Google sent out an update to its Customer Match policy to advertisers yesterday, going into effect in January 2025.
Customer Match allows advertisers to use their first-party data to reach people across many different campaign types, making it one of the most valuable features available for brands.
The new policy change introduces new standards designed to protect user experience. Read on to learn more about the update and how advertisers can prepare for the change.
The Customer Match Policy Update
In its email, Google stated that advertisers who misuse Customer Match may have their access taken away.
They cite items like:
- Having the potential to cause harm to users
- Creating a poor user experience
If advertisers receive repeat violation of these items, it could lead to an account suspension.
However, Google reiterated that account suspensions for violating Customer Match policies wouldn’t be immediate.
Advertisers will get a warning issued at least seven days before any type of Google Ads account suspension.
In the short email to Google Ads account managers, they were also clear on how they gather feedback for consideration of its Customer Match policy violations:
- User feedback: Advertisers should expect Google to scrutinize feedback from users, especially if their ads receive negative interactions or reported concerns.
- Prevalence or severity of abuse: Ads deemed abusive or misleading could lead to Customer Match restrictions.
- Repeated violations of Customer Match policy: Consistent breaches of the policy will be grounds for account suspension.
This update is slated to go into effect on January 13, 2025.
What This Means For Advertisers
If you’re an advertiser who is using Customer Match for any Google Shopping campaigns, now is a great time to revisit how you’re collecting user data.
Below are a few examples to ensure you’re collecting user data within compliance policy:
- Make sure you’re getting a user’s consent before collecting their email address (or any other type of data)
- Check your targeting settings to ensure you’re not targeting anyone under the age of 18
- Don’t overly personalize your ads and monitor user feedback
- Educate your team to ensure everyone involved in managing Google Ads campaigns understands these changes.
Navah Hopkins from Optmyzr provided her perspective on the Customer Match policy, stating:
This email just went out to advertisers letting us know that Customer Match is a privilege, not a right.
This is a great reminder that these policies Google has in place is here to help us gain effectiveness in advertising. But if brands are caught misusing the policies in any way, it can be taken away at any time.
The upcoming policy change introduces new standards designed to protect user experience, which Google continues to emphasize as a priority across its platforms.
By focusing on relevance, quality, and compliance, brands can continue to leverage Customer Match without interruption.