DV360 Audit Checklist: 86 Checks

A practical 86-point QA framework for auditing Display & Video 360 before launch, during optimization, after a performance decline or when taking over an existing account.

Last verified: September 10, 2026. DV360 controls, naming, bidding behavior, creative review rules and reporting features change over time. Recheck Google’s current documentation before turning this checklist into an internal SOP.

A DV360 audit should do more than compare CPM, CTR or CPA.

Before a team changes bids, budgets or targeting, it should verify that campaign structure, Floodlight, pacing, bidding, audiences, geography, inventory, brand suitability, frequency, creative, deals and reporting are configured correctly.

Otherwise, the optimization team can spend time fixing the symptom instead of the cause.

Core principle: Audit first. Prioritize second. Optimize third.

For platform access and campaign support, see AdGeeks’ DV360 solution.

Quick answer: what should a DV360 audit cover?

A complete DV360 audit should validate these 11 areas:

The checklist should be used as a decision framework, not as a vanity score.

A high total does not compensate for one critical failure such as broken conversion tracking, wrong geography, rejected creative or missing deal targeting.

How to use this checklist

Use the audit in this order:

Measurement → Structure → Budget & pacing → Bidding → Audiences → Geography & device → Inventory → Frequency → Creative → Deals → Reporting

Why this order?

Because early configuration errors can distort every later performance decision.

If Floodlight is wrong, CPA is unreliable.

If the budget or flight dates are wrong, pacing conclusions are unreliable.

If targeting is too restrictive, a bid increase may not solve underdelivery.

If the correct deal is not targeted, premium inventory may never become eligible.

Classify every finding before making changes:

Get the complete 86-point checklist
Download the printable DV360 Audit Checklist and use it as a repeatable QA framework.
Download Checklist

1. Account & Campaign Structure - 8 checks

DV360 campaigns are organized through advertiser, campaign, insertion order and line-item levels. The structure should reflect how budget, targeting, optimization and reporting actually need to work.

For setup context, see the step-by-step DV360 campaign setup guide.

Checklist

• Correct DV360 advertiser is being used.

• User permissions match each team member’s responsibilities.

• Campaign naming convention is consistent.

• Campaigns are separated by clear business objectives.

• Insertion Orders are logically grouped.

• Line Items can be optimized independently.

• Campaign, IO and Line Item dates are aligned.

• Archived or duplicate campaign structures are cleaned up.

Google’s campaign documentation confirms that campaigns group related insertion orders around a shared goal and can control reporting, inventory sources and campaign-level frequency.

Source: Google DV360 - Create a campaign

What usually goes wrong

Structure problems often appear as reporting problems later.

Typical examples include:

• one insertion order mixing objectives that should have separate budgets;

• line items grouped so tightly that they cannot be optimized independently;

• inconsistent dates across campaign levels;

• old duplicate structures creating reporting noise.

Fix the hierarchy before interpreting granular performance.

2. Measurement & Floodlight - 8 checks

Floodlight is Google Marketing Platform’s conversion-tracking system and acts as a shared measurement layer across Display & Video 360, Campaign Manager 360 and Search Ads 360.

Source: Google DV360 - About Floodlight and Floodlight activities

Checklist

• Primary business conversions are tracked.

• Floodlight activities fire correctly.

• Duplicate conversion activities are not inflating results.

• Conversion counting logic is understood.

• Post-click and post-view attribution are documented.

• Conversion windows match the business cycle.

• Revenue or conversion values are passed correctly where needed.

• DV360 and analytics attribution differences are documented.

Google notes that Floodlight conversions can be attributed after clicks, impressions or other eligible interactions according to the configured conversion window and attribution logic.

Source: Google DV360 - How Floodlight counts conversions

Audit measurement before performance

Do not pause a line item because CPA looks weak until you have answered:

• Is the right conversion being counted?

• Is it firing once?

• Are values passed correctly?

• Are click-through and view-through windows understood?

• Is the comparison platform using the same attribution logic?

