A Floodlight instruction manages the way Search Ads 360 reports on a Floodlight conversion action or activity group without changing the actual activities. For example, you can convert revenue to a different currency, weight specific conversion actions, exclude conversion actions from reports in Search Ads 360, and so on.
Floodlight instructions aren't applied to Campaign Manager 360. You only view a Floodlight instruction's results in reports created in Search Ads 360.
Only users with Admin or Admin without billing roles for a sub-manager account in Search Ads 360 can add, edit, or remove Floodlight instructions. Learn more about user roles in Search Ads 360 .
Google recommends a maximum of 100 Floodlight instructions per advertiser.
Floodlight instruction types
Floodlight instruction
Description
Include or exclude
This instruction excludes data from a Floodlight conversion action or activity group from appearing in Search Ads 360.
If you create an instruction to include a Floodlight conversion action that was previously excluded, Search Ads 360 only reports conversions that occur from the time you create the instruction. Conversions that occurred while the conversion action was excluded are not reported.
You can only use the "Include" instruction if you've first excluded all Floodlight conversion actions and activity groups.
Check an example of creating an include or exclude instruction .
In some situations (for example, data reprocessing), Search Ads 360 might also apply the instruction to conversions that occurred in the past.
Example
You may want to exclude Floodlight conversion actions that are used only for tracking conversions from display advertising. Depending on the number of activities or groups you want to be available in Search Ads 360, you can choose to do the following: - Create one instruction that excludes all Floodlight conversion actions.
- Create one instruction that includes the conversion action or activity group for each conversion action or activity group you want to include. The "Include" instruction takes precedence over the "Exclude" instruction.
You can only use the "Include" instruction if you've first excluded all Floodlight conversion actions and activity groups.
Check an example of creating an include or exclude instruction .
In some situations (for example, data reprocessing), Search Ads 360 might also apply the instruction to conversions that occurred in the past.
Change conversion ID source
A conversion ID identifies each conversion in Search Ads 360. You can view this ID when you download a Conversions and Visits report. Some sub-manager accounts use the conversion ID to reconcile transactions or check metrics in Search Ads 360 against customer orders.
This instruction tells Search Ads 360 which standard variable in the Floodlight tag or event snippet contains the conversion ID.
If you don't create an instruction that specifies which variable contains the conversion ID, Search Ads 360 generates a random conversion ID.
This instruction tells Search Ads 360 which standard variable in the Floodlight tag or event snippet contains the conversion ID.
Example
- Your web developer sets up your shopping cart page to specify a unique order ID in the Floodlight tag's
ordvariable. - In Search Ads 360, you create a Floodlight instruction that copies the value from the
ordvariable into the conversion ID for each conversion. - When you download a Conversions and Visits report from Search Ads 360, each conversion's order ID is specified.
Report % of revenue
This instruction changes the revenue a sales conversion action reports. Instead of showing the original amount a conversion action reported, reports created in Search Ads 360 show only a percentage of revenue as specified in the instruction.
Instead of creating a Floodlight instruction, you can create a custom formula column
to report a revenue percentage. The raw data the Floodlight conversion action reports is still in place, along with an additional column that reports the revenue percentage.
Example
- A travel agency charges 5% of the cost of each trip booked on its site.
- The agency creates a % revenue replacement Floodlight instruction and sets it to 5%.
- If a customer books a trip that costs $1,000 USD, Search Ads 360 reports US$50 of revenue instead of $1,000 USD.
Replace amount of revenue
This instruction changes the revenue a sales conversion action reports. Instead of the original amount a conversion action reports, Search Ads 360 reports a fixed amount specified in the instruction.
Instead of creating a Floodlight instruction, you can create a custom formula column to report a revenue percentage. The raw data the Floodlight conversion action reports is still in place, along with an additional column that reports the revenue percentage.
Instead of creating a Floodlight instruction, you can create a custom formula column to report a revenue percentage. The raw data the Floodlight conversion action reports is still in place, along with an additional column that reports the revenue percentage.
Convert currency
This instruction converts the revenue a Floodlight conversion action reports from one currency to another. Note that this only changes the currency in reporting in Search Ads 360, not in Campaign Manager 360. Check an example of how to create a currency conversion instruction
and learn more about currencies in Search Ads 360
.
Weight conversions
This instruction places more importance on a conversion by applying a priority, or weight, to it for reporting.
