How to use the report editor in Google Ads?

Introduction
The Report Editor in Google Ads is a powerful, built-in tool that allows advertisers to create, customize, and analyze detailed reports using interactive tables, charts, and pivot tables. It offers more flexibility than standard reports and lets you explore your account’s performance in a visual, data-rich environment without needing to export data to external tools like Excel or Google Sheets.

Whether you want to analyze keywords, ad groups, campaign metrics, conversion data, audience performance, or geographical insights, the Report Editor gives you the tools to build personalized reports that suit your unique needs.

Here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to use the Report Editor effectively.

Step 1: Accessing the Report Editor

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account at https://ads.google.com.

2. Click on the “Reports” icon in the top right corner of your dashboard (it looks like a bar chart).

3. Select “Report Editor” from the drop-down menu.

4. You’ll be taken to the Report Editor interface, where you can begin building a report from scratch or use a predefined template.

Step 2: Choosing the Report Type

In Report Editor, you can build various types of visual reports:

• Table (default): Displays data in a spreadsheet-like layout

• Bar chart

• Line chart

• Pie chart

• Scatter plot

You can switch between these formats depending on how you want to view and analyze your data.

Step 3: Drag and Drop Metrics and Dimensions

1. On the left side, you’ll see two panels: Dimensions and Metrics.

2. Dimensions refer to data categories like:

   • Campaign

   • Ad group

   • Device

   • Geographic location

   • Keyword

   • Day of the week

3. Metrics refer to performance data such as:

   • Clicks

   • Impressions

   • Conversions

   • Cost

   • Click-through rate (CTR)

   • Cost per click (CPC)

   • Conversion rate

To build a report:

• Drag a dimension (e.g., Campaign) to the rows section

• Drag a metric (e.g., Clicks, Conversions) to the values section

The report will auto-generate in real time, showing your selected data.

Step 4: Apply Filters to Refine Your Data

You can filter your data to show only specific insights:

• Click on the “Filter” button.

• Choose the dimension or metric you want to filter by (e.g., Device = Mobile).

• Add multiple filters to drill down deeper.

This helps in isolating performance for a specific campaign, date range, audience segment, keyword, etc.

Step 5: Use Segments and Sorting

You can segment your data by additional variables such as:

• Device

• Day of the week

• Network (Search vs. Display)

• Top vs. Other placements

Segmentation helps uncover more granular trends. For example, you can compare performance between desktop and mobile traffic for the same campaign.

You can also sort data by any metric. For instance, to find the ad groups with the highest conversion rate, simply click the “Conversion Rate” column header to sort in descending order.

Step 6: Change the Time Frame

Use the date selector at the top right of the page to choose a specific date range:

• Today

• Yesterday

• Last 7 days

• This month

• Custom date range

You can also compare date ranges (e.g., last 7 days vs. previous 7 days) to analyze trends and performance shifts over time.

Step 7: Create Charts for Visualization

To visualize your data:

• Click on the “Chart” icon at the top.

• Choose the type of chart you want: Line, Bar, Pie, or Scatter.

• Customize the x-axis and y-axis by dragging dimensions and metrics into the respective fields.

Visualizing trends makes it easier to spot patterns and insights at a glance.

Step 8: Save and Schedule Reports

Once your report is ready:

• Click “Save as” in the top right corner.

• Give your report a name, e.g., “Weekly Campaign Performance.”

• You can access this saved report anytime from the Reports > Reports section.

To schedule email delivery:

• Click “Schedule Email”

• Choose the recipients, email frequency (daily, weekly, monthly), and format (CSV, Excel, PDF)

• Google Ads will send this report automatically to your team or client as per the schedule

Step 9: Share the Report

You can share the report directly with team members by clicking the “Download” icon to export it or using the “Share” icon to give access within the Google Ads interface.

Step 10: Use Templates for Fast Setup

Google Ads also offers pre-built report templates that you can customize, such as:

• Device Performance Report

• Campaign Type Summary

• Keywords Performance

• Ad Group Conversions by Day

You can access templates by clicking the “+ Report” button and choosing from the available options.

Use Case Example: Zara

Let’s say Zara is running multiple ad campaigns for summer collections across India. Their marketing team wants to see which cities are generating the most sales conversions through mobile devices.

Using the Report Editor, Zara’s team can:

• Drag “Campaign” and “City” into rows

• Drag “Conversions”, “CTR”, and “Cost” into metrics

• Apply a filter for “Device = Mobile”

• Set a custom date range for the last 30 days

• Sort by Conversions in descending order

• Use a bar chart to visualize which cities performed best

This kind of report helps Zara identify which regions need more budget or which ones to optimize for.

Conclusion

The Report Editor in Google Ads is a powerful tool that allows advertisers to dive deep into performance data without using external spreadsheets. It’s fully customizable, supports visual reporting, and helps uncover meaningful insights across campaigns, devices, locations, and more. With features like drag-and-drop fields, advanced filtering, segmentation, charting, scheduling, and sharing, it becomes an essential tool for brands like Zara, Myntra, or Skechers who want to make informed decisions based on real-time, actionable data. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, mastering the Report Editor can dramatically improve how you analyze and optimize your advertising strategy.