Using AdWords API

Overview of AdWords API

Introduction to the AdWords API

The AdWords Application Programming Interface (API) allows developers to use applications that interact directly with the AdWords server. With these applications, advertisers can manage large accounts and campaigns more efficiently. It offers the same AdWords functionality that is available through our online interface; the difference is that the API gives developers and users more flexibility to create additional applications and tools to manage their AdWords accounts.

The AdWords API is designed for developers representing large, tech-savvy advertisers and third parties. This includes search engine marketers (SEMs), agencies, and other online marketing professionals who manage multiple client accounts or large campaigns.

Because implementing the AdWords API takes technical expertise and programming skills, advertisers who employ developers can achieve the best results. API developer documentation is currently available only in Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English, Japanese, and Korean.

AdWords API Benefits

With the AdWords API, you can employ programs that help you interact with your AdWords account more efficiently. You have many development and integration opportunities -- from simply pulling reports automatically to creating complex applications that integrate with existing databases and enterprise systems.

Depending on your programming talents and advertising needs, the possibilities are practically limitless. Some possibilities include:

• Generating automatic keyword, ad text, URL, and custom reports
• Integrating AdWords data with other databases, such as inventory systems
• Developing additional tools and applications to help you better manage AdWords accounts

Programming Languages Supported

The AdWords API uses SOAP 1.1 and WSDL 1.1.

• SOAP is the Simple Object Access Protocol. It's used for information exchange and RPC, usually (but not necessarily) over HTTP. More information can be found at SoapRPC.com .
• WSDL is the Web Service Description Language. It provides a formal description of a web service, much like CORBA's IDL. The WSDL file is all you need to know how to call the web service; toolkits can generate proxy code from a WSDL file directly.

All messages are sent via SSL (https) to protect our user's privacy, and are authenticated via embedded passwords. We do not currently use any of the higher-level WS-* specifications.

Our goal is to be interoperable with SOAP toolkits in any customer development environment. Currently we support Java, PHP, Python, .NET, Perl, and Ruby.

About AdWords API Versioning

The AdWords API is frequently updated, with the goal of feature parity with the online AdWords interface. We assign it a new version number each time it's updated. To allow developers time to migrate to new versions, old releases and documentation remain available and updated for four months after a new release.

When new versions eliminate or alter functionality available in previous (still available) releases, the Release Notes and Reference sections of the developers guide will annotate these changes:

• The Reference section features version-based documentation, accessible through version-numbered links in the upper right corner of each page. To view differences between versions, click the "DIFF" link on the same navigation bar. Elements that have been removed from the earlier version will be shown with a strikethrough.
• Read the Release Notes for updates on features and functions. A  blog postwill also explain updates to newly released versions.