Heads up! Starting November 13, 2024, Google Ads is updating its data retention policy. From that point on, Google will only keep data that’s 11 years old or newer—anything older gets permanently deleted from their servers. This includes your performance metrics, billing details, and all those historical reports you’ve been hanging onto. If your business leans on older data for things like long-term trend analysis, you’ll need to act before the deadline.

Via Google

This change is likely due to the massive amount of data Google collects from advertisers worldwide. Storing over a decade’s worth of data takes up huge amounts of infrastructure. By setting the retention limit at 11 years, Google can optimize its storage systems while still offering plenty of historical data to work with. Plus, it helps them stay aligned with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, reducing potential compliance risks without compromising on the data you actually need.

How Does This Affect You?

• Older Data Will Disappear: If your business relies on data that’s over 11 years old for things like year-over-year comparisons or strategic planning, that info will be gone after November 13. This could mess with your long-term trend analysis, especially if you operate in a seasonal industry or have longer sales cycles.
• No Big Deal for Most: For most advertisers, this update won’t be a huge disruption. The majority of businesses don’t need data older than a decade anyway. But if you’re someone who does, make sure you’re backing up that data before the deadline hits.
• It’s Automatic: Google’s handling the update for you, so you don’t need to tweak anything on your end to comply with the new rules. Just make sure to grab any older data you might need, because once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Moving forward, it’s smart to set up a rolling data backup system to ensure you’re regularly downloading and storing any older data you might need before it gets deleted. Since Google will be continuously deleting data once it hits that 11-year mark, this will help you stay ahead of the game and avoid losing any valuable insights for long-term strategy planning.

It’s also worth noting that Google Ads from 11 years ago is nothing like what it is today. Back then, the platform had way fewer features—no Smart Bidding, no AI-driven insights, and no dynamic ads. Campaigns were much more basic, with less sophisticated tools for optimization, and not to mention, much less competition. How we run ads today has evolved so much that the data from over a decade ago is likely not applicable to how we run campaigns now. The strategies and consumer behaviors from back then wouldn’t be relevant for today’s ad environment. So unless you’re looking for some deep historical context, losing that older data might not be such a big deal after all.

What You Need to Do Next

• Download Older Data: If you need data from before November 2013, make sure to manually download it from your Google Ads account before November 13, 2024.
• Reassess Your Data Use: Take a good look at how your business uses Google Ads data. If you’ve been relying on info older than 11 years, now’s the time to rethink your strategy.
• Store Your Data Safely: Once you’ve downloaded what you need, make sure to store it securely so it’s easy to access when needed. This way, you’ll still be able to analyze long-term trends and performance metrics even after the data is gone from Google’s servers.
• Look Into Long-Term Storage Solutions: If long-term data is important for your business, consider using tools like Google Analytics or third-party platforms that can help you store and analyze data over extended periods without relying solely on Google’s retention policies.

This update puts the focus on managing your data more proactively. If you have any questions or need help setting up your data retention strategy, reach out to us—we’ve got your back to make sure you’re fully prepared!