Creating an advertiser in Campaign Manager 360 is the first step before you can traffic campaigns, serve creatives, or track conversions.
Media buyers, ad operations specialists, and digital marketers must understand how advertiser settings affect tracking, reporting, integrations, and campaign organization.
This guide explains how to create an advertiser in Campaign Manager 360, configure essential settings, and avoid common setup mistakes.
What Is an Advertiser in Campaign Manager 360
In Campaign Manager 360, an advertiser acts as the core entity that organizes campaigns and tracking.
Each advertiser contains the settings and assets required to run campaigns. This includes creatives, Floodlight activities, landing page tracking, and reporting configuration.
An advertiser in Campaign Manager 360 supports:
- Campaign trafficking
- Creative hosting and ad serving
- Floodlight conversion tracking
- Reporting and analytics
- Third party integrations
You must create at least one advertiser before you can build campaigns.
If your account already contains advertisers, you can skip this step.
Step 1: Navigate to the Advertiser Section
Start by accessing the advertiser management area in Campaign Manager 360.
Follow these steps:
- Log in to your Campaign Manager 360 account.
- Open the Trafficking module.
- Click All Advertisers in the left navigation menu.
- Click the green New button.
Campaign Manager 360 opens the advertiser creation form.
If your account already contains advertisers, the existing list appears in this section.
Step 2: Enter Basic Advertiser Information
Campaign Manager 360 requires several fields to create a new advertiser.
These fields define how the advertiser appears in reports and how campaigns organize inside the platform.
Required and recommended fields include:
- Advertiser Name
- Default Email Address
- Advertiser Group (optional but recommended)
- Subaccount (optional)
- SSL Compliance (enabled by default)
Enter the Advertiser Name
The Advertiser Name field is required.
Choose a clear and consistent naming structure. Agencies often create one advertiser per client. Large organizations sometimes divide advertisers by business unit, product category, or region.
Examples include:
- Autodesk Structural Software
- Samsung Mobile Division
A structured naming system improves:
- Reporting clarity
- Floodlight configuration
- Long term account organization
Define naming conventions early to avoid confusion later.
Add a Default Email Address
Enter a default email address for the advertiser.
Campaign Manager 360 uses this address to send:
- System notifications
- Informational alerts
- Certain reporting updates
Use a shared inbox whenever possible.
Examples include:
- analytics@company.com
- trafficking@agency.com
Shared email addresses help teams maintain access even when roles change.
Assign an Advertiser Group (Optional but Recommended)
Advertiser groups help organize multiple advertisers for reporting.
Teams that manage many advertisers use groups to structure accounts and generate cross advertiser reports.
Why Use Advertiser Groups
Advertiser groups allow you to:
- Generate reports across related advertisers
- Organize advertisers by industry
- Segment advertisers by product category
- Separate subscription and one time purchase products
Example groups include:
- Automotive Clients
- BIM Software Group
- Subscription Products
- Enterprise Solutions
How to Create an Advertiser Group
If the group does not exist:
- Type the group name into the Advertiser Group field.
- Select the option to create the new group.
Campaign Manager 360 automatically creates the group and assigns the advertiser to it.
You can reuse this group when creating future advertisers.
Select a Subaccount (If Applicable)
Large organizations often structure their Campaign Manager 360 network using subaccounts.
Subaccounts allow teams to control:
- User permissions
- Billing separation
- Network segmentation
If your network includes subaccounts:
- Select the appropriate subaccount from the dropdown.
If not, leave this field empty. Campaign Manager 360 will place the advertiser under the main account.
Step 3: Configure Optional Advertiser Settings
Campaign Manager 360 also includes optional settings that improve campaign tracking and organization.
Key options include:
- Landing Page URL Suffix
- Dynamic Targeting Keys
- Creative Groups
- Associations with creative tools
Configuring these settings early helps maintain consistency across campaigns.
Landing Page URL Suffix
The Landing Page URL Suffix appends tracking parameters to landing page URLs without modifying the base landing page URL.
Campaign Manager 360 automatically adds these parameters when a user clicks an ad.
Common parameters include:
- UTM parameters
- Custom analytics tags
- Campaign Manager macros
Example URL suffix:
utm_source=cm360&utm_medium=display
When a user clicks an ad, Campaign Manager 360 adds these parameters to the landing page URL.
When to Use a URL Suffix
Use advertiser level URL suffixes when you want consistent tracking across all campaigns.
Typical scenarios include:
- Passing traffic data to Google Analytics
- Standardizing analytics parameters
- Tracking campaign attribution across platforms
If parameters differ by campaign, configure them at the campaign or creative level instead.
