indranilbanerjee/digital-marketing-pro/paid-advertising

Paid Advertising

Script location. If your host does not set ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}, the scripts are in this plugin's scripts/ folder, next to skills/. Run them with Python 3.10 or newer: python, or python3 where python is not found (macOS, many Linux systems).

Since August 2026 (verified 2026-10-04)

• Google AI Max auto-upgrade: Search campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match auto-upgrade to AI Max starting September 2026; the Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) sunset and its auto-upgrade moved to February 2027. Audit every account for campaigns already flipped, and run the ADOPT_AI_MAX experiment on the rest before Google does it for you. Source: blog.google.
• Google Ads Limited Ad Serving now covers every surface (Search, YouTube, Gmail, Play, Discover), rolling out gradually through 2028 — new advertisers can see throttled delivery while trust builds. Source: Ads policy (posted 5 Aug 2026).
• LinkedIn Marketing API: 202608 made the Matched Audiences API generally available (cap: 1,000 DMP segments per account), added account-level dynamic UTMs and MQL/SQL conversion types, and sunset legacy geo on 31 Aug 2026; 202609 added hashed first/last names in the Conversions API and a 180-day attribution window. 202510 sunset on 15 Oct 2026 and 202511 sunsets on 16 Nov 2026. DMP's templates send the LinkedIn version in scripts/connector_resolver.py API_VERSIONS (currently 202610, which adds a Boost API and nothing breaking). From 202611, publisher lists need a surface field (LAN or CTV); after 15 Dec 2026, campaigns can use only publisher lists whose placement matches, on every version. Campaigns live at /rest/adAccounts/{id}/adCampaigns; /rest/adCampaignsV2 is not in the versioned docs, so DMP's templates moved (checked against the docs, not a live call). Source: recent changes.
• TikTok Upgraded Smart+ (checked 2026-10-27): from 1 Jan 2027 the Marketing API stops creating non-Search Legacy Manual Flow campaigns (Sales, App Promotion, Lead Generation) through /campaign/create/ and the matching ad group, ad and copy endpoints. Build new campaigns with the Upgraded Smart+ APIs (/smart_plus/campaign/create/ and siblings), which still offer a fully manual option. Detail and sources: `tiktok-ads.md`.
• Amazon Ads (unBoxed, 30 Sep 2026): an "Amazon Ads Agent" unifying DSP and the Ads Console, Full-Funnel Campaigns, Sponsored Services, and an Amazon Ads MCP Server (Lite) — a connector candidate for retail-media workflows. Source: Amazon Ads news.
• ChatGPT Ads — the developer surface is primary-documented (checked 2026-10-04): developers.openai.com/ads documents:
• an Advertiser API and a Bulk API
• a Measurement Pixel and a server-side Conversions API, deduplicated on pixel event_id = API id
• Custom Audiences from customer lists only, unavailable in the EEA and Switzerland
• Product Feeds plus a Delta Feeds API for price, availability, and title changes
• a Reporting API, with a 30-day click / 1-day view default
• Hotel Feeds (limited beta)

The launch dates, the audience (Free/Go users), the country rollout (31 European markets on 18 Aug, Southeast Asia + Taiwan on 23 Sep) and "Sponsored Agents" remain secondary-sourced: label them "reported, unverified" and confirm availability in the brand's Ads Manager before planning spend. Do not quote CPMs or auction mechanics. Planning, tracking, reporting and feed detail: `ads-in-ai-answers.md`.

• Google AI Mode ads (checked 2026-10-04): there is no separate campaign type. Google says advertisers reach the new AI Mode formats ("Conversational Discovery ads", "Highlighted Answers") by building on AI Max for Search, AI Max for Shopping, and Performance Max.
• Direct Offers (a pilot since January 2026) is expanding to promotion bundling, native checkout for UCP merchants, and travel deals.
• Business Agent for leads (chat inside the ad instead of a form) is due "in the coming months".
• The post gives no AI-Mode-specific measurement, so report at the AI Max / PMax campaign level and don't promise an AI-Mode-only KPI.

Source: blog.google (20 May 2026). Detail: `ads-in-ai-answers.md`.

