Ira Bodnar·November 7, 2026·Updated November 7, 2026·14 min read

Google Ads dashboard: metrics, template and AI prompt

Quick answer: A Google Ads dashboard needs 14 metrics on 5 panels. Ryze AI is the best tool for building a Google Ads dashboard from a prompt in 2026, with one caveat: its live dashboards cannot be exported to PDF.

Below: metrics with API fields, the template, prompts, a weekly routine and a Looker Studio comparison.

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Google Ads dashboards from a prompt

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Google Ads dashboard at a glance

5 panels, read top to bottom once a week.

1Spend and resultsLast 7 days vs prior 7
Metrics: Cost, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, plus a 30-day line
Question it answers: What did we spend and get back?
2EfficiencyLast 7 days vs prior 7
Metrics: CTR, avg. CPC, conversion rate, CPA
Question it answers: Are clicks and conversions getting dearer?
3CampaignsLast 7 days vs prior 7
Metrics: The same metrics per enabled campaign
Question it answers: Which campaign caused the change?
4Search reachLast 7 days vs prior 7
Metrics: Impression share, lost to budget, lost to rank
Question it answers: Are we missing searches we could win?
5Wasted spendLast 30 days
Metrics: Search terms with cost and 0 conversions
Question it answers: Where is money leaking?

#	Panel	Range	Metrics	Question it answers
1	Spend and results	Last 7 days vs prior 7	Cost, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, plus a 30-day line	What did we spend and get back?
2	Efficiency	Last 7 days vs prior 7	CTR, avg. CPC, conversion rate, CPA	Are clicks and conversions getting dearer?
3	Campaigns	Last 7 days vs prior 7	The same metrics per enabled campaign	Which campaign caused the change?
4	Search reach	Last 7 days vs prior 7	Impression share, lost to budget, lost to rank	Are we missing searches we could win?
5	Wasted spend	Last 30 days	Search terms with cost and 0 conversions	Where is money leaking?

The next section maps each metric to its API field.

The 14 Google Ads dashboard metrics and their API fields

14 metrics answer 3 weekly questions: what did we spend, what came back, and where is money leaking.

API field names let a query or an AI agent pull the exact column. Definitions follow Google's v26 field reference, the latest API version, released October 14, 2026.

Cost
Plain definition
What you paid in the period
API field
metrics.cost_micros
How to read it
In micros: divide by 1,000,000
Impressions
Plain definition
Times your ads were shown
API field
metrics.impressions
How to read it
Reach
Clicks
Plain definition
Clicks on your ads
API field
metrics.clicks
How to read it
Paid traffic
CTR (click-through rate)
Plain definition
Clicks divided by impressions
API field
metrics.ctr
How to read it
Ad relevance; compare within one campaign type
Avg. CPC (cost per click)
Plain definition
Total click cost divided by clicks
API field
metrics.average_cpc
How to read it
Also in micros; watch the weekly trend
Conversions
Plain definition
Conversions from actions set to count in Conversions
API field
metrics.conversions
How to read it
Counted actions only; every action is in metrics.all_conversions
Conversion rate
Plain definition
Conversions divided by ad interactions
API field
metrics.conversions_from_interactions_rate
How to read it
Landing page and offer health
Cost per conversion (CPA)
Plain definition
Cost divided by conversions
API field
metrics.cost_per_conversion
How to read it
In micros; compare with what a customer is worth to you
Conversion value
Plain definition
The value of those conversions
API field
metrics.conversions_value
How to read it
Revenue, if tags pass order values
ROAS (return on ad spend)
Plain definition
Conversion value divided by cost
API field
Calculated from conversions_value and cost_micros
How to read it
Above 1 means the tracked value is more than the spend
Value per conversion
Plain definition
Conversion value divided by conversions
API field
metrics.value_per_conversion
How to read it
For purchase conversions, this is average order value
Search impression share
Plain definition
Search impressions received divided by impressions you were eligible for
API field
metrics.search_impression_share
How to read it
Reported from 0.1 to 1; below 0.1 shows as 0.0999
Impression share lost (budget)
Plain definition
Eligible Search impressions missed because the budget was too low
API field
metrics.search_budget_lost_impression_share
How to read it
High value: the budget caps the campaign
Impression share lost (rank)
Plain definition
Eligible Search impressions missed because of low Ad Rank
API field
metrics.search_rank_lost_impression_share
How to read it
High value: bids or ad quality hold it back