Dynamic Targeting Keys
Dynamic targeting keys help organize campaigns and creatives.
They function as reusable labels that simplify campaign targeting and reporting.
For example, you could label campaigns with:
- Samsung
- Holiday Campaign
- Premium Product Line
These labels help teams manage large accounts more efficiently.
Creative Groups
Now let’s look at the creative groups section. Creative groups organize creatives for reporting purposes.
They do not affect ad delivery.
Campaign Manager 360 allows you to assign up to two creative groups to each creative asset.
Common Use Cases
Creative groups help segment reporting by:
- Language (English vs Hindi)
- Product category
- Sub brand
- Seasonal promotions
How to Create a Creative Group
- Click New Creative Group.
- Enter a group name.
- Click outside the field to save.
Important: You cannot delete creative groups after you create them. Plan naming carefully.
Configure Associations
Associations connect Campaign Manager 360 with creative production tools.
You can link:
- Google Studio
- Ads Creative Studio
After linking these tools, teams can push creatives directly into Campaign Manager 360.
This process removes the need to manually upload creative files.
How to Add an Association
- Click New Association.
- Enter the integration code provided by the creative tool.
- Verify the connection.
This integration improves workflow for dynamic or rich media creatives.
Step 4: Post Creation Setup
After saving the advertiser, additional settings appear that help improve tracking and workflow.
Recommended configurations include:
- Event Tags
- Third party measurement
- Site assignments
- Platform integrations
Create Event Tags
Event tags allow third party vendors to receive campaign data from Campaign Manager 360.
You can create:
- Impression event tags
- Click event tags
Impression Event Tags
Impression tags notify external vendors when an ad impression occurs.
Click Event Tags
Click tags notify vendors when a user clicks an ad.
Campaign Manager 360 allows:
- Up to 20 impression tags per advertiser
- Up to 20 click tags per advertiser
These tags automatically apply to campaigns under the advertiser unless you adjust the configuration.
Enable Third Party Measurement
Many advertisers use verification vendors for brand safety and measurement.
Examples include:
- Integral Ad Science
- DoubleVerify
Campaign Manager 360 supports automated tag wrapping with these vendors.
How to Configure Third Party Measurement
- Enable Tag Wrapping.
- Select the verification partner.
- Enter the trafficking code provided by the vendor.
This setup simplifies brand safety and verification tracking.
Step 5: Save the Advertiser
Click the green Save button to finish the advertiser creation process.
The new advertiser appears in the All Advertisers list.
Campaign Manager 360 also generates a unique advertiser ID.
You can now use this advertiser to:
- Create Floodlight activities
- Build campaigns
- Upload creatives
- Run reports
Key Considerations
Before creating campaigns, review these important details.
- You cannot change advertiser currency after saving.
- Upload creatives at the advertiser level when you want to reuse them across campaigns.
- Add new advertisers to existing groups to simplify cross advertiser reporting.
A well configured advertiser prevents operational issues during campaign trafficking.
Key Takeaways
Creating an advertiser is the foundation for campaign management in Campaign Manager 360.
Important points to remember:
- Campaign Manager 360 requires an advertiser before you can build campaigns.
- Advertisers control tracking, creatives, and reporting structure.
- Landing page URL suffixes standardize analytics tracking.
- Creative groups improve reporting segmentation but do not affect ad delivery.
- Associations connect creative production tools directly to the platform.
- Event tags enable third party measurement and reporting.
Proper advertiser setup ensures accurate tracking and efficient campaign management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run campaigns without creating an advertiser?
No. Campaign Manager 360 requires at least one advertiser before you can create campaigns.
Does the landing page URL suffix override campaign parameters?
No. The advertiser level suffix cascades downward. You can override or remove parameters at campaign or creative level.
Do creative groups affect ad delivery?
No. Creative groups only organize reporting segments.
Can I delete a creative group after creating it?
No. Campaign Manager 360 does not allow creative group deletion. Plan naming conventions carefully.
Should I always use advertiser groups?
Use advertiser groups when you manage multiple related advertisers and need cross advertiser reporting. Skip them if you manage only one advertiser.
Can I change the advertiser currency later?
No. Campaign Manager 360 locks the currency after you create the advertiser.
How many creative groups can I assign to a creative?
Campaign Manager 360 allows up to two creative groups per creative.
Can I add dynamic targeting keys later?
Yes. You can create or modify dynamic targeting keys anytime for campaigns or creatives.
Creating advertisers correctly establishes the foundation for accurate tracking, organized trafficking, and reliable reporting in Campaign Manager 360.