Assets

Assets are units of shareable data—such as images, videos, headlines, and descriptions—that are used to construct different types of ads across multiple formats, such as display, YouTube, app store, and others.

Objects

The most basic objects in the API are the following:

  • Asset: A unit of shareable advertising data
    • AssetType: The kind of content the asset contains—for example, text or image
    • AssetFieldType: How the asset is used—for example, a text asset type can be used as a headline or a description asset field type
  • AssetSet: A collection of assets centered around a theme or organized by campaign
    • AssetSetType: The class of the asset set

There are objects that represent links among assets, asset sets, ad groups, campaigns, and customers:

  • Linkages to assets

    • CustomerAsset: The link between a customer and an asset
    • CampaignAsset: The link between a campaign and an asset
    • AdGroupAsset: The link between an ad group and an asset
    • AssetSetAsset: The link between an asset set and an asset
  • Linkages to asset sets

    • CustomerAssetSet: The link between a customer and an asset set
    • CampaignAssetSet: The link between a campaign and an asset set
    • AdGroupAssetSet: The link between an ad group and an asset set

Campaign assets example

Here's a visual representation of how some of the objects can be linked. The example starts with campaigns at the top, but the same hierarchy also applies to customers and ad groups.

Campaign asset set diagram
Diagram of campaign asset sets

Before you create a CampaignAssetSet, you must first create a Campaign and an AssetSet containing one or more assets. You can assemble assets to create an inventory for all applicable ad formats in your campaign, or let Google Ads mix and match available assets based on which channel the ad is being served: YouTube, Gmail, Search, and others.

Asset types linked to ads

Some asset types can be linked directly to ads.

Asset typeAssetFieldTypeAd type
VideoYOUTUBE_VIDEOApp ad
App engagement ad
Local ad
Responsive display ad
Media bundleMEDIA_BUNDLE
CUSTOM_LAYOUT
App ad
Display upload Ad
ImageMARKETING_IMAGE
SQUARE_MARKETING_IMAGE
LOGO
LANDSCAPE_LOGO
PORTRAIT_MARKETING_IMAGE
App ad
App engagement ad
Local ad
Responsive display ad
TextHEADLINE
LONG_HEADLINE
DESCRIPTION
MANDATORY_AD_TEXT
CALL_TO_ACTION_SELECTION
BUSINESS_NAME
App ad
App engagement ad
Local ad
Responsive display ad
Responsive search ad
Smart campaign ad
Call to ActionCALL_TO_ACTIONLocal ad
Responsive display ad

Asset types linked to customers, campaigns, and ad groups

Some types of assets can be linked to customers, campaigns, or ad groups through linkage objects.

Asset typeAssetFieldTypeLinkageMutable
Business messageBUSINESS_MESSAGECustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
TextBUSINESS_NAMECampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
No
ImageAD_IMAGECampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
No
ImageBUSINESS_LOGOCampaignAssetNo
Lead formLEAD_FORMCampaignAssetYes
PromotionPROMOTIONCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
CalloutCALLOUTCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
Structured snippetSTRUCTURED_SNIPPETCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
SitelinkSITELINKCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
Mobile appMOBILE_APPCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
Hotel calloutHOTEL_CALLOUTCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
CallCALLCustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes
PricePRICECustomerAsset
CampaignAsset
AdGroupAsset
Yes

Location assets

Location assets are handled differently from other asset types. See Location assets for details.

Automatically created assets

Automatically created assets cannot be modified. The AssetSource indicates whether an asset was user-created or was automatically generated by the system. Mutable types like sitelink can't be linked to automatically created assets.

Asset types linked to asset sets

Certain asset types can be linked to specific types of asset sets.

AssetTypeAssetSetTypeLinkageMutable
PAGE_FEEDPAGE_FEEDCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_EDUCATIONDYNAMIC_EDUCATIONCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_CUSTOMDYNAMIC_CUSTOMCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_HOTELS_AND_RENTALSDYNAMIC_HOTELS_AND_RENTALSCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_REAL_ESTATEDYNAMIC_REAL_ESTATECampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_LOCALDYNAMIC_LOCALCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_FLIGHTSDYNAMIC_FLIGHTSCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_JOBSDYNAMIC_JOBSCampaignAssetSetYes
DYNAMIC_TRAVELDYNAMIC_TRAVELCampaignAssetSetYes
LOCATIONLOCATION_SYNCCustomerAssetSet
CampaignAssetSet
AdGroupAssetSet
No (system generated)
GMB_DYNAMIC_LOCATION_GROUPCampaignAssetSet
AdGroupAssetSet
CHAIN_DYNAMIC_LOCATION_GROUPCampaignAssetSet
AdGroupAssetSet
STATIC_LOCATION_GROUPCampaignAssetSet
AdGroupAssetSet