Google Ads vs MCP Gads
A side-by-side look at the Google Ads and MCP Gads MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Google Ads for marketing work; choose MCP Gads for marketing as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Google Ads when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Marketing domain.
- You have the keys it needs:
GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKEN, GOOGLE_ADS_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_ADS_CLIENT_SECRET, GOOGLE_ADS_REFRESH_TOKEN, GOOGLE_ADS_LOGIN_CUSTOMER_ID. - You want tools like
google_ads_list_accounts, google_ads_get_account_details, google_ads_run_gaql.
Choose MCP Gads when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Marketing domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKEN, GOOGLE_ADS_CREDENTIALS_PATH. - You want tools like
list_accounts, get_account_currency, get_account_hierarchy.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Marketing | Marketing |
| Quality signal | 45/100 · Fair | 61/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKENGOOGLE_ADS_CLIENT_IDGOOGLE_ADS_CLIENT_SECRETGOOGLE_ADS_REFRESH_TOKENGOOGLE_ADS_LOGIN_CUSTOMER_ID | GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKENGOOGLE_ADS_CREDENTIALS_PATH |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 1 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 8 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 45 | 36 |
| Full listing | View Google Ads | View MCP Gads |
Tools & capabilities
Google Ads tools 45
google_ads_list_accountsList Google Ads customer accounts accessible with the current credentials.google_ads_get_account_detailsGet detailed information for a specific Google Ads customer account.google_ads_run_gaqlExecute a raw GAQL (Google Ads Query Language) query.google_ads_get_insightsQuery Google Ads performance insights with intelligent query planning.google_ads_get_campaignsList campaigns for a Google Ads account with status, budget, channel type, and bidding strategy.google_ads_get_adgroupsList ad groups for a Google Ads account, optionally filtered by campaign.google_ads_get_keyword_performanceGet keyword-level performance data from keyword_view resource.google_ads_validate_queryValidate metric/dimension/resource compatibility BEFORE executing a query.google_ads_health_checkRead-only connectivity check.google_ads_get_account_hierarchyList accessible customers and, where possible, manager/client relationships from GAQL customer_client.google_ads_get_conversion_actionsList conversion actions with status, type, category, primary/include-in-conversions flags, owner customer, and last activity dates when supported.google_ads_get_change_eventsFetch recent change_event rows.- +33 more on the listing page
MCP Gads tools 36
list_accountsLists all accessible Google Ads accounts. Run this first to discover account IDs.get_account_currencyGet the currency code for a Google Ads account. Run this before analyzing cost data.get_account_hierarchyGet the MCC account tree showing manager-client relationships via customer_client resource.execute_gaql_queryExecute a custom GAQL query and return results as a table. Use this for any ad-hoc Google Ads Query Language query.run_gaqlExecute any GAQL query with output format options (table, json, csv). The most powerful tool for custom Google Ads data queries. EXAMPLE QUERIES: Campaign metrics: SELECT campaign.name, metrics.clicks, metrics.impressions, metrics.cost_micros FROM campaign WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_7_DAYS Ad group perf: SELECT ad_group.name, metrics.conversions, metrics.cost_micros, campaign.name FROM ad_group WHERE metrics.clicks > 100 Keyword analysis: SELECT keyword.text, metrics.ctr FROM keyword_view ORDER BY metrics.impressions DESC Note: Cost values are in micros (1,000,000 = 1 unit of currency).get_gaql_helpGet a GAQL (Google Ads Query Language) reference guide with syntax, common resources, date filters, and example queries. Call this before writing custom GAQL queries.list_resourcesList valid Google Ads API resources that can be used in GAQL FROM clauses.get_campaign_performanceGet campaign performance metrics for the specified time period. RECOMMENDED WORKFLOW: 1. First run list_accounts() to get available account IDs 2. Then run get_account_currency() to see what currency the account uses 3. Finally run this command to get campaign performance Note: Cost values are in micros (1,000,000 = 1 unit of currency).get_budget_utilizationGet campaign budget amounts vs actual spend to see budget utilization. Shows whether campaigns are limited by budget.get_ad_performanceGet ad-level performance metrics for the specified time period. RECOMMENDED WORKFLOW: 1. First run list_accounts() to get available account IDs 2. Then run get_account_currency() to see what currency the account uses 3. Finally run this command to get ad performance Note: Cost values are in micros (1,000,000 = 1 unit of currency).get_ad_creativesGet ad creative details including RSA headlines, descriptions, and final URLs. Great for creative audits.get_image_assetsRetrieve all image assets in the account including their full-size URLs, dimensions, and file sizes.- +24 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Google Ads
No confirmed install command for Google Ads yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
MCP Gads
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gads": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-gads"
],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKEN": "YOUR_GOOGLE_ADS_DEVELOPER_TOKEN_HERE",
"GOOGLE_ADS_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "YOUR_GOOGLE_ADS_CREDENTIALS_PATH_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Google Ads is categorized under Marketing and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. MCP Gads belongs to Marketing and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Google Ads for marketing work and MCP Gads for marketing.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. Google Ads has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Google Ads has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. MCP Gads has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add google-ads-10 and mcp-gads as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Google Ads has a quality signal of 45/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. MCP Gads has 61/100 (Good) with 8 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.