How to Set Up Google Ad Manager (DFP)?

Whether you're a seasoned publisher or just starting out, getting the best value for your ad inventory can be overwhelming, especially when juggling multiple ad campaigns across various platforms.

Enter Google Ad Manager – a publisher-friendly solution designed to bring all your advertising efforts under one roof, making it easier to manage, optimize, and maximize your ad revenue.

If you have never used Google Ad Manager before, then learning how to set it up can transform the way you handle your ad inventory. This can allow you to streamline your operations and focus on what matters most: growing your business.

Ready to take control of your ad management? Let's first understand:

Should you use a Google Ads Manager Account?

Google Ad Manager is a versatile platform that can cater to a wide range of users. It’s particularly well-suited for those handling large volumes of ad inventory or running campaigns across several websites, apps, or video channels. However, if you are an individual publisher, run a popular blog, a niche website, or a small online publication, managing ads across your site can quickly become complex as your traffic grows. Or if you have grown beyond the basic needs of Google AdSense, Google Ad Manager is your best bet, as it will give you more control over your ad inventory. It will enable you to maximize your revenue through advanced targeting and optimization (that Google AdSense cannot offer).

For example, you can create and manage multiple ad units, apply precise targeting options, and experiment with different ad formats to find what works best for your audience.

If you are a large enterprise, then you can easily find the answer to your digital advertising woes in Google Ad Manager. With Google Ad Manager, however, you can consolidate everything into a single platform, making it easier to manage, track, and optimize performance across all your channels while getting a better understanding of your target audience.

How to Set up Google Ad Manager?

If you already have an account with AdSense, you can directly create an account on the Google Ad Manager official website. However, if you don’t have one, create an AdSense account, as Google has made it mandatory to have an AdSense account. Once you are with an AdSense account, you can sign in and set up the Google Ad Manager.

Here is a quick way to create a Google Ad Manager account:

Visit the Google Ad Manager website and sign in with your Google account.
Click on "Create Account" and fill in the required information, including your business name, currency, and time zone.
While creating your account, you’ll be required to choose from ‘For myself’ or ‘To manage my business.’ Select as per your business requirements.
Review and accept the terms and conditions.
Once your account is created, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Google. Your account will then be reviewed, which may take a few days.

Note: If you have more than one Google AdSense account, ensure that you sign up for Ad Manager using the right one, as your Ad Manager account is permanently linked to your Google AdSense account.

Also note that while setting up the Google Ad Manager, you will be required to choose your network settings, which include your network time zone and currency. Once you select them, they are set permanently and cannot be changed.

Once you are all set with your GAM account, you need to follow these steps to start using your Google Ad Manager account:

Step 1: Navigate the Google Ad Manager dashboard

Upon account approval, log in to your Google Ad Manager dashboard. The dashboard is your control center, where you’ll manage all aspects of your ad operations. Some of the key sections that you will have to toggle between several hundred times a day are:

Inventory: It’s a place where you manage your ad units and placements.
Orders: Here, you will manage direct deals and programmatic sales.
Reports: A place where you can track your performance and revenue metrics.
Delivery: This is the important toggle. Here you can monitor all your movements and how ads are being served across your site.

If you want to master Google Ad Manager, you must familiarize yourself with these sections, as they’ll be crucial in managing your ad operations.

Step 2: Structure your ad inventory

Once you are familiar with your dashboard, it is time you get more in-depth information about how your website is structured, and where ad spaces are placed. You can start by restructuring your ad spaces where they are most beneficial.

For example, you own a food blog with different cuisines. How should you plan your ad inventory for different audiences for different cuisines? You would probably want to place equipment or grocery-related ads specific to each cuisine landing page for better results.

You can structure your ad inventory outside of your Google Ad Manager account even before creating ad units, placements, or anything else. Here, you can outline where you want your ads to show and what kind of ads you plan to show in those spaces.

