Set up a Google Ads campaign in plain English with SpendSignoff
Campaign setup in Google Ads Ads Manager involves 14 screens, multiple micro-decisions on bidding strategy, targeting, ad rotation, and asset assignment. The process is the same whether you are a first-timer or have done it a hundred times — it is just menus. An AI client collapses it to a conversation.
Before you start: what you need to supply
SpendSignoff can generate the campaign structure, keyword list, and ad copy — but three things come from you: the product or service you are advertising, the target customer (geographic, demographic, or audience-based), and the conversion action you are optimizing toward. Without these, the AI makes generic guesses that will need revision.
Clear inputs lead to useful drafts. Vague inputs lead to a draft that looks right but is missing your specific commercial context.
The setup conversation
A complete campaign setup conversation looks like this. Start specific: "Create a Google Ads Search campaign for [your product], targeting [location], with a $100 daily budget, target CPA of $30, using these seed keywords: [k1, k2, k3]. The conversion action is 'Purchase'."
SpendSignoff calls propose_change with the full campaign object: campaign settings (name, type, bid strategy, budget), ad group structure (keyword groupings with match types), and three headline / two description combinations per ad group. The draft lands in your approval queue as a structured before→after diff showing every field that will be created.
Example prompt for a SaaS free-trial campaign
"Create a Google Ads Search campaign named 'SpendSignoff - Brand' targeting
the US and Canada. Daily budget $80. Target CPA $45. Use these keywords:
'ai ad manager', 'ppc automation tool', 'google ads ai tool' (exact and phrase
match). Conversion action: 'Free Trial Signup'. Write ad copy that
emphasizes the two-step approval model and $83/month price point."Reviewing the draft
The approval queue shows the campaign draft as a structured diff. Every field has a "before" state (empty, since this is a new campaign) and the proposed "after" value. Check: keyword match types (broad match can spend aggressively on launch), negative keyword list (the AI will include common negatives but may miss industry-specific ones), and bid strategy parameters (ensure the target CPA is realistic for your conversion history).
If something looks wrong, do not approve — go back to your AI client: "Change the keyword 'ai ad manager' to exact match and add 'automated ppc' as a negative keyword." The AI updates the draft and it refreshes in the queue.
Review match types before approving
What SpendSignoff cannot do in campaign setup
Uploading creative assets — images, video, responsive display ad creative — requires you to supply the files through the platform's asset library or through the SpendSignoff dashboard's creative upload UI. The AI can write the copy and specify the asset format requirements, but cannot generate images or video.
For Performance Max campaigns, the AI stages the asset group specifications (headlines, descriptions, final URL) but the image and video assets need to be in your Google Ads asset library before the draft can be fully pushed live.
FAQ
- Can I set up multiple campaigns in one conversation?
- Yes. You can ask for multiple campaigns in a single prompt or build them sequentially in one conversation. Each campaign becomes a separate draft in the approval queue. You can approve them individually or in batch.
- Does the AI know my account's historical conversion data when writing the campaign?
- Yes. SpendSignoff reads your account's conversion actions and recent performance data before generating a campaign draft. It can reference your actual average CPA to suggest a realistic target, and it uses your existing negative keyword lists as a starting point.
Connect an account read-only and watch the operator work.
Reads are free on every plan. Nothing spends without your two-step approval.
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