Location Bulk Upload

Emily Truong

July 15, 2026 13:18

The Location Bulk Upload feature allows you to add multiple location filters to an ad group simultaneously using a spreadsheet template, rather than entering them manually one by one.

This is ideal for high-volume targeting setups, repeated campaigns, or workflows where you already maintain targeting data in Excel or CSV formats.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Locate the Upload Tool

Open your ad group in Ads Manager and navigate to the location targeting step.
Access the tool based on your current platform view:
1. New Experience: Click Upload in bulk.
2. Classic Experience: Click Bulk Location Upload.
Download the provided template file. Always download a fresh template to ensure system compatibility.

Step 2: Fill Out the Template

Open the template. In Column B, select your location type from the drop-down menu. The template will automatically highlight (in yellow) the specific cells required for that type.

Use this quick-reference table to ensure your manual data entry matches what the system expects:

Location Type (Column B)	Required Inputs	Drop-down Helpers
City	City, State	State
County	County, State	County, State
State	State	State
ZIP Code	ZIP Code, State	State
Address	Address, City, State, ZIP Code, Radius (miles)	State
DMA	DMA	DMA
LatLng	Latitude, Longitude, Radius (miles)	None

💡 Note on Column A (Name): This column is optional and serves as your internal reference. Any custom names you enter here will carry over and appear exactly as typed in your exported location reports

Step 3: Save and Upload

Save your completed file without altering the original column headers or sheet structure.
Upload the file back into Ads Manager. Upload accepts file types .xlsx or .csv.
If adding these locations in addition to what’s already in the ad group, select Append [Classic Experience].
Click Save Locations [New Experience] or Save [Classic Experience].

Best Practices

Use a Fresh Template: Always start with a newly downloaded template directly from Ads Manager. Do not reuse old files saved to your local desktop.
Do not Alter the Template Structure: Do not rename, add, or delete any columns. Changing the header structure will cause the upload to fail.
One Row, Clean Data: Keep exactly one row per location entry. Use clean, standardized values for all cities, states, and ZIP codes (e.g., 5-digit ZIP, not 9-digit).
Double-Check Coordinates: Ensure decimal points are correct for Latitude/Longitude entries to avoid accidentally targeting the wrong area.
Maintain a Master Sheet: For large campaigns, maintain a master spreadsheet outside Ads Manager for version control before importing onto a fresh template for upload. 💡 Remember to paste 'Values Only' when copying data from master sheet into template.
Verify Your Settings: If your upload succeeds but certain rows don't appear, check your ad group's device or tactic settings to ensure they support those specific location types.
Spot-Check the Results: Always review your uploaded locations in the targeting step before moving on to the next setup step.
Bulk Upload vs. Location Groups: This tool applies one-time, temporary location filters directly to a single ad group. If you need reusable lists of locations across multiple campaigns, use Location Groups instead. In the evolving product model, My Locations replaces Location Manager as the centralized application for creating and managing Location Groups.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

⚠️ Important: Some targeting combinations may have device- or tactic-specific limitations. If your upload succeeds but some rows do not process, review tactic and device compatibility.

Issue	What it means	What to do
Upload failure message	The file format or contents are invalid	Download a fresh template, fix formatting issues, confirm the file type, and re-upload.
Some rows do not process	Specific entries contain typos or invalid formats (e.g., DMA type selected but entered State details)	Review the affected rows for bad values, invalid latitude/longitude, unsupported types, or tactic/device restrictions and re-upload those corrected rows
No locations added after cancel	The upload was not finalized	Re-upload the file and click the save action to commit the locations.
Unexpected missing columns	You may be using an old template or a feature-dependent variation	Download the template directly from the current workflow and use it without changing the column headers or order.

FAQ

Where do I get the correct upload file? Download the template directly from the Ads Manager bulk upload flow in the Locations [Classic Experience] or Locations & Audience [New Experience] step. This is the safest way to ensure you are using the current format.
Can I add new locations without removing existing ones? In the Classic Experience, yes. Use the Append to existing location filters option.
What happens if my file has invalid data? Depending on the workflow and validation behavior, the upload may fail completely, or only valid rows may process. Review the file for formatting issues, invalid location values, and unsupported combinations, then re-upload.
Can I use bulk upload for very large location lists? Yes, bulk upload is intended for scale and is commonly used when manual entry is impractical. For reusable managed collections of many locations, consider whether a Location Group workflow is the better fit.