Different platforms can legitimately report different conversion totals.

The audit should document why before treating the discrepancy as an error.

3. Budget & Pacing - 7 checks

Budget problems are often mistaken for targeting or inventory problems.

Checklist

• IO budget matches the approved media plan.

• Campaign dates match the planned flight.

• Spend-to-date is compared with planned pacing.

• No Line Item is unintentionally consuming excessive budget.

• High-performing Line Items are not being unnecessarily restricted.

• Pacing strategy matches the campaign objective.

• Remaining budget can realistically be delivered before end date.

Google allows teams to control bid and budget at line-item level or use automatic allocation and bid/budget automation at insertion-order level.

Source: Google DV360 - Automatic budget allocation

Questions to ask

• Is the campaign underspending because of eligibility or because of budget configuration?

• Is one line item absorbing budget simply because it has more available inventory?

• Is the remaining budget realistic for the remaining flight?

• Does the pacing choice match the business objective?

A campaign can hit its total budget while still allocating spend poorly.

4. Bidding & Optimization - 7 checks

Bid strategy should match the campaign objective and the amount of usable data available.

Checklist

• Bid strategy matches the campaign objective.

• Bids are competitive for the targeted inventory.

• Optimization goal uses the correct KPI.

• Campaign has enough conversion or event volume for the strategy.

• Bid caps are not unnecessarily limiting delivery.

• Bid strategy has not been changed too frequently.

• Learning period has been allowed before major changes.

Google’s automated bidding can optimize toward outcomes such as conversions, clicks, viewability, completed video outcomes or reach, depending on line-item type and strategy.

Source: Google DV360 - Automated bid strategies

Do not change strategy before diagnosing delivery

Google warns that aggressive KPI targets can cause underspending and that major line-item changes can cause the bidding system to relearn.

So before changing the strategy, verify:

• available inventory;

• audience scale;

• budget;

• deal floors;

• conversion volume;

• bid caps;

• recent structural changes.

Bidding should not be used to compensate for a broken setup.

5. Audiences & First-Party Data - 8 checks

Audience relevance matters, but eligibility and scale matter too.

Checklist

• Audience strategy matches the brief.

• First-party audiences are active and populating.

• Remarketing audiences are correctly configured.

• Customer Match data is usable where applicable.

• Audience exclusions are intentional.

• Audience size is large enough to deliver.

• Optimized targeting is enabled or disabled intentionally.

• Audience overlap has been reviewed.

Google groups DV360 targeting into inventory-source, audience, content and technology controls, and notes that targeting settings can materially affect both performance and spend.

Source: Google DV360 - About targeting

Check the full targeting stack

A relevant audience can still be too restrictive when combined with:

• narrow geography;

• one device type;

• one deal;

• content restrictions;

• aggressive frequency caps;

• a short flight.

The audit question is not only:

“Is this audience relevant?”

It is also:

“Is this audience large enough under the rest of the line-item settings?”

6. Geography & Device - 7 checks

Geography and device errors can be costly because a campaign may still deliver normally - just to the wrong market or environment.

Checklist

• Countries are correct.

• Regions/cities match the campaign brief.

• ZIP/postal-code targeting is correct where used.

• Proximity targeting uses the intended locations.

• Geographic exclusions are correct.

• Device targeting matches the media strategy.

• CTV targeting is separated where required.

For local and household-oriented CTV planning, see the CTV Geofencing Guide.

Google’s targeting documentation makes clear that targeting can be set at advertiser, insertion-order and line-item levels, so higher-level defaults should be reviewed alongside line-item settings.

Source: Google DV360 - Set targeting

CTV needs separate validation

Do not assume a setup that works for standard web video is automatically appropriate for Connected TV.

Google documents dedicated CTV buying, bidding and inventory behavior in DV360.

Source: Google DV360 - About Connected TV

7. Inventory & Brand Suitability - 7 checks

Inventory controls determine where a line item can compete. Brand suitability determines which otherwise eligible environments are acceptable for the advertiser.

