Google Ads bug mislabels Demand Gen campaigns as Display Network

A Google Ads bug is causing Demand Gen campaigns to be incorrectly labeled as Display Network in reporting, prompting confusion among advertisers.

A reporting glitch in Google Ads is causing confusion among advertisers, with Demand Gen campaigns incorrectly showing as Display Network placements.

Why we care. This misrepresentation could lead to inaccurate performance analysis and campaign management decisions for affected advertisers.

The latest. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin has confirmed the issue is a bug, not a feature change.

Details:

  • Bug reporting start date: Week of July 8, 2024
  • Affected: Demand Gen campaign reporting

What they’re saying. “This is due to a bug that led to the Google Display Network label appearing in error in some Demand Gen campaign reporting,” Marvin stated on X, promising more information to come.

We have identified an issue with Demand Gen campaign reporting that led to the Google Display Network label appearing in error. We are taking action to resolve this miscategorization.

Google spokesperson.

Between the lines. The confusion is ill-timed as advertisers are currently waiting for Google to fix reporting issues as well as product and product listing glitches seeing advertisers unable to edit product groups. 

First seen. We were first alerted to this error from Leslie Drechsler’s X:

GUASbhOb0AEZ04b

The bottom line. Advertisers running Demand Gen campaigns should be aware of this reporting error and await further updates from Google before making significant campaign adjustments based on current data.


Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.


About the Author

Anu Adegbola

Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.

In 2008, Anu started her career delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event - PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast.

She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more.