Adthena indexes data by collecting results directly from Google’s SERP in a neutral, incognito environment. This approach removes user-specific signals and ensures a consistent view of search results.
Ads that rely on audience targeting or retargeting (RLSAs) are not captured, as they are only shown to specific users rather than all searchers. Observation mode is supported because it does not restrict ad visibility and only enables reporting on audience segments, whereas targeting limits visibility and cannot be consistently captured.
Using Only bid for new customers can also affect ad visibility in Adthena. By default, Adthena limits cookie acceptance to maximize overall ad coverage. However, Google uses signals such as cookies, customer match lists, and site tags to determine whether a user is a new or existing customer. When these signals aren’t available, Google may choose not to serve the ad at all. As a result, ads using this setting may not appear on the SERP for our indexes and therefore won’t be captured in Adthena data.