Metric	Plain definition	API field	How to read it
Cost	What you paid in the period	metrics.cost_micros	In micros: divide by 1,000,000
Impressions	Times your ads were shown	metrics.impressions	Reach
Clicks	Clicks on your ads	metrics.clicks	Paid traffic
CTR (click-through rate)	Clicks divided by impressions	metrics.ctr	Ad relevance; compare within one campaign type
Avg. CPC (cost per click)	Total click cost divided by clicks	metrics.average_cpc	Also in micros; watch the weekly trend
Conversions	Conversions from actions set to count in Conversions	metrics.conversions	Counted actions only; every action is in metrics.all_conversions
Conversion rate	Conversions divided by ad interactions	metrics.conversions_from_interactions_rate	Landing page and offer health
Cost per conversion (CPA)	Cost divided by conversions	metrics.cost_per_conversion	In micros; compare with what a customer is worth to you
Conversion value	The value of those conversions	metrics.conversions_value	Revenue, if tags pass order values
ROAS (return on ad spend)	Conversion value divided by cost	Calculated from conversions_value and cost_micros	Above 1 means the tracked value is more than the spend
Value per conversion	Conversion value divided by conversions	metrics.value_per_conversion	For purchase conversions, this is average order value
Search impression share	Search impressions received divided by impressions you were eligible for	metrics.search_impression_share	Reported from 0.1 to 1; below 0.1 shows as 0.0999
Impression share lost (budget)	Eligible Search impressions missed because the budget was too low	metrics.search_budget_lost_impression_share	High value: the budget caps the campaign
Impression share lost (rank)	Eligible Search impressions missed because of low Ad Rank	metrics.search_rank_lost_impression_share	High value: bids or ad quality hold it back

3 things that trip up a first dashboard

Micros. Cost fields (cost_micros, average_cpc, cost_per_conversion) are in micros: divide by 1,000,000. Per Google's campaign budget reference, one million micros equals one unit of the account currency, so 65150000 is 65.15. Value fields (conversions_value, value_per_conversion) are already in account currency, per our read-only query of November 7, 2026.
Counted actions only. metrics.conversions, cost_per_conversion and conversions_value only include conversion actions whose include_in_conversions_metric setting is true. Secondary actions show up in metrics.all_conversions.
Calculate ROAS. The reference lists conversions_value_per_cost, but Google rejected it as a prohibited metric in our campaign query through the Ryze AI connector (API v24, November 7, 2026). Divide conversions_value by cost instead.

Ad Rank is the set of values Google uses to decide whether your ad can show and where, based on your bid, ad and landing page quality, among other factors. For a longer explanation of each metric, see Google Ads metrics and KPIs explained.

The Google Ads dashboard template: 5 panels

Put the 14 metrics on 5 panels, ordered from the money to the fixes.

1. Spend and results
Tiles or chart
Cost, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, plus a daily line of cost and conversions
Date range
Last 7 days; line: last 30 days
Compare with
Previous 7 days
2. Efficiency
Tiles or chart
CTR, avg. CPC, conversion rate, cost per conversion
Date range
Last 7 days
Compare with
Previous 7 days
3. Campaigns
Tiles or chart
Table of enabled campaigns: cost, conversions, CPA, ROAS, impression share
Date range
Last 7 days
Compare with
Previous 7 days
4. Search reach
Tiles or chart
Search impression share, share lost to budget, share lost to rank
Date range
Last 7 days
Compare with
Previous 7 days
5. Wasted spend
Tiles or chart
Search terms with cost and 0 conversions
Date range
Last 30 days
Compare with
None

