We operate a campaign builder for Search that lets advertisers select
locations exactly like in the Google Ads UI (country/region/city/postal).
We already sync the full GeoTargetConstant catalog (~226k IDs). Our source
of truth is the GeoTarget IDs, not polygons.
Problem
There is no API to (a) retrieve the map boundaries used in Ads UI or (b)
get “nearby/adjacent” location suggestions. The current APIs only expose
IDs and names. Maps JS Feature Layers (DDS) are great for visualization but
don’t allow exporting geometry or programmatic matching to Ads GeoTargets.
As a result:
- We can’t show “show all areas” and click-to-select on a map that matches
Ads coverage.
- We can’t offer “Add nearby locations” automatically like the Ads UI does.
- Postal Code coverage is inconsistent by country and not discoverable via
API.
Why existing APIs are insufficient
- GeoTargetConstantService: no geometry/boundaries, no adjacency graph, no
country-by-type coverage endpoint.
- CampaignCriterion/LocationInfo: accepts IDs only (expected), but no
assistance for discovery/nearby.
- ProximityInfo: radius targeting solves a different need (not an
administrative/postal polygon).
- Maps DDS: visualization-only; cannot export polygons or map them to Ads
GeoTarget IDs reliably.
Requested capabilities (any of the following would solve our problem)
1) Coverage endpoints
- GET /vX/geoTargets/coverage?country=IL
-> { supportedTypes: ["COUNTRY","REGION","CITY","POSTAL_CODE"] }
- GET /vX/geoTargets/types
-> matrix of countries × supported target types
2) Polygon/centroid access (minimal)
- GET /vX/geoTargets/{id}/centroid
-> { lat, lng, source, updatedAt }
- GET /vX/geoTargets/{id}/shape
-> returns either:
a) a signed URL to a GeoJSON/TopoJSON,
b) or a tile endpoint (vector tiles) + feature metadata including
the GeoTarget ID
(Read-only; caching allowed; no Places lookups needed.)
3) “Nearby / Adjacent” suggestions
- POST /vX/geoTargets:nearby { ids:[…], level:"CITY", maxDistanceKm:50,
country:"IL" }
-> [{ id, distanceKm }] ordered by proximity, equivalent to Ads UI
behavior.
4) Mapping to Maps Feature Layers
- GET /vX/geoTargets/{id}/placeId
-> { placeId } if an internal mapping exists, so we can light up the
correct polygon in DDS.
Non-goals & compliance
- We don’t need Places or POIs. Only administrative/postal targeting
identical to Ads.
- We only display geometry for UX; we always send Ads the official
GeoTarget IDs.
- Happy to follow rate limits, caching headers and any attribution
requirements.
Impact
- Enables parity with the Ads UI for location selection.
- Reduces support load from advertisers confused by differences between
third-party tools
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Also find us on our blog:
https://googleadsdeveloper.blogspot.com/
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