Copy a template

You can copy templates across sub-manager accounts within the same manager account. Templates can be copied into different plan templates.

Copy a template

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a sub-manager account.
3. From the page menu, under “Tools & settings”, click the Templates drop-down
4. Click Templates.
5. In the Templates tab, select the checkbox next to the template you want to copy.
6. Click Copy template.
7. Select how much of the underlying template structure you want to copy. Choose one of the following:
   • Copy only the selected template: This copies only the template you've selected.
   • Copy the selected template and share all its child templates (ad group, keyword, negative keyword, responsive search ad): This copies references to child templates associated with the one you're copying. This means that the child templates are shared with both the originally selected template and its copy. As a result, if you modify or delete the referenced child templates, the changes will apply to both template hierarchies.
   • Copy the selected template and all its child templates (ad group, keyword, negative keyword, responsive search ad): This duplicates child templates associated with the one you're copying and can be used to copy across sub-manager accounts. Because the child templates are duplicates, edits to individual child templates exist only in the edited templates.
8. Click Continue.
9. Select where to apply the template, including the following options:
   • Whether the template will apply to client accounts or plan templates
   • The feed used to populate the template
     
     When copying references to child templates, you can’t select a different sub-manager account as references to child templates are only possible within the same sub-manager account.
10. Click Continue editing. Alternatively, you can click Save for later if you want to save the copy now and make edits later.
11. Edit the template’s settings.
    • Note: Child templates cannot be edited in this menu, regardless if you’re copying references to child templates or if you’re duplicating them. Save the copy first to edit any child templates.
12. Click Continue editing.
13. You’ll be shown a summary of what will be copied based on your selections, including:
    • The number of each type of template that will have a new template created
    • The number and types of templates that will be directly applied to the copy of the selected template
    • The number and types of templates that will be connected to the copy of the selected template because of the direct child templates that are applied
14. Click Create copy. You can select Run in background to return to the Templates tab while the copy operation is ongoing, or you can select Stop to stop the copy operation.
15. A message will confirm when the copy operation is completed. You can click View details to return to the Templates tab.

Examples

Let's say you want to copy the following template from account A to B:

• Campaign
  • Ad groups
    • Ads
    • Keywords

You can copy the selected template, references to entities below the selected template, or every entity below the template. The option you select influences how updates to child templates are applied.

Copy only the selected template

This option copies only the selected template. After copying the campaign template using this option, the template structure will look like this:

Notice that "Campaign" and "Campaign (copy)" are distinct entities. Any edits that you make to either template will only appear in the account under which you make the change. Additionally, none of the child templates below "Campaign" were copied into "Campaign (copy)".

Copy the selected template and references to child templates

If accounts A and B are within the same sub-manager account, the option to copy the selected template and child references is displayed. After copying the template using this option, the template structure will look like this:

Notice that the child ad group, ad, and keyword templates are shared between "Campaign" and "Campaign (copy)". Any edits to these child entities will be displayed in both "Campaign" and "Campaign (copy)". You will see, and be able to edit, the campaign template and child templates underneath both plan templates A and B in the Search Ads 360 interface.

This option helps you apply edits across the shared child templates, but isn't ideal for cases where you want to change child templates in one account and not the other.

Copy the selected template and child templates

You can duplicate templates across accounts A and B, no matter which sub-manager account these accounts are under. After copying the template using this option, the template structure will look like this:

Notice that "Campaign" and "Campaign (copy)" are two distinct entities. As such, any edits you make to child templates will only appear in the template you edited.

Limitations

Because templates are highly customizable, there are limitations to where you can copy templates to. If the template you're copying from uses a custom formula column, the sub-manager account you're copying to must also use the same custom formula column. Also, you can't copy templates across accounts of a different client account type.

You can copy any single selected template within or across sub-manager accounts for the following template types:

• Campaign template
• Ad group template
• Ad template (Feed-based)
• Ad template (Ad group-based)
• Keyword template
• Negative keyword template
• Sitelink template
• Plan template
• Custom dimension template

You can copy any single selected template and all of its child templates within or across the selected template’s sub-manager account for the following template types:

You can copy any single selected template with references to all of the selected template’s child templates within the selected template’s sub-manager account for the following template types:

• Campaign template
  • Applies the selected campaign’s ad group templates to the copy of the selected campaign template.
  • Whatever keyword, negative keyword, and ad templates that are child templates to the ad group templates will be evaluated with the copy of the selected campaign template because the keyword, negative keyword, and ad templates are applied to the ad group templates that are applied to the copy.
• Ad group template
  • Applies the selected ad group’s ad, keyword, and negative keyword templates to the copy of the selected ad group template.
• Plan template
  • Applies the selected plan’s campaign templates to the copy of the selected plan template.
  • When the copy of the selected plan template is evaluated, the ad group, keyword, negative keyword, and ad templates that are associated with the campaign template are also evaluated

For any single selected template, you can change the parents for the copy. The copy will default to the selected template’s parents. Refer to the following table for the default parents and parent options for each template type: