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Freedom251 › Blog › advertising APIs

Display & Video 360 API vs. Google Ads API: Which Should You Use?

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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Use the API belonging to the advertising platform that owns the resources you need to manage. Choose the Display & Video 360 API for DV360 partners, advertisers, insertion orders, line items, creatives, targeting, and access administration. Choose the Google Ads API for Google Ads account hierarchies, campaigns, ads, keywords, conversion uploads, bidding workflows, and Google Ads reporting. They are not interchangeable interfaces. If your requirement is DV360 performance reporting, neither a workaround in the DV360 API nor a Google Ads query is the answer: Google directs developers to the separate Bid Manager API for creating and running DV360 offline reports.

The right choice also depends on campaign type, permissions, software infrastructure, and whether a no-code tool can meet the need. The sections below map those decisions before you commit to an implementation.

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What is the difference between the Display & Video 360 API and the Google Ads API?

The APIs control different Google advertising products and expose different resource models. The Display & Video 360 API automates workflows inside Display & Video 360 (DV360), while the Google Ads API manages Google Ads accounts and their campaigns. An OAuth token that is valid for one product does not turn the other product’s resources into available endpoints.

Display & Video 360 API

DV360 is organized around partners, advertisers, campaigns, insertion orders, line items, creatives, targeting, and users. Google describes its API as a way to automate complex DV360 workflows, such as creating insertion orders and assigning line-item targeting. The broader reference also covers campaign management, creative upload or building, and user-access administration.

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Google Ads API

The Google Ads API is the programmatic interface for large or complex Google Ads accounts. Its documented use cases include account management, campaign and ad management, keyword work, custom reporting with Google Ads Query Language (GAQL), conversion uploads, and Smart Bidding strategy management. It operates on the Google Ads account hierarchy rather than the DV360 partner-and-advertiser model.

Why one API cannot replace the other

A campaign, line item, or audience in DV360 is a different resource from a campaign or ad group in Google Ads. Code written against one resource model cannot simply be pointed at the other service. If an organization uses both products, treat them as separate integrations with separate authorization, capability checks, data models, and operational monitoring.

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Which platform owns the campaign or resource you need to change?

Start with ownership, not with a feature checklist. Identify where the campaign was created and where its settings are administered; then select that platform’s API.

Decision axis Display & Video 360 API Google Ads API
Platform being managed Display & Video 360 Google Ads
Typical scope DV360 resources and workflows, including campaign resources, insertion orders, line items, creatives, users, and targeting Google Ads account hierarchy, campaigns, ads, keywords, reporting, conversion measurement, and supported bidding workflows
Performance reporting Use the separate Bid Manager API for DV360 offline reports Use GAQL-based reporting in the Google Ads API; Google also lists BigQuery Data Transfer Service for warehouse or offline analysis
Primary access model OAuth 2.0 plus a DV360 user profile with suitable partner or advertiser permissions Google Cloud project, OAuth credentials, access levels, and a developer token
Capability check Check the current DV360 API version and whether the resource is covered Check the exact campaign type and operation; video support is not uniform
When custom server software is unnecessary Use the platform workflows that meet the requirement instead of building an API service Consider scripts, automated rules, bulk uploads, or Google Ads Editor for supported tasks

The table describes product boundaries, not a ranking. Neither API is universally more capable or easier; each is optimized for its own platform.

What can you automate with the Display & Video 360 API?

Use the DV360 API when your application must create, update, inspect, or administer DV360 resources. Common automation patterns include:

  • Creating and updating insertion orders and related campaign structures.
  • Creating line items and assigning their targeting settings.
  • Managing campaign resources and creatives, including creative upload or building workflows documented by Google.
  • Reading or changing resources at the partner or advertiser level when the authenticated user has the necessary role.
  • Managing DV360 users and access when the account has administrative permission.

These operations are useful for provisioning campaigns from an internal system, enforcing naming or targeting conventions, synchronizing approved creatives, and automating account administration. They do not make the API a general reporting endpoint: DV360 performance data follows a different service path.

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What can you automate with the Google Ads API?

The Google Ads API fits software that manages Google Ads accounts directly. Google’s documented use cases include:

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  • Traversing and managing the Google Ads account hierarchy.
  • Creating and editing supported campaign, ad, and keyword resources.
  • Running custom reports with GAQL against the account’s available data.
  • Uploading conversions for measurement workflows.
  • Managing supported Smart Bidding strategies and related campaign settings.

Because Google Ads serves several campaign families, a feature that exists in the API may still have different operations or fields by campaign type. Design your integration around the specific campaign family and operation rather than assuming that an example for one type applies to every type.

How does reporting differ between the two APIs?

DV360 performance reporting is the clearest dividing line. The DV360 API does not retrieve performance data. Google’s Display & Video 360 API FAQ states: “No. Use the Bid Manager API to create, retrieve, and run Display & Video 360 offline reports.” The Bid Manager API is the interface Google documents for building and running reports and downloading their results.

Reporting a DV360 campaign

  1. Use the DV360 API for configuration or metadata that your workflow needs, such as advertiser, insertion-order, line-item, creative, or targeting information.
  2. Use the Bid Manager API to define and run the offline report that contains performance metrics.
  3. Retrieve the completed report and join it to your configuration data in your warehouse or application.

This split means a DV360 automation project may legitimately use two Google APIs: one for resource management and one for measurement. Do not substitute a Google Ads report for DV360 delivery data; it would describe a different platform.

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Reporting a Google Ads campaign

For Google Ads, the Google Ads API provides custom reporting through GAQL. You select the supported resources and metrics for the account and campaign type, then run queries through the API. If the goal is recurring warehouse analysis rather than interactive application logic, Google also lists BigQuery Data Transfer Service as an alternative.

What access and credentials do you need?

Authentication proves that an application may call Google; authorization determines which advertisers, partners, accounts, and operations it may use. Plan both before writing resource code.

DV360 access requirements

DV360 API calls use OAuth 2.0. The Google Account that authenticates the call must have a DV360 user profile and suitable access to the relevant partner or advertiser. Google’s FAQ distinguishes these permission levels:

  • Read only: retrieve resources.
  • Standard: retrieve resources and create or update them.
  • Admin: administer user resources and access in addition to ordinary management capabilities.

The quickstart also requires DV360 access itself. Organizations that do not have access must establish it through Google’s DV360 process before an API integration can work. A valid OAuth flow with a user who lacks the advertiser permission will still fail at the resource-authorization stage.

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Google Ads access requirements

Google Ads setup includes a Google Cloud project, OAuth credentials, the required access level for the account, and developer-token guidance. The developer token is associated with the application’s access to the Google Ads API; OAuth identifies the user or manager context used for a request. Keep test, development, and production credentials separated, and verify that the authenticated account can reach every customer account your application is expected to manage.

Permission checks to perform early

  • Confirm the account or advertiser ID is in the scope your user can access.
  • Run a read operation before attempting creation or mutation.
  • Check that the role permits the intended write or administrative operation.
  • Log authorization failures separately from invalid-resource or validation errors so operators know whether to fix permissions or code.

Are all campaign types equally writable in the Google Ads API?

No. Campaign support varies, and video campaigns are an important example. Google’s campaign documentation says that some video campaign types support reporting but not write operations such as pausing, enabling, changing targeting, or adding ads. You must verify the exact campaign type and operation in the current documentation before promising full automation.

Planning YouTube video automation

Google’s guidance recommends Performance Max or Demand Gen when the requirement is full creation and management of YouTube video ads through the API. That is guidance for the campaign types covered by the checked documentation, not a guarantee for every future configuration. Confirm support for the specific subtype, field, and operation you intend to use.

Designing around read-only support

If a campaign type permits reporting but not mutation, separate your system into a reporting path and a control path. Let the API collect the data it supports, and route unsupported changes through an approved Google Ads interface or workflow. Failing fast with a capability message is safer than repeatedly retrying an operation the campaign type can never accept.

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How should you choose between the APIs?

Use this sequence to turn a vague integration request into a defensible choice.

  1. Name the owning product. Write down whether the resource lives in DV360 or Google Ads. If the request mentions both, split it into platform-specific workstreams.
  2. List the required operations. Separate read, create, update, delete, targeting, creative, conversion, bidding, and reporting needs. A platform match is necessary but not sufficient; every operation must be supported.
  3. Classify reporting. For DV360 delivery metrics, budget time for the Bid Manager API. For Google Ads metrics, define the GAQL resources and fields or evaluate a warehouse transfer.
  4. Validate access. Confirm DV360 partner or advertiser permissions, or Google Ads account access, before estimating implementation effort.
  5. Check campaign-specific limits. Especially for Google Ads video campaigns, verify that the exact operation is writable.
  6. Decide whether a custom service is justified. If the workflow is a small rule or a one-time bulk edit, a built-in tool may be cheaper and more reliable than maintaining an API service.
  7. Pin the documented version. Record the API version and feature documentation used for the design, then schedule a review of release notes before deployment.

How do you start a Display & Video 360 API integration?

Build the first slice around one authorized advertiser and one read operation, then add writes and reporting as separate capabilities.

  1. Create or select a Google Cloud project and configure OAuth 2.0 for the application.
  2. Have an administrator confirm that the authenticating Google Account has a DV360 user profile and the required partner or advertiser role.
  3. Choose the DV360 API version whose reference and release notes match the resources you need. The general REST reference has listed discovery documents for v5 and v4; the v5 reference labels that version beta, while the FAQ identifies v4 as the latest version addressed on that page.
  4. Call a read endpoint for a known advertiser or partner and log the returned resource identifiers.
  5. Add creation or update operations only after read access and field validation succeed. Keep mutation permissions and credentials narrower than administrative access where possible.
  6. Implement reporting through the Bid Manager API rather than expecting performance metrics from DV360 resource calls.
  7. Add retries, idempotency keys or equivalent duplicate protection where the operation and client library support them, and record request outcomes for operational review.

How do you start a Google Ads API integration?

Google Ads integrations benefit from a staged account-and-campaign test because account hierarchy and campaign-type support both affect the result.

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  1. Create a Google Cloud project and configure OAuth credentials for the users or service accounts your operating model permits.
  2. Obtain and configure the required developer token and access level, following Google’s current onboarding guidance.
  3. Authenticate against a test or low-risk customer account and traverse the account hierarchy before issuing mutations.
  4. Run a small GAQL query to verify that the account, campaign, and reporting resources you need are available.
  5. Check the campaign-type documentation for every planned write, including pause, enable, targeting, ad creation, conversion upload, and bidding changes.
  6. Implement one mutation with explicit validation, then add bulk behavior only after the single-resource path is observable and reversible.
  7. For offline analysis, evaluate BigQuery Data Transfer Service instead of forcing warehouse workloads through an application API.
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When is a simpler tool better than a custom API?

A custom API service is justified when you need repeatable logic, integration with internal systems, or automation at a scale that the platform’s interfaces cannot provide. It is not automatically the best choice for every bulk edit or report.

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Google Ads alternatives

  • Google Ads scripts: Google recommends scripts for custom logic without maintaining your own server infrastructure.
  • Automated rules: Suitable for supported, condition-based account actions that do not require a separate application.
  • Bulk uploads: Useful for prepared batches of account changes.
  • Google Ads Editor: A desktop workflow for bulk management without writing an integration.
  • BigQuery Data Transfer Service: A warehouse-oriented option for recurring offline analysis.

DV360 alternatives

For DV360, first check whether the platform’s own workflows cover the task. If the requirement is performance analysis, use the Bid Manager API’s reporting workflow rather than building a data collector around the DV360 management API. If a task needs cross-system orchestration or repeatable provisioning, the DV360 API becomes more appropriate.

What are the most common implementation mistakes?

Using the wrong product API

Symptom: The requested campaign or account cannot be found, or the resource model does not contain the needed field. Fix: Confirm where the campaign was created and move the integration to that platform’s API.

Expecting DV360 performance data from management calls

Symptom: Configuration objects are available but delivery metrics are missing. Fix: Build a Bid Manager API report and join its results with DV360 metadata.

Assuming a video campaign is fully writable

Symptom: Reporting succeeds while pause, targeting, or ad-creation calls are rejected. Fix: Check the exact video campaign type and either use a supported type such as Performance Max or Demand Gen for full YouTube management, or route unsupported changes through another approved workflow.

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Confusing authentication with authorization

Symptom: OAuth succeeds but requests return permission errors. Fix: Give the authenticating user the relevant DV360 partner or advertiser role, or the required Google Ads account access, and test with the intended account hierarchy.

Hard-coding an outdated version assumption

Symptom: A discovery document, field, or example no longer matches the deployed API. Fix: Check the versioned reference and release notes immediately before implementation and again before upgrading production code.

How should you handle API version changes?

Version status is especially important for DV360. At the time covered by the documentation, the general REST reference listed discovery documents for v5 and v4, with v5 labeled beta, while the FAQ page described v4 as the latest version addressed there. Those statements are not interchangeable: a version can exist in a reference while a FAQ still discusses an earlier release.

Record the version used by each service, the resources and operations it relies on, and the date on which you checked support. Before deployment or an upgrade, review the current versioned reference, release notes, and feature availability. Treat campaign-type support and reporting interfaces as change-sensitive rather than permanent assumptions.

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Which API should you use in common scenarios?

Scenario Recommended interface Reason
Create DV360 insertion orders and assign line-item targeting Display & Video 360 API These are DV360 resource-management workflows.
Upload or build DV360 creatives Display & Video 360 API Creative management is part of the DV360 API scope.
Download DV360 performance results Bid Manager API Google does not expose DV360 performance data through the DV360 API.
Query Google Ads campaign metrics with custom dimensions Google Ads API with GAQL GAQL provides custom reporting for Google Ads resources.
Upload conversions to Google Ads Google Ads API Conversion uploads are a documented Google Ads API use case.
Manage a supported Google Ads bidding strategy Google Ads API Smart Bidding management is documented for Google Ads.
Make a one-time Google Ads bulk edit without a service Google Ads Editor or bulk upload Both are listed no-code or low-infrastructure alternatives.

When a project spans rows in this table, use separate service boundaries and data contracts. A single orchestration layer may call several APIs, but each call should remain explicit about its owning platform and permissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Display & Video 360 API manage Google Ads campaigns?

No. It manages DV360 resources only. Google Ads campaigns must be handled through the Google Ads API or the platform’s supported interfaces.

Do I need both the DV360 API and the Bid Manager API?

Only if your application both changes DV360 resources and retrieves DV360 performance reports. The management API handles configuration, while Bid Manager creates and runs offline reports.

Is a Google Ads developer token the same as OAuth access?

No. OAuth identifies and authorizes the user context, while the developer token is part of the application’s Google Ads API access setup. Both requirements must be satisfied for a production integration.

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What should I test before enabling automated writes?

Test account scope, campaign-type support, validation errors, duplicate protection, and rollback or manual recovery. Start with a low-risk account and one mutation before enabling bulk changes.

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advertising APIsBid Manager APIDisplay & Video 360 APIGoogle Ads APIGoogle Ads automation

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