next day in the feed as the end date. There are two potential results, depending on how the feed was created to handle these situations:

  • If there is a "Default" content column in the feed, then the default content row will be served in this scenario. As long as the default content row is set to "TRUE" in the feed, the user will be served the default.

  • If you did not include a "Default" content column in the feed, there is no eligible content to serve. Campaign Manager 360 chooses another creative in the rotation (based on priority) to serve to this user. If there is no other creative in rotation, Campaign Manager 360 serves the default ad.

 

Dynamic remarketing with non-Google Merchant Center feeds

Dynamic remarketing campaigns include all campaigns using the "Remarketing value" filtering option in Studio that don't use Google Merchant Center feeds. For example, feeds that use spreadsheets, CSV files, or XML files as the content source.

If the creative includes Dynamic Remarketing with non-Google Merchant Center feeds, test at least three different values from the feed. When you input the sample value for the custom variable (from the feed) into the dynamic remarketing key value in Step 5: Preview and click Launch/update preview, the dynamic content from the feed for that row should appear on the creative.

If you're filtering on multiple custom variables and you're using "Prioritized Rules", make sure to input a value for each custom variable in Step 5: Preview.

The media agency should also test the behavior via the advertiser’s Floodlight tag on the live page using the Campaign Manager 360 serving tag. Learn how to test live remarketing tags

Is the creative showing the correct content for each custom variable set up in Studio?

The wrong content is showing for the remarketing creative.

The two most common problems are:

  • The default is shown in the creative
    Check if the value you're checking is in the feed and that Studio has the latest feed information. If you don’t have a default content column set in the feed, add one.
  • No row from the feed could be selected
    If you have a creative gallery with multiple products and the quantity is set to to more than 1 in Step 2: Manage data:
    • Test with as many values in the preview you have set up the gallery.
      OR
    • If you have prioritized rules set, test at least the last rule, if it's a rule that requires input.
Set a default content column or use "Prioritized Rules" in Step 3: Manage Rules to show a backup creative when there are no rows to pick from the feed.

 

Dynamic remarketing with Google Merchant Center

If the creative includes dynamic remarketing with Google Merchant Center feeds, you won’t be able to test different values from the feed. Instead, test the creative using the live tag (see below) and use the dynamic preview in Studio to see if products populate in the creative. It's not possible to test Merchant Center creatives with actual values from the feed via the dynamic preview in Studio.

Dynamic remarketing campaigns with Merchant Center feeds include all campaigns using the "Remarketing value" filtering option in Studio and using Merchant Center feed IDs as the content source.

The media agency should also test the behavior via the advertiser’s Floodlight tag on the live page using the Campaign Manager 360 serving tag. Learn how to test live remarketing tags

Is the creative showing the correct content for the custom variables set up in Studio?

No content is showing for the Google Merchant Center remarketing creative.

Make sure the Merchant Center ID you connect to Studio contains valid product data and you have implemented the dynamic content code correctly.

 

Echo remarketing

If the creative includes echo remarketing, test at least three different values that are available via the Floodlight cookie. Creative agencies should ask the Media Agency or client for sample values to test, or test with random values.

Echo remarketing campaigns include all campaigns using the "Remarketing value" as the data type in the "Profile Fields" section in Studio.

The media agency should also test the behavior via their Floodlight implementation and the Campaign Manager 360 tag.Learn how to test live remarketing tags

Is the creative showing the correct content for each value you're testing with?

The wrong content is showing for the remarketing creative.

The default content is shown if forbidden or invalid values are used. Test with both valid and invalid values to make sure the creative works correctly.

 

Reporting dimensions

Check if any reporting dimensions are set in the Reporting Dimensions step in Studio.

Are reporting dimensions set up correctly?

No reporting dimensions are set up in Step 6: Reporting Dimensions.

Not all campaigns use additional reporting dimensions. If you wish to use them and they aren't showing up, make sure the additional reporting dimensions have been added in Studio. It is best to speak with the media agency if additional reporting is required.

How to select additional reporting dimensions

  1. In the Dynamic Content tab, click Reporting Dimensions.
  2. Click Manage.
  3. Select the columns you want to add as reporting dimensions in the drop-downs. If the column you want to add as a reporting dimension does not appear in the drop-down, then it is not eligible to be selected as a reporting dimension.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Repeat for any additional feeds.
  6. Click Save.

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