Step 3: Create Ad Units

First and foremost, you need to create ad units. To create and set up ad units, follow these steps:

Go to Inventory > Ad Unit > New Ad Unit. An ad unit can be created at a parent level or lower level (under parent level). If you click one level below “Network,” it’s a child unit – created under an ad unit. If you want to create a parent unit, you can go with the “current level“

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Then, enter a Code E.g., adserver_tech. This code is used to identify the ad unit in the associated ad tag (present in the site’s source code) and cannot be changed once saved. While you debug/troubleshoot, you rely on the code to recognize the ad unit.
Enter a name (E.g., sitename_adsize_placement) and add a few lines about the ad unit in the description. Apparently, this will help you identify the unit on the Google Ad Manager interface.
Select the ad unit size from the drop-down menu (Size). You can select more than one size (300×250, 728×90, and 336×280). Need help picking up the sizes, then look at the best ad unit sizes guide.
From the Target window drop-down menu and choose one of the options i.e., Top or Blank. If you select Top, the landing page associated with the ad will be opened in the current tab when a visitor clicks the ad. If you want to open the landing page in a new tab, then select Blank (suggested).
The placement option is optional and can be skipped for now (If you’ve already created placements, you can add this ad unit to any of those placements. What are placements? If you want to group a number of ad units for targeting, you can create placements).
Then, the Frequency caps feature limits the number of times a user is served certain ads.
Then, click Save.

Just like this, you can create as many ad units as you want.

Step 4: Generate Google Publisher Tag (GPT)

Once you are done with creating your first ad unit, you are all set to start serving ads. This step is crucial as it allows you not only to keep track of your ad inventory but also enables you to serve your ads dynamically.

Click Inventory > Ad Units. Then, select the ad units for which you want to create ad tags. After selecting the ad unit, click on Continue.
Then, go to the Tag type drop-down menu and select one – Google Publisher Tag, Mobile Application Tag, Ad Exchange Tag, Google Publisher Tag for Video and Audio, and AMP Tag.
Select the Single-request mode (SRA), and if you want to collapse the ad unit when it is unfilled, then opt for Collapse empty divs. This is optional.

Then, from the Tag Results, copy the generated tag (in the Document header) for the header and paste it into the header code of your website. This tag contains the Publisher ID and all ad units for that particular page. Here’s what the head tag looks like:

window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};

googletag.cmd.push(function() {

googletag.defineSlot('/73188410/publisherwebsite_120x600_Desktop_AXT', [120, 600], 'div-gpt-ad-1637047976907-0').addService(googletag.pubads());

googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();

googletag.enableServices();

});

</script>

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1637047976907-0'); });

</script>

</div>

Note: It can take up to 30 minutes after tagging your pages with GPT before you see ads trafficked through your Ad Manager network.

Step 5: Create new Order and Line Items

Then, the next step is to set up an ad campaign. This is how it’s done:

Click Order > New order. Enter the name of the advertiser, for example, Amazon Advertising.
In the Company block, click Add a new company. You can enter the same name that you filled in the name of the advertiser (in the previous step). Select one option out of three: Advertiser, Ad Network, or House Advertiser.
Then, click Save.
Fill in your email address in the Trafficker space.

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Once you create your first order, it’s time to follow the below steps to create a new Line Item:

Click Order > New line item. Select the line item type: Display or Video or audio. Enter the Name of the line item, for example, Amazon Alexa.
In the Inventory sizes, add the sizes of line items, i.e., 336×280, 728×90, 468×90, and so on. You can add more than one size here.
Now, it’s time to configure Settings and Adjust Delivery.

Before making any changes in the Settings, it’s important to understand the terms involved in this section because these two sections define the delivery of ads on the website.

Google DFP enables publishers to prioritize the order of delivery of Line Items. Line Items are divided into three types based on their priority of delivery.

Guaranteed
Non-guaranteed
Ad network and ad exchange.