Panel	Tiles or chart	Date range	Compare with
1. Spend and results	Cost, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, plus a daily line of cost and conversions	Last 7 days; line: last 30 days	Previous 7 days
2. Efficiency	CTR, avg. CPC, conversion rate, cost per conversion	Last 7 days	Previous 7 days
3. Campaigns	Table of enabled campaigns: cost, conversions, CPA, ROAS, impression share	Last 7 days	Previous 7 days
4. Search reach	Search impression share, share lost to budget, share lost to rank	Last 7 days	Previous 7 days
5. Wasted spend	Search terms with cost and 0 conversions	Last 30 days	None

Impression share fields cover the Search Network only. These 3 GAQL (Google Ads Query Language) queries feed panels 1, 3 and 5; Google accepted all 3 when we ran them through the Ryze AI connector on November 7, 2026.

GAQL: panel 3, campaign table

SELECT campaign.name, campaign.advertising_channel_type, metrics.impressions, metrics.clicks, metrics.ctr, metrics.average_cpc, metrics.cost_micros, metrics.conversions, metrics.conversions_from_interactions_rate, metrics.cost_per_conversion, metrics.conversions_value, metrics.search_impression_share, metrics.search_budget_lost_impression_share, metrics.search_rank_lost_impression_share FROM campaign WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_7_DAYS AND campaign.status = 'ENABLED' ORDER BY metrics.cost_micros DESC

GAQL: panel 1, 30-day daily trend

SELECT segments.date, metrics.cost_micros, metrics.conversions, metrics.conversions_value FROM customer WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS ORDER BY segments.date

GAQL: panel 5, search terms with no conversions

SELECT search_term_view.search_term, campaign.name, metrics.clicks, metrics.cost_micros, metrics.conversions FROM search_term_view WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS AND metrics.conversions = 0 ORDER BY metrics.cost_micros DESC LIMIT 50

Run the campaign query again with segments.date BETWEEN the dates of the week before for the comparison. For account totals, sum clicks, impressions, cost and conversions, then divide; averaging campaign rates leans toward small campaigns.

Option 1: the Dashboards feature inside Google Ads

Google Ads has its own custom dashboards, separate from the Overview page you see after you sign in.

Per Google Ads Help, a dashboard is built from 3 card types: scorecards (a few metrics with percent change), reports (charts or tables) and notes. To create one:

In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon.
Open the Insights and reports drop-down in the section menu.
Click Dashboards, then the plus button.
Add a scorecard for panels 1 and 2, report cards for panels 3 to 5, and a note card for this week's changes.

Manager (MCC) accounts can build cross-account scorecards. Each dashboard has a card limit, after which the add button is disabled.

It is free but shows Google Ads data only. If you meant the screen Google shows after sign-in, the Google Ads dashboard navigation guide covers the Overview page.

Option 2: a Looker Studio (now Data Studio) template

In April 2026, Google renamed Looker Studio back to Data Studio; lookerstudio.google.com redirects to the new address.

The Data Studio welcome page calls it a no-cost tool, and Data Studio Pro is a paid subscription on top. The Google Ads connector setup, from Google's connector docs:

Create the data source

On the Data Studio home page, click Create, then Data Source, and pick the Google Ads connector. Authorize access when asked.

Pick the account

Click All accounts and choose one account, or Manager accounts to include up to 50 sub-accounts in one data source. Select Overall Account Fields, then Connect.

Build the report

Click Create report, then Add to report, and place the 5 panels with scorecards, a time series and tables. Add a data control if viewers should switch between accounts.

Limits to know before you build

Google Ads data refreshes every 12 hours, a fixed rate, per Manage data freshness; you can also refresh by hand.
Campaigns and ad groups with zero impressions do not appear in Google Ads data sources.
Auction Insights fields were removed from the connector in September 2024.
With a manager account, viewers need access to it and every selected sub-account.

Option 3: the prompt that builds it in Ryze AI

In Ryze AI, a dashboard is a page the agent builds from your connected accounts, so you describe it instead of placing widgets.

