Display & Video 360 API v4 now generally available

Four days ago, Google announced that the Display & Video 360 API version 4 has moved from beta to general availability status. This technical update marks a significant milestone for marketing technology teams who rely on programmatic access to Google's enterprise advertising platform.

According to Trevor Mulchay from the Display & Video 360 API Team, the release of version 4 on March 27, 2025, signals a stable and production-ready interface that should now be the primary choice for all integrations. "We're pleased to announce that we are promoting Display & Video 360 API v4 from beta to general availability. With v4 entering general availability, it is now our recommended version," noted Mulchay in the official announcement.

The transition from beta to general availability indicates that Google has completed comprehensive testing and validation phases, ensuring the API meets performance, reliability, and security standards required for mission-critical advertising operations.

The Display & Video 360 API provides programmatic access to Google's enterprise advertising platform, enabling developers to automate complex advertising workflows. The API follows REST principles and is accessible via the service endpoint https://displayvideo.googleapis.com

Version 4 of the API contains an extensive collection of REST resources that allow programmatic control over virtually all aspects of the Display & Video 360 platform, including:

• Advertiser management
• Campaign creation and modification
• Line item configuration
• Creative development and uploads
• Audience targeting
• Inventory source management
• Reporting capabilities

The comprehensive nature of the API allows developers to integrate Display & Video 360 functionality directly into their marketing technology stacks, providing greater automation possibilities for sophisticated advertising operations.

Migration timeline for existing users

The announcement comes with an important advisory for current users of the v3 API. Google has indicated that version 3 will be deprecated in the coming months, making it essential for development teams to plan their migration strategies accordingly.

"We recommend migrating from v3 to v4 at your earliest convenience, as v3 will be deprecated and sunset in the coming months," stated Mulchay in the announcement.

To assist with this transition, Google has published detailed documentation, including a comprehensive migration guide and release notes from February 13, 2025, which outline all changes made in version 4. These resources are designed to help technical teams understand the differences between versions and implement necessary modifications to their integration code.

Key technical improvements

The v4 API represents a significant update over previous versions, with several notable technical improvements:

1. Enhanced resource management: The API provides more granular control over advertising resources, with expanded methods for creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting entities within the platform.
2. Comprehensive targeting options: Developers can programmatically configure sophisticated targeting parameters, including audience segmentation, geographic targeting, and inventory selection.
3. Streamlined authentication: The API utilizes standard OAuth 2.0 authentication flows, supporting both installed application and service account authentication methods.
4. Structured Data Files: The API includes dedicated endpoints for generating and downloading Structured Data Files, facilitating large-scale data operations.
5. Custom bidding algorithms: Advanced users can implement custom bidding logic through dedicated algorithm resources, enabling proprietary auction strategies.

Implementation requirements

Organizations looking to adopt the Display & Video 360 API v4 must satisfy several prerequisites:

1. Google Account with Display & Video 360 access: Users must have a Google Account with appropriate permissions within the Display & Video 360 platform.
2. Google API Console project: Developers need to create or select a project in the Google API Console and enable the Display & Video 360 API.
3. Authentication credentials: Implementation requires OAuth 2.0 client ID credentials, which can be generated through the Google API Console.
4. User consent configuration: For OAuth 2.0 authentication, developers must configure the user consent screen that will be presented during the authentication flow.
5. Client libraries: While not strictly required, Google recommends using client libraries for the preferred programming language to simplify API interaction.

Impact on marketing operations

The general availability of the Display & Video 360 API v4 has significant implications for marketing operations teams that manage programmatic advertising campaigns at scale. The stable API enables more reliable automation of repetitive tasks, freeing marketing professionals to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual campaign management.

For large advertisers managing thousands of campaigns across multiple markets, the API enables centralized control and consistent implementation of advertising strategies. Media agencies can develop custom tools that integrate with their existing technologies, creating more efficient workflows and reducing the potential for human error in campaign setup and management.

Marketing technology providers can now build more robust integrations with Display & Video 360, confident that the API will maintain backward compatibility according to Google's standard API lifecycle policies. This stability encourages deeper integrations between various marketing platforms, potentially leading to more sophisticated cross-channel advertising solutions.

Data scientists and analysts within marketing organizations can leverage the API to extract performance data programmatically, enabling automated reporting systems and advanced analytics that may reveal new optimization opportunities.

Technical preparation steps

Before attempting to use the v4 API, Google advises developers to update their client libraries to the latest version to ensure compatibility with the new endpoints. This precautionary measure helps prevent potential errors that might occur when accessing the updated API with outdated client code.

For teams encountering issues during implementation or migration, Google has established a support contact form specifically for Display & Video 360 API inquiries. This dedicated support channel provides a direct line to technical specialists who can assist with API-related challenges.

Timeline

• February 13, 2025: Release notes published detailing changes in v4
• March 27, 2025: Official promotion of Display & Video 360 API v4 to general availability
• March 31, 2025: Current date, four days after the announcement
• Coming months: Planned deprecation and sunset of v3 API (specific dates not yet announced)

The transition to general availability for Display & Video 360 API v4 represents a significant step forward for Google's programmatic advertising ecosystem, providing developers and marketing technologists with a stable, feature-rich interface for building sophisticated advertising automation solutions.