Getting started with Actions

Alli Actions was created to help unlock strategic optimizations at scale by taking action on campaigns based on pre-set parameters, powered by the data sources that are in Alli. Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Facebook/Instagram, DV360, and The Trade Desk are all supported partner platforms for Alli Actions. Anything that can be done through the UI of one of these partner platforms can also be run automatically through Alli Actions. Alli Actions saves time and can help remove manual human errors.

By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:

• Set up a new action that automates campaign and account settings

• QA your action executions

• Find specific item level details, like what was sent each execution, or specific error message to help troubleshoot

Please review before beginning your Action setup!

In the simplest terms, the way Actions works is you (the user) gives data to Actions, and Actions pushes that data to the platform of your choice to make the requested changes.

Actions will “action” on any and all data presented to it - it is crucial, no matter the data source, that any filtering or selection happen before connecting to Actions (so either filtering in Alli Data reports, Google Sheets, etc)

So for example, if you have a Google Sheet with daily budget updates, do not connect the base tab with every date, as it would send all of the rows every day. Instead, create a separate tab that filters that base data. For tips and tricks on this, review these tips & tricks for Google Sheets or these tips & tricks for Alli Data.

How To Set Up a New Action

1. Navigate to Actions. Click on the blue Create Action button.

2. This page shows a long list of templated Actions. Any action that you can take through the partner UI can be replicated within Alli Actions. Use the search bar to look up an action by Action Type. 

3. In this example, we will Add negative keywords to a campaign through Google Ads. Click the blue Select button.

Definition: Add negative keywords to a campaign - Because we are pulling performance data through Alli Data, Alli can alert team members to keywords that have poor performance. Alli Actions can then automatically add these poor performing keywords to a negative keyword list using preset performance thresholds. This can run on a frequency of your choosing. 

4. Name your Action and navigate to the correct ad account under Select Authenticated Account.

5. Select the correct data source where your changes are coming from. Choosing Alli Data will prompt you for a Report or Datasource name. The other options will prompt you for the appropriate configuration and will remind you what the Required Data Source Columns are to execute on this action. Click Save to continue setup.

If you are using a datasource or report from Alli Data, click Select Source and scroll through or search to select. If you do not see the datasource or report you are looking for remember:

• Your datasource needs to be active and contain data (if you just created it recently, give it time to load before setting up your action)

• Your report needs to be saved and published

• Your datasource or report must be in your client, Alli is unable to pull from datasources housed in other clients, so recreate the necessary datasource(s) in your client, or create the Action in the client your data lives under

If the above is true, and you still do not see your datasource or report, reach out for assistance in #alli-actions

If your data needs to be filtered by date, please review the tips & tricks for handling daylight savings and timezones to ensure your actions continue running smoothly

6. Review Action for accuracy. Set up a schedule for your Action if applicable. Select the blue Publish button.

7. A pop up box will confirm your setup. Click I’m Done to exit.

How To QA Your Action Runs

1. A list of actions will appear for the selected customer under Actions and Automate Campaigns from the left hand navigation. If an Action has had a successful run, a green checkmark will appear to the left hand side of its name. To see the list ordered by Last Run Date, click on that header to sort. 

2. On the far right of the row under the three dots, select Audit. 

3. The Audit screen will list the details of the last successful action runs, as well as the Items Sent and the time stamps. 

4. To see a more detailed view, like what items were sent, or to view your specific error message, click on the execution trigger. In the image above, Scheduled Trigger or by clicking the 3 dot menu to the far right.

5. Once you’ve navigated there, click on the Items tab. You can toggle through the item state tabs to view an item level view.

5. You can use the All tab to view all items collectively, or choose the particular state you want to see. For errored items, the Errors column will list the specific error, which you can view in its entirety by simply clicking on the error message

6. From there, the error message can give you a good idea on what went wrong, and you can begin to solve it on your own! You can always reach out in the #alli-actions channel for assistance, or submit a ticket for further help.