How do you connect Google Ads to Claude?

You connect Google Ads to Claude through an MCP server, a connector that lets Claude use outside tools. There are three routes: add a hosted Google Ads connector in Claude's settings, add one to Claude Code with one command, or install Google's free read-only server yourself. Hosted takes minutes. Google's own server needs a Google Cloud project.

Disclosure: Nudge publishes this guide and makes Nudge, a hosted Google Ads connector for Claude. Steps for other tools come from Anthropic's and Google's own documentation, read on 21 October 2026.

Which route should you pick?

Route 1: How do you add a hosted Google Ads connector to Claude?

1. Pick a hosted Google Ads MCP server. Our comparison of 17 Google Ads MCP servers shows which can change accounts and which only read.
2. In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors, and add a custom connector. Give it a name and paste the server's URL.
3. Click Connect and sign in. If the server uses OAuth, you sign in with Google and never paste a password into Claude.
4. Ask a question, for example: "Which campaigns spent money last week with no conversions?"

Plans: Anthropic says custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Free users are limited to one custom connector.

On Team and Enterprise, an owner adds it once under Organization settings, then Connectors, then Add, Custom, Web. Each member then clicks Connect and signs in with their own account.

Route 2: How do you connect Google Ads to Claude Code?

Run one command in your terminal, replacing the name and URL with your server's:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user google-ads https://example.com/mcp

Then type /mcp inside Claude Code, choose the server and finish the sign-in in your browser. You can also run claude mcp login google-ads.

Which scope to use:

• user: available in all your projects, stored only on your machine. The right choice for a personal connection.
• local (the default): this project only.
• project: saved in a .mcp.json file that is shared through git. Never put a key in it.

Route 3: How do you install Google's free Google Ads MCP server?

Google publishes an official Google Ads MCP server on GitHub (googleads/google-ads-mcp). Google's documentation says it is "strictly read-only". It has three tools: list the accounts you can reach, run a Google Ads query, and look up field details.

What you need:

1. A Google Cloud project with the Google Ads API switched on.
2. Credentials: Application Default Credentials, or an OAuth client ID and secret.
3. Python 3.10 or later and pipx.

Then add it to your Claude client as a local server that runs through pipx, following the README. On Claude Desktop, add it to the config file: Settings, Developer, Edit Config.

Do you still need a Google Ads developer token?

No. Google's documentation says developer tokens "were sunset on September 9, 2026". API access now depends on the access level of the Google Cloud project behind your credentials:

Some vendor setup guides and Google's own GitHub page still mention tokens. Google's documentation page is newer.

Can Claude change your Google Ads account once it's connected?

Only if the server you connect has tools that make changes. Google's server cannot. Some hosted servers can change bids, budgets, keywords and ads.

Before you connect one that can, check five things:

1. Does anything change without a person approving it?
2. Is each change checked against the live account just before it runs?
3. Are budget increases capped?
4. Can any change be undone in one step?
5. Is every change logged with the reason?

Is it safe to connect client accounts?

Treat it like giving access to a new team member. Use a Google login that has only the access it needs. Read-only is enough for questions. Check which accounts the server can see, and how you remove its access.

Google's README makes the data point plainly: the server "will expose your data to the Agent or LLM that you connect to it." Whatever Claude reads goes to Claude.

Where does Nudge fit?

Nudge is a hosted Google Ads connector for Claude, built for agencies (route 1). It reads every client account, ranks what it finds by money at stake, and makes changes only when you approve them. Each change is checked against the live account first, budget rises are capped, and any change can be undone in one step.

Watch out for: Nudge covers Google Ads only and works inside Claude only. It is in private access, starting with a free read-only audit of one account.

Questions

Can I connect Google Ads to Claude for free?

Yes. Google's official Google Ads MCP server is free and read-only, but you install and run it yourself. Claude's Free plan allows one custom connector.

Can I connect Google Ads to Claude Code?

Yes. Use claude mcp add --transport http with your server's URL, then sign in with /mcp.

Do I need a developer token to connect Google Ads to Claude?

No. Google sunset developer tokens on 9 September 2026. Access now depends on your Google Cloud project's access level.

Can Claude manage a manager (MCC) account?

Yes, if the server supports it. Google's server lists the accounts your login can access directly; to reach accounts under a manager account you set its ID in the config. Check each hosted server's MCC support in our comparison.

Is there an official Claude Google Ads skill?

Anthropic does not publish one, but Google's MCP page offers official Google Ads skills for Claude Code. Skills are folders of instructions Claude loads for a task; a connector is what gives Claude access to your account data.

Sources

All read on 21 October 2026:

• Anthropic, "Getting started with custom connectors using remote MCP": support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166
• Anthropic, Claude Code MCP documentation: code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp
• Anthropic, local MCP servers on Claude Desktop: support.claude.com/en/articles/10949351
• Model Context Protocol, connect local servers: modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/develop/connect-local-servers
• Google Ads API, "Google Ads MCP server" (updated 16 Oct 2026): developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/developer-toolkit/mcp-server
• Google Ads API, developer token (updated 19 Oct 2026): developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/first-call/dev-token
• Google Ads API, access levels: developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/api-policy/access-levels
• github.com/googleads/google-ads-mcp

Related: Google Ads MCP servers compared · Google Ads audit checklist · Nudge FAQ