What a naming convention is
A naming convention is a structured system for naming your ads. Instead of names like "final_v2_REAL_use-this-one", a naming convention gives every ad a name built from the same building blocks in the same order. DatAds reads those names to automatically organize, filter, and analyze your creative.
💡 Why this matters: DatAds can read those names to automatically organize, filter, and analyze your creatives.
Dimensions and values
A naming convention has two layers:
Dimensions are the categories you track across every ad. Common examples: Product, Ad Angle, Content Creator, Format.
Values are the specific options within each dimension. For example, the Emotion dimension might include Joy, Urgency, and Trust.
Once you combine dimensions into a template using a separator (usually _ or -), every ad name follows the same pattern:
[Product]_[Emotion]_[Creator]
Real names then look like Cookie_Joy_Max or Sneaker_Urgency_Jacqueline. Anyone on your team can read the name and instantly know what the ad is.
Strict vs. flexible conventions
DatAds supports both.
Strict: every ad follows the same template, same separator, same order. DatAds extracts values automatically from every new ad name as it is imported. You define the pattern once and it runs without any manual work going forward.
Flexible: the order shifts, segments are sometimes missing, or different campaigns use different formats. You define your values explicitly and DatAds looks for each keyword anywhere in the ad name. An ad named
Max_Joy_Cookie_2024and another namedCookie-Retargetingcan both be tagged correctly even without a shared template.
Why it matters for your analytics
When your naming convention is consistent, DatAds can:
Break down performance by dimension: which products, emotions, or creators drive results
Filter any report to a specific value in one click
Surface trends across thousands of ads automatically
👉 If you don't have a naming convention yet, DatAds can still tag your creatives using AI. See this article to learn more.
Tips for a good naming convention
Keep it focused. Five well-chosen dimensions beat fifteen nobody checks. Start with the questions you most want to answer: which products perform best, which emotions drive purchases, which angle resonates with customers.
Use consistent spelling and spacing. jooy, Jo y, and J O Y are three different values to the system. Pick one style and stick to it.
Agree on it as a team and document it. A naming convention only works if everyone follows it.
Keep names readable. If an ad name is longer than about 50 characters, it is probably doing too much.
👉 Learn how to set this up in this article. Here you can find our Automatic Naming Convention Generator.
If you have any questions or would like to share feedback, feel free to reach out to us anytime via the chat widget in the bottom right corner of your dashboard. 💬