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Alert types

Hero Marketer has 17 built-in alert types for each connected Google Ads account. Alert settings groups them into three sections: Protect, Performance, and Governance. Alerts have no severity levels. Ten alert types send an email by default. Every alert also goes to the bell and the Alerts inbox.

Hero Marketer runs most alert types in the 06:00 check, in the account's time zone. It runs Daily budget running out too fast and Account spend spiking every hour from 09:00 to 22:00.

You can turn each alert type on or off, change its channels, or change its thresholds. See Configure alert preferences. To make your own rule, see Create a custom alert.

Protect​

Problems with your connection, your conversion tracking, your budget, your spend, and your ad delivery. The Protect section has five alert types.

Section: Protect. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: in every check, and at each Google sign-in refresh.

This alert fires when Hero Marketer cannot read your Google Ads account on 3 checks in a row. You can set the number of checks from 1 to 12 in Configure alert preferences. The alert title is "Reconnect Google Ads". The alert has two causes:

  • The Google sign-in does not refresh. Google revoked the sign-in that Hero Marketer uses. Hero Marketer finds this at its next sign-in refresh, usually within about an hour. The alert fires after 3 failed checks in a row, about 30 minutes after the first failed refresh.
  • Google Ads refuses access to the account. The Google login that you connected lost access to the account, or the account was closed. Hero Marketer finds this in each check: at 06:00, then every hour from 09:00 to 22:00 in the account's time zone. The alert fires after 3 failed checks in a row. During the day, this is about 2 hours after the first failed check.

While the connection is broken, Hero Marketer cannot read this account. Hero AI, the dashboard, and the other features stop working for this account. No daily charge applies to this account while the alert is active. If you turn off this alert type, the daily charge continues for an account with a broken connection.

To fix the connection, reconnect the account with a Google login that can open it. If the account is closed, disconnect it. Either action resolves the alert at once. After a reconnect, if Hero Marketer still cannot read the account, the alert fires again after 3 more failed checks.

The main button on this alert is Go to connections, not Analyze with Hero AI. Hero AI also cannot read the account while the connection is broken.

Conversion tracking stopped working​

Section: Protect. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

This alert fires when the two most recent completed days both have zero conversions across the account. Before that, the account converted normally, and it still spends. Conversion tracking is probably broken on the website or in Google Tag Manager. Until you fix it, every recommendation from Google Ads or Hero AI uses bad data. Google shows a "no recent conversions" status in the conversion actions table, but Google does not send an email about it.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The two most recent completed days both have zero conversions.
  • The 7 days before them averaged at least 1 conversion a day.
  • The latest day's spend is at least 30% of the account's average daily spend from the last 35 days. The minimum is $5.

Daily budget running out too fast​

Section: Protect. Default channels: In app only. Checked: every hour from 09:00 to 22:00.

A campaign spends at least 80% of its daily budget before half of the business day passes. The campaign then misses the demand of the afternoon and the evening. Google shows "limited by budget" in the Google Ads UI, but Google does not send an email about it.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • An enabled campaign with a daily budget spent at least 80% of it today.
  • Not more than 50% of the business day has passed. The business day is 09:00 to 22:00 in the account's time zone.

At the default settings, this alert can fire only until about 15:30. It resolves at the first hourly check after that.

Account spend spiking​

Section: Protect. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: every hour from 09:00 to 22:00.

Today's spend for the whole account is much higher than usual for this weekday. Something started to spend money unusually fast. Spend changes by day of the week, so the comparison uses the same weekday. For example, on a Tuesday, the comparison uses earlier Tuesdays. The alert fires when today's spend so far reaches 2 times the usual spend of a full day for that weekday.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • Today's spend so far is at least 2 times the average spend of the same weekday over the previous 28 days. Today's spend includes all campaigns, also paused campaigns.
  • The average daily spend over those 28 days is at least $10.
  • The previous 28 days have data for at least 2 days of the same weekday.

Campaign stopped serving​

Section: Protect. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

An enabled campaign almost stopped showing ads yesterday. Campaign not spending its budget looks at spend over 5 days. This alert looks at the impressions of one day. It helps you find a sudden eligibility or disapproval problem that stopped delivery.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • Yesterday's impressions are at most 10% of the campaign's daily average over the 14 days before.
  • That average is at least 100 impressions a day.

A day with no data counts as zero impressions.

Performance​

The results of your campaigns against their own baselines. The Performance section has eight alert types.

Campaign spending without converting​

Section: Performance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign that converts regularly spent enough in the last 7 days to expect conversions, but it got none.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The campaign has zero conversions in the last 7 completed days.
  • The 7-day spend is at least the larger of two amounts. The first amount is 3 times the campaign's cost per conversion from the last 35 days. The second amount is 80% of its typical weekly spend.
  • The campaign had at least 3 conversions in the last 30 days.

A campaign with no conversions in the last 35 days has a different rule. It fires when the campaign spends $30 or more in 7 days, and the campaign is at least 14 days old.

Search terms wasting budget​

Section: Performance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

One search term spent a large amount over the last 14 days and got zero conversions. Hero Marketer raises one alert for each campaign and search term. This alert covers only enabled Search campaigns. It does not cover Performance Max or Shopping search terms.

This alert does not add a negative keyword. To block the search term, add it as a negative keyword in Google Ads. Or ask Hero AI to add it, and approve the change. To add negative keywords automatically, turn on the Block wasting search terms automation. See Recommended automations.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The term has zero conversions over the last 14 days.
  • The term's spend over the last 14 days is at least 2 times the campaign's cost per conversion from the last 14 days. The minimum is $15.

If the campaign has no conversions, the rule uses 5 times the campaign's average cost per click. The $15 minimum also applies.

