M21 Platform
M21 Platform is the client reporting application built and operated by Method 21, a digital marketing agency in Houston, Texas. It connects the Google marketing accounts a client already owns and consolidates the data from them into a single monthly report, so that performance across search, advertising and business listings can be read in one place instead of four.
What the Application Does
Method 21 manages search and advertising programs for its clients. Reporting on those programs means gathering numbers from several Google products that do not talk to each other, which historically meant exporting from each one by hand every month.
M21 Platform automates that. A client, or a Method 21 staff member acting with the client's permission, signs in with Google and grants the application access to the specific accounts that belong to them. The application then reads performance data from those accounts on a schedule and assembles it into reports and dashboards inside the platform.
Who Uses It
The application is used by Method 21 staff and by Method 21's own clients. It is not a general-purpose consumer product and it is not offered to the public. An account is created for a client at the start of an engagement with Method 21, and access ends when that engagement ends.
Which Google Accounts It Connects, and Why
The application requests access only to the products a given client actually uses. Each connection is made by the account owner through Google's own consent screen, and each can be revoked by them at any time.
| Google product | What the application reads | Why it needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Property and report data, read only | Sessions, traffic sources, engagement and conversions for the reporting period |
| Google Search Console | Property and performance data, read only | Impressions, clicks, average position and the queries a site appears for |
| Google Ads | Account and campaign reports, read only | Spend, clicks, conversions and cost per result for advertising campaigns |
| Google Business Profile | Locations and insights | How a client's business listing performs in local search and maps |
The application also reads the signed-in user's name and email address, which are used to identify the account inside the platform and to send report notifications.
What the Application Does Not Do
- It does not change anything in a connected accountCampaigns, budgets, bids, properties and listings are read and reported on, never edited.
- It does not sell or share dataData pulled from a connected account is used to produce that client's own reports and for nothing else.
- It does not use the data to train modelsNo data obtained through Google APIs is used to develop, improve or train generalized artificial intelligence or machine learning models.
- It is not advertising-supportedThe platform carries no advertising and does no advertising targeting with connected account data.
How Google User Data Is Handled
M21 Platform's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Data retrieved from a connected account is stored so that historical reports remain available across reporting periods. It is held in access-controlled infrastructure operated for Method 21, is visible only to that client and to the Method 21 staff assigned to their account, and is deleted on request or when an engagement ends. A user can disconnect an account at any time from inside the platform or from their own Google account permissions page, which immediately stops any further access.
Full detail on collection, use, retention and deletion is set out in the Method 21 privacy policy.
Who Operates the Application
M21 Platform is built and operated by Method 21, a digital marketing agency founded in 2008 and based at 2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77098. Questions about the application, about data access or about deletion can be directed to (832) 429-6983, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM CST, or through the contact page.