Every campaign runs one creative surface: native, display, or performance video. You choose the surface when you create the campaign, through the campaign_item_type field on Create a campaign. The surface determines which creatives the campaign can run.

Campaign types

Choosing the type at creation

• Send campaign_item_type in the create-campaign request body with the value for the surface you want.
• Native is the default. Omit the field, or send HAS_NO_ITEMS.
• Always send the HAS_NO_ITEMS_* value at creation. Once you add items, the platform updates the field to the corresponding items state (for example, HAS_DISPLAY_ITEMS), so a later read can return a different value than you sent.

Examples

The bidding fields below (cpc, bid_strategy, marketing_objective, spending limit) follow the same rules as any campaign. See Create a campaign and Bidding strategy for the minimal set per strategy. Only campaign_item_type changes between the surfaces.

Native campaign

{
  "name": "Native Campaign",
  "cpc": 0.25,
  "bid_strategy": "FIXED",
  "marketing_objective": "DRIVE_WEBSITE_TRAFFIC",
  "campaign_item_type": "HAS_NO_ITEMS"
}

Omitting campaign_item_type produces the same native campaign.

Display campaign

{
  "name": "Display Campaign",
  "cpc": 0.25,
  "bid_strategy": "FIXED",
  "marketing_objective": "DRIVE_WEBSITE_TRAFFIC",
  "campaign_item_type": "HAS_NO_ITEMS_DISPLAY"
}

Performance video campaign

{
  "name": "Performance Video Campaign",
  "cpc": 0.25,
  "bid_strategy": "FIXED",
  "marketing_objective": "DRIVE_WEBSITE_TRAFFIC",
  "campaign_item_type": "HAS_NO_ITEMS_PERFORMANCE_DISPLAY_VIDEO"
}

Adding creatives after creation

Each type accepts only its matching creatives:

• Native campaigns accept native creatives. See Creating a campaign item.
• Display campaigns accept static display creatives (uploaded image files). See Display ad URL-based upload.
• Performance video campaigns accept hosted video display creatives only.

A single campaign cannot mix native and display creatives.

Common errors

• Sending an items state such as HAS_DISPLAY_ITEMS at creation returns HTTP 400, Value is not allowed for this field. Send the HAS_NO_ITEMS_* variant instead; the items states are set by the platform, not by the caller.
• Changing campaign_item_type on a campaign that already has items returns HTTP 400, Only empty campaigns are allowed to change this field.
• Requesting display or performance video on an account that is not enabled for them is rejected.

Related references

• Create a campaign
• Campaigns overview
• Display ad URL-based upload
• Video Campaigns (separate brand-video product)