Prepare to migrate custom conversions and formula columns

Best practices before migration to custom columns in the new Search Ads 360

As part of your upgrade to the new Search Ads 360 experience, your custom conversions will automatically copy and sync to a similar feature called custom conversion columns, and your formula columns will migrate to a similar feature called custom formula columns.

This guide is designed to help you prepare for your upgrade to the new Search Ads 360 and includes recommended best practices to facilitate the automated migration of your custom conversions and formula columns to the new Search Ads 360. The recommendations are intended to help prevent possible errors. Errors in the migration of custom conversion or formula columns will also prevent migration of associated rules and ad builder or inventory management templates that use those columns, and such errors will cause those columns and related filters to be dropped from scheduled downloads, web queries, and saved views during migration.

Note that the recommendations below are optional. The migrations will happen whether or not you complete the following actions.

Limitations

Before you begin, be aware of the following:

In some cases, it might not be possible for the new Search Ads 360 to automatically copy and sync a formula column to a custom column. Some settings and content won't be included in the automated migration and will need to be manually re-created as needed, or they won't be supported in the new Search Ads 360.
These actions represent sample scenarios. Other errors may occur even after completing the recommendations.

Recommended actions to optimize automatic migration of formula columns and custom conversions

1. Edit or remove formula columns with incompatible functions

Formula columns using functions that aren't compatible with the new Search Ads 360 won’t migrate and will generate errors. To avoid errors, it’s recommended to edit affected columns to use a supported function or remove the column so the new Search Ads 360 won’t try to sync the column.

The following table contains recommended alternatives for some functions that are incompatible with the new Search Ads 360:

Incompatible function	Recommended action
The column applies the formula before totaling data	Update your custom column to use the option to apply the formula “after totaling data”.
`has_label`	Set a rule's conditions for specific labels.

If you still need to use an incompatible function, submit feedback in the new Search Ads 360 to let us know that this function or column is important.

Learn more about available functions in custom formula columns in the new Search Ads 360.

2. Edit or remove custom conversion columns and formula columns with incompatible columns

Column types that aren't compatible with the new Search Ads 360 won’t migrate and will generate errors. To avoid errors, it’s recommended to edit or remove the affected columns.

Note that if any formula columns use business data that wasn't migrated to custom dimensions, you should first fix any issues preventing the business data migration. If your business data hasn't been migrated yet, you can take steps to avoid errors.

The following table contains recommended alternatives for some column types that are incompatible with the new Search Ads 360:

Incompatible columns	Recommended action
Transaction quantity Action quantity column	Rebuild these columns in the new Search Ads 360 with custom conversion columns that are filtered for the desired conversion actions.
Avg pos	Consider moving to other compatible metrics.
First page bid (current) column	Consider alternate prominence metrics in conjunction with Avg CPC.

If you still need to use a column that’s incompatible with the new experience, submit feedback in the new Search Ads 360 to let us know that this function or column is important.

Learn more about available column types in custom formula columns in the new Search Ads 360.

3. Review columns with multiple or nested references.

Columns with too many direct or nested references won’t migrate to the new Search Ads 360 and will generate errors.

Recommended actions:

Edit columns to reference fewer than 5 other custom columns.
Edit columns to use no more than 3 reference layers, or no more than 6 reference layers for feed-based formula columns. (For example, if Column A references Column B which references Column C, that's 3 reference layers.)

4. Review columns with Floodlight activities for metric mismatches.

A mismatch between the types of Floodlight activities or selected conversion tags (for example, only “Actions” is selected) and the selected metric (for example, “Transactions”) can cause errors in the migration of columns. Columns that use metrics that aren’t applicable for any Floodlight activities in the account can also cause errors. To avoid errors, it’s recommended to edit or remove the affected columns.

Recommended actions:

Edit columns so that the types of Floodlight activities selected align with the metric. For example, if your custom conversion column uses only counter tags, the metric selected should be one of the “Actions” set. If your custom conversion column uses only sales tags, the metric selected should be one of the “Transactions” set.
Edit columns so the metrics are applicable for the Floodlight activities in your account.

5. Review rules and templates with dependencies

If you use automated rules and templates with dependencies on custom conversion columns and formula columns, you should review them. References to any custom conversion columns and formula columns that can't be migrated will also prevent the migration of those rules and templates.

6. Keep columns up to date

You may want to take the opportunity to review your current custom conversions and formula columns for general best practices before migration.

Best practices:

Remove unused or outdated columns.
Review references to Google Analytics profiles to ensure profiles are linked and up to date.
Review automated bid strategies, ad builder and inventory management templates, rules, and reports for references to updated or removed columns. Update as needed.

7. Learn about how custom columns functionality in the new Search Ads 360 experience differs from the previous Search Ads 360

In the new Search Ads 360:

Custom conversion columns (previously "Custom conversions") are used for reporting only. To set up conversion actions for bidding in the new Search Ads 360, use conversion goals.
Some column names, filters (formerly “segmentation”), and functions have been renamed for clarity.
All custom columns are calculated after totaling data in summary.
There are some syntax updates for writing formulas, including for the use of ampersands and empty parentheses.
Some functions have been replaced or have parameter changes.

Learn more about changes to custom columns in the new Search Ads 360.

8. Explore new custom column features in the new Search Ads 360

In the new Search Ads 360, formula columns and custom conversions are called "custom columns".

Custom columns offer several new features not available in the previous Search Ads 360, including:

Syntax highlighting and autocomplete are in place for formula columns.
Visual mode is in place for creating formula columns.
Custom columns created in a manager account are available in sub-manager and client accounts.
Custom columns can be owned by manager or sub-manager accounts.
Custom conversion columns can combine Floodlight, Google Ads, and Google Analytics conversion actions.
A description can now be added to your custom columns.

Learn more about custom columns in the new Search Ads 360.

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