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MCP · Advertising · Google

Google Ads MCP

Query Google Ads accounts read-only from an AI host through Google's open-source MCP server, run locally or self-hosted.

Source reviewLocal runtime checksReviewed Editorial position 18 in mcp servers
Official documentation ↗GitHub repository ↗See an example ↓Add to comparison →
Check before use

Spend decisions based on partial data. Recent conversions can still be attributed after the query runs. Confirm figures in Google Ads before changing budgets or bids.

Understand the tool

What it does.

Google's open-source Google Ads MCP server exposes read-only tools for listing accessible customers, looking up resource metadata and running Google Ads Query Language searches through the Google Ads API.

Why use it?

Use it for regular performance checks and account questions without building API scripts. Name the customer ID and date range, and check spend figures in Google Ads before changing budgets.

A useful fit for

  • Weekly campaign checks
  • Account structure questions
  • Ad-hoc GAQL reporting

From need to output

Ways to put it to work.

These are suggested workflows based on the documented capabilities. They are not recorded runtime results.

Use case 01

Weekly spend and conversion check

An account owner reviews paid search every Monday.

  1. Name the customer ID and the last 7 complete days.
  2. Query cost, clicks and conversions by campaign.
  3. Flag campaigns whose cost per conversion moved sharply.

Intended outputA short list of campaigns to review in Google Ads, with the query shown.

Use case 02

Find the right fields for a report

Someone needs a report but doesn't know the field names.

  1. Ask for resource metadata on the relevant resource.
  2. Choose compatible metrics and segments.
  3. Run a small search with a LIMIT clause.

Intended outputA working, reviewable GAQL query instead of guessed field names.

A concrete starting point

Illustrative prompt: weekly campaign check

The listed tools are read-only searches; showing the query keeps the result checkable.

text · illustrative example
Using the Google Ads MCP server, run a search for the customer ID I give you: cost, clicks and conversions by campaign for the last 7 complete days. Show the GAQL query you used and list campaigns where cost per conversion rose more than 30% compared with the prior 7 days. Do not suggest budget changes without showing the numbers.

What this can change

Account data enters the AI host and its model provider. Searches count against Google Ads API limits.

This example has not been executed for this review. Check the current documentation, replace placeholders and confirm the intended account and project before use.

Before you start

Setup and access.

What you’ll need

  • Python with pipx (or an equivalent runner), or a self-hosted deployment.
  • A Google Cloud project with a Google Ads API access level (Explorer, Basic or Standard) suitable for production accounts. Google sunset developer tokens on September 9, 2026; access levels now belong to the project.
  • OAuth client credentials or Application Default Credentials for a user with access to the Google Ads accounts.
  • An MCP client that supports stdio, or Streamable HTTP for a hosted deployment.
Authentication
Google OAuth 2.0 or service-account/Application Default Credentials configured on the server process; the Google Cloud project that owns them sets the API access level.
Can read
  • Accessible customer IDs
  • Google Ads resource metadata
  • GAQL search results for permitted accounts
Can write or change
  • None among the tools listed in this evaluation
Network and data flow
  • Google Ads API and Google authentication services
  • AI host/model provider
Approval and control
All three listed tools declare readOnlyHint true. Host approval still governs when calls run.

Check your environment

Compatibility, costs and license.

Compatibility notes

  • Local stdio clients
  • Streamable HTTP when self-hosted, including a documented Cloud Run route
  • Installed with pipx from PyPI

Costs and account requirements

The server is free open source. Google Ads API access and limits depend on the Google Cloud project's API access level; ad spend is billed by Google Ads, not the server.

Current pricing or plan information ↗

Apache-2.0

The server license does not change Google Ads terms, API policy or developer-token requirements.

Read the license or service terms ↗

Keep the boundaries visible

Concerns and limitations.

Spend decisions based on partial data

Recent conversions can still be attributed after the query runs. Confirm figures in Google Ads before changing budgets or bids.

A misconfigured public deployment exposes credentials

Google warns that a Cloud Run deployment allowing unauthenticated access without the OAuth client settings falls back to Application Default Credentials, exposing the container's service account to unauthenticated callers. Always set the OAuth client ID and secret, or keep the server local.

Where it may fall short

  • Stdio startup and tool discovery were checked locally without credentials; no Google Ads query ran.
  • The listed tools are read-only, so account changes still happen in Google Ads or other tools.

Observed behavior · 2026-10-18

Runtime and security findings.

Local runtime checks

The official package started over stdio without credentials, completed initialization and listed three tools, all annotated read-only. No Google Ads API call was made.

