In a rapidly changing adtech environment, staying informed about new tools, policy changes, and platform features can give you an edge. From Spotify’s DV360 integration to Google’s AI reasoning leap, these updates impact how we target, automate, and analyze campaigns. Whether you’re managing paid media or strategizing performance growth, each update in this roundup presents both opportunities and new considerations for how your brand shows up online.
Meta Ads Now Automatically Include UTM Parameters for All Ads
Meta now auto-generates UTM parameters for all ads missing manual tracking, enabling better campaign attribution.
This is a must-know for brands investing in Meta ads. By implementing this update, advertisers gain clearer insights into which ads drive results—without relying solely on Meta’s internal reporting.
Meta’s latest platform update tackles a persistent tracking challenge by automatically attaching UTM parameters—like utm_source, utm_campaign, and utm_term—to all ads that don’t already have them. These parameters feed data into analytics platforms like Google Analytics, making it easier to trace a website conversion back to a specific ad or campaign.
Advertisers can preview an ad without manual UTMs and see the appended values in real time. This simplifies attribution for teams who may forget or skip custom UTMs, especially across large campaigns.
While this auto-tagging offers a safety net, Meta still recommends setting up manual UTM templates to ensure consistent naming conventions across campaigns.
Ultimately, this shift strengthens data quality, ensures cleaner reporting, and boosts the effectiveness of cross-platform analysis.
Meta Tests New AI-Generated Ad Feature: Comment Keywords for Positive Feedback Display
Meta is piloting AI that surfaces positive phrases from ad comments, like “Great quality,” directly under ads.
Marketers should understand this could enhance trust signals—but may need to be disabled if messaging control is critical.
Meta’s new AI-generated feature, “Comment Keywords,” analyzes comment sections under ads and pulls out short, positive sentiments to display as promotional cues. These might include phrases like “Sturdy” or “Fast delivery,” designed to offer social proof without user input.
However, because the system uses machine learning, there’s always a risk of surfacing vague or contextually off-key terms. Brands with sensitive messaging or strict compliance rules should check if this feature is active under Advantage+ Creative settings and toggle it off if needed.
It’s also worth noting the feature is currently limited to English and select languages and may be turned on by default for some accounts.
When used wisely, this tool can support performance by reinforcing trust at the point of conversion—but it should be monitored closely.
Google Updates Merchant Center Rules Affecting Product Listings and Shipping Attributes
Google is revising Merchant Center rules to improve clarity around pricing, sustainability, and delivery estimates.
These changes are critical for eCommerce brands; adapting early ensures compliance and maintains visibility in Shopping ads.
Starting April 8, 2025, Google will roll out changes in two waves. First, the use of the price attribute for down payments in installment pricing will be discontinued in favor of a new sub-attribute for clarity and regulatory compliance. Sellers must now reflect the total upfront price in the main price field.
Second, in the EU, traditional energy efficiency labels will be replaced with certification-based attributes—supporting clearer sustainability claims. These updates also introduce enhanced shipping options, including attributes for carrier details, handling times, and delivery windows.
These additions not only improve product listing transparency but also support better user experience by offering accurate delivery expectations.
eCommerce marketers should begin auditing Merchant Center feeds now to prevent disapprovals or sudden drops in ad performance once the rules take effect.
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/16098264
Google Ads Introduces YouTube Engagements Goal for Demand Gen Campaigns
YouTube Engagements is now a campaign goal in Google Demand Gen, enabling subscription-based bidding.
This opens up a new mid-funnel play for brands focused on growing and monetizing their video audiences.
Google Ads is consolidating video and display under its Demand Gen ecosystem, and the latest feature—YouTube Engagements—makes it easier to track and optimize for channel subscriptions. Unlike traditional video campaigns, this setup automatically routes advertisers through the Demand Gen layout when engagement is the selected goal.
To use the feature, advertisers must rely solely on video assets. Shopping feeds are not supported, and channel control must be handled carefully to avoid setup errors.
The real strength of this tool lies in flexibility: subscriptions can now be tracked or even used as a bidding metric, allowing deeper optimization for brands with strong YouTube strategies.
It’s a signal that Google is increasingly treating YouTube as a performance engine, not just a branding tool.
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12301500?hl=en-GB
Google Search Console API Adds Support for Hourly Data
Google now allows access to up to 10 days of hourly data in Search Console’s API.
For technical SEO teams, this is a game-changer—making it easier to spot trends and react to performance shifts faster.
Previously, hourly data was limited to the interface and only for the past 24 hours. With this update, developers can now pull data for the past 10 days, broken down by hour, via the Search Analytics API. This helps teams monitor campaign launches, track site changes, or diagnose volatility after Google algorithm updates.
The API now supports a new HOUR dimension and includes a HOURLY_ALL dataState for partial but actionable insights.
A typical request will return metrics like clicks, CTR, and position for every hour, offering a sharper view of content performance or indexing delays.
This deeper granularity gives SEO and content teams a powerful edge in making timely, data-driven decisions.
https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/04/san-hourly-data
Google Analytics Introduces Generated Insights Feature for Enhanced Data Analysis
Google Analytics now offers AI-generated insight cards that surface key trends and suggest optimizations.
This helps teams quickly identify what’s working—and take action—without having to dig through layers of reporting.
The new Generated Insights feature uses machine learning to summarize spikes, drops, or trends directly inside standard reports. These summaries appear as cards at the top of the report and often include direct links to filtered dashboards or calls-to-action for further exploration.
For instance, the tool might detect that purchases doubled on a certain day among a particular demographic and offer a one-click path to explore ecommerce performance for that group.
Users can interact with the insight by liking, disliking, or dismissing it—helping Google tailor future recommendations.
This represents a step toward “proactive analytics,” where insights come to you, rather than requiring time-consuming manual investigation.
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/15598263
Which of these updates will have the biggest impact on your business? Let’s discuss.
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