Google Improves APIs For Webmaster Tools & AdWords

Dec 12, 2008 at 8:58am ET by Barry Schwartz

Google announced they have or will be improving the API controls for both Webmaster Tools and AdWords. API access gives developers a way to communicate with Google through a structured coding format, in short, it can help automate functions that are done through the standard Google interfaces.

The Google Webmaster Central blog announced that the Google Webmaster Tools API now has added message central data to the API. The additional features include the ability to retrieve messages, mark messages as read or unread and the ability to delete messages. This would come in handy if an SEO company has a login area for customers and they want to show the Webmaster Tools messages in the SEO company’s dashboard without having them login to Google Webmaster Tools and leave the current site. There are many other applications for this API.

The Inside AdWords Blog announced a preview of what changes are coming to the AdWords API in 2009. The changes include the ability to make multiple operations (i.e. add, update, and delete keywords) within a single API call, the ability to make multiple calls at the same time (i.e. Asynchronous calls), the support of “partial failure,” the cost will be lower due to what is mentioned above and they promise to develop more features, faster.

The new API is expected to launch in the first half of 2009. They will extend the “normal sunset period for v13 to at least 6 months after the new version’s launch,” due to the major changes in the next version.

Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here.

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