These three are further subdivided into the following categories:

Sponsorship – Used for direct-sold campaigns where % of impressions and a start and end date are pre-defined. Select this when a buyer wants to “take over” your webpage or the complete website. Line items of the Sponsorship type usually have the highest priority over other items.
Standard – Used for direct-sold campaigns where impression goal and a start and end date are pre-defined. Unlike Sponsorship priority, select this when a buyer wants a specific number of impressions.
AdSense – If you want to place ads and give preference to AdSense inventories, then select this option. Here, AdSense ads will be served first and then others.
Ad Exchange – Similar to that AdSense priority, this gives preference to Google Ad Exchange ads.
Network – Select this when you have an ad network without impression goals. It is suggested to use Network priority when you want to display several line items evenly.
Bulk – Select this when you’re selling inventories in bulk and your buying partners aren’t sure of delivery timelines.
Price priority – Use this when filling your remnant inventories with the highest-paying Line Item.
House – House priority is the one with the lowest priority. Use this when no ad buyer (ad network, ad exchange, etc.) can serve an ad. This can be typically used to promote your products or services. When no ad network or ad exchange delivers an ad, then this enables the server to return an in-house ad of the publisher.

*If a publisher has multiple line items with different priorities, then Google DFP prioritize them in the following order –

Sponsorship > Standard > Network > Bulk > Price Priority > House

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Related Read: Different types of line item priorities in Google Ad Manager

So, returning to Settings, select the priority you want from the drop-down menu Type. Enter the Start time and End time to deliver ads across a day. Then, specify the Goal % of remnant impressions, usually meant to determine the number of impressions the line item should ideally serve.

Next to Settings is Adjust Delivery. This section is optional and used to modify ad delivery timelines.

After entering the ad delivery specifications, move to the Add Targeting (below the Settings option)

Note: If you’re creating a new Line Item, you’ll have to Approve it. Otherwise, ads will not be served. To do that, Go to Order > New Line Item > Approve. That’s it.

Step 6: Add Targeting

Google Ad Manager offers several ways to refine your targeting, allowing you to control who sees your ads based on various criteria. Here’s how you can add targeting to your campaigns effectively:

1. Search and Include/Exclude Targeting

The targeting picker in Google Ad Manager lets you narrow down your audience by including or excluding specific items such as ad units, placements, geographic locations, or custom key values.

Include Targeting: To include specific items, simply expand the targeting type and click on the items you want to include. For example, if you’re targeting specific ad units, you can search for the relevant units and include them.
Exclude Targeting: Similarly, if there are certain items you don’t want to target, use the exclude option. For instance, if you don’t want your ads to show in specific geographic locations, you can exclude those areas.

This method is particularly useful when you want to fine-tune your audience by including only the most relevant segments or excluding those that don’t align with your campaign goals.

2. Copy and Paste Values

If you have a large list of values to include or exclude, the ‘copy and paste’ feature can save you a lot of time. This method is supported for three targeting types: Inventory, Geography, and Custom Targeting.

Inventory: For ad units or placements, paste the full code paths of the ad units you want to include or exclude. This is especially handy if you manage a large inventory and need to target specific units across multiple campaigns.
Geography: You can paste a list of postal codes, countries, or states that you want to target or exclude. This is useful for location-specific campaigns where precision is key.
Custom Targeting: For more advanced targeting, you can use custom key values or audience segments. Paste your values directly into the targeting picker, and the Ad Manager will apply them to your campaign. This option also allows for advanced expressions if you need to apply complex targeting logic.

3. Apply Targeting Presets: Under this, the targeting presets are predefined and can be reused across different campaigns. If you frequently use the same targeting settings, creating a preset can streamline your campaign setup.

How to apply a preset: You can simply search for the preset by name in the targeting picker and select it. Once applied, you can make further adjustments or even combine multiple presets.

Using targeting presets not only saves time but also ensures consistency across your campaigns, making it easier to manage large-scale advertising efforts.

Now you have a clear understanding of the different ways to add targeting, here are the steps you can follow to add targeting to your line items:

Click Inventory. Include the ad inventories where you want to display targeted ads (This is where you select the ad units and/or placements you created in the first step. If a user loads the page, the ad unit gets called, and then the unit will trigger the associated line items). And then Save.
Then, click Geography and enter the locations where you want to display the ads.
Click the User Domains. It is used to target users coming from specific websites. For example – when you want to target visitors coming to your website from another website abc.site, then you can add this referral website link in the User Domains.
Below the User Domains is a Browsing option that targets visitors based on their browsing details i.e. browser they are using or their operating system, etc.

