Use functions in custom columns

For a list of functions available to use in custom columns and a general introduction, see Functions in custom columns.

When constructing templates-related custom column formulas, there are context-sensitive sub-menu options on the Functions menu. Hover your input device over an option to display additional information. Within the formula text, right-click to view a menu of functions that are valid for the current context.

Standard custom column functions in templates

These options may include the following:

Logic — Options for standard logic functions such as if, and, not, or, if_error, is_error, and is_not_finite.
Text — Options for text functions such as concat, is_empty, trim, starts_with, ends_with, search, substitute, right, left, contains, upper, lower, length, clean_keyword, string_len_byte, regex_extract, regex_match, regex_replace, search_byte, bmm, reduce_word, title_case, unescape, and substitute_all.
Arithmetic — Options for arithmetic functions such as round, ceiling, and floor.
Conversion — Options for conversion functions such as to_text, to_number, and extract_percentage.
Date — Options for date functions such as date, day, month, quarter, year, weekday, weeknum, daynum, days_between, offset_days, offset_months, offset_years, today, yesterday, week_start_sunday, week_start_monday, month_start, and year_start are described in Functions in custom columns.
Aggregation — Options for aggregation functions such as min, max, and any.

Template custom column functions

There is a range of custom column functions specifically available in the context of templates. These functions are described in the following table.

Notes

These functions can be used in the Templates feature.
Where the word "value" is shown in quotation marks, a text value is required.
The terms needle, needles, and haystack are used in some functions in the following table. A "needle" or "needles" denotes a specific value or values that may be found within a series of values, the “haystack”.

Sub-menu	Return type	Automation function expression	Description
Logic	Boolean or number	`is_not_finite(value, alternate)`	Evaluates `value`. If `value` is not a number or a finite number, the function evaluates `alternate`. Otherwise, the function returns `value`.
	Boolean, number, or text	`if_error(value, error_value)`	`if_error(value, error_value)` evaluates `value`. If `value` returns an error, the function evaluates the alternative defined in `error_value`. Otherwise, the function returns the `value`.
	Boolean, number, or text	`is_error(value)`	Evaluates to true if `value` is an error.
Text	Text	`clean_keyword("text", "replacement")`	Scans the string and replaces characters that the advertising platform does not support for keyword `text` with the `replacement` text value.
	Number	`string_len_byte("value")`	Returns the number of bytes in a feed attribute or text value.
	Text	`regex_extract("value", "regular_expression")`	Searches a `value` and returns text that matches a `regular_expression`.
	Boolean	`regex_match("value", "regular_expression")`	Evaluates as true if `value` matches all or part of a `regular_expression`. Use this function as a condition in the `if` function.
	Text	`regex_replace("value", "regular_expression", "replacement")`	Searches a `value` for text that matches a `regular_expression`, then replaces the matching text with `replacement`.
	Number or null	`search_byte("needle", "haystack")`	Returns the starting position in bytes of the first instance of needle in haystack. Returns null if needle is not in haystack. Counting starts from 1 (not 0). Always counts in the natural direction of the advertiser’s locale. Intended mainly for languages that do not use a Latin character set, such as Japanese and Chinese.
	Text	`reduce_word("value", length, "delimiter")`	Returns as many characters as possible, starting from the beginning of a string and counting up to (but not including) a delimiter, while staying within `max_length`. If the `value` is already within `max_length`, the function returns `value` exactly as it was passed in.
	Text	`title_case("value")`	Converts `value` to title case. You can specify a feed attribute or a static text value.
	Text	`unescape("value")`	Decodes a URL that has been URL encoded.
	Text	`substitute_all("haystack", replacement, "needles")`	Replaces multiple values of an attribute with a single value.
Conversion	Number	`extract_percent("x%")`	Converts a ratio, number, or text value to a percent.
Aggregation	Boolean, number, or text	`max(value)`	Returns the maximum `value` of a numeric feed attribute among the items selected by a template.
	Boolean, number , or text	`min(value)`	Returns the minimum `value` of a numeric feed attribute among the items selected by a template.
	Boolean, number , or text	`any(value)`	Chooses a `value` for an attribute from one of the items selected by a template. This function may output a different `value` each time it runs.

Use functions in feed and template custom columns

To use functions in feed and template custom columns, do the following:

Select functions from the menu. When you hover your input device over a function in the menu, details about the function are displayed.
Select a function to include in the formula. The function’s formatted text is displayed with black placeholder elements.
Replace the placeholder elements with information specific to your use case. For examples, see If logic function and Concat text function.

Do not edit green text. It is a required part of the function.

When creating templates, the new Search Ads 360 shows only the functions that are valid for the current context.

If logic function

if(condition, if_true, if_false)

This is a logic function that evaluates a defined condition as true or false, then outputs the values you specify in if_true and if_false depending on whether the condition is found to be true or false.

Edit condition to define the criteria to be evaluated.
Edit if_true to define what occurs when the condition is true.
Edit if_false to define what occurs when the condition is false.

Concat text function

concat("text1", "text2")

This is a text function that merges the content of two or more values. To add additional values, insert a comma followed by the additional value. Values must be text but can be derived from other functions. The function text_to converts column values to text.

concat("Origin ", f:"origin_name")," Destination ", f:"destination_country", f:"destination_name"," - ", text_to(f:"price_usd"))

Address function value errors

The new Search Ads 360 doesn't generate campaigns, ads, and other items if functions return empty or invalid values. To address errors, consider using the following options to troubleshoot:

Wrap functions in if_error(parameter, alternate)
The parameter can be one of the following: function, feed column, text, or a combination of these types. If the function returns an error or is empty, alternate is returned instead.

Example: if_error(f:"brand", "Unbranded")
Result: Returns f:"brand" if it has a value, "Unbranded" if it doesn't.

Usually, if a parameter is invalid, the whole function is invalid.
Example: if(f:"product_type" = "shoes", 1, 2)

When a feed item doesn't have product_type, the whole if expression is invalid. Wrap the if_error function around the if function:

Example: if_error(if(f:"product_type" = "shoes", 1, 2), 3)
Result: The function returns "3" if product_type isn’t defined in the feed item.

Wrap functions in is_error
Use if(is_error(parameter), alternate, value)
Parameters can include a feed column reference. f:"column_name" references a feed column.
When an error is returned, for example, if the feed column is empty, alternate is used. Otherwise, value is used.

Use aggregation
Use min(value), max(value), or any(value) unless each ad group contains only one value for the attribute. Specify max(f:"price_usd") if an ad group could contain products with different prices.

Address logic errors

To address logic errors, use the if(condition, true, false) function to filter or change undesirable results. For example, use the if function to shorten text that is too long.

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