LinkedIn Ads MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables Claude AI to access and analyze your LinkedIn Ads data. Built for marketers, founders, and growth teams who want to leverage AI for campaign optimization, performance reporting, and data-driven advertising decisions.

[!TIP] Want this without any setup? From the same author: AdPlug is the hosted LinkedIn Ads MCP. Sign in with OAuth (no LinkedIn developer app, no credentials to manage), connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor in about two minutes, and get Google Ads and Microsoft Ads on the same connector. Read tools are free; every write is previewed before it runs. This open-source server stays free and self-hosted.

Quick Install (No Coding Required!)

Don't want to deal with technical stuff? Just copy one of the prompts below and paste it into Claude. The AI will do everything for you!

Option 1: Install with Claude Code (Recommended)

If you have Claude Code installed, just copy and paste this entire prompt:

Click to expand the Claude Code installation prompt

Code

I want you to install the LinkedIn Ads MCP server so I can analyze my LinkedIn advertising data. Please do the following:

1. FIRST, check if Node.js is installed by running `node --version`. If not installed, tell me to install it from https://nodejs.org first.

2. Clone the repository to my home directory:
   - cd ~
   - git clone https://github.com/danielpopamd/linkedin-ads-mcp.git
   - cd linkedin-ads-mcp

3. Install dependencies and build:
   - npm install
   - npm run build

4. Create the .env file with placeholder values:
   - cp .env.example .env

5. NOW IMPORTANT - Ask me for my LinkedIn API credentials:
   - Ask: "Please provide your LinkedIn Client ID (from https://www.linkedin.com/developers/apps)"
   - Ask: "Please provide your LinkedIn Client Secret"

6. Update the .env file with the credentials I provide.

7. Set up Claude Desktop configuration:
   - Read the current Claude Desktop config file:
     - macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
     - Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   - Add the linkedin-ads MCP server to mcpServers (merge with existing config if any):
     {
       "mcpServers": {
         "linkedin-ads": {
           "command": "node",
           "args": ["<FULL_PATH_TO>/linkedin-ads-mcp/dist/index.js"],
           "env": {
             "LINKEDIN_CLIENT_ID": "<MY_CLIENT_ID>",
             "LINKEDIN_CLIENT_SECRET": "<MY_CLIENT_SECRET>"
           }
         }
       }
     }
   - Replace <FULL_PATH_TO> with the actual path (e.g., /Users/username)
   - Replace the env values with my actual credentials

8. Run the authentication flow:
   - npm run auth
   - This will open my browser - tell me to authorize the app with LinkedIn

9. Tell me to restart Claude Desktop to activate the MCP server.

10. After restart, confirm setup by telling me to ask Claude: "List my LinkedIn ad accounts"

If you don't have my LinkedIn API credentials yet, first explain how to get them:
- Go to https://www.linkedin.com/developers/apps
- Create a new app (need a LinkedIn Company Page)
- Go to Products tab and request "Advertising API" access
- Go to Auth tab and add redirect URL: http://localhost:3000/callback
- Copy the Client ID and Client Secret

Start now!

Option 2: Install with Claude Desktop (Chat-Based)

If you're using Claude Desktop directly (without Claude Code), copy this prompt to start a guided setup:

Click to expand the Claude Desktop guided setup prompt

Code

I want to install the LinkedIn Ads MCP server to analyze my LinkedIn advertising data with Claude. I'm not technical, so please guide me step by step with simple instructions.

Please walk me through:

1. **Check Prerequisites**
   - Do I have Node.js installed? (Tell me how to check and where to download if needed)
   - Do I have a LinkedIn Developer App? (If not, guide me through creating one at https://www.linkedin.com/developers/apps)

2. **Get LinkedIn API Access**
   Walk me through:
   - Creating a LinkedIn Developer App
   - Requesting Advertising API access (Products tab)
   - Adding the redirect URL: http://localhost:3000/callback (Auth tab)
   - Finding my Client ID and Client Secret

3. **Download and Install**
   Give me the exact commands to run in my terminal (one at a time):
   - How to open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows)
   - Clone the repository
   - Install dependencies
   - Build the project

4. **Configure Claude Desktop**
   - Tell me exactly where the config file is located
   - Give me the exact JSON to add (with placeholders for my credentials)
   - Show me how to edit the file

5. **Authenticate with LinkedIn**
   - What command to run
   - What to do when the browser opens

6. **Test the Setup**
   - Tell me to restart Claude Desktop
   - Give me a test question to ask

Please start with step 1 and wait for my response before moving to the next step. Use simple language and assume I've never used a terminal before.