Note: With Custom Criteria, you can target specific attributes since this option enables additional targeting options e.g. tagging web pages to specific attributes and then targeting them.

Advanced Reading: A Beginner’s Guide to Key-Value Targeting

Step 7: Define Ad Creative

Now you have to add ad creatives. Go to the Creative tab in the left side menu bar and select Add Creative. Then,

Click on New creative.
Select the advertiser by searching for the name. Go to the Image file and upload an image that will be displayed in the ad slot*.
Give a name to the ad creative, specify Target ad unit size, and upload the image file.
Enter the Click-through URL in the field.
Select Associated ad technology providers, if there are any, and save the settings.

*This applies when you are running direct deals with advertisers from whom you can get the ad creatives. If you’re running programmatic ads, you need to include a third-party ad creative in the place of the image file. So, instead of selecting the upload image option, you must go with a “Third party”.

Once you’ve added creatives, you must associate them with line items. It can be done by navigating to the line item creation tab (refer to step 3).

Step 8: Test your ad campaign and Launch

Before hitting the launch button on your ad campaign, it’s crucial to thoroughly test everything to ensure a smooth and successful rollout. A well-tested campaign not only avoids costly mistakes but also ensures the best possible user experience.

You can start by setting up a testing environment with test data. Create a separate test object such as advertisers, ad units, orders, and creatives using “TEST” as a first name to keep them distinct from real campaigns. This helps you easily identify and manage es data without confusing it with live content. Using a development site can allow you to test ads in a realistic setting without affecting your live site.

Next, you must test your ad tags by creating a test page. This ensures that the tags interact and produce desirable results and interact correctly with various page layouts, including those optimized for mobile.

Finally, test your trafficking setup and creatives. Have a preview of how creatives will deliver on your site and verify that third-party creatives render correctly. Don’t forget to test rich media and out-of-page creatives to ensure they display as intended.

This is a must-follow step in setting up your Google Ad Manager, as this step will put you up for success. Thorough testing in these phases will help you catch any issues early, enabling you to make amends before you lose out on potential ad revenue.

How Many Ad Campaigns Can Be Used in Google Ads Manager Accounts?

Managing multiple ad campaigns across different accounts can quickly become overwhelming for an ad ops manager, especially as your business grows. Google Ads Manager is the perfect solution for this challenge, as it allows you to manage an extensive number of campaigns.

With a standard Google account, you can manage up to 20 Google Ads accounts using a single email. However, as the number of accounts grows, keeping track of them all becomes increasingly complex. Google Ads Manager steps in as an essential tool when managing beyond 20 accounts, providing a centralized platform to oversee your entire ad ecosystem.

So, suppose you have already entered the world of Google Ad Manager. In that case, it is best to explore the various ways you can leverage it, from adding as many Google Ads accounts as possible to leveraging responsive ads or simply managing your ad inventory.

Conclusion

In this post, we’ve seen how to set up Google DFP and run ads. But your job isn’t done here. Google Ad Manager setup is basic; you can utilize passback tags and advanced techniques like header bidding to take complete advantage of your ad server. Whatever we’ve followed applies to all the campaigns you’ll create in the near future – you just need to change the priority, targeting, etc., to ensure proper delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Google Ad Manager?

Google Ad Manager is an ad server. It is a technology that enables publishers to define, manage, and monitor ad inventories on their web, mobile app, or video ad inventories to display various ad types.

What are the eligibility criteria for getting a Google Ad Manager Account?

If you’re a publisher receiving 1 million+ page views per month, you can sign up for a Google Ad Manager Account.

Can I get a Google Ad Manager Account without an Adsense Account?

No, In order to get a Google Ad Manager Account, you must sign up for Google Adsense.

How to Set up Google DFP for Small Business?

Here’s how to set up a Google DFP account for a small business: create ad units, create new order, create new line items, add targeting, define ad creative, and generate ad tags.