Google updates Display & Video 360 API with campaign targeting and inventory features

Google announced on July 31, 2025, a new update to the Display & Video 360 API that introduces enhanced targeting capabilities and video ad inventory controls. The update focuses on bringing campaign and insertion order targeting functionality to API version 4 and providing better control over YouTube & Partners line item settings.

The July 2025 update addresses two primary areas of functionality within the Display & Video 360 API. First, it establishes targeting parity between API versions 3 and 4 by adding support for campaign and insertion order targeting in v4. Second, it introduces the ability to retrieve video ad inventory control settings specifically for YouTube & Partners line items, expanding programmatic access to advertising inventory management features.

According to Trevor Mulchay from the Display & Video 360 API Team, "Today, we're announcing the July 2025 update to the Display & Video 360 API. This update includes the following: Support for campaign and insertion order targeting in v4, bringing it to parity with v3. The ability to retrieve video ad inventory control settings for YouTube & Partners line items."

New targeting methods added to v4

The targeting functionality enhancement includes several new methods that bring v4 capabilities in line with the established v3 version. These additions enable programmatic management of targeting options at both campaign and insertion order levels. The new methods include advertisers.campaigns.listAssignedTargetingOptions, advertisers.campaigns.targetingTypes.assignedTargetingOptions.get, and advertisers.campaigns.targetingTypes.assignedTargetingOptions.list for campaign-level targeting management.

For insertion order targeting, the update adds advertisers.insertionOrders.listAssignedTargetingOptions and several methods under advertisers.insertionOrders.targetingTypes.assignedTargetingOptions, including create, delete, get, and list operations. These methods provide comprehensive targeting management capabilities that were previously limited to v3.

YouTube inventory control expansion

The update introduces new functionality for managing YouTube & Partners video ad inventory through the addition of the videoAdInventoryControl field in the YoutubeAndPartnersSettings object. This field enables advertisers to retrieve settings that control how their video advertisements are distributed across YouTube inventory sources.

The inventory control feature addresses the growing complexity of video advertising placement across YouTube's diverse content ecosystem. By providing programmatic access to these settings, advertisers can better manage where their video content appears within YouTube's network while maintaining control over brand safety and placement preferences.

Technical implementation details

The update affects both v3 and v4 of the API, ensuring consistency across versions for the new inventory control features. In v4, developers gain access to the complete targeting functionality that was previously exclusive to v3, eliminating the need to maintain separate implementations for different targeting operations.

The ThirdPartyVendor enum receives a new value, THIRD_PARTY_VENDOR_TRANSUNION, expanding the available third-party verification options for advertisers. This addition reflects the ongoing expansion of verification partnerships within the Display & Video 360 ecosystem.

SDF version deprecation notice

The update removes support for Structured Data Files (SDF) version 6, which reached its sunset date on April 30, 2025. This deprecation follows Google's standard lifecycle management for API versions and data formats, encouraging developers to migrate to more recent SDF versions that offer enhanced functionality and improved performance.

Organizations using SDF v6 must transition to newer versions to maintain compatibility with current API operations. The deprecation affects bulk data operations that rely on structured data file formats for campaign management and reporting functions.

API version transition timeline

Display & Video 360 API v3 will sunset on October 7, 2025, marking the end of support for the previous major version. Organizations currently using v3 must migrate to v4 to ensure continued access to API functionality beyond the sunset date.

The transition period provides sufficient time for development teams to update their integrations according to the v4 migration guide. The migration process involves updating client libraries to the latest version and adapting code to accommodate any changes in method signatures or data structures between versions.

Impact on marketing operations

The targeting parity between v3 and v4 eliminates a significant barrier for organizations seeking to standardize their API integrations on the latest version. Marketing technology teams can now implement comprehensive targeting strategies using v4 without sacrificing functionality available in v3.

The enhanced targeting capabilities in DV360's API represent a significant step forward for programmatic campaign management, particularly for organizations managing complex multi-channel advertising operations. The ability to programmatically control campaign and insertion order targeting enables more sophisticated automation workflows and reduces manual campaign management overhead.

The YouTube inventory control features provide advertisers with better visibility into video ad placement settings, supporting more strategic inventory management decisions. This capability becomes increasingly important as video advertising continues to expand across diverse content formats and viewing environments within YouTube's ecosystem.

For advertising agencies and marketing platforms, the API updates enable the development of more sophisticated campaign management tools that can handle targeting operations across different organizational levels within the Display & Video 360 hierarchy. The standardization on v4 also simplifies integration maintenance by reducing the need to support multiple API versions simultaneously.

The technical support infrastructure for these new features includes access to the Display & Video 360 API Technical support contact form for organizations requiring assistance with implementation or troubleshooting.

Developer implementation requirements

Before implementing the new features, developers must update their client libraries to the latest version to ensure compatibility with the enhanced API endpoints. This update prevents potential errors that might occur when accessing new functionality with outdated client code.

