Requirements
- The Oracle database that you want to use must be accessible over the internet. You may restrict access to the IP address ranges used by Google Cloud.
- You must provide Data Manager with a username or password for an account in the database with access to the specific schemas and tables containing the data you would like to use.
- You must configure the network infrastructure to allow access to the Oracle Database from Google Cloud. This may involve setting up a VPN connection, configuring firewall rules to allow traffic from Google Cloud IP ranges, or using a dedicated interconnect service like Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect.
Connection type
When creating an Oracle agent, there are 2 types of connections you can use:
- System Identifier (SID): A unique identifier for your Oracle database instance
- For example, if an Oracle process is running on your machine, the SID is the local name of the database on your system.
- SERVICE_NAME: The alias used when connecting to external entities
Set up Oracle as a data source
Apply a use case now
The following sections walk you through a single procedure to link a data source to a use case. Click on your use case to expand the steps. To link the data source only, and apply a use case later, see Apply a use case later.
Customer Match
- In your Google Ads account, click Tools > Shared library > Audience manager.
- Click + Create remarketing list > + Customer list.
- Under "Data source", select Connect a new data source, then search and select Oracle from the list of products.
- Select Direct connection, then click Continue.
- If you previously linked a data source from the Data manager screen that you want to use, select Select an existing source.
- Under "Select a data type", choose the data type, then click Continue.
- Provide the hostname, port, service name or SID, username, and password.
- Select the connection type.
- Optional: You can apply filters to define the audience segment that you’ll import. Learn more about using filters.
- To map fields, select the data source fields from the dropdown lists that match the Google fields, then click Continue.
- Enter a name for this connection.
- Optional: Edit connection details.
- Click Done.
- Enter a name for the segment, confirm policy compliance, then click Create.
Offline conversion import and enhanced conversions for leads
Tip: Upgrade from offline conversion import to enhanced conversions for leads for more accurate reporting, easier data import, and engaged-view and cross-device conversion attribution.
To set up enhanced conversions for leads, you can either use an existing offline conversion import conversion action or create a new conversion action (recommended if you are switching to a new upload method like Data Manager).
- In Google Ads, click Goals > Summary > + New conversion action.
- Optional: If you already created a conversion and skipped adding a data source, click Tools > Data manager > + Connect Product.
- Click Import.
- Select CRMs, files, or other data sources.
- Select Track conversions from clicks as the tracking method.
- Under "Data source", select Connect a new data source.
- If you previously linked a data source from the Data manager screen that you want to use, select Select an existing source.
- Search and select Oracle from the list of data sources then choose Direct connection.
- Select the check box for the customer data policy to acknowledge that the data was collected and is being shared in compliance with Google's policies, then click Continue.
- Select a conversion goal from the list, then click Set up.
- Click Save and continue.
- Provide the hostname, port, service name or SID, username, and password.
- Select the connection type.
- Optional: You can apply filters to define the conversion events that you’ll import. This is important especially if you have multiple different conversion goals in the file you will be importing. Learn more about using filters.
- To map fields, select the data source fields from the dropdown lists that match the Google fields, then click Continue.
- Enter a name for this connection.
- Optional: Edit connection details.
- Click Done.
- Click Save and continue.
If you’re using offline conversion imports, we highly recommend upgrading to enhanced conversions for leads using the Google Ads Data Manager. Offline conversion import is a legacy feature, and it doesn’t have the durability features that enhanced conversions for leads offers.
Implementation varies depending on what you're measuring and your capabilities. Follow our guide to upgrading offline conversion imports to determine the method that best fits your needs.
Apply a use case later
In this type of setup, you complete each part of the connection at different times. This can be useful when you are ready to link a data source, but you are not ready to set up your use case–for example, you aren’t ready to create a customer list.
Consider the following scenario:
- Step 1: Dana is an engineer who manages data for your company. Dana sets up the data source to be used for activation in Google Ads. The data source is ready to be associated with a use case.
- Step 2: Mahan is a media specialist who needs to measure audience activation. Mahan creates a customer list and then associates it to the data source that Dana has previously set up, to use that data for Customer Match.
Step 1. Initiate the connection to the data source
Note: It’s recommended that you add an audience segment or conversion action to a connection that you created. You can either set up an audience segment or conversion action before you link a data source or you can create an audience segment or conversion action in the final step of setting up a data source.
Open Tools > Data manager. Select the connection you just made from “Connected products” and under “Usage”, click + Add audience segment or + Add conversion action.Set up a data source and create a connection to be associated with a use case later.
- In Google Ads, click Tools > Data manager > + Connect Product.
- Under Data source, search and select a data source from the list of products.
- If prompted, select Direct connection.
- Select your use case, read and accept the customer data policy, then click Continue. If you select Audiences, you are prompted to select the data type at this step.
- Enter your data source location and credentials*, then click Next.
- To map fields, select the data source fields from the dropdown lists that match the destination fields.
- Optional: Apply transformations to your data.
- Click Next.
- Enter a name for this connection.
- Optional: Edit connection details.
- Click Finish.
* Use the same credentials and location details for this data source as described in the first part of this article.
Step 2. Complete the connection by applying a use case
- Open the destination you intend to use–for example, begin to create a new customer list or conversion action using the steps from the previous sections. Return to these steps before completing the data source step.
- Under Data source, select Select an existing source.
- Select the data source that was initiated in Step 1 from the list of data sources.
- Continue to follow the remaining steps for your use case in the first part of this article. Note that you will skip further data source-related steps, such as entering credentials, because you completed these previously.
Troubleshoot errors
Setup errors
- Ensure that you are entering the correct database location URL and credentials.
- Ensure that the credentials you’re using have the appropriate permissions to access the data you need.
- Ensure that your conversion action has successfully connected to the chosen connection. Otherwise, no data will come in.
Scheduled run errors
- The most common cause of scheduled run failures is updated permissions in Oracle database. Check that the role or user account that corresponds to your database has permissions to read the data.
- Ensure that the data still exists and that the names of the schema and table haven’t changed.
