Create a Customer Match list by uploading a data file

Customer Match allows you to reach customers using your first-party data. To use this data in your campaigns, upload your data files directly to Google Ads. To learn more about how Customer Match functions, check About Customer Match.

On this page

• Get started: Data guidelines and requirements
• General file formatting rules
• Set up Customer Match: Upload your data file
• Manage and update your Customer Match list
• Understand match rates
• Privacy limitations
• Cross-surface campaigns best practices

Get started: Data guidelines and requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have created a customer list and collected your data in compliance with Customer Match policies. Data must be formatted correctly to avoid errors.

General file formatting rules

• File type: Must be a CSV file encoded in ASCII or UTF-8 (UTF-16 isn’t supported).
• Language requirement: Column headers must use exact names in English only (data rows may be in any language).
• Hashing requirements:
  • You can upload unhashed plain text (Google Ads will hash it using SHA256) or hash it yourself using hex SHA256.
  • Mobile Device IDs, IP addresses, and timestamps must be unhashed; hashing for device ID lists isn’t supported.
  • API uploads must be hashed.
• Normalization (if hashing yourself):
  • Remove leading and trailing whitespaces.
  • Convert all text to lowercase.
  • Standardize phone numbers to E.164 format.

  • Remove all periods (.) preceding the domain name in @gmail.com and @googlemail.com addresses.

Column header guidelines

• Email matching: Header must be Email.
• Phone matching: Header must be Phone.
• Mailing address matching: Must include all 4 headers: First Name, Last Name, Country, and Zip.
• IP Address matching: Header must be User IP address.
• Timestamp matching: Header must be User interaction timestamp. (Can’t be sent alone without an IP address or PII).
• Combined matching: Use any combination of the 8 supported headers (Email, Phone, First Name, Last Name, Country, Zip, User IP address, User interaction timestamp). You can add multiple Email, Phone, or Zip columns if a customer has multiple entries.
  • Include data fields that you find relevant to your customers. You may upload one data field, such as email addresses, or multiple data fields, such as mailing addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses. You can send an IP address with or without PII data, and you can send PII data with or without an IP address. However, sending only a timestamp without an IP address or PII will trigger an error.
• Mobile Device ID matching: Use Mobile Device ID as the single, exclusive column header (don’t combine with other data types).

Data field formatting specifications

• Email:
  • Include domain names (for example, gmail.com, hotmail.co.jp).
  • Remove all internal and surrounding spaces.
  • Lowercase all characters if hashing.
• Phone:
  • Use E.164 standard with country code (for example, +12345678910).
  • The + sign is optional for unhashed plain text, but required for hashed data.
• First Name & Last Name:
  • Don’t include prefixes (for example., Mr., Mrs.) or suffixes (for example, Jr., III).
  • Accents are permitted (for example, zoë, pérez).
  • Lowercase all characters and trim surrounding spaces if hashing.
• Country:
  • Don’t hash country data.
  • Use ISO 2-letter country codes (3-letter codes also supported for plain text).
  • Include the code even if all customers are in the same country.
• Zip / Postal Code:
  • Don’t hash Zip data.
  • US codes accept standard 5-digit format or 5-digit + 4-digit extension (for example, 94303-5300).
  • For non-US regions, omit postal code extensions.
• Mobile Device ID:
  • Upload as an unhashed, standalone file with the single header Mobile Device ID.
  • Maximum membership duration is 540 days

Set up Customer Match: Upload your data file

Follow these steps to upload a new customer data file into Google Ads:

1. Go to Audience manager within the Tools icon .
2. Select the plus button to create a new audience list and select Customer list.
3. Choose your data type:
   1. Plain text: Private fields (Email, Phone, First Name, Last Name) are automatically hashed using SHA256 before sending it securely to Google's servers.
   2. Hashed data: Upload a pre-hashed file formatted according to SHA256 requirements.
4. Select Choose file and select your CSV file.
5. Select the checkbox to confirm: “This data was collected and is being shared with Google in compliance with Google's Customer Match policies.”
6. Set a Membership duration (maximum 540 days) and then select Upload and create list.
7. Check the upload progress under "Audience Lists" (processing may take up to 48 hours). Once complete, review the success page to view total uploaded rows, upload statistics, and your match rate percentage.

Manage and update your Customer Match list

Keep your audiences fresh by updating them periodically using one of the methods below.

Choose an update method

• API upload: Account admins can manage files programmatically through the Google Ads API Customer Match documentation.
• Customer Match upload partner (CMU): Work with an approved CMU partner to upload match keys directly without sharing Google Ads credentials.
• Third-party automation: Customer relationship management (CRM) system data sources with Google Customer Match using Zapier as your integration partner. Follow these instructions to connect your account with Zapier.
• Data Manager / Direct data sources: Connect external platforms via Data Manager data source integrations.

Modify an existing customer list

1. Go to Audience manager within the Tools icon and select Audiences tab.
2. Select your Customer Match segments and in the "Customer list" panel, select the 3-dot icon, and select Edit.
3. Choose the action you want to take:
   1. Replace members: Select Replace existing list members with a new customer list to overwrite your audience with a new file.
   2. Add members: Select Add more customers to append new records to the current list.
   3. Remove members: Select Remove specific customers to delete identified customers.
   4. Delete list: Select Remove List to delete the audience entirely.
4. Choose whether the file is plain text or pre-hashed, select your CSV file, confirm policy compliance, and adjust the membership duration as needed, then select Save.

Understand match rates

How Google processes match data: Uploaded files are hashed into secure codes that match corresponding coded Google Account records. Raw identifying data is never seen, and your uploaded file is permanently deleted following the match run.

Visibility criteria: Match rates display for API uploads containing at least 100 matched unique users.

How to improve your match rate:

• Include multiple match keys (for example, both Email and Phone Number together).
• Provide postal codes with 4-digit extensions for US addresses.

• Work with a trusted Customer Match upload partner.

Related links

• Fix Customer Match issues with list upload, small list size, or low volume
• How Google uses Customer Match data
• About Customer Match