AdWords API Banking. Who is the target?

With Google’s recent move to “ensure quality, improve Google’s products and services, and align them with the terms of the AdWords API,” the company earlier this week covered access to the AdWords API for a large number of developers , provoking anger by the fact that she simply forgot to warn about it and promptly explain the reasons, and according to some developers caused damage to their business and customers.

The hype went up instantly - almost a hundred AdWords API developers wrote to the discussion group that their access was suddenly canceled - although some of them had previously used the API for months or even years - without any notifications from Google.

“The Google AdWords API is an important management tool for many publishers, large and small, who make operational decisions based on AdWords costs. Our marketing team, customers, and numerous resources are all accustomed to a certain way of managing contextual advertising. When access was denied, we spent a lot of time in confusion - and this equates to losses for our business. ” Jason Prescott, CEO TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com.

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Initially it was suspected that the problem was simply an error, but later, Google confirmed that such an action was the result of a periodic review of actions through the API.

To renew your passkey, API developers must re-activate and provide additional information:

• Specify specific examples of the use of API in applications or services. What is the purpose of use - optimization of trading or just account management?
• Who will use the tool? People within your company or others who will sell the application?

Google also asks to show screenshots of the application using their API, or to provide project documentation if the product is under development. In addition, you must specify a list of customers who will use your application "in automatic mode".

So far, at least one of the developer APIs - Jason Prescott from TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com, mentioned above - was granted “temporary” access to the API again after talking to a Google representative. Prescott will be granted access by September 23, but for now the company must comply with Google’s requirements in order for the access decision to be final.

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We have a very interesting precedent for selective blocking of the public API. That in itself is not a violation of any rules - but it looks extremely non-gentlemanly. And the most important question - what scared Google? If they block the API, then someone uses it differently than the corporation planned.