Connect Google Ads under Integrations with your Google sign-in. Per the Google Ads setup guide, Ryze AI then sees every account that login can reach, including client accounts under a manager (MCC) login. Open a new chat and paste this prompt (the Design a dashboard chip in an empty chat shows ready-made versions):

Prompt: Ryze AI chat

Design a Google Ads dashboard for [account name]. Read only: change nothing in the account. 1. Spend and results: cost, conversions, conversion value and ROAS, last 7 days vs the 7 before, plus a 30-day daily line of cost and conversions. 2. Efficiency: CTR, average CPC, conversion rate and cost per conversion. 3. Campaigns: enabled campaigns with cost, conversions, cost per conversion, ROAS and search impression share, highest cost first. 4. Search reach: impression share lost to budget and to rank, by campaign. 5. Wasted spend: search terms from the last 30 days with cost and 0 conversions. Use the account currency. ROAS = conversion value / cost. Flag any metric that moved more than [20]% week over week.

What comes back: a dashboard under Reports with charts and tables, a link to it and a Refresh data button. The Reports guide says the agent only builds a report once it has real data from your connected accounts. Dashboards share by link, to anyone or to workspace members; decks export to PDF, dashboards do not.

No prompt needed: the Templates page has Paid Ads Overview and All Accounts Overview dashboards, and Analytics, then Ads Performance, shows the last 30 days for up to 30 accounts at once.

The same dashboard in Claude

If you work in Claude, add the Ryze AI connector (setup steps). Its runRawGaql tool runs the 3 queries above as written; the full tool list is on the Google Ads MCP page. For one Claude dashboard across Google and Meta ads, see the live ads dashboard guide and the ad ops dashboard build.

Prompt: Claude with the Ryze AI connector

Use the Ryze AI connector. For Google Ads account [account name], run the campaign, daily trend and search term queries for the last 7 and 30 days, then build an interactive dashboard artifact with the same 5 panels. Divide cost_micros, average_cpc and cost_per_conversion by 1,000,000. Change nothing in the account.

Check approvals first. In Ryze AI, set Tool approvals to Approve write & delete; the Google Ads setup guide says it starts on Skip all approvals. In Claude, set the Ryze AI connector's write and delete tools to Needs approval (Permissions & approvals). Scheduled tasks run without an approval step, which is why every prompt here tells the agent to change nothing.

A weekly refresh routine for the dashboard

Review the dashboard once a week, on the same day, for the last full Monday to Sunday week.

In the API, segments.week runs Monday through Sunday and is labeled with the Monday's date (segments reference), so a Monday review lines up with Google's weeks.

1. Refresh
Check
Pull fresh data before reading anything
Panel
All
Act when
Data Studio: up to 12 hours old; Ryze AI: click Refresh data
2. Spend
Check
Cost against plan, week over week
Panel
1
Act when
Cost moved more than your threshold
3. Results
Check
Conversions, CPA, ROAS
Panel
1, 2
Act when
CPA rose while conversion rate fell
4. Campaigns
Check
Which campaign caused the change
Panel
3
Act when
One campaign explains most of the move
5. Reach
Check
Impression share lost to budget vs rank
Panel
4
Act when
Lost to budget on a campaign that converts
6. Waste
Check
Search terms with cost and 0 conversions
Panel
5
Act when
Irrelevant terms: add as negative keywords

Step	Check	Panel	Act when
1. Refresh	Pull fresh data before reading anything	All	Data Studio: up to 12 hours old; Ryze AI: click Refresh data
2. Spend	Cost against plan, week over week	1	Cost moved more than your threshold
3. Results	Conversions, CPA, ROAS	1, 2	CPA rose while conversion rate fell
4. Campaigns	Which campaign caused the change	3	One campaign explains most of the move
5. Reach	Impression share lost to budget vs rank	4	Lost to budget on a campaign that converts
6. Waste	Search terms with cost and 0 conversions	5	Irrelevant terms: add as negative keywords

Write each change in a note card, and re-read the week before. Standard Google Ads columns credit a conversion to the date of the click, per Google Ads Help, so a click on Sunday that converts on Tuesday adds to last week after your review.

