Google Ad Manager (GAM) Setup: Custom Creatives

Follow this guide to integrate your ResponsiveAds creative into GAM as a Custom Creative. Covers tag setup, pixel tracking, and click-through verification.

Step 1: Retrieve Your ResponsiveAds Tag

1. Log in to your ResponsiveAds dashboard.

2. Navigate to the Summary Page for your creative.

3. Scroll to the Ad Tags and Deployments section.

4. Confirm that the Clickthrough field in your Deployment includes a backup or default URL.

5. Select Save Deployment.

6. Select Publish.

7. Locate and select your GAM Custom Tag.

1. Choose the appropriate tag type.

2. Click Copy to Clipboard to copy the one-tag code.

3. (If a tag was provided by your team, retrieve it from your shared Tag Sheet in Google Drive.)

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Step 2: Custom Creative in GAM

Prerequisites

• You have an Advertiser set up in GAM.

• You know the ad size (e.g., 300×250) and have any assets ready (images/JS/HTML).

• All third-party pixels/trackers support HTTPS. (GAM requires SSL for macro expansion in many cases.)

Create the Custom Creative

1. In GAM, go to Delivery → Creatives → New creative.

2. Select the Advertiser, then choose Custom (Display creative type).

1. Enter a Name and select the Target ad unit size.

2. For Code type, choose Standard.

3. Deselect SafeFrame.

4. Click Save.

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Step 3: Add Your ResponsiveAds Tag

1. Open the Custom Creative you just created.

2. Paste your ResponsiveAds GAM Custom Ad Tag into the Code field.

3. Save your changes.

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Step 4: Add Tracking Pixels

You can add third-party tracking pixels in two ways:

Option A: No-code (recommended)

• In the creative, use the Third-party impression tracking URLs field.

• Add one or more pixel URLs.

• You can include macros such as %%CACHEBUSTER%%.

Option B: Inline (advanced)

• Add <img> or <script> tags directly in the Code field.

• Include %%CACHEBUSTER%% where required by the tracking vendor.

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Step 5: Configure click-through

• Fill Click-through URL in the creative (your canonical landing page).

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Step 6: Attach to a Line item

• Create or open a Display line item.

• Select Add creatives → Custom, and choose the creative you set up.

• Make sure the line item size matches the creative size.

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Step 7: QA and Verify

1. Preview the creative from the line item (open in a new window).

2. Click the ad. GAM should briefly display a “click recorded” page before redirecting to your landing page.

   • If you don’t see this, check your click macros.

3. Open your browser’s DevTools → Network tab while previewing.

   • Confirm that each tracking pixel request returns successfully (look for 2xx responses, and ensure no 204 errors).

Your ResponsiveAds creative is now deployed in GAM as a Custom Creative.