When I first heard about Google’s upcoming changes to the Ads API, I realized this could be a game-changer for many advertisers. Starting February 2nd, the Google Ads API will stop accepting new users of session attributes or IP address data in conversion imports. If you’re like me, and already using these fields, you might wonder what this means for your current set-up.
This shift marks Google’s efforts to guide us all toward the Data Manager API, which they aim to make the primary hub for complex conversion and user data transfer. It’s becoming clear that the Google Ads API is honing its focus on core functions like campaign management and conversion workflows, leaving the heavy lifting to the Data Manager API.
Here’s why this change matters to us: it directly influences whether our conversions are effectively captured. Blocking session attributes or IP data can cripple our conversion tracking and reporting, affecting performance insights and automated bidding strategies. Transitioning to the Data Manager API secures our data flow, ensures richer data signals, and aligns with Google’s long-term vision for measurement infrastructure.
Who needs to act? If you’re a new developer trying to use session attributes or IP addresses with the Ads API, you’ll be blocked from doing so. For those of us already on this path, our operations continue, but the expectation to migrate is loud and clear, underscored by Google’s developer-token allowlisting requirements.
What happens if we don’t transpose our setup? Post-change, some conversion imports will hit a roadblock with a CUSTOMER_NOT_ALLOWLISTED_FOR_THIS_FEATURE error, indicating rejection due to session attributes or IP address inclusions.
To fix this, we need to promptly update our systems: temporarily exclude session attributes and IP data from Ads API imports, reroute this information through the Data Manager API, and ultimately phase out Ads API conversion imports once our new setup is fully integrated.
The bottom line for those of us using the existing system is that while Google isn’t snipping the cord immediately, the roadmap is clear: if our tracking relies on session attributes or IP data, embracing the Data Manager API isn’t just advisable, it’s imperative.
If you, like me, want to learn more, check out Google’s detailed update on this transition: Changes to IP Address and Session Attribute Support in the Google Ads API.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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