Rules let you reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time. Create rules based on various signals, then add and customize variants to those rules. You can create variants for your video project either before or after setting up rules.
If you don't plan to use rules to customize variants, you should create variants on the Variants page instead.
About rules and targeting in Google Ads
For video projects exported to Google Ads, the rules set up in Ads Creative Studio aren't directly connected to any targeting or serving in Google Ads. Instead, rules can be translated into targeting information after the project is imported into Google Ads, and can be edited when creating campaigns. See Import a video project into Google Ads for more details.
About rules and targeting in Campaign Manager 360
For video projects exported to Campaign Manager 360, the rules set up in Ads Creative Studio are exported with the project. The rules can be edited and used for targeting in Campaign Manager 360.
Each video project you create for Campaign Manager 360 requires at least one rule with at least one valid signal. To be eligible for export, each variant in the project must have at least 1 rule applied.
Create rules
Rules use signals such as the customer's location or topics of interest to determine when they apply.
- Open the project you want to work on, then go to the Rules page.
- Click Create rule.
- Select the signal type you want to use.
- A blank table displays with a column for the signal type you selected. Optionally, add more signal types by clicking Add signal type.
- Add signals for each signal type. For example, if you chose Location as a signal type, click Add location. The signal selection window opens.
- Search, browse, or enter the specific signals that you want to add. You'll see a running list of all the signals you select or specify.
- Click Apply.
- Repeat the signal selection process as necessary for each signal type. You don't have to fill in a signal for every signal type.
To set up another rule, click 
Multiple signals
You can add multiple signals to a row.
- If you add multiple signals of the same type (that is, within the same table cell), your rule will apply when any of those signals match (an "OR" relationship).
- If you add multiple signals of different types (that is, in different table cells), your rule will apply when all of the signal types match (an "AND" relationship).
Example
The below row applies when the location is either San Francisco or Oakland, and only during June 2022 for either location.
Rule limits
A project can have up to 100 rows.
Modify rules and signals
You can change rules by editing or removing signals, or deleting rows and signal types.
Edit a single rule
- To change the signals in a cell, click Edit
in the cell.
- To remove a specific signal, click Dismiss
next to the signal.
- To delete a row, select the checkbox to the left of the row, then click Delete at the top of the table.
- To delete a signal type, hover over the column header for the signal type, click More
Delete.
Edit signals in bulk
Bulk editing lets you make changes to signals in multiple rows.
- Select the checkbox next to each row that you want to edit.
- Click Edit
- Make any changes you want to apply to all of the selected rows:
- Add signals that should be added to all selected rows.
- Delete signals that should be removed from all selected rows.
- Click Apply.
The Edit signals panel lists all signals included across all selected rows, and doesn't indicate when different rows contain different signals. Only signals that you explicitly add within the panel will be added to all selected rows.
Filter rules
If you're working with a lot of rules, you may find it helpful to filter the rules table to show only certain rows.
When you apply filters:
- Only the rows that match your filter are shown in the rules table.
- The other rows still exist, but are hidden from view.
- You won't be able to edit any rows that are hidden from view until you remove the filters that are hiding them.
Add filters
- Click Filter
at the top right of the table. The
field opens at the top of the table.
- Click Add filter. A menu pops up.
- Select the type of filter you want to apply. For example, you can filter by signal assignment, signal name, variant assignment, variant name, asset assignment, or asset name.
- Specify the values you want to use to filter rules.
- Click Apply.
Only rows that match the active filters will show in the table. You can add multiple filters by repeating the steps above.
Remove filters
- To remove a single filter, click Dismiss
- To remove all filters, click Remove all filters
Add variants
Once you've added rules, you can add variants to each row. The signals for each row will determine the intended audience or context for the variant.
- Click Add variant in the row with the rule you want to apply. A table will display any existing variants for the project.
- Create a new variant, duplicate an existing variant, or select an existing variant from the table.
- To create a new variant, click
- To make a copy of an existing variant, select a variant in the table, then click Copy variant.
- To find an existing variant, you can search for the variant name in the Search field, or view only variants that are currently assigned or unassigned to the current rule by selecting the appropriate filters.
- To create a new variant, click
- Repeat the previous step to add additional variants. You can assign multiple variants to the same row to enable creative rotation. You can also assign the same variant to more than one row.
- Click Apply to add all of the selected variants to the row.
Multiple variants assigned to a row
If you assign more than one variant to a row, you'll see "Variants assigned" with the number of variants in parentheses, and additional rows below for each assigned variant. These additional rows contain no signals and don't count against your row limit. You can use these rows to edit variants that are assigned to that rule.
Edit variants
When a variant is assigned to a row, the rules table displays the assets for each swappable element. You can swap out assets directly within the rules table to edit those variants.
Edit a single variant
- To swap out an asset, click Edit
- To remove an asset, click Remove
next to the asset.
- To rename a variant, click Rename next to the variant name.
Edit assets in bulk
Bulk editing is useful when you want to use the same asset in multiple variants.
- Select the checkbox next to each variant that you want to edit.
- Click Edit
- For each asset that you want to change:
- To swap out an asset for all selected variants, click Edit
- To remove an asset from all selected variants, click Remove
- To swap out an asset for all selected variants, click Edit
- Click Apply.
If you edit or remove assets in a row displaying "Variants assigned" to indicate multiple variants, your changes will affect all of the variants assigned to that row.
If you don't want to see the assets for each variant in the rules table, click Hide Assets at the top of the table.
Preview variants
You can preview variants on the Rules page in the bottom panel.
Select a rule to see a preview of the assigned variant. You can select multiple rows, as well as rows with multiple variant assignments.
The preview panel only shows one variant at a time. If you selected multiple variants, click the left or right arrows next to the video to view other variants. Use the video controls to play the current video.
You can resize the preview panel by dragging the handle 
Reassign and unassign variants
You can change your variant assignments.
- To assign a different variant or assign additional variants, click Edit
- To unassign a single variant, click Dismiss
- To unassign all variants from a row with multiple variants, click Remove
Next steps
Once you're done with the rules page, click Save. Your next steps may vary.
- If you haven't yet created a template for your project, go to the Template page.
- If you want to view all your variants, go to the Variants page.
- If you're done making changes to your project, you can review it.