How to configure the MCP Server for Google Ads
Mykhailo Zernov
AuthorKey takeaways:
How the Google Ads MCP server works
Once you configure an MCP server for Google Ads, you can send requests from your AI app (e.g., Claude). These requests are routed through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which acts as a standard bridge between your AI client and the MCP server.
The server processes each request, like fetching campaign data, executing actions, or returning structured results. This allows you to interact with Google Ads using simple prompts instead of manual navigation.
Use cases of Google Ads MCP Server
You can use the MCP server for a wide range of Google Ads tasks, including:
- Campaign performance analysis. Retrieve metrics and evaluate campaign results.
- Real-time insights. Access up-to-date data to monitor ongoing performance.
- Account overview. Get a structured summary of accessible accounts and properties.
- Data annotations. Access notes and insights tied to specific dates or events.
Requirements
To configure the MCP server for Google Ads, you need an MCP-compatible AI app (e.g., Claude Desktop).
How to configure Google Ads MCP Server?
1. Open Claude Desktop and go to File → Settings → Developer → Edit Config.
2. Open claude_desktop_config - it’s the configuration file that controls what MCP servers Claude can access.
Add the following configuration (remove any existing configs):
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-ads-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-remote",
https://mcp-google-ads.stape.io/mcp"
]
}
}
}Save the changes in the file.
3. Restart Claude Desktop.
4. After restarting, a browser window will open. Choose the Google account that has access to the Google Ads property you want to modify using the MCP server by Stape. Complete the authentication process to grant Claude access to your MCP server.
After the access is granted, you’ll get the message “Authorization successful! You may close this window and return to the CLI”. It means that the tool will be available for your use. In Settings → Developer, you will see the status Running next to google-ads-mcp. If you face any problems with configuration, refer to the troubleshooting section further in this guide.
To verify that it’s working, just type any query related to your Google Ads account, like “List all my Google Ads campaigns” or “What's the total spend across all campaigns this month?”
Using the Google Ads MCP Server with a CLI
If you prefer working in the terminal rather than a desktop app, it’s pretty simple. For instance, you can add the Google Ads MCP server to Claude Code with a single command:
claude mcp add --transport http google-ads-mcp https://mcp-google-ads.stape.io/mcpThat's it. Claude Code will handle the OAuth authentication flow automatically when you first use the server – a browser window will open for you to log in and grant access, just like with Claude Desktop.
To confirm the server was added successfully, run:
claude mcp listYou should see google-ads-mcp in the output with its URL.
Troubleshooting Google Ads MCP server configuration
MCP Server name length limit
Some MCP clients, like Cursor AI, enforce a 60-character limit on the combined length of the MCP server name and the tool name. If your configuration uses a long server name (e.g., google-ads-mcp-your-additional-long-name), this may cause specific tools to be hidden or filtered out by the client.
Action: to ensure all tools are visible, configure your MCP server with a shorter name (e.g., google-ads-mcp).
The MCP cache
mcp-remote stores credential data in ~/.mcp-auth (or the location defined by the $MCP_REMOTE_CONFIG_DIR$ environment variable). If you run into persistent issues, you should try clearing this cached state and tokens.
Use this command to clear the cache:
rm -rf ~/.mcp-authAfterward, restart your MCP client.
Comments