Demand Gen, Smart & App Campaigns

Build Demand Gen, Smart, and App campaigns for YouTube, discovery, and mobile app promotion.

This guide covers three additional Google campaign types:

Demand Gen — visual ads across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Display, using audience-based targeting
Smart — simplified campaigns for small businesses that run across Search, Display, and Maps
App — campaigns that drive app installs and in-app actions across all Google surfaces

Demand Gen campaigns

Demand Gen campaigns serve image and video ads in high-intent discovery moments — YouTube (including Shorts), Google Discover, Gmail, and Display Network. They use audience-based targeting rather than keywords, and are designed to reach people earlier in the funnel.

When to use Demand Gen:

You have strong visual or video creative and want reach beyond Search
You want to run awareness or consideration campaigns with audience signals
You're complementing a Search campaign with upper-funnel coverage

Basic structure

campaigns/demand-gen.ts

import {
  google,
  daily,
  targeting,
  geo,
  languages,
  demandGenMultiAsset,
  landscape,
  square,
} from '@upspawn/ads'

export default google.demandGen('Demand Gen - Awareness', {
  budget: daily(20),
  bidding: 'maximize-clicks',
  targeting: targeting(geo('US', 'DE'), languages('en', 'de')),
})
  .group('awareness', {
    ad: demandGenMultiAsset({
      headlines: ['Rename Files Fast', 'AI-Powered Renaming'],
      descriptions: ['Try renamed.to free', 'Batch rename in seconds'],
      businessName: 'renamed.to',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',
      marketingImages: [landscape('./assets/hero.png')],
      squareMarketingImages: [square('./assets/hero-sq.png')],
    }),
  })

Multi-asset ads

demandGenMultiAsset() provides multiple headlines, descriptions, and images that Google assembles into the best combination for each placement.

import { demandGenMultiAsset, landscape, square, portrait, logo } from '@upspawn/ads'

demandGenMultiAsset({
  // Text assets
  headlines: [                          // max 5, each max 40 chars
    'Rename Files Fast',
    'AI-Powered Renaming',
    'Batch Rename Tool',
  ],
  descriptions: [                       // max 5, each max 90 chars
    'Try renamed.to free — no credit card required.',
    'Rename thousands of files in seconds with AI rules.',
  ],
  businessName: 'renamed.to',          // shown in the ad

  // Destination
  finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',

  // Image assets (optional but recommended)
  marketingImages: [                    // landscape 1.91:1
    landscape('./assets/hero.png'),
    landscape('./assets/hero-v2.png'),
  ],
  squareMarketingImages: [             // square 1:1
    square('./assets/hero-sq.png'),
  ],
  portraitMarketingImages: [           // portrait 4:5, for vertical placements
    portrait('./assets/hero-port.png'),
  ],
  logoImages: [logo('./assets/logo.png')],

  // Optional
  callToAction: 'Learn More',
})

Carousel ads

Carousel ads show a scrollable series of cards, each with its own headline, image, and URL. Well-suited for showcasing multiple features or products.

import { demandGenCarousel, carouselCard, landscape, square } from '@upspawn/ads'

demandGenCarousel({
  headline: 'See How renamed.to Works',            // campaign-level headline
  description: 'Swipe to explore features',
  businessName: 'renamed.to',
  finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',
  logoImage: logo('./assets/logo.png'),
  callToAction: 'Try Free',
  cards: [                                          // min 2, max 10
    carouselCard({
      headline: 'Upload Your Files',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/upload',
      marketingImage: landscape('./assets/step1.png'),
    }),
    carouselCard({
      headline: 'Set Rename Rules',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/rules',
      marketingImage: landscape('./assets/step2.png'),
    }),
    carouselCard({
      headline: 'Download Renamed Files',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/download',
      marketingImage: landscape('./assets/step3.png'),
    }),
  ],
})

Channel controls

By default, Demand Gen ads run on all channels (YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Display, YouTube Shorts). Restrict delivery with channels:

.group('youtube-only', {
  ad: demandGenMultiAsset({ /* ... */ }),
  channels: {
    youtube: true,
    youtubeShorts: true,
    discover: false,
    gmail: false,
    display: false,
  },
})

Multiple ads per group

Provide an array to A/B test creative approaches:

.group('creative-test', {
  ad: [
    demandGenMultiAsset({
      headlines: ['Rename Files Fast', 'AI-Powered', 'Try Free'],
      descriptions: ['Batch rename in seconds.', 'No card needed.'],
      businessName: 'renamed.to',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',
      marketingImages: [landscape('./assets/hero-a.png')],
      squareMarketingImages: [square('./assets/sq-a.png')],
    }),
    demandGenCarousel({
      headline: 'See How It Works',
      description: 'Three steps to organized files',
      businessName: 'renamed.to',
      finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',
      cards: [
        carouselCard({ headline: 'Upload', finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/upload' }),
        carouselCard({ headline: 'Rename', finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/rename' }),
        carouselCard({ headline: 'Download', finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to/download' }),
      ],
    }),
  ],
})

Smart campaigns

Smart campaigns are Google's simplified campaign type for small businesses. Instead of keywords, you provide keyword themes — broad topic hints that Google uses to decide when to show your ads. They run across Search, Display, and Maps automatically.