Profitable campaign capped by budget​

Section: Performance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign loses at least 20% of its search impression share to its budget, and it recorded some conversion value in the last 14 days. The daily budget limits the campaign.

This alert does not check profit or your target. Look at the campaign's return before you raise the budget. Campaigns that do not track conversion value never fire this alert. This is common for B2B lead generation. The Lift the budget on profitable campaigns being capped automation acts only when this alert fires.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The campaign's average Search budget lost impression share over the last 14 days is at least 20%.
  • The campaign's return on ad spend (ROAS) over the last 14 days is more than 0.

Campaign not spending its budget​

Section: Performance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign spends less than half of its daily budget, day after day. The budget is too high, the targeting is too narrow, or the bids are too low. Lower the budget, broaden the targeting, or raise the bids.

Default formula. An enabled campaign with a daily budget spent at most 50% of it on each of the last 5 completed days. A day with no data counts as $0. The campaign must be at least 5 days old.

Click through rate dropping​

Section: Performance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign's click through rate (CTR) over the last 7 completed days fell to 70% or less of its usual daily CTR. The comparison runs only when the 7 days have at least 1,000 impressions, so campaigns with low volume do not fire the alert.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • CTR over the last 7 completed days is at most 70% of the campaign's median daily CTR. The median uses up to 27 completed days before the 7 days.
  • Impressions over the 7 days are at least 1,000.
  • The campaign has at least 14 days of earlier data.

Conversion rate dropping​

Section: Performance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign's conversion rate over the last 7 completed days fell to 70% or less of its usual daily conversion rate. The comparison needs at least 100 clicks in the 7 days.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The conversion rate over the last 7 completed days is at most 70% of the campaign's median daily conversion rate. The median uses up to 27 completed days before the 7 days.
  • Clicks over the 7 days are at least 100.
  • The campaign has at least 14 days of earlier data.

Cost per click spiking​

Section: Performance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

The average cost per click (CPC) of one of your 10 keywords with the highest spend rose to 1.5 times its usual level. This occurred on 3 daily checks in a row. The 3 checks filter out one day of unusual auctions. The top 10 keywords by spend are the keywords that are most important to your costs.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The keyword is in the top 10 keywords by spend over the last 7 days.
  • The keyword's average CPC over the last 7 days is at least 1.5 times its median daily CPC. The median uses an earlier baseline of at least 14 days.
  • The condition occurs on 3 checks in a row.

Cost per conversion spiking​

Section: Performance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign's cost per conversion rose to 1.5 times its baseline. Conversions became more expensive. The recent period ends 4 days ago, because conversions can arrive some days after the click.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The campaign's cost per conversion over 7 days is at least 1.5 times its baseline. The 7-day period ends 4 days ago.
  • The baseline is the cost per conversion of the 14 days before the 7-day period: total cost divided by total conversions.
  • Those 14 days have at least 5 conversions.
  • The condition occurs on 2 checks in a row.

If a campaign has zero conversions in the recent 7 days, it has no cost per conversion. Campaign spending without converting covers that case.

Governance​

Quality drops and changes made outside Hero Marketer. The Governance section has four alert types.

Losing impression share to competitors​

Section: Governance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

A campaign loses at least 30% of its search impression share to rank, not to budget. The cause is bids, ad relevance, or quality. The campaign must also spend a meaningful amount, so inactive campaigns do not fire this alert.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The campaign's average Search rank lost impression share over the last 14 days is at least 30%.
  • The campaign's spend over the last 14 days is at least 50% of 14 days of its average daily spend. The average daily spend comes from the last 35 days. The minimum is $50.

Keyword Quality Score dropping​

Section: Governance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

One of your 3 keywords with the highest spend has a low Quality Score now, and had a high Quality Score before. Hero Marketer compares each keyword's Quality Score with the value that it recorded at the previous morning's check.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The keyword is in the top 3 keywords by spend over the last 7 days.
  • The keyword has a Quality Score of 5 or lower.
  • At the previous morning's check, the keyword's Quality Score was 7 or higher.
  • The condition occurs on 3 checks in a row.

You can set the number of checks (Consecutive observations) from 1 to 14.

Responsive search ad got weaker​

Section: Governance. Default channels: In app only. Checked: at 06:00.

An enabled responsive search ad in an enabled campaign dropped from Good or Excellent ad strength to Poor or Average. Ad strength changes less often than Quality Score, so one check is sufficient. Refresh the headlines and descriptions. Hero AI can write new ones.

Default formula. All of these conditions are true:

  • The ad strength is now Poor or Average.
  • At the previous morning's check, the ad strength was Good or Excellent.

When Hero Marketer finds an ad for the first time, it only records the ad strength. This alert has no threshold to change. It resolves the next morning, also if the ad stays weak.

Account changed outside Hero Marketer​

Section: Governance. Default channels: Email and in app. Checked: at 06:00.

Someone or something changed the Google Ads account outside Hero Marketer. Hero Marketer reads the account's change history for yesterday and today. It raises one alert each day for each person or Google system that made changes. This alert is useful for an account where more than one person or tool makes changes.

This alert counts these changes:

  • Edits in the Google Ads web interface, Google Ads Editor, or the Google Ads mobile app. The edit must come from an email address that is not your Hero Marketer sign-in email.
  • Changes from auto-applied recommendations, automated rules, scripts, bulk uploads, Performance Max automation, Search Ads 360, and internal Google tools.

This alert does not count changes made through the Google Ads API. This includes changes from Hero Marketer and from other tools that use the API.

If you connected Google Ads with a different Google account than your sign-in, your own edits also fire this alert. This alert has no threshold to change. It resolves the next morning.

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