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January 27, 2005

Google AdWords API Launched

As rumored, Google has released an API for its Google AdWords program. More details from Google here, plus a new AdWords API blog has also been started by Google (blog feed is here). The system will allow programmers to do anything the current Google AdWords management system allows but via programming calls.

API usage will be free, though activity is capped through a quota system, Google says. Those with larger accounts or spending more with Google will be allowed to have higher activity.

Unlike some speculation, the new system does not allow people to pick and choose where ads will appear within the Google network. It is also not an AdSense API that will help publishers carrying Google ads. It is specifically meant for Google advertisers.

The system does provide the first endorsed way for companies to interact with the management system.

Google has not really had an officially sanctioned way to do this before. There have been some third parties screen scraping, but it doesn't work very well. A big part of the API is to give an official way," said Nelson Minar, the software engineer at Google who's lead the AdWords API project.

Google competitor Overture has long offered an API of its own, as the Overture API: Advertiser Web Services post explains. It's free to Overture advertisers but fee-based for technology providers and third parties. Overture says when fees are charged, these are only to cover any actual costs incurred to maintain the system.

For its part, Google said it reserves the right to charge a fee in the future, if that seems necessary. A similarly, it might also enlarge the quotes of some advertiser depending on the exact nature of their needs.

"As we get to know the developers, there's the room to grow," Minar said.

Want to comment or discuss? Visit the Google Adwords API Beta now open to the public thread in our Search Engine Watch Forums.

Posted by Danny Sullivan on January 27, 2005 6:35 PM