Use the Google Ads connector in Active Intelligence

You can enable a connection between your Active Intelligence workspace and your Google Ads account. With the Google Ads connector, you can use Active Intelligence to perform several tasks, such as:

• Create a new Google Ads Account, or connect to an existing Google Ads account
• Create a Google Ads Performance Max (PMax) campaign
• Create automations that are triggered when a Google Lead Form is submitted
• Create new Google Ads audiences
• Upload content from your ActiveCampaign Content Manager to your Google Ads account
• Add or remove contacts in a Google Ads audience list
• Access your Google Ads campaign performance metrics

This article will guide you through connecting Google Ads to Active Intelligence, empowering you to unlock the full potential of Google Ads' features.

Take Note

• The Google Ads connector differs from the Google Ads integration in ActiveCampaign
  • The Google Ads connector connects Google Ads to Active Intelligence. This enables Active Intelligence to create Google Ads Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, track ad performance, and allows you to create an ads account if you are a new to Google Ads
  • The Google Ads integration creates new audience lists and syncs contacts directly with Google Ads. You can also start personalized follow-up campaigns once a contact submits a lead form. Learn more about the Google Ads integration for ActiveCampaign
• To ensure optimal performance of your Google Ads campaigns, Active Intelligence’s Google Ads connector will create only Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. Learn how you can achieve your business goals with Performance Max campaigns

Connect Google Ads to ActiveCampaign

1. In your ActiveCampaign account, click the ​“Tools” menu located inside the Active Intelligence prompt bar.

2. In the “Tools” menu, you will see an option for Google Ads. Click the Google Ads icon.

3. You will be redirected to Google’s “Choose an account” page. Select the Google account you want to connect to Active Intelligence.
   • Please do not select a Manager account type, as ad campaigns cannot be created with this account type
4. You will be directed to a page asking for specific permissions. If you agree to the listed permissions, click the “Continue” button. 
5. You will be taken to a page that asks you to allow ActiveCampaign to access your Google Account. If you agree to the specific access listed, click the “Allow” button.
6. You will be brought back to your ActiveCampaign account. Click the “Tools” menu in the Active Intelligence prompt bar and verify that the Google Ads connector is toggled on.

Once connected, you can input a prompt in Active Intelligence to start working with Google Ads. We have provided some prompt examples to help you get started. 

Please note that the Google Ads connector must be toggled to “On” for Active Intelligence to access your Google Ads account.

​Create a new Google Ads account with Active Intelligence

Active Intelligence can guide you step-by-step in creating a new Google Ads account. 

1. In the Active Intelligence overview page, click inside the Active Intelligence prompt field.
2. Type a prompt asking Active Intelligence to create a new Google Ads account for you.
3. Active Intelligence will then ask you to provide some required information to help create the Google Ads account. Provide the name, currency code, and time zone of the new account.
   • Please note that currency and time zone cannot be changed after your account is created
4. Active Intelligence will create your account using those details and will generate an account activation link. Click the account acceptance link.
5. A new tab will open to a page asking you to confirm your new account. Click the “Continue” button.
6. You will be redirected to your Google Ads Account’s payment information page. Enter the required billing details and click the “Submit” button.

Once you input your payment information, you will be taken to a page confirming that your new account has been set up. From there, you can return to ActiveCampaign and use the Google Ads connector with your new Google Ads account.

​Create a Performance Max campaign with Active Intelligence

Performance Max is a goal-based, all-in-one campaign type that uses AI to proactively find and convert new customers across Google's entire inventory. From a single campaign, you can reach audiences on Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. PMax is designed to maximize your growth by automatically boosting conversions, leads, and sales within your set budget.

To build a Performance Max campaign with Active Intelligence:

1. In the Active Intelligence overview page, click inside the Active Intelligence prompt field.
2. Type a prompt that instructs Active Intelligence to create a Performance Max campaign.
3. Active Intelligence will then ask you to provide the name of the Google Ads account that you’d like to use to create the campaign. You can also choose to create a new Google Ads account.
4. Once the specific account is confirmed, Active Intelligence will ask you to answer a series of questions to help it set up your campaign. Such as:
   • What is the main objective of this campaign?
   • Who is your target audience?
   • What specific action do you want people to take?
5. Once those questions are answered, you will need to enter your campaign’s specifications. You will be asked to provide the following information:
   • Campaign name
   • Daily budget
   • Landing page URL
   • Type of location targeting
6. Active Intelligence will then share options for your ad copy, including headlines, long headlines, and descriptions. Select the options you’d like to use.
7. If you have a Brand Kit, Active Intelligence will access it to use as a reference for branding information. You will need to upload a logo to continue to the next step.
8. You will be given the option to upload additional imagery or have images generated by Google Ads AI (Beta). Once you choose how you’d like to receive additional images, select the marketing images you want to use for the Performance Max campaign.
9. Active Intelligence will provide options for Audiences from your Google Ads account. Select the audience you’d like to target with your campaign.
10. Active Intelligence will ask you to confirm whether the campaign will serve political content.
11. Active Intelligence will provide a summary of specs for the Performance Max campaign. Once you confirm the PMax campaign’s specifications, Active Intelligence will connect with Google Ads to create an ad campaign with a Pause status.

Once Active Intelligence confirms that the Performance Max campaign has been created, it will provide you with links to view the PMax campaign or to preview the ads in your Google Ads account.

Prompt Examples

Here are some examples of prompts you can use with the Google Ads connector:

• "Help me connect Google Ads to ActiveCampaign"
• “Help me create a new ad”
• "Create a Performance Max campaign for my travel agency's new Thailand tour"
• "Create a Google Ad campaign and an email series to promote our new spring clothing line"

Disconnect the Google Ads Connector

If you need to disconnect the Google Ads connector in your ActiveCampaign account, you can follow one of the sets of steps outlined below.

Temporarily disable the Google Ads connector

1. In the Active Intelligence overview page, click inside the Active Intelligence prompt field.
2. Click the “Tools” menu in the Active Intelligence prompt bar.
3. Click the toggle button next to the Google Ads icon. This will switch the toggle to the off position.

Disconnect the Google Ads connector from Active Intelligence

1. In the Active Intelligence overview page, click inside the Active Intelligence prompt field.
2. Click the “Tools” menu in the Active Intelligence prompt bar.
3. Click “Manage connectors” (gear icon).
4. A modal will appear listing all of the currently available connectors. Select “Google Ads.”
5. A new modal will appear, showing the connector’s details. Click the “Disconnect” button in the upper-right corner of the modal.