Bid modifiers can be configured through three different tools:
Bid Modifier column on the ad group level
Bid modifiers export and import tool
Bid modifiers console in ad group settings
PLEASE NOTE: All bid modifiers (regardless of dimension) are only available at the ad group level. You can’t change the bid modifier in higher aggregate levels (Campaign, Account, or Agency).
Bid Modifier Column on Ad Group Level
To understand how this works, let's take a look at an example of adjusting the bid on the Publisher dimension through the Bid Modifier column.
1. Find the ad group where you want to apply the publisher bid modifiers and click on the publisher tab.
2. The Bid Modifier column will be enabled by default and displays the effective bid modification in % from the bid baseline.
3. You can adjust the bid modifiers by clicking on the edit icon. Insert the desired bid modifier value in the dialogue window that appears. You'll be able to see the change reflected in the Final Bid CPC range value calculation (see screenshot below).
Let’s look at a few examples:
A 0% bid modifier doesn’t change the bid from its baseline. This is the default setting.
A 5% bid modifier increases the bid by 5% from the baseline. Let’s say your baseline bid is $1. A 5% bid modifier would result in a $1.05 effective bid.
A -5% bid modifier decreases the bid by 5% from the baseline. Let’s say your baseline bid is $1. A -5% bid modifier would result in a $0.95 effective bid.
4. Hit save, and you're done!
Please note you can manage bid modifiers in the dashboard only once you have bought traffic. If you want to apply bid modifiers before actual buying, you can do that by importing the bid modifiers using a CSV file (instructions below).
Bid Modifiers Export and Import Tool
Bid modifiers can be imported and exported using a CSV file. Importing offers a couple of advantages compared to editing bid modifiers in line.
By importing bid modifiers, you can apply them before the ad group starts.
Importing and exporting allows you to easily transfer bid modifiers from one ad group to another.
1. To access the tool, select Bid Modifiers on the desired dimension:
2. A dialogue window will open up where you will be prompted to upload your CSV file.
3. Download a CSV example file to use as a template. First column in the CSV file contains the dimension specifier, and the second column the bid modifier. The first row in the CSV file is ignored.
PLEASE NOTE: The exception to this rule is the format for publisher bid modifiers. This format contains three columns. The first one specifies the publisher domain, the second one media source and the third one bid modifier.
For a list of valid dimension specifiers, please consult this page.
Bid Modifiers Console in Ad Group Settings
The bid modifiers console gives you a comprehensive overview of all applied bid modifiers in your ad group and provides the ability to manage bid modifiers across all dimensions in one place.
To access the console, navigate to ad group settings and scroll down to the Bid modifier section. The console consists of two sections: Bid Modifiers in Use and Configure Bid Modifiers.
Bid Modifiers in Use
Bid modifiers in use allow you to see the dimension, number of configured bid modifiers, and maximum and minimum bid modifier values applied to that specific dimension.
You can also export a CSV file with all currently applied bid modifiers here, which allows you to share bid modifier settings across different ad groups.
Configure Bid Modifiers
Configuring the bid modifiers section lets you import a master CSV file to manage bid modifiers across every dimension.
Please keep in mind the following when importing bid modifiers:
In the CSV file, the values should range from 0 up.
Bid modifiers that are less than one reduce the bid, and modifiers greater than one increase the bid proportionally. To reset the bid, use 1.
The import will remove all preexisting bid modifiers on all dimensions (even if they were directly applied in the dimension tab).
An empty row needs to be between every specified dimension (the structure stays the same as in the sample file).
The order of dimensions specifiers is not important.
Dimension specifiers must be written in uppercase letters (as defined in the sample file).
If you wish to apply a modifier per day or per hour, you’ll have to insert a separate row specifier for every hour on the specific day you wish to change the bid. The field number indicating the hour of the day is used for the 24-hour clock. For example, if the time is 12 AM, the output will be 0, and if the time is 11 PM, the output will be 23.
To prevent the loss of previously applied bids, we suggest you export the file, including existing modifiers, and make the needed adjustments there.
Additional Details
Bid modifiers applied across several dimensions multiply.
Here’s how this works:
Suppose you run an ad group with CPM bids set to $1.
You have a bid modifier on mobile traffic set to 1.1 (device dimension) and a bid modifier on in-app traffic (placement dimension) set to 1.2.
You would pay $1 * 1.1 * 1.2 = $1.32 for mobile in-app traffic.
The final bid CPC range and the provided calculator (see the image below) help you understand how much your final bid will change from auction to auction due to your bid modifiers. The final bid CPC gives the lowest and highest possible CPC.
Publisher bid modifiers are effective on a network + publisher basis. If you are buying the same publisher from network A and network B, you will have to set the bid modifier for each network separately.