6 Best Practices for Writing Google Ads Scripts

Managing Google Ads accounts means closely controlling your budget and campaign performance. Automation with

Google Ads scripts is the most effective tool for this. Still, not all scripts are equal; small mistakes can cause big issues.

At BlinkJar Media, we manage Google Ads for multiple clients, overseeing the entire process from strategy to execution, including setting budgets, monitoring spend, and handling invoicing. As the agency owner, financial accountability ultimately rests with me, which means getting scripts right is not just good practice, it’s essential for peace of mind.

During our weekly audits, we refined our scripts to ensure they meet our goals for all campaign types. Here are the best practices we follow when writing Google Ads scripts.

1. Use a Google Ads Script to Enforce a Budget Cap

The most essential use of a Google Ads script is to set a clear monthly budget cap that aligns with client expectations. The script should query your account’s total cost from the first of the month through today, and automatically pause campaigns when that spend hits the defined threshold.

Why it matters: Without a script monitoring spend, you run the risk of overshooting your budget, especially during weekends, holidays, or campaign surges.

2. Add a Buffer to Your Budget Script to Account for Reporting Delays

Google Ads data isn’t always updated in real time. That’s why we recommend adding a buffer (e.g., $100 or 5–10%) to your monthly budget cap. This ensures your campaigns are paused before your actual spend exceeds the true limit due to data lag.

Why it matters:  Even if your script runs at the right time, delayed cost data could cause your campaigns to overspend. The buffer acts as your safety net.

3. Schedule Your Google Ads Script to Run Hourly

To stay on top of spend, schedule your script to run hourly instead of daily. This provides more frequent checkpoints and ensures that spending is managed proactively, even on weekends or off-hours when your team may not be actively monitoring the account.

Why it matters:  Daily checks are too infrequent to catch rapid spend increases, especially in accounts running Performance Max or YouTube ads.

4. Monitor All Google Ad Campaign Types (Not Just Search)

A common mistake in early scripts is focusing only on Search campaigns, but most accounts run multiple campaign types, including Display, YouTube, Shopping, and Performance Max. Your script should pull total account spend, not just a subset.

Why it matters:  You might think you’re under budget based on Search ads alone, but your YouTube or Performance Max campaign could be pushing you over.

5. Send Real-Time Script Notifications to Your Team

Once your script takes action (like pausing campaigns due to budget limits), send an email notification to stakeholders. In our case, that includes Ashton, Jared, and me. This ensures our internal team is in the loop and can communicate changes clearly to clients.

Why it matters: Automated actions without visibility can lead to miscommunication. Alerts keep everyone informed and reduce confusion.

6. Include Logic to Resume Campaigns at the Start of the Month

It’s easy to overlook, but your script should include a restart function to automatically resume campaigns at the beginning of each new month. Without this, your campaigns could remain paused indefinitely until manually restarted, causing missed opportunities and confusion.

Why it matters:  Budget caps should reset with the calendar month. Including this logic keeps things running smoothly and saves time.

Why I Trust Google Ads Scripts to Protect Client Budgets

“At the end of the day, financial responsibility stops with me. I help our clients set budgets, spend budgets, and invoice for performance. Knowing that our scripts are running in the background brings me real peace of mind - it’s like an extra layer of protection that I can trust.”

— Rikki Broussard, COO, BlinkJar Media

Combine Google Ads Scripts With Manual Weekly Reviews

Automation is powerful, but nothing replaces human oversight. At BlinkJar, our team works within Google Ads accounts on a daily basis, and we conduct a weekly huddle to review all active campaigns. This gives us the opportunity to identify anomalies, spot opportunities, and enhance script performance based on real-world results.

Pro tip: Always preview and test scripts before launch, and regularly monitor logs. Automation works best when paired with consistent human review.

Why Google Ads Scripts Should Be in Every Advertiser’s Toolkit

Google Ads scripts aren’t just about saving time; they’re about protecting your spend, improving performance and return on investment, and creating peace of mind for both agency teams and clients. By applying the best practices above, you can ensure that your scripts not only run but also work for you.

If you’re not already using scripts, or if it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed them, this is your reminder to make sure they’re set up properly. You’ll thank yourself later.