Smart campaigns are flat — there is no .group() builder. The campaign object is returned directly.

When to use Smart campaigns:

You're a small business and don't want to manage keywords manually
You want ads on Google Maps and local search
You need to get up and running quickly with minimal configuration

campaigns/smart.ts

import { google, daily, smartAd } from '@upspawn/ads'

export default google.smart('Smart - Local Business', {
  budget: daily(10),
  status: 'enabled',
  businessName: 'renamed.to',
  finalUrl: 'https://renamed.to',
  language: 'en',
  keywordThemes: [
    'file renaming',
    'batch rename',
    'file organization',
    'photo renaming',
  ],
  ad: smartAd({
    headlines: ['Rename Files Fast', 'AI File Renamer', 'Try Free Today'],  // exactly 3, max 30 chars
    descriptions: [
      'Rename thousands of files in seconds.',           // exactly 2, max 90 chars
      'Free plan. Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux.',
    ],
  }),
})

`smartAd()` requirements

Smart campaigns require exactly 3 headlines (max 30 chars each) and exactly 2 descriptions (max 90 chars each). This is stricter than RSA, which allows ranges.

import { smartAd } from '@upspawn/ads'

smartAd({
  headlines: ['Headline One', 'Headline Two', 'Headline Three'],  // tuple: [string, string, string]
  descriptions: ['Description one, max 90 chars.', 'Description two, max 90 chars.'],
})

TypeScript enforces the tuple length — you'll get a compile error if you provide 2 or 4 headlines.

Business Profile link

Link your Google Business Profile to show local extensions:

google.smart('Smart - Local', {
  budget: daily(10),
  businessName: 'My Coffee Shop',
  businessProfile: 'locations/12345678',   // your Business Profile location ID
  finalUrl: 'https://mycoffeeshop.com',
  language: 'en',
  keywordThemes: ['coffee shop', 'cafe near me', 'espresso'],
  ad: smartAd({
    headlines: ['Fresh Coffee Daily', 'Award-Winning Espresso', 'Visit Us Today'],
    descriptions: ['Open 7am–7pm, Mon–Sat.', 'Free Wi-Fi. Cozy seating.'],
  }),
})

App campaigns

App campaigns drive installs and in-app actions for iOS and Android apps. Google assembles ads from your headlines, descriptions, images, and videos and serves them across Search, Display, YouTube, and the Play Store.

App campaigns are flat — like Smart campaigns, there is no .group() builder. The campaign object is returned directly.

campaigns/app.ts

import { google, daily, targeting, geo, languages, appAd } from '@upspawn/ads'

export default google.app('App - Installs', {
  budget: daily(30),
  bidding: 'maximize-conversions',
  targeting: targeting(geo('US', 'CA'), languages('en')),
  appId: 'com.renamed.to.android',
  appStore: 'google',
  goal: 'installs',
  ad: appAd({
    headlines: [                    // max 5, each max 30 chars
      'Rename Files Fast',
      'AI-Powered Renaming',
      'Batch Rename Tool',
    ],
    descriptions: [                 // max 5, each max 90 chars
      'Stop renaming files manually. Let AI do it in seconds.',
      'Download free. Works offline.',
    ],
    images: [
      landscape('./assets/app-hero.png'),
      square('./assets/app-square.png'),
    ],
    videos: ['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yourAppDemo'],
  }),
})

App goals

// Maximize installs — most common starting goal
google.app('App - Installs', {
  /* ... */
  goal: 'installs',    // default if omitted
})

// Optimize for in-app actions (requires conversion tracking in the app)
google.app('App - In-App Actions', {
  /* ... */
  goal: 'in-app-actions',
})

// Pre-registration (Android only — before app launches in Play Store)
google.app('App - Pre-Register', {
  /* ... */
  goal: 'pre-registration',
})

App store options

// Android app — use the full package name from Play Store
google.app('App - Android', {
  /* ... */
  appId: 'com.yourcompany.yourapp',
  appStore: 'google',
})

// iOS app — use the App Store app ID (numeric)
google.app('App - iOS', {
  /* ... */
  appId: '1234567890',
  appStore: 'apple',
})

`appAd()` helper

import { appAd, landscape, square } from '@upspawn/ads'

appAd({
  headlines: ['Headline 1', 'Headline 2', 'Headline 3'],   // max 5, max 30 chars each
  descriptions: ['Description 1', 'Description 2'],        // max 5, max 90 chars each
  images: [                                                 // optional image assets
    landscape('./assets/app-hero.png'),
    square('./assets/app-icon.png'),
  ],
  videos: ['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc'],          // optional YouTube URLs
})