Run it on a schedule

Ryze AI Scheduled tasks run a prompt daily, weekly or monthly and send a short recap by email or Slack (up to 20 addresses and 20 channels). Each run uses credits; paused tasks do not bill. Write the task as one instruction to carry out now:

Prompt: weekly scheduled task

Produce a Google Ads report for [account name] for last week, Monday to Sunday, vs the week before: cost, conversions, cost per conversion and ROAS for the account and the top [5] campaigns, impression share lost to budget and rank, and the [10] costliest search terms with 0 conversions. End with the 3 biggest changes. Read only: change nothing.

A step-by-step version of this report in Claude is in the weekly Google Ads report setup.

Looker Studio vs Ryze AI for a Google Ads dashboard

Data Studio suits a fixed report you build once; Ryze AI suits a dashboard you change by asking.

Price
Data Studio
No-cost; Data Studio Pro is a paid subscription
Ryze AI
Paid Ads plan, $89 a month, 7-day free trial, 750 credits a month
How you build it
Data Studio
Connect the Google Ads connector, then place charts by hand
Ryze AI
Describe it in chat or start from the Paid Ads Overview template
Google Ads freshness
Data Studio
Every 12 hours, fixed; manual refresh possible
Ryze AI
Refresh data pulls the latest numbers on demand
Accounts in one view
Data Studio
1 account per data source, or up to 50 sub-accounts under a manager account
Ryze AI
Every account the login reaches; Ads Performance shows up to 30 at once
Other ad platforms
Data Studio
Google connectors, plus community connectors
Ryze AI
Meta, Microsoft Ads, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Reddit and OpenAI Ads, if connected
Sharing
Data Studio
Share the report; owner's or viewer's credentials decide who sees data
Ryze AI
Share by link; dashboards cannot be exported to PDF
Acting on what you see
Data Studio
Read only
Ryze AI
The agent can change campaigns under your Tool approvals setting
Built-in AI
Data Studio
Gemini assistance and Conversational Analytics
Ryze AI
Ask the agent about any number; it reads the same data

Question	Data Studio	Ryze AI
Price	No-cost; Data Studio Pro is a paid subscription	Paid Ads plan, $89 a month, 7-day free trial, 750 credits a month
How you build it	Connect the Google Ads connector, then place charts by hand	Describe it in chat or start from the Paid Ads Overview template
Google Ads freshness	Every 12 hours, fixed; manual refresh possible	Refresh data pulls the latest numbers on demand
Accounts in one view	1 account per data source, or up to 50 sub-accounts under a manager account	Every account the login reaches; Ads Performance shows up to 30 at once
Other ad platforms	Google connectors, plus community connectors	Meta, Microsoft Ads, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Reddit and OpenAI Ads, if connected
Sharing	Share the report; owner's or viewer's credentials decide who sees data	Share by link; dashboards cannot be exported to PDF
Acting on what you see	Read only	The agent can change campaigns under your Tool approvals setting
Built-in AI	Gemini assistance and Conversational Analytics	Ask the agent about any number; it reads the same data

Pick Data Studio for the same free report layout every month; pick Ryze AI if you check several accounts or platforms weekly and want to ask why a number moved.

Which Google Ads dashboard to use

Match the tool to how often the layout changes and how many accounts you watch.

1 account, the numbers Google already shows
Use
Google Ads Dashboards
Why
Free, live, no setup outside Google Ads
A monthly client report with a fixed layout
Use
Data Studio template
Why
Free, shareable, 12-hour data is enough
Several accounts or platforms checked weekly
Use
Ryze AI
Why
One prompt per dashboard, scheduled recaps by email or Slack
You already work in Claude
Use
Claude with the Ryze AI connector
Why
Interactive artifact from live data

Your situation	Use	Why
1 account, the numbers Google already shows	Google Ads Dashboards	Free, live, no setup outside Google Ads
A monthly client report with a fixed layout	Data Studio template	Free, shareable, 12-hour data is enough
Several accounts or platforms checked weekly	Ryze AI	One prompt per dashboard, scheduled recaps by email or Slack
You already work in Claude	Claude with the Ryze AI connector	Interactive artifact from live data

Agencies with many client accounts can start with connecting multiple Google Ads accounts to Claude. For the wider choice of ad dashboard builds, see how to build ad dashboards with Claude AI.

