Google's official Google Ads MCP server vs a hosted one: which to use
Google's open-source server (github.com/googleads/google-ads-mcp) is free and read-only, but you run it yourself: a Google Cloud project, the Google Ads API enabled, credentials and often a developer token. It gives the AI raw access to reports through GAQL queries. A hosted server skips the setup and adds ready-made audits; you pay for that.
What Google released
In October 2025 Google announced an open-source Google Ads API MCP server. In Google's words: "This initial release is read-only, meaning it can be used for reporting and diagnostics but will not make changes to your account" (Google Ads Developer Blog). The repository lists three tools: search (reads account data), get_resource_metadata (describes an API resource) and list_accessible_customers (the account IDs you can reach) (GitHub).
What you need to run it
From the README:
- Python with pipx;
- a Google Cloud project with the Google Ads API enabled;
- credentials, through Application Default Credentials, an OAuth client, or the Google Ads Python library config;
- a developer token if your setup requires one, with at least Explorer access for production accounts.
If those words are familiar, it is an afternoon. If they are not, that is the real cost.
What the AI gets
With the official server the assistant writes GAQL queries (Google Ads Query Language) and reads the raw rows. Good assistants write decent GAQL, but every audit is improvised: which threshold makes a search term "waste" is decided in the chat, each time.
When a hosted server makes sense
A hosted server is an address you paste into your assistant and a Google sign-in. No Cloud project, no token. Ads MCP is one: read-only like Google's, plus fixed audits (the same rule for wasted spend every time), files for Google Ads Editor and reports to forward to clients. There is a free plan to try it. If you are a developer and want full control, use Google's. If you want answers this afternoon, use a hosted one.
Ads MCP is a read-only Google Ads connector for ChatGPT, Claude and other AI assistants. It finds the searches that spend without converting and hands you a file to import. Free: 50 tool calls a month.
More from the blog
How to find wasted spend in the Google Ads search terms report
The search terms report shows what people actually typed before clicking your ads. A simple rule to spot the terms that cost money without converting, and what to do with them.
Import negative keywords into Google Ads Editor from a CSV
The five columns Google Ads Editor needs to import negative keywords from a CSV file, the difference between ad group and campaign negatives, and how to check the import before it goes live.
How to give an AI tool read-only access to Google Ads
Before you connect ChatGPT, Claude or any AI tool to Google Ads, decide what it may change. The five Google Ads access levels, and how to make "read-only" a promise Google enforces, not the software.