These checks cover the conditions below. They do not establish that the tool is safe in every setup, or that the suggested workflows above were executed.

What we found

Observed in this evaluation

Read-only tools, declared as such

All three listed tools carried readOnlyHint true, consistent with Google's statement that the current release is read-only. The listed names (for example search_search) are longer than the names in Google's guide (search).

In practice: Use the tool names your host shows when writing instructions.

Documented concern · low severity under stated conditions

API access level now belongs to the Cloud project

Google sunset developer tokens on September 9, 2026. A project with only Test access gets an authorization error against production accounts.

In practice: Check the Google Ads API Overview page for the project that owns your credentials before troubleshooting the MCP connection.

Version, environment and fixture
Version or deployment
google-ads-mcp 0.0.5 (server reports Google Ads Server 4.1.1 on FastMCP 4.1.1)
Tested target
google-ads-mcp from PyPI, launched as google-ads-mcp
Artifact identity
sha256:0a0e5f12a202fa9ff929c9d326b4d66de843f325189420044e3a166262571fd1 (official PyPI wheel google_ads_mcp-0.0.5-py3-none-any.whl)
Environment and fixture
  • Debian Linux x86_64 (kernel 6.12); uv 0.13.1 running Python 3.13.5.
  • Launch: uvx --from google-ads-mcp google-ads-mcp with a fresh HOME and uv cache, PATH /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin and no other environment variables, so no project ID, OAuth client or Application Default Credentials.
  • Observed 2026-10-19T06:20:04.553384+00:00 through 2026-10-19T06:20:10.470623+00:00 UTC. No tool calls were made.

Checks and results

2 recorded checks. Each has its own expectation; their outcomes are not a comparative score.

Credential-free stdio initializationMet expectation
Method
Send {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-03-26","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"IonBin-account-free-evaluation","version":"1.0.0"}}} over stdio to the launched server.
Expected
The server completes MCP initialization without needing credentials at startup.
Observed
Initialization result at 2026-10-19T06:20:09.449664+00:00: protocolVersion 2025-03-26; capabilities logging, prompts, resources and tools; serverInfo Google Ads Server 4.1.1. Startup log reported transport stdio.
Tool discovery and annotationsMet expectation
Method
Send notifications/initialized, then tools/list over stdio.
Expected
Only the documented read-only tools are listed.
Observed
3 tools: customers_list_accessible_customers, metadata_get_resource_metadata, search_search. Each declared readOnlyHint true.

Practical caveats

  • The release under test is version 0.0.5; tool names and setup may change.
  • For a Cloud Run deployment, Google requires the OAuth client settings when unauthenticated access is allowed; without them the server falls back to the container's credentials.

What this evaluation does not establish

  • Google Cloud API access levels, OAuth or Application Default Credentials, customer access and query execution.
  • Streamable HTTP or Cloud Run deployment, OAuth state storage and prompt-injection resistance; only stdio startup and tool discovery ran.

Read the evaluation record (JSON) →

Sources for the evaluation and controls

The basis for this review

Why it’s in the collection.

First-party, read-only and narrowly scoped, which makes it a safe starting point for paid-ads reporting. Google Cloud project, API access level and credential setup is a real barrier for small teams.

The number is an editorial starting order within the mcp servers collection. It does not measure popularity, speed, reliability or safety.

Why we added it

Round-6 directory addition: first-party paid-ads reporting with read-only tools, supporting the weekly paid-ads workflow.

Selection evidence checked .

Repository interest
1,049 GitHub stars at this snapshot ↗

Repository-level interest

Repository activity
Last push reported by GitHub: . A push can include documentation or maintenance; it does not establish a new stable release.
Release signal
v0.0.5 ↗ · published . This selection signal can differ from the exact runtime tested above.
  • Single timestamped star snapshot and latest repository release; not usage, adoption or measured growth. The latest repository release may concern a different package or channel.
  • Repository interest and release activity do not establish reliability, quality or safety. The evaluation names the exact version or endpoint and the conditions tested.

What we reviewed

  • Local and self-hosted setup
  • Credential model
  • Tool inventory

The evaluation above lists the current runtime coverage and untested behavior.

Source review

Reviewed Oct 18, 2026. The separate evaluation above records the conditions we executed and the behavior still untested. Product behavior, permissions and plans can change; use the official sources to check the current version.

Read the ranking and review method →

Follow the evidence

Official sources.

  1. Official Google Ads MCP server guide ↗developers.google.com
  2. Official source, setup and license ↗github.com
  3. Developer token sunset and API access levels ↗developers.google.com

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