Campaign Pre-Flight Checks

Ensures campaigns are properly configured before launch to prevent wasted ad spend and spam traffic.

When to Use

• Before enabling any paused campaign
• After creating a new campaign
• When user asks to "review" or "check" campaign settings
• When user mentions geo targeting or exclusions

Pre-Flight Checklist

0. Campaign Structure Validation (CRITICAL)

Run structural validation FIRST before any other checks. This ensures the campaign has all required components to actually serve ads.

Platform-Specific Validators

Run Structure Validation

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_validate_campaign_structure",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-id", "customers/123/campaigns/456"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Output

{
  "success": true,
  "is_complete": true,
  "checks": [
    {"name": "has_ad_groups", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Campaign has 2 ad groups"},
    {"name": "ad_groups_have_ads", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "All ad groups have enabled ads"},
    {"name": "has_keywords", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Campaign has 15 keywords"},
    {"name": "budget_configured", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Budget: $50.00/day"},
    {"name": "conversion_tracking", "passed": true, "level": "warning", "message": "Account has 3 conversion actions"}
  ]
}

BLOCKING: If is_complete: false, DO NOT enable the campaign. Fix missing components first.

1. Geo Targeting Verification

CRITICAL: Campaigns without geo targeting will show to ALL countries including spam countries.

Check Current Geo Targeting

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_export_campaigns",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-filter", "<CAMPAIGN_NAME>"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Look for "Geo Targets: Not set" - this is a red flag.

Tier Definitions

Tier 1 (High-value markets):

• United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
• Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland
• Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland
• Austria, Belgium, Ireland
• Japan, Singapore

Tier 2 (Good secondary markets):

• Spain, Italy, Portugal
• Poland, Czech Republic
• Israel, UAE, Saudi Arabia
• South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong
• Brazil, Mexico, South Africa

Spam Countries (AVOID):

• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
• Russia, Ukraine
• China (unless specifically targeting)

Fix Missing Geo Targeting

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_set_campaign_geo_targets",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-ids", "<CAMPAIGN_IDS>", "--tier", "1,2"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Note: Demand Gen campaigns require ad group-level targeting. The script handles this automatically.

2. Conversion Tracking

Use the conversion-tracking skill for detailed tracking verification.

Quick check:

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_list_conversions",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": [],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Requirements:

• At least one conversion action must exist
• Conversion must have recent data (last 30 days)
• GTM tags must be published

3. Budget Sanity Check

Review daily budgets:

• Minimum recommended: $25/day for Search, $50/day for Demand Gen
• Maximum CPC: Should be set for manual bidding strategies
• Conversion-based bidding: Requires 15+ conversions in last 30 days

4. Negative Keyword Lists (Search Campaigns)

Check for common negative keywords:

• Brand misspellings to avoid
• Irrelevant industry terms
• Competitor brands (if not conquesting)
• "free", "cheap" (if selling premium)

5. Ad Schedule

Verify ads run during business hours if B2B:

• US: 6am-8pm PT / 9am-11pm ET
• EMEA: 7am-7pm CET
• APAC: 8am-8pm local

Campaign Type Specific Checks

Demand Gen (YouTube/Discover)

1. Video requirements:
   • YouTube video must be public or unlisted
   • Minimum 10 seconds for in-stream
   • 6-15 seconds for bumper ads
2. Location targeting at ad group level (not campaign level)
3. Audience targeting:
   • Custom intent keywords recommended
   • Remarketing audiences for better performance

Search Campaigns

1. Keyword match types:
   • Broad match requires Smart Bidding
   • Phrase/Exact for manual CPC
2. Ad extensions:
   • Sitelinks (minimum 4)
   • Callouts (minimum 4)
   • Structured snippets

Display Campaigns

1. Image assets:
   • Landscape (1200x628)
   • Square (1200x1200)
   • Logo (1200x1200)
2. Placement exclusions:
   • Exclude mobile apps if not relevant
   • Exclude parked domains

Quick Pre-Flight Summary

When reviewing campaigns, output a summary like:

## Campaign Pre-Flight Report

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Geo Targeting | ✅/⚠️/❌ | Tier 1+2 / Not set |
| Conversion Tracking | ✅/⚠️/❌ | Active / No conversions |
| Budget | ✅/⚠️ | $X/day |
| Ad Schedule | ✅/⚠️ | 24/7 / Business hours |
| Negative Keywords | ✅/⚠️ | X keywords / None |

**Recommendation:** [Enable/Fix issues first]

Automation Workflow

For bulk campaign review:

1. Export all campaigns with geo targeting info
2. Flag campaigns with issues
3. Offer to fix automatically
4. Re-verify after fixes

About this skill

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