Checklist

• Inventory sources match the media plan.

• Open-auction inventory is not unintentionally restricted.

• Inclusion/exclusion lists are current.

• Brand-suitability settings are appropriate.

• Sensitive-content exclusions are intentional.

• Third-party verification settings are correct.

• Inventory filters are not reducing scale unnecessarily.

Google separates universal brand-safety protections from advertiser-specific brand-suitability controls and supports advertiser-level controls plus eligible third-party verification options.

Source: Google DV360 - Brand suitability

Protect the brand without accidentally removing the campaign

During an audit, check whether several filters overlap:

• advertiser-level suitability controls;

• line-item exclusions;

• app and URL lists;

• keyword exclusions;

• third-party verification;

• deal-specific settings.

A campaign can become too restrictive without any one setting looking obviously wrong.

8. Frequency - 7 checks

Frequency should be audited across the full hierarchy.

Checklist

• Campaign-level frequency cap has been reviewed.

• IO-level frequency cap has been reviewed.

• Line Item frequency cap has been reviewed.

• Higher-level caps are not unintentionally restricting Line Items.

• Frequency matches audience size.

• CTV frequency is appropriate for the campaign.

• Frequency distribution is reviewed in reporting.

Google supports frequency caps at campaign, insertion-order and line-item levels. Higher-level caps can constrain lower-level line items.

Source: Google DV360 - Manage frequency with frequency caps

Why frequency causes hidden underdelivery

A line-item cap can look reasonable in isolation but become restrictive once an insertion-order or campaign cap is applied.

Review both:

• the configured cap; and

• the actual frequency distribution in reporting.

Google’s reach reporting includes unique reach and average impression frequency metrics, including co-viewing-aware measurements for CTV.

Source: Google DV360 - Reach reports

9. Creative QA - 9 checks

Creative problems can block delivery even when targeting and bidding are correct.

Checklist

• All creatives are approved.

• Creative dimensions match eligible inventory.

• Landing-page URLs work.

• Click tracking works.

• Video files meet required specifications.

• Creative messaging is current.

• Enough creative variants exist for testing.

• Creative fatigue is monitored.

• Weak creatives are identified separately from weak audiences.

Google states that rejected creatives cannot serve and documents common rejection causes including format, content, landing-page and tracking issues.

Source: Google DV360 - Find and fix rejected creatives

Important 2026 update

Manual creative optimization settings at the line-item level were deprecated on August 24, 2026. Google now automatically aligns creative optimization with the bidding strategy for eligible display and video line items.

Source: Google DV360 - Creative optimization

So an audit should not rely on an old SOP that tells traders to manually configure a creative-rotation option that no longer exists.

For CTV specifically, verify publisher-compatible assets, format and bitrate requirements.

Source: Google DV360 - Connected TV creatives

10. Deals / PMP / Premium Inventory - 8 checks

A deal existing in the account does not mean it is serving correctly.

Checklist

• Correct Deal IDs are targeted.

• Deal dates are active.

• Deal CPM matches the agreement.

• Creative is eligible for the deal.

• Geography matches deal availability.

• Device targeting matches the deal.

• Additional audience filters are not eliminating deal scale.

• Deal delivery is monitored separately from open auction.

Google defines deals as inventory agreements between buyer and seller, with different rules for guaranteed and non-guaranteed transactions.

Source: Google DV360 - Overview of deals

Programmatic Guaranteed can automate trafficking, targeting, reporting and billing, but delivery still depends on the campaign and deal being configured correctly.

Source: Google DV360 - Programmatic Guaranteed deals

Diagnose deal eligibility before increasing bids

If a premium deal is not spending, check:

• Deal ID;

• flight dates;

• agreed pricing;

• assigned creative;

• geography;

• device;

• audience filters;

• brand-suitability controls;

• line-item status.

Do not assume the problem is simply bid competitiveness.

11. Reporting & Attribution - 10 checks

Reporting should tell the team whether delivery is healthy, whether performance is improving and whether the measurement framework is consistent.

