Shared Libraries in Google Ads are centralized resources that allow advertisers to create, manage, and apply common assets or settings across multiple campaigns and ad groups, saving time and ensuring consistency. Instead of setting up the same item repeatedly for different campaigns, Shared Libraries enable you to define them once and reuse them wherever needed.
They help streamline campaign management, especially when dealing with large or complex accounts. Shared Libraries can include items like bid strategies, audiences, budgets, placement exclusions, and more. By using Shared Libraries, advertisers can apply updates globally across campaigns, reduce human error, and improve overall efficiency.
Main Components of Shared Libraries
-
Shared Budgets
A shared budget lets you allocate a single daily budget across multiple campaigns. Google will automatically distribute the budget to the campaigns that need it most throughout the day.
Example: If ZARA runs separate campaigns for Men’s, Women’s, and Kids’ clothing, instead of assigning ₹5,000 daily to each campaign, they can use a shared budget of ₹15,000 for all three. Google then manages how the money is spent based on performance. -
Portfolio Bid Strategies
A portfolio bid strategy is an automated bidding strategy that can be applied to multiple campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. Google optimizes bids across the portfolio to achieve a common performance goal like Target CPA or Maximize Conversions.
Example: Skechers runs campaigns for Running Shoes, Walking Shoes, and Lifestyle Shoes. They can apply one portfolio strategy like Target ROAS across all three, so Google manages bidding collectively to get the best return. -
Audience Lists (Remarketing Lists)
You can create and store audience lists—such as website visitors, cart abandoners, or past converters—and use them across multiple campaigns.
Example: ZARA creates a remarketing list for users who visited the summer collection page but didn’t purchase. This list is stored in the Shared Library and can be used across all Display and YouTube remarketing campaigns. -
Negative Keyword Lists
You can create a list of negative keywords and apply it to multiple campaigns to block irrelevant traffic.
Example: Skechers doesn’t want their ads to show for keywords like “free shoes,” “cheap quality shoes,” or “second-hand sneakers.” They can create a negative keyword list in Shared Libraries and apply it to all campaigns. -
Placement Exclusion Lists
Avoid wasting budget on low-performing or irrelevant websites, apps, or YouTube channels by storing excluded placements in Shared Libraries.
Example: ZARA finds that certain mobile apps drive a lot of accidental clicks but no sales. They exclude those apps once and apply the exclusion list across all Display campaigns. -
Custom Audiences
You can store custom intent or custom affinity audiences in Shared Libraries for targeting users based on interests, purchase behavior, or keyword activity.
Example: Skechers creates a custom audience based on users searching for “best walking shoes for men” or “comfortable work sneakers” and reuses this across Search and Display campaigns. -
Conversion Actions (under Tools now, but linked)
While technically not under “Shared Library” in name anymore, your conversion tracking actions can still be managed centrally and applied across campaigns or accounts for consistent performance measurement.
Benefits of Using Shared Libraries
-
Consistency
It ensures that important settings (like exclusions, bidding strategies, or audience targeting) are applied uniformly across all campaigns, reducing inconsistency. -
Time Efficiency
Instead of making manual changes in each campaign, you can update a setting once in Shared Libraries and have it reflect everywhere it’s used. -
Better Control
You have centralized control over key assets like budgets and bid strategies, allowing smarter campaign optimization. -
Scalability
Ideal for agencies or large businesses managing multiple campaigns or clients, making account management smoother. -
Improved Performance
When Google can optimize across a shared portfolio (like budgets or bidding), performance can improve due to smarter resource allocation.
Example: Shared Library Use for ZARA
ZARA is running 10 campaigns across different regions of India for their festive collection. They use:
-
A shared budget of ₹50,000 to allocate spend flexibly across all campaigns
-
A Target CPA portfolio strategy to keep cost-per-acquisition under ₹400 across all cities
-
A remarketing list for users who added products to the cart but didn’t check out
-
A negative keyword list excluding terms like “used clothes” or “cheap brands”
-
A placement exclusion list to block low-quality traffic from irrelevant apps
If ZARA needs to update their CPA target or expand their exclusion list, they do it once in the Shared Library and all 10 campaigns are instantly updated.
Example: Shared Library Use for Skechers
Skechers manages campaigns for men’s, women’s, and kids’ footwear across India, the UAE, and Singapore. To maintain control:
-
They use shared budgets at the country level
-
Apply a Target ROAS bidding strategy for all ecommerce-focused campaigns
-
Create a custom audience for users who searched for “lightweight gym shoes,” “casual sneakers under ₹3000,” and apply it across their Search and Display ads
-
Use a negative keyword list to block irrelevant terms across all markets
-
Apply a common remarketing list to reach visitors who viewed any product but didn’t convert
Conclusion
Shared Libraries in Google Ads are essential for advertisers looking to manage campaigns efficiently, reduce errors, and maintain consistent settings across multiple ads. Brands like ZARA and Skechers use them to scale their advertising operations with ease—controlling budgets, targeting the right users, and optimizing performance through smart, centralized management. Whether you’re running a single campaign or hundreds, using Shared Libraries ensures your Google Ads account stays organized, efficient, and results-driven.
