Use a partner to create a Customer Match list

Certain Google-integrated third parties can use a partner API to create Customer Match segments directly in your Google Ads account. These types of third-party companies include data onboarders, customer relationship management (CRM) onboarding services, and agencies.

This article describes the benefits of using these third party companies to upload your customer data to Google Ads. It also provides a list of companies that can do it for you. Specifically, this article will cover how to use data onboarding partners, Zapier, and Shopify to create Customer Match lists.

On this page

• About Customer Match partners
• Using data onboarding partners
• Availability
• Using Zapier
• Using Shopify
• Restrictions

👁 Four methods for uploading customer data to Google Ads: Manual Upload, API Upload, CMU Partner, and Zapier.

Using a third-party company to upload your data is a good option for many advertisers:

• Some advertisers prefer to outsource segment onboarding and refreshes instead of creating an in-house Google Ads API integration or using the Google Ads interface to upload.
• These companies don't need your Google Ads login credentials to upload your data.
• You can use additional first-party customer information, such as their mailing address, phone number, or alternate email, to increase your segment size. These companies use proprietary identity maps to find emails corresponding to your customers’ phone numbers and mailing addresses, and append these emails to your existing email list prior to performing the upload.

Several data onboarding partners can directly create Customer Match segments in your Google Ads account. These partners are categorized as:

• Mapping partners: These use the Audience Partner API.
• Non-mapping partners: These use the Google Ads API.

To allow a partner to upload data, follow these steps:

1. Give permission: Email your Google representative to authorize Google to let your partner create and edit your Customer Match segments data in Google Ads.
2. Wait for data access setup: After sending the email, your Google representative will sync your accounts with the partner's system. This may take a few days. You'll receive an email once setup is complete.
3. Send Customer Match data: After your accounts are approved and set up, you can begin sending Customer Match data to your partner.

For specific mapping partners (Acxiom, Adchieve, Adverity, Digital Audience, Epsilon, LiveRamp, Merkury, Sailthru, Wondaris, and Zeotap), follow the instructions in Product Linking: Link Customer Match partners and Google Ads.

For guidance on selecting a partner, contact your Google representative.

Currently, the following companies are approved to upload Customer Match segments, with 2 different levels of service depending on the API each of them use:

• Mapping partners: Use the Audience Partner API
• Non-mapping partners: Use the Google Ads API

Zapier can connect your CRM system to Google Customer Match, automating the upload of new contact details to your customer lists. This eliminates manual uploads and keeps your lists updated.

Benefits of using Zapier:

• Simplified connection to your CRM, eCommerce, or marketing automation tools
• Automated list updates
• Maximized match rate and fewer formatting errors

How it works

Zapier automates the process of moving customer information from your CRM system into Customer Match lists in Google Ads. All customer information is hashed before it is shared with Google, ensuring no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is exposed. The hashed data adheres to Google's Customer Match data policy.

Before you begin

Ensure that the app you want to send data from is supported by Zapier and that you are approved for Customer Match, meeting these requirements:

• A history of policy compliance
• A good payment history
• At least 90 days in Google Ads
• Your Google Ads account must be approved to use a data-uploading service.

To set up Customer Match with Zapier, follow the instructions in Zapier’s guide.

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows you to set up online stores and sell products. You can link Shopify to Google Ads to enhance your advertising using customer data. There are 2 ways to link Shopify and Google Ads:

• Using the Google & YouTube app on Shopify
• Linking directly

To link Shopify and Google Ads, follow these steps:

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon.
2. Click Data manager.
3. In the "Connected products" tab, scroll down to Featured products.
4. Click Search all to find Shopify. Then, click Details and Link Shopify in the next window.
5. Choose to link either directly or via Zapier, depending on the data you want to import.
6. Click Continue and then Authorize to proceed with the integration.
7. You will be redirected to Shopify. Log in to your Shopify account and complete the steps on the Shopify website.

After completing these steps, you can import Customer Match lists from Shopify.

To unlink Shopify and Google Ads:

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon .
2. Click Data manager.
3. Under "Featured products," find Shopify and click Details.
4. Find the channel and click Unlink in the "Action" column.

These restrictions apply when using Customer Match partners:

• Your Google Ads account must be approved to use a data-uploading service.
• You must work with a Google-integrated third party.
• All data uploaded to Google Ads must comply with the Customer Match policy.

Related links

• About Google Ads Data Manager
• About the “Data manager” page and Product Linking
• About Customer Match
• How Google Marketing Platform uses Customer Match data
• Create a customer list
• Customer match audience
• About using Customer Match with Zapier
• Fix Customer Match issues with list upload, small list size, or low volume
• Product Linking: Link Customer Match partners and Google Ads
• Google Ads Customer Match and Zapier (PDF)
• Customer match segments
• Shopify
• Get started with linked accounts and products
• Google products
• Google partners
• First-party data sources