Match Drift Monitor
Tracks the share of Search spend flowing through loosely-matched queries (broad match + close variants) and alerts when it jumps — because Google widens your matching quietly, and nobody announces it.
by Dmytro Tonkikh·chiliad.io
Overview
Match Drift Monitor computes the spend mix by matched query type (exact, phrase, broad, and the close-variant expansions) for the recent window versus the previous one, and alerts on two conditions: the loose-match share (broad + variants) jumping beyond your threshold period over period, or exceeding an absolute ceiling. It converts Google's quiet, continuous matching expansion into a single number with an alarm attached.
Setup
- 1Open your Google Ads account and go to Tools → Bulk Actions → Scripts.
- 2Click the + button to create a new script and paste the code below.
- 3Adjust JUMP_ALERT_PTS and LOOSE_SHARE_CEILING to your strategy (broad-match-first accounts run high shares by design).
- 4Set EMAIL_ADDRESS to receive alerts, then schedule weekly.
Configuration Variables
| Variable | Default |
|---|---|
WINDOW_DAYS | 28 |
JUMP_ALERT_PTS | 8 |
LOOSE_SHARE_CEILING | 60 |
EMAIL_ADDRESS | (empty) |
Expected Output
=== Match Drift Monitor (last 28 days vs previous 28) === --- Spend by matched query type (recent window) --- EXACT: 4102.40 (38%) PHRASE: 2210.15 (20%) BROAD: 3105.20 (29%) NEAR_EXACT: 890.44 (8%) NEAR_PHRASE: 512.10 (5%) Loose-match share (broad + close variants): 42.0% (was 31.5%, +10.5 pts) [ALERT] Loose-match share jumped 10.5 points period over period. Email sent to you@example.com
Notes
If broad match with Smart Bidding is your explicit strategy, raise the ceiling and use only the jump alert — the point is detecting change you didn't choose, not punishing a chosen strategy. When it fires, check for recently added/converted broad keywords and review the search terms report.