Ryze AI's limits for this job: it is paid after the trial, runs use credits, live dashboards share by link only, and the Claude connector needs an active Ryze AI plan or trial.

Sources

Checked November 7, 2026

The verdict

A Google Ads dashboard needs 14 metrics on 5 panels and a weekly review that re-reads the week before. Google Ads Dashboards and Data Studio do this for free when one account and a fixed layout are enough.

Ryze AI builds the same 5 panels from one prompt for $89 a month after the 7-day free trial; its live dashboards cannot be exported to PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What should a Google Ads dashboard include?

14 metrics on 5 panels: spend and results, efficiency, a campaign table, search reach and wasted spend. The core metrics are cost, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, CTR, average CPC, cost per conversion and search impression share. Compare the last 7 days with the 7 days before.

Does Google Ads have a built-in dashboard?

Yes. Click the Campaigns icon, open Insights and reports, then Dashboards, and click the plus button. Dashboards hold scorecards, report cards and notes. Manager accounts can build cross-account scorecards. It is free but shows Google Ads data only.

How do I calculate ROAS for a Google Ads dashboard?

Divide metrics.conversions_value by cost, where cost is metrics.cost_micros divided by 1,000,000. In our November 2026 test through the Ryze AI connector, Google rejected the single field conversions_value_per_cost in a campaign query, so calculating it from the two fields is the safer route.

Why does search impression share show 0.0999?

Google reports search impression share between 0.1 and 1. Any value below 0.1 is reported as 0.0999, so read it as under 10%.

Show 6 more questions

Why do last week's conversions keep changing?

Standard Google Ads columns credit a conversion to the date of the ad click. A click on Sunday that converts on Tuesday is added to last week after the week ends. Review the previous week again during each weekly check.

Is Looker Studio still free?

Yes. In April 2026 Google renamed Looker Studio back to Data Studio, and Google describes it as a no-cost tool. Data Studio Pro is a separate paid subscription.

Can one dashboard show several Google Ads accounts?

Yes. Google Ads dashboards in a manager account support cross-account scorecards. A Data Studio data source can include up to 50 sub-accounts under a manager account. Ryze AI reads every account the connected login reaches, and its Ads Performance page shows up to 30 accounts at once.

What is the best AI tool for a Google Ads dashboard?

Ryze AI builds it from a chat prompt or the Paid Ads Overview template, and Refresh data pulls the latest numbers. Its live dashboards cannot be exported to PDF; for a free report with a fixed layout, use Data Studio.

Can Ryze AI change my Google Ads campaigns?

Yes, through Google's official API, under your Tool approvals setting. It starts on Skip all approvals, so switch it to Approve write & delete before working on a live account. For a dashboard, add read only to the prompt.

How much does Ryze AI cost for a Google Ads dashboard?

The Paid Ads plan is $89 a month with a 7-day free trial and 750 credits a month, for up to 3 workspaces. Agencies needing more workspaces use the Agency plan at $279 a month. Annual billing saves 30% in the first year.

Related guides

How to build a live ads dashboard with Claude MCP

Google and Meta ads in one Claude dashboard, with copy-paste prompts.

Connect multiple Google Ads accounts to Claude

Manager accounts, account naming and prompts that switch between clients.

Google Ads MCP server

The Ryze AI connector's Google Ads tools, setup and example prompts.

Google Ads metrics and KPIs explained

What each Google Ads metric means and which ones to watch first.

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15 GA4 metrics with their Data API names, an 11-card template and the Ryze AI prompt that builds it.

How to connect Claude to Google Ads

Setup steps for claude.ai, Claude Desktop and Claude Code.

Ryze AI: Google Ads dashboards

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