Feedback from developers about slow response times that caused internal errors, discrepancies between API and user interface data, and latency and stability issues sent the Google Ads API back to beta.

“After in-depth analysis, we’ve determined that the overall performance of the Google Ads API is not ready for production usage,” wrote the Google Ads API Team in a post, which suggests contacting googleleadadsupport@google.com to discuss recommendations for the near future.

Google has been trying to get advertisers to transition from the AdWords API to the Google Ads API introduced in March 2019 to replace the AdWords API scheduled to sunset in the future. It makes sense that Google would discontinue use of the AdWords API once the Google Ads API is running as planned. 

In a Twitter tweet, Michael Hart, director of research engineering at Bustle, wrote: “Huh, can’t think of another API that’s done this — revert from GA back to Beta.”

Sam Lalonde, digital marketing and advertising consultant, tweeted: “so much for updating scrips and programs.”

Google describes the Google Ads API as a “modern programmatic interface to Google Ads and the next generation of the AdWords API “that enables developers to interact directly with the Google Ads platform.”

The API supports automated account management, custom reporting, ad management based on inventory, and bid management based on business data.

The Google Ads API enables marketers to build software that manages accounts from the customer level down to the keyword level. The API can do what the Google Ads UI does, but do it programmatically.