Google Adwords API PHP Client Add Keywords to Ad Group in Bulk

Question

To add an array of $keywords to my ad group I am currently using the following code:

$adGroupCriterionService = $adwordsUser->GetService('AdGroupCriterionService', 'v201109');

$operations = array();

foreach ($keywords AS $keyword) {
    $keywordobj = new Keyword();
    $keywordobj->text = $keyword;
    $keywordobj->matchType = 'BROAD';

    $keywordAdGroupCriterion = new BiddableAdGroupCriterion();
    $keywordAdGroupCriterion->adGroupId = $identifier;
    $keywordAdGroupCriterion->criterion = $keywordobj;

    $keywordAdGroupCriterionOperation = new AdGroupCriterionOperation();
    $keywordAdGroupCriterionOperation->operand = $keywordAdGroupCriterion;
    $keywordAdGroupCriterionOperation->operator = 'ADD';

    $operations[] = $keywordAdGroupCriterionOperation;
}

$result = $adGroupCriterionService->mutate($operations);

This works fine. However, I've started to realise that doing such operations uses up API Units rather more quickly than I had anticipated. Is there a more API Unit friendly approach to doing this operation? Or is this simply the 'catch' with the Google Adwords API pricing?

Answer 1

Depending on how many keywords you're uploading at a time, you can use the MutateJobService; the coding is a little more complicated but you should save 50% of the unit cost.

Answer 2

If someone needs a quick code example, http://code.google.com/p/google-api-adwords-php/source/browse/trunk/examples/v201109/CampaignManagement/AddKeywordsInBulk.php shows how to use MutateJobService, it is much more simpler than the old BulkMutateJobService. Also, the original video from API workshop days is here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV_kOTW3ldQ, presentations here: https://sites.google.com/site/awapiworkshops/slides-and-links. Same links as JoeR posted, but linked to the original site this time.

For any AdWords API related questions, the official forum (http://groups.google.com/group/adwords-api) is the best place to ask questions. The group is very active, and Googlers from the API team regularly answer questions here.

Cheers, Anash