Google Ad Manager: Limited Private Auction reporting issue affects some users

Google has announced a specific problem affecting its Ad Manager platform, impacting a subset of users. The issue, which began on September 20, 2024, at 19:00 UTC, involves the attribution of impressions delivered via Private Auctions to specific deals in reporting data.

Incident details

Who: Some Google Ad Manager users
What: Limited number of impressions from Private Auctions not attributed correctly in reports
When: Incident began on September 20, 2024, at 19:00 UTC
Where: Google Ad Manager platform
Why: Cause currently under investigation by Google
How: Manifesting as misattribution in reporting data for specific Private Auction deals

According to the Google Ads Status Dashboard, the company became aware of the problem at 18:37 UTC on September 20, 2024. Google has stated that they will provide an update by September 24, 2024, at 04:00 UTC, detailing when they expect to resolve the issue. They have noted that this resolution time is an estimate and may change.

Scope of the issue

It's important to emphasize that this issue is limited in scope:

1. Affected Users: Only some Ad Manager users are experiencing this problem, not all users of the platform.
2. Type of Transactions: The issue specifically affects Private Auctions, not all types of programmatic deals.
3. Volume of Impressions: A limited number of impressions are affected, not all impressions from Private Auctions.
4. Nature of the Problem: The issue is related to attribution in reporting data, not the delivery of ads or the execution of auctions themselves.

Impact on publishers and advertisers

While the issue is limited, it can still have some implications for affected users:

1. Reporting Accuracy: Some publishers may see discrepancies in their reports for Private Auction deals.
2. Performance Analysis: The misattribution could lead to challenges in accurately assessing the performance of specific Private Auction deals.
3. Revenue Reconciliation: There may be minor difficulties in reconciling revenue for the affected impressions.

It's crucial to note that the impact is not widespread and affects only a subset of Private Auction transactions for some users.

Google has acknowledged the issue on its Ads Status Dashboard. The company's approach includes:

1. Investigation: Google is actively investigating the root cause of the misattribution.
2. Communication: Regular updates are promised, with the next one scheduled by September 24, 2024, at 04:00 UTC.
3. Access Maintained: Users can still access Google Ad Manager and its features.

While specific technical details are not provided, the issue appears to be isolated to the data processing or reporting mechanisms for Private Auctions within Ad Manager. The problem does not seem to affect ad serving or the auction process itself, but rather the post-auction attribution of impressions to specific deals in the reporting system.

Key facts

• Incident began on September 20, 2024, at 19:00 UTC
• Affects some Google Ad Manager users
• Issue: Limited number of impressions from Private Auctions not correctly attributed in reporting data
• Google aware of the problem as of 18:37 UTC on September 20, 2024
• Next update promised by September 24, 2024, at 04:00 UTC
• Users can still access and use Google Ad Manager
• Impact limited to reporting accuracy for some Private Auction deals
• No reported issues with ad delivery or auction execution