June 8, 2023

Pause Google Ads with Low CTR Script

With <3 by acuto

CTR, which stands for click-through rate, is an important metric for understanding how well an ad is performing. In this post, we’ll introduce you to our handy (and free!) script to pause Google ads with low CTR.

Google ad scripts such as these save time and effort by automating what would otherwise be tedious and click-intensive manual tasks, freeing you to focus on more strategic decisions.

By automatically pausing any ads on your account with low CTR, this script represents an easy way to avoid wasted ad spend and improve the overall efficiency of your campaign.

Script to Pause Google Ads With Low CTR

/*

    _   ___ _   _ _____ ___   _     
   /_\ / __| | | |_   _/ _ \ (_)___ 
  / _ \ (__| |_| | | || (_) || / _ \
 /_/ \_\___|\___/  |_| \___(_)_\___/
                                    

*/

const config = {
    CTR_THRESHOLD: YOUR_CTR_THRESHOLD, // Replace YOUR_CTR_THRESHOLD with your desired CTR in decimals (e.g., 0.01 for 1%).
    DATE_RANGE: 'YOUR_DATE_RANGE', // Replace YOUR_DATE_RANGE with your desired date range. Valid pre-defined date ranges are: TODAY, YESTERDAY, LAST_7_DAYS, THIS_WEEK_SUN_TODAY, LAST_WEEK, LAST_14_DAYS, LAST_30_DAYS, LAST_BUSINESS_WEEK, LAST_WEEK_SUN_SAT, THIS_MONTH, LAST_MONTH, ALL_TIME.
    IMPR_THRESHOLD: 100, // Exclude any ads that don't have at least this many impressions
};

function main() {
    const { CTR_THRESHOLD, DATE_RANGE, IMPR_THRESHOLD } = config;
    const adGroupIterator = AdsApp.adGroups().withCondition('Status = ENABLED').get();

    while (adGroupIterator.hasNext()) {
        const adGroup = adGroupIterator.next();
        const adIterator = adGroup.ads().withCondition('Status = ENABLED').get();

        while (adIterator.hasNext()) {
            const ad = adIterator.next();
            const stats = ad.getStatsFor(DATE_RANGE);
            const ctr = stats.getCtr();
            const impr = stats.getImpressions();

            if (ctr < CTR_THRESHOLD && impr > IMPR_THRESHOLD) {
                ad.pause();
                Logger.log(
                    'Paused ad with headline ' +
                        ad.getHeadline() +
                        ' in ad group ' +
                        adGroup.getName() +
                        ' due to low CTR: ' +
                        ctr
                );
            }
        }
    }
}

How to Use Scripts in Google Ads

Here’s how to set up a script in your Google Ads account:

Sign in to your Google Ads account.
From the toolbar, select the TOOLS drop-down menu.
Under the BULK ACTIONS list, select SCRIPTS.
Click the blue + icon to create a new script.
Enter a name for your script in the name bar.
Copy & paste your script code into the editor.
You will need to click AUTHORIZE to allow the script to run on your account.
At this point, you can SAVE & PREVIEW your script.
Check the logs on your preview to ensure the script will run as expected.
When you are ready, click RUN to implement the script.

What is the Script to Pause Google Ads With Low CTR?

CTR stands for click-through rate. It’s a crucial performance metric that shows ad clicks as a percentage of ad impressions. For example, if an ad is shown 1000 times and 500 people click on it, the CTR would be 50%.

A low CTR indicates that your ad is not fully optimised. It could be that your copy or creative is not compelling enough or that the ad is not targeting the right keywords.

Ad platforms also charge more to show lower-performing ads. This increases the cost-per-click and ultimately results in wasted ad spend.

The script to pause Google ads with low CTR is an easy way to ensure underperforming ads don’t eat into your budget.

What is the Script to Pause Google Ads With Low CTR?

How Does the Script to Pause Google Ads With Low CTR Work?

Our free script to pause Google ads with low CTR is a clever bit of code that monitors your account and automatically pauses any underperforming ads with a low CTR.

Naturally, every campaign comes with different expectations, so the script can also be modified to suit your needs. You can determine the frequency of checks and also set a specific threshold for the CTR percentage that you think is too low.

Why Should You Use the Script to Pause Google Ads With Low CTR?

This script can help improve various aspects of your campaign.

Here are a few scenarios where it might be particularly helpful:

Testing ads: When determining which ad to use, having a mechanism to pause underperforming ads can help avoid wasted ad spend on those versions that don’t quite hit the mark.
Launching new ads: Similarly, when launching a new campaign, it’s crucial to make data-driven decisions on your ad’s performance as quickly as possible.
After seasonal sales: Detecting and pausing ads that have a significant drop in engagement after seasonal sales will keep your campaign running efficiently.
Ad Fatigue: Even high-performing ads may see the target audience become less interested over time. Pausing these ads automatically will prevent wasted impressions and optimise your campaign’s overall performance.

Custom Automation Scripts by Acuto

The menial, click-intensive tasks involved in manually running ad campaigns take up valuable time and ultimately eat into your budget. Scripts are a great way to automate certain processes, giving you and your team more time to spend on strategic decisions.

If you’re considering more specific ways to improve the efficiency of your campaign, you might want to consider Acuto’s custom automation script service.

At Acuto, we understand that every business faces distinctive challenges, which is why we specialise in writing bespoke scripts to cover a wide range of needs for Google Ads and many other platforms.

So, whether you’re trying to improve your ad targeting, optimise your ad spend or streamline your reporting, Acuto can develop scripts for your company’s needs.

Get in touch and see what we have to offer.

Want to automate Google Ads with custom scripts?

If you liked this script or would like a personalized one, we’re here to help! Our team of developers with experience in PPC can create custom scripts to automate any aspect of your Google Ads accounts. Schedule a discovery call to discuss how we can assist you in implementing automation scripts effectively.

Key Takeaways

Here are the main points we’ve covered in this article:

CTR (click-through rate) is an important performance metric that shows ad clicks as a percentage of ad impressions.

A low CTR may indicate your ad is not fully optimised and that you may need to improve your ad’s creative, copy or targeting.

Acuto’s free script to pause Google ads with low CTR is a handy way to stay on top of low-performing ads.
By automatically pausing ads with low CTR, this script will improve the efficiency of your campaign and avoid wasted ad spend.
The script may be particularly helpful when testing ads, launching new ads, after seasonal sales, or when an ad is losing its appeal (ad fatigue).

Acuto’s custom script service can help improve the efficiency of your campaign, offering bespoke solutions designed around your specific needs.

If you encounter any issues while using the script, please contact us.

google ads scripts