ProgrammaticJune 11, 2026

How to Set Up Your First Campaign in DV360

Getting Started with DV360

Display & Video 360 (DV360) is Google's enterprise-level demand-side platform (DSP) for programmatic advertising. If you're moving beyond Google Ads into programmatic, DV360 is likely your first step. This guide walks you through setting up your very first campaign.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

✅ A DV360 account — Access is through Google Marketing Platform. Contact Google or a certified partner
✅ Campaign Manager 360 (CM360) — DV360 uses CM360 for ad serving and tracking
✅ Floodlight tags — Set up conversion tracking in CM360 before launching
✅ Creative assets — Display banners (standard IAB sizes) or video files
✅ A clear campaign objective — Awareness, consideration, or conversion?

Step 1: Create Your Campaign

Navigate to Campaigns > New Campaign and configure:

Campaign name: Use a clear naming convention (e.g., "Brand_Q1_2026_Awareness")
Campaign goal: Select from Awareness, Consideration, or Action
Frequency cap: We recommend starting with 3 impressions per user per day
Budget: Set daily or total campaign budget

Pro tip: Always set a frequency cap. Without one, you'll waste budget showing ads to the same users repeatedly.

Step 2: Set Up Insertion Orders

Insertion Orders (IOs) sit between campaigns and line items. Think of them as budget containers:

Name your IO clearly (e.g., "IO_Display_Prospecting")
Set budget — Can be different from campaign budget
Flight dates — When should this IO run?
Pacing — Even pacing is recommended for most campaigns

Step 3: Create Line Items

Line items are where the real targeting happens:

Targeting Options

Audience segments — Google audiences, custom segments, or first-party data
Geographic targeting — Country, region, city, or radius
Device targeting — Desktop, mobile, tablet, CTV
Content targeting — Categories, keywords, URLs
Viewability targeting — Set minimum viewability thresholds (recommend 60%+)

Bidding Strategy

For your first campaign, we recommend:

Awareness goal: Use "Maximize reach" or set a target CPM
Consideration: Use "Maximize clicks" with a max CPC
Conversion: Use "Target CPA" once you have 50+ conversions

Step 4: Upload Creatives

DV360 supports multiple creative formats:

Display ads: Upload standard IAB sizes (300x250, 728x90, 160x600, 320x50)
Native ads: Provide headline, description, image, and logo
Video ads: VAST-compatible video files (15s and 30s recommended)
Rich media: HTML5 creatives via Studio

Creative Best Practices

Include a clear CTA on every banner

Keep messaging concise — you have 2 seconds to capture attention

Use brand colors consistently

Provide multiple sizes for maximum reach

Step 5: Launch and Monitor

Before launching, use the Campaign Checklist:

[ ] Conversion tracking verified in CM360
[ ] Creative assets approved
[ ] Targeting parameters reviewed
[ ] Budget and pacing confirmed
[ ] Frequency caps set

Key Metrics to Watch (First 7 Days)

Delivery pacing — Is your budget spending evenly?
CTR — Display benchmark is 0.05-0.15%
Viewability rate — Target 60%+ for display
Frequency — Stay under your cap
Win rate — If below 10%, increase your bids

Step 6: Optimize

After the first week, begin optimizing:

Review placement reports — Exclude low-performing sites

Check audience performance — Double down on high-performing segments

Adjust bids — Increase for top performers, decrease for underperformers

Refresh creatives — Swap out low-CTR banners every 2-3 weeks

Test new targeting — Add contextual or similar audience segments

Setting up your first DV360 campaign can feel overwhelming, but following these steps will give you a solid foundation. The key is starting simple, measuring carefully, and optimizing based on data — not assumptions.

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