New feed-based location extensions in v201402 of AdWords API

As previously announced, AdWords API v201402 lets you manage your upgraded, feed-based location extensions in addition to your campaign location extensions. Upgraded location extensions are linked to your Google Places for Business account and offer significant benefits over manually entered location extensions. Most importantly, once you configure your upgraded location extensions you don't have to worry about keeping them up to date with changes in your Google Places for Business account -- AdWords does it for you!

As mentioned in our detailed guide to upgraded location extensions, you can use the AdWords API to set up your extensions in a few easy steps:

• Create a new Feed with its systemFeedGenerationData set to a PlacesLocationFeedData object, which tells AdWords to automatically create FeedItems from your Google Places for Business account.
• Create a new CustomerFeed with the LOCATION placeholder type value of 7. This tells AdWords to use the Feed from step 1 to create upgraded location extensions for your ads.

There are a few key differences between feeds with systemFeedGenerationData ("location feeds") and other feeds you may have created for sitelinks, app or call extensions.

Type or Attribute	Location Feeds	Other Feeds
Feed.systemFeedGenerationData	Required Defines the link between your AdWords and Places for Business accounts.	Not applicable
FeedMapping	Not applicable AdWords maintains the feed item attribute -> placeholder field relationship for you.	Required You maintain the feed item attribute -> placeholder field relationship.
FeedItem	Automatically managed by AdWords.	Maintained by you via the FeedItemService
CustomerFeed	Required	Not applicable
CampaignFeed	Optional Only needed if you want more control over which businesses from your Places account are used for location extensions on a particular Campaign.	Required
AdGroupFeed	Optional	Optional
	Only needed if you want more control over which businesses from your Places account are used for location extensions on a particular AdGroup.

Just as for other feed types, you can get stats for a location feed's extensions from thePLACEHOLDER_FEED_ITEM report.

This is just a quick overview of the AdWords API support for upgraded location extensions. For more information, check out our feed services guide for location extensions and the accompanying code sample in each client library (Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, .NET).

Still have questions? Feel free to visit us on the AdWords API Forum or our Google+ page.

 - Josh Radcliff, AdWords API Team