Broken Adwords Keyword Tool

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Wednesday, 14th May 2008 - business hours Australian time, John managed to break the Google Keyword Research Tool while doing keyword research for one of our clients. What showed was one long line of code which I've formatted slightly for better readability. We managed to get values for some competitive phrases out there once we realised we can replicate the error. This lasted for ten sweet minutes after which Google shut the session down and posted a technical problem notice.

<!--- CODE STARTS HERE -->

var showImpressions = 2;

var criteriaSuggestor = 'sensei_keyword';

var historicalTimePeriod = 'May 2007 - Apr 2008';

var historicalStartMonth = 4;

var criteriaGroupsArray = new Array();

var impressionTimePeriod = 'April';

var captchaError = false;

var criteria = new Array();

var monthlyVariation = new Array(); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.53 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.47 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.67 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.47 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.87 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.8 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.33 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 1.0 )); criteria.push(new kpCriterion('printer engineer', 0.0, 0.06666666666666667, 0.06666666666666667, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$1.52', 1519391, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, 3 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('printing engineer', 1.0, -1.0, 0.26666666666666666, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('print machinery engineers', 2.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('print machinery installation', 3.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD )); var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('press printer service', 4.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('press printer inspection', 5.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = new Array(); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.48 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.6 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.49 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.36 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.53 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 1.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.37 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.51 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.45 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.45 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.63 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.43 )); criteria.push(new kpCriterion('komori press', 6.0, 0.13333333333333333, 0.13333333333333333, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.4 , '$1.09', 1092989, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, 9 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = new Array(); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.78 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 1.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.43 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.76 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.81 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.74 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.72 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.41 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.48 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.79 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.69 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.83 )); criteria.push(new kpCriterion('heidelberg printer', 7.0, 0.13333333333333333, 0.13333333333333333, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$1.29', 1289474, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, 5 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = new Array(); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.71 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.79 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 1.0 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.84 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.8 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.83 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.71 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.38 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.58 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.69 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.83 )); monthlyVariation.push(new kpMonthlyPopularity( 0.79 )); criteria.push(new kpCriterion('heidelberg press', 8.0, 0.2, 0.2, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.6666667 , '$0.69', 691346, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, 6 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('offset printer installation', 9.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('offset printer service', 10.0, -1.0, 0.06666666666666667, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD ));

var monthlyVariation = null; criteria.push(new kpCriterion('offset printer engineer', 11.0, -1.0, 0.0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0.0 , '$0.05', 50000, '','', '1 - 3', 2 , 0 , 0 , monthlyVariation, -1 , '' , kpView.MATCH_BROAD )); criteriaGroupsArray.push(new kpCriteriaGroup( 'Keywords related to term(s) entered', 'Keywords related to term(s) entered', false, criteria, 12 , 0 , 0 , 'Add all 12 »', '', ''));

<!--- CODE ENDS HERE -->

Below is the table generated when using the values form the code displayed above. Please note the green section in the table. This is what we believe is the number of searches for the month.