Import existing campaigns

If you already run Google Ads campaigns, you can import them into VibeAds without recreating anything. The agent reads them, classifies their bidding stage, and starts managing where you left off.

Why import

VibeAds was built for the "I already have campaigns, I just want them optimized" case as much as the "create from scratch" case. Importing gets you:

• Per-campaign performance snapshots every 6 hours
• Search term mining + AI classification (high-intent vs irrelevant)
• Negative keyword suggestions (auto-applied on Max)
• Bid adjustment recommendations by device, geo, schedule
• Quality Score component tracking
• Bidding strategy audit (correctly configured? data starved? misconfigured?)
• Auto-rollback safety on any agent change

How import works

From the dashboard, click "Import." VibeAds queries Google Ads for every campaign in your account and lists them with current status, budget, ad group count, and last 7-day metrics. Pick the ones you want.

For each selected campaign, VibeAds pulls:

• Campaign settings (name, status, channel type, budget, bidding strategy, target CPA/ROAS, start date)
• Ad groups and keywords
• Existing RSAs (headlines, descriptions, final URLs)
• Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets
• Location, language, and ad schedule targeting
• 30 days of metrics history (loaded by agent-sync within 6h)

What does not get duplicated

Import is idempotent. Re-importing the same campaign updates the local record instead of creating a new one. If you delete a campaign in Google Ads and create a new one with the same name, VibeAds auto-archives the old local record to keep the dashboard clean.

Stage audit

Imported campaigns can be at any rung of the bidding ladder. We classify them automatically:

• Stage 1 (Manual CPC). MANUAL_CPC, MAXIMIZE_CLICKS, or ENHANCED_CPC.
• Stage 2 (Volume bidding). MAXIMIZE_CONVERSIONS or TARGET_CPA.
• Stage 3a (Value bidding). MAXIMIZE_CONVERSION_VALUE without a target.
• Stage 3b (Target ROAS). TARGET_ROAS or MAXIMIZE_CONVERSION_VALUE with a target.
• Off-ladder. Portfolio bidding, video CPV, display CPM, or any strategy VibeAds does not supervise.

After classification, the audit runs a health check:

• Correctly configured: stage matches the data (Stage 2 with steady conversions, Stage 3b with stable ROAS, etc.).
• Data starved: stage is too aggressive for current conversion volume (Stage 3a with under 20 paid invoices/30d).
• Misconfigured: stage is wrong for the data (Stage 3b with no Revenue conversion action, Smart Bidding cannot optimize value).
• Unsupported: off-ladder strategy. Agent acknowledges and stops there.

The Bidding Lifecycle panel on each campaign detail page shows the current stage, audit health, and full transition history.

Max auto-approval

On Pro and Free, the audit produces a recommendation you click to approve. The agent does not manage the campaign until you do.

On Max with hands-free on, the audit auto-approves immediately when health is correctly_configured, data_starved, or unsupported. The agent starts managing on the same 12-hour cycle. Misconfigured audits still require manual approval because they signal you intentionally set something up that the agent thinks is wrong. One click preserves your intent.

Detecting changes in Google Ads UI

If you change a campaign's bidding strategy directly in Google Ads UI, VibeAds detects it within 6 hours and logs an external_change event. A 7-day cooldown kicks in during which no ladder rules fire. After 7 days, the agent resumes managing from the new stage.