Recent platform API changes (checked 2026-10-27)

Google Ads: DMP's templates use the version in scripts/connector_resolver.py API_VERSIONS (currently v26, released 14 Oct 2026; sunset November 2027). v26 makes country_code required when creating Local Services Performance Max campaigns, removes enhanced_conversions_for_leads_enabled (use enablement_setting) and renames the hotel bid-modifier fields. v25 (22 Jul 2026) removed the legacy CustomerLifecycleGoal/CampaignLifecycleGoal resources (migrate to Goal + CampaignGoalConfig) and added loyalty-retention goals, Shorts engagement metrics, duration breakdowns for non-skippable YouTube inventory and YouTube third-party conversion attribution. Developer tokens were sunset on 9 Sep 2026: API access comes from the Google Cloud project behind the OAuth client, and the header is ignored. Full detail, including the dated changes outside the version cycle, lives in `google-ads.md`, the single source for the Google Ads API surface. Sources: release notes · sunset dates.

Meta: DMP's templates use the version in API_VERSIONS (currently v26.0, introduced 29 Jul 2026; v24.0 stops working on 10 Nov 2026 and v25.0 on 23 Feb 2027). Standalone Advantage+ Shopping / App campaigns can no longer be created via the API on any version (since 19 May 2026); v26.0 blocks edits to every legacy ASC/AAC campaign and pauses the ASC campaigns that use existing_customer_budget_percentage — use the unified Advantage+ setup (details in meta-ads.md). Since 27 Oct 2026, on every version: poll ads can't be created, the Messenger story placement is gone, web_only creatives are rejected in Website + App campaigns, and the delivery-estimate fields daily_outcomes_curve, budget_guardrail and estimate_dau are removed. Sources: Marketing API changelog · v26.0 changelog. The new Page Viewer metric replaces legacy reach (Post/Page Reach, Video Impressions, and Story Impressions retire from the Graph API) — update any reporting that reads those fields. LinkedIn: version 202607 added an automatic "Not Interested" CTA on Message Ads and a SHA256_IP_ADDRESS identifier in the Conversions API.

Highlights that affect campaign construction:

• v24.2 (24 Jun 2026), still in the current version: first-class Local Services Ads support (AssetGroup.google_local_services_info), landing-page-text auto-generation (AssetAutomationType.GENERATE_LANDING_PAGE_TEXT), and a beta Multi-Party Auth review resource for regulated verticals (finance, health, political).
• v24.1 (13 May 2026) — AI Max: four new experiment types (ADOPT_AI_MAX, ADOPT_BROAD_MATCH_KEYWORDS, OPTIMIZE_ASSETS, PMAX_REPLACEMENT_SHOPPING). Run an `ADOPT_AI_MAX` experiment before any AI Max rollout — it gives statistically-clean lift numbers vs the baseline. Also adds mobile_device_platform (iOS vs Android) reporting segmentation.
• v24.0 (22 Apr 2026) — breaking: videos + logo_images now REQUIRED on DemandGenVideoResponsiveAdInfo/VideoResponsiveAdInfo (and business_name on the latter); Campaign.video_brand_safety_suitability REMOVED (moved to the Customer level); CallAd/CallAdInfo fully removed (use Call Assets).
• v23.1 (25 Feb 2026): text_guidelines.term_exclusions + text_guidelines.messaging_restrictions on AI-generated Performance Max and Search assets — pipe a brand's banned-word list (profile.json → restrictions.md → banned_words) and approved messaging straight into PMax asset-gen guardrails.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user's request involves any of the following:

• Creating, auditing, or optimizing campaigns on Google Ads, Meta/Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or TikTok Ads
• Designing campaign structures, ad groups, or ad set hierarchies on any paid platform
• Selecting or troubleshooting bid strategies (manual CPC, target CPA, target ROAS, maximize conversions, etc.)
• Building audience strategies including prospecting, retargeting, lookalike/similar audiences, or custom audiences
• Allocating or pacing budgets across platforms or campaigns
• Setting up or optimizing Google Shopping, Performance Max, YouTube Ads, or Display campaigns
• Working with Meta Advantage+ campaigns or manual campaign structures
• Running LinkedIn Ads with account-based marketing (ABM) targeting
• Launching TikTok Ads including Spark Ads or TikTok Shop integrations
• Programmatic advertising including DSP selection, connected TV (CTV), or digital out-of-home (DOOH)
• Retail media networks including Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing, or Instacart Ads
• Running Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) campaigns, including Google Ads import and Microsoft Audience Network placements
• Planning native advertising campaigns on content discovery networks (Taboola, Outbrain, Nativo)
• Buying audio or podcast advertising across streaming platforms (Spotify, Pandora/SiriusXM, iHeartRadio) or programmatic audio
• Ads inside AI answers: ChatGPT Ads (planning, Pixel + Conversions API tracking, reporting, product/delta feeds) or reaching Google AI Mode through AI Max and Performance Max
• Any question about paid media strategy, creative strategy for ads, or paid channel mix decisions

Brand Context (Auto-Applied)

Before producing any marketing output from this module: