How to Build Automated Ad Reports in Google Sheets

Turn scattered ad metrics into a dashboard in Google Sheets, powered by an AI computer agent that updates data, cleans KPIs, and formats reports each day.
Advanced computer use agent
Production-grade reliability
Transparent Execution

Why Google Sheets ad reports

Every agency has that one Friday afternoon ritual: exports from Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok, LinkedIn… all landing in a jungle of CSV files. Then comes the copy-paste marathon into a “final” report that looks different every week. Clients get inconsistent views, your team dreads reporting week, and leaders are flying blind between channels.A solid ads report template in Google Sheets fixes that. You define one source of truth: standard KPIs, consistent date ranges, clear campaign breakdowns, and a repeatable structure you can reuse across clients. Because Sheets is flexible and familiar, you can blend data from paid social, search, and email into one canvas, add calculated fields for ROAS, CAC, or MER, and layer conditional formatting so outliers pop instantly. Instead of reinventing the wheel every month, your team works inside a proven frame that tells a clear performance story in minutes.Now imagine that template maintained by an AI computer agent. Rather than your team logging into every ad account, downloading reports, and fixing formulas, the agent does the clicking, exporting, and updating for you. The same Google Sheets template stays fresh every morning, campaigns are already summarized, and your humans arrive to insight-ready dashboards instead of raw data. Reporting turns from a chore into a strategic lever you can trust at scale.

How to Build Automated Ad Reports in Google Sheets

If you run ads for multiple brands, you already know: reporting can quietly swallow entire days. The right ads report template in Google Sheets can cut that work dramatically—and when you combine it with no-code tools and an AI computer agent like Simular, you can almost erase the manual grind.Below are three levels of maturity: from hands-on, to automated, to fully agent-driven.## 1. Manual ways to build ad report templates### 1.1 Start with a structured Google Sheets template1. Create a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets (see Google’s guide: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6000292).2. Add tabs such as: - `Raw_Facebook` - `Raw_Google_Ads` - `Summary` - `Client_Notes`3. In `Summary`, define your core KPIs in the header row: Spend, Impressions, Clicks, CTR, CPC, Conversions, CPA, ROAS.4. Use basic formulas to aggregate from raw tabs, for example: - `=SUM(Raw_Facebook!C:C)` for total spend - `=SUM(Raw_Facebook!D:D + Raw_Google_Ads!D:D)` for blended clicks5. Add calculated fields: - CTR: `=IFERROR(Clicks/Impressions,0)` - CPC: `=IFERROR(Spend/Clicks,0)` - ROAS: `=IFERROR(Revenue/Spend,0)`You’ve now created the base “canvas” for every future report.### 1.2 Export and paste from ad platforms1. In each ad platform (e.g., Google Ads), open the campaigns or account-level report.2. Filter by the reporting period (last 7 days, last month, etc.). Official help: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/23754353. Click Export → CSV or Google Sheets if available.4. For CSV exports: - Download the file. - In Google Sheets, go to `File → Import` and bring the data into the matching `Raw_*` tab (see https://support.google.com/docs/answer/9143382 for import options).5. Clean column names so they match your formulas (e.g., ensure Spend, Clicks, Impressions are in consistent columns across tabs).Repeat this flow weekly or monthly. It’s tedious but gives you full control.### 1.3 Build visual summaries for clients1. In the `Summary` tab, insert charts via `Insert → Chart`: - Line charts for Spend, Conversions over time. - Bar charts for ROAS by channel.2. Use conditional formatting (`Format → Conditional formatting`) to: - Highlight CPA above your target in red. - Highlight ROAS above goal in green.3. Add a top-level scorecard row with key metrics using bold fonts and borders.This manual but structured approach is your baseline. Once it works, you’re ready to automate pieces of it.## 2. No-code automation methods### 2.1 Connect platforms directly into SheetsSeveral tools (like native connectors or third-party add-ons) can pipe ad data straight into Google Sheets on a schedule.Typical setup pattern:1. Install the connector add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace.2. In Sheets, go to `Extensions` → your connector.3. Authenticate ad platforms (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.).4. Choose: - Account(s) - Date range (e.g., last 30 days, month to date) - Granularity (day, campaign, ad set/ad group) - Metrics & dimensions (Spend, Impressions, Clicks, Conversions, Campaign name, Country, Device).5. Set a refresh schedule (daily/weekly) so the `Raw_*` tabs update without you touching them.Your original formulas and charts in `Summary` now update automatically as the raw data refreshes.### 2.2 Use Google Sheets functions for lightweight pullsEven without external tools, Sheets has functions that help reduce copy-paste:- `IMPORTRANGE` to pull from another Google Sheet that receives exported data: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093340- `IMPORTXML` for simple web scrapes (e.g., competitor benchmarks): https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093342Example:- Keep a “data warehouse” Sheet where your team pastes exports.- In your client-facing template, use `=IMPORTRANGE("", "Raw_Facebook!A:Z")` to auto-pull the latest rows.This keeps the client report clean while another Sheet handles the messy imports.### 2.3 Automate reporting cadence with calendar + sharing1. Use `File → Share` in Google Sheets to give clients “Viewer” access.2. Turn on `Show history` so you can roll back errors if needed.3. Add a recurring calendar reminder for your team to review metrics—not to rebuild the report.You’ve now moved from “build every report from scratch” to “maintain a living template.” The final step is to stop even maintaining it manually.## 3. At-scale automation with an AI computer agent (Simular)This is where an AI agent stops being a toy and starts acting like a real teammate. Simular Pro can operate across your desktop, browser, and Google Sheets the way a human would—only with patience you don’t have.### 3.1 Pattern: Agent as your reporting assistantYou define the playbook once; the Simular AI agent runs it on a schedule:1. Open browser, log into Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads.2. Apply standard filters and date ranges.3. Export updated performance tables.4. Open your Google Sheets ads template.5. Paste or import data into the right `Raw_*` tabs.6. Trigger recalculation (e.g., by refreshing or updating a control cell).7. Run quick QC checks (e.g., compare today’s spend vs. yesterday; flag anomalies).8. Save, then send a summary link or email via your CRM or Gmail.Because Simular Pro logs every action and is fully inspectable, you can see exactly how it pulled and updated numbers—no black-box behavior.### 3.2 Example workflows with Simular**Workflow A: Daily multi-client refresh**- The agent loops through a list of client accounts in a control tab of Google Sheets.- For each client, it: - Uses the correct login. - Exports fresh campaign data. - Updates that client’s dedicated template.- Finally, it writes a short narrative summary per client (e.g., “Spend up 12%, ROAS down 5% driven by Campaign X”) using your preferred wording style.**Workflow B: Pre-meeting report pack**- Two hours before a standing client call, the agent: - Refreshes all relevant Sheets. - Exports key tabs to PDF. - Uploads them to a shared drive folder. - Sends a Slack or email message with the deck links.### 3.3 Pros and cons of AI-agent automation**Pros**- Massive time savings when you manage many accounts or channels.- Works across tools, not just where APIs exist—Simular can click through any web UI like a human.- Production-grade: designed for workflows with thousands of steps and long runtimes.- Transparent execution: every action is recorded, so you can audit what happened when a client asks.**Cons**- Requires careful onboarding: you must define your template structure and reporting rules clearly.- Best suited for stable processes; if your naming conventions or accounts change daily, you’ll need to update instructions.- Initial setup takes longer than a quick manual export—but you win that time back quickly at scale.The trajectory is simple: start with a well-designed Google Sheets template, layer in no-code automations, then graduate to an AI computer agent that owns the end-to-end reporting workflow. That’s how agencies and in-house teams move from spreadsheet survival mode to truly scalable, insight-first reporting.

Scale Ad Reporting with Google Sheets and AI Agents

Onboard Simular agent
Define your ideal ads report template in Google Sheets, then record a clear workflow for the Simular AI agent: which ad platforms to open, which views to export, and where each dataset lands in the Sheet.
Test and refine agent
Use Simular Pro’s transparent execution to watch the agent run your ads reporting flow end-to-end. Fix selectors, timing, or edge cases so it can fill the Google Sheets template correctly on the first real run.
Delegate and scale tasks
Once stable, schedule the Simular AI agent to refresh your Google Sheets ads reports daily or weekly, loop through multiple client accounts, and push links or summaries to your team so reporting truly scales.

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