The migration to v4 requires following the steps outlined in Google's v4 migration guide, which provides detailed instructions for transitioning from v3 to v4. The guide covers method name changes, parameter updates, and any breaking changes that might affect existing integrations.

Organizations should also review their current SDF implementations to ensure they are not relying on the deprecated v6 format. The transition to newer SDF versions may require updates to data processing workflows and file handling procedures.

Technical support and documentation

Google provides comprehensive documentation for the new features through the Display & Video 360 API release notes, which detail all changes and additions included in the July 2025 update. The documentation includes code examples and implementation guidance for the new targeting methods and inventory control features.

Development teams encountering issues during implementation can access technical support through the dedicated contact form for Display & Video 360 API technical support. This resource provides direct access to Google's API support team for resolution of implementation challenges or clarification of feature functionality.

The release notes also provide detailed information about enum value additions, field changes, and method signatures for all new functionality introduced in the update. This technical documentation serves as the authoritative reference for implementing the enhanced API capabilities in production environments.

Timeline

• March 9, 2020: Google launches Display & Video 360 API v1
• February 2, 2022: Google updates DV360 API introducing support for Customer Match
• June 17, 2024: DV360 API gains Advertiser-Level Keyword Targeting
• August 12, 2024: Google enhances DV360 with Structured Data Files QA Format
• January 26, 2025: DV360: New tools for privacy-focused advertising
• March 9, 2025: DV360 to introduce granular inventory source controls for Demand Gen line items
• March 27, 2025: Display & Video 360 API v4 now generally available
• June 18, 2025: DV360 announces major reporting changes for Q3 2025
• July 31, 2025: Google announces July 2025 update to Display & Video 360 API

Key Terms Explained

Display & Video 360 API: Google's programmatic interface that enables developers to automate advertising workflows within the Display & Video 360 platform. The API provides methods for creating, managing, and optimizing digital advertising campaigns across Google's advertising network, allowing for bulk operations and integration with third-party marketing technology systems.

Targeting: The process of defining specific audience segments, geographic locations, content categories, or inventory sources where advertisements should appear. In the context of the API update, targeting functionality has been expanded to include campaign and insertion order levels in v4, providing more granular control over where and how ads are delivered to potential customers.

YouTube & Partners: Google's video advertising network that includes YouTube's owned and operated properties as well as partner sites and applications where YouTube video ads can appear. The network encompasses various ad formats including skippable and non-skippable video ads, and the recent API update provides enhanced control over inventory settings within this network.

API v4: The fourth major version of the Display & Video 360 API, which has transitioned from beta to general availability. This version represents the current recommended implementation for new integrations and includes enhanced functionality, improved performance, and updated methods that supersede previous API versions.

Insertion Order: A programmatic advertising term referring to a container that holds multiple line items and defines budget allocation, pacing, and performance goals for a specific advertising campaign. The July 2025 update enables targeting management at the insertion order level through new API methods.

Campaign: The highest-level organizational structure within Display & Video 360 that contains insertion orders and defines overall advertising objectives, budget constraints, and timeline parameters. The API update introduces new methods for managing targeting options directly at the campaign level.

Inventory Control: Settings that determine where video advertisements can appear within YouTube's content ecosystem, including controls for content categories, channel types, and video formats. The new videoAdInventoryControl field provides programmatic access to these placement preferences for YouTube & Partners line items.

SDF (Structured Data Files): Bulk data format used for importing and exporting large volumes of campaign data within Display & Video 360. The files enable advertisers to make bulk changes to campaigns, and the July update removes support for the deprecated v6 format while maintaining compatibility with newer versions.

Migration: The process of transitioning from one API version to another, involving code updates, method name changes, and adaptation to new data structures. Organizations using v3 must complete migration to v4 before the October 7, 2025 sunset deadline to maintain API functionality.

Line Items: Individual advertising units within insertion orders that define specific targeting criteria, bidding strategies, and creative specifications. The API update enhances line item management capabilities, particularly for YouTube & Partners video advertising through improved inventory control settings.

Summary

Who: Google's Display & Video 360 API Team, led by Trevor Mulchay, announced the update targeting developers, advertisers, and marketing technology providers using the programmatic advertising platform.

What: The July 2025 update introduces campaign and insertion order targeting support in API v4, video ad inventory control settings for YouTube & Partners line items, a new ThirdPartyVendor enum value for TransUnion, and deprecation of SDF version 6.

When: The announcement was made on July 31, 2025, with immediate availability of new features. API v3 will sunset on October 7, 2025, requiring migration to v4.

Where: The updates affect the Display & Video 360 API across all markets where the platform operates, impacting both v3 and v4 API versions with global availability.

Why: The update achieves targeting parity between API versions, simplifies integration maintenance, enhances YouTube inventory management capabilities, and continues Google's API lifecycle management by deprecating outdated SDF formats while encouraging adoption of v4.