Starting November 13, 2024, Google Ads will implement a new data retention policy that limits access to historical data to a maximum period of 11 years. For businesses analyzing long-term trends and reports, this change can have significant implications. If your company uses historical data older than 11 years for analysis, it is crucial to take action before this date.
Why is Google implementing this change?
Google's new policy is a response to broader trends in data privacy and the responsible handling of data. In light of the call for stricter regulations regarding data storage and compliance with laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Google has decided to limit access to old data. This aligns with how tech companies worldwide are shortening the data lifecycle to reduce the risk of data breaches and meet legal requirements.
Impact on companies and agencies
This change can have significant implications for companies engaged in long-term data analysis, such as those in sectors like e-commerce, financial services, and retail. These companies often use historical data to analyze performance across various economic cycles, which is now limited by the new 11-year threshold. Performance metrics, billing information, and historical reports older than 11 years will no longer be available through the Google Ads API after November 13, 2024.
For smaller advertisers and businesses focusing on shorter campaigns and reporting over a shorter timeframe, the impact will be less noticeable. Nevertheless, all companies should be aware of potential changes in their reporting, especially if they are executing data queries that extend beyond the new threshold.
What to do before November 13?
Advertisers and agencies that need data older than 11 years must ensure that they download and securely store this information before the implementation date of November 13. This can be easily done through the Google Ads API by manually requesting older data. Google has indicated that data older than 11 years will no longer be accessible via the Search and SearchStream APIs after this date.
For companies that regularly utilize long-term data for benchmarking and historical analyses, this is also a good time to evaluate their data storage solutions. Storing data outside of Google Ads, for example in cloud or local storage, can help continue to support long-term analyses without relying on Google Ads' data storage policy.