Checklist

• Spend is reviewed by Campaign / IO / Line Item.

• Reach and frequency are reviewed.

• CPM trends are monitored.

• Primary conversion KPI is visible.

• CPA / ROAS / efficiency metric is calculated correctly.

• Inventory-source performance is reviewed.

• Audience performance is reviewed.

• Device performance is reviewed.

• Creative performance is reviewed.

• Reporting attribution model is documented.

For a deeper KPI framework, read DV360 Reporting Metrics That Really Matter.

For automated reporting, see DV360 to Data Studio (Formerly Looker Studio).

Attribution must be documented

Google allows DV360 advertisers to create and select attribution models for reporting and explains that different default attribution behavior can create discrepancies between DV360 and Campaign Manager 360.

Source: Google DV360 - Create an attribution model

Before making an optimization decision from conversion data, document:

• which attribution model is being used;

• which Floodlight activities are included;

• the conversion windows;

• whether post-view activity is included;

• whether the comparison report uses the same attribution model.

The 86 checks should lead to a diagnosis, not just a score

Once the checklist is complete, classify every issue.

Critical

Examples:

• broken tracking;

• wrong geography;

• incorrect budget;

• rejected creative;

• missing deal targeting.

Fix these before judging campaign performance.

High

Examples:

• restrictive audience;

• poor pacing;

• excessive frequency;

• wrong bid strategy;

• weak inventory mix.

These materially limit scale, efficiency or decision quality.

Medium

Examples:

• creative fatigue;

• audience reallocations;

• device adjustments;

• supply-path refinement.

These become optimization opportunities after the configuration is stable.

Low

Examples:

• naming conventions;

• dashboard layout;

• labels;

• archived creative cleanup.

These improve operational hygiene but should not distract from critical issues.

Configuration issue vs delivery issue vs performance issue

Every major finding should be placed into one of three buckets.

This prevents one of the most common audit mistakes: solving a setup problem with a performance change.

Example: a campaign is underspending

Possible causes:

• geography is too narrow;

• audience is too small;

• inventory is excluded;

• deal is unavailable;

• frequency is too restrictive;

• creative is rejected;

• bid strategy is too restrictive.

The wrong first response is:

“Increase the bid.”

The better response is:

Validate eligibility first.

When should you run a DV360 audit?

Before launch

Use the checklist as pre-flight QA before budget starts spending.

48–72 hours after launch

Verify tracking, delivery, pacing, creative approval and inventory.

After the initial learning period

Review whether the bid strategy, audience and supply are generating enough data to optimize.

Before a major budget increase

Make sure scaling will not amplify a setup problem.

When performance declines

Separate technical or delivery issues from real deterioration in media performance.

When inheriting an account

Audit the existing structure before rebuilding it.

Before a major provider or operating-model decision

A repeatable audit can show whether the problem is platform capability, campaign execution or account governance.

If managed support is part of the decision, read the DV360 Managed Service Guide.

What to do after the audit

Do not implement all findings at once.

Use this order:

1. Fix measurement.

2. Fix anything that blocks or misdirects delivery.

3. Fix budgets, dates and pacing.

4. Fix deal and creative eligibility.

5. Remove unintended targeting restrictions.

6. Confirm the correct bidding strategy.

7. Give the campaign enough time to stabilize.

8. Then evaluate performance optimization.

This keeps the account from entering a cycle where several settings change at once and no one can tell which change produced the result.

Final DV360 audit score

Use the overall score as a readiness indicator, not as a performance grade.

Overall Audit Score: ____ / 86

Possible outcomes:

• Ready to Scale

• Optimize Before Scaling

• Major Fixes Required

• Measurement Must Be Fixed First

One critical issue can outweigh a strong numerical score.

Do not optimize around a setup problem.

Ready for a second pair of eyes on your DV360 account?

Request Access

Ready for a second pair of eyes on your DV360 account?

Request Access

Frequently Asked Questions