What You'll Need Before Installing

Before using either installation method, you'll need:

Node.js (version 18 or higher) - Download here
A LinkedIn Company Page - Required to create a developer app
LinkedIn Developer App with Advertising API access - Create one here

Getting LinkedIn API Credentials (5-10 minutes)

Go to LinkedIn Developer Portal
Click "Create App"
Fill in:
- App name: "My LinkedIn Ads Analytics" (or anything you want)
- LinkedIn Page: Select your company page
- App logo: Upload any square image
After creating, go to "Products" tab → Request "Advertising API" (approval takes 1-5 days)
Go to "Auth" tab → Add redirect URL: http://localhost:3000/callback
Copy your Client ID and Client Secret - you'll need these!

Created By

Daniel Popa - Performance Marketing Consultant & AI Automation Specialist

I help ambitious startups scale profitably through paid ads, conversion rate optimization, and data-driven growth strategies. With 10+ years in performance marketing and $100M+ in managed ad budgets, I now focus on implementing AI workflows and automation to improve marketing efficiency and performance.

This tool was built to bridge the gap between LinkedIn's advertising data and AI-powered analysis, making it easier for marketers to get actionable insights through natural language conversations with Claude.

Website: danielpopa.me
Focus: Performance Marketing, AI Automation, Growth Strategy

Manual Installation (For Developers)

If you prefer to install manually or want more control, follow the instructions below.

What This Does

This MCP server connects Claude Desktop (or any MCP-compatible client) to the LinkedIn Marketing API, allowing you to:

Query campaign performance using natural language
Analyze audience demographics to understand who's engaging with your ads
Track conversions and leads across your LinkedIn campaigns
Compare performance between time periods, campaigns, or campaign groups
Get AI-powered insights on your advertising data

Example Conversations with Claude

Code

"Show me campaign performance for the last 30 days"
"Which job functions are responding best to my ads?"
"Compare this week's performance vs last week"
"What's my cost per lead for the lead gen campaigns?"
"Which creatives have the best CTR?"
"Show me the daily trend for conversions"

Features

25 Specialized Tools - Covering accounts, campaigns, creatives, audiences, conversions, analytics, and full campaign management (create, update, delete)
Comprehensive Metrics - Every report includes: Spend, Impressions, Clicks, CTR, Reach, Frequency, Engagements, Engagement Rate, CPM, CPC, Conversions, Conversion Rate, Cost per Conversion, Audience Penetration, and Average Dwell Time
Single OAuth Authentication - Authenticate once and access all your LinkedIn ad accounts
Automatic Token Refresh - Tokens refresh automatically before expiration
Rate Limit Handling - Built-in exponential backoff for API rate limits
Human-Readable Names - Demographic data shows actual names (not IDs) for seniorities, job functions, industries, and more

Prerequisites

1. LinkedIn Developer App

Before using this MCP server, you need to set up a LinkedIn Developer application:

Go to LinkedIn Developer Portal
Click "Create App"
Fill in your app details:
- App name: e.g., "My LinkedIn Ads Analytics"
- LinkedIn Page: Select your company page
- App logo: Upload a logo (required)
Note your Client ID and Client Secret

2. Request Advertising API Access

In your app, go to the "Products" tab
Select "Advertising API"
Submit the request form with your business justification
Wait for approval (typically 1-5 business days)

3. Configure OAuth

Go to the "Auth" tab in your app
Add this redirect URL: http://localhost:3000/callback
Verify these OAuth 2.0 scopes are available:
- r_ads - Read ad accounts
- r_ads_reporting - Read reporting data
- rw_ads - Create and manage campaigns, creatives, and ads
- r_organization_social - Read organization posts (for creative content)

Installation

bash

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/danielpopamd/linkedin-ads-mcp.git
cd linkedin-ads-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Create your environment file
cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your LinkedIn credentials:

env

LINKEDIN_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
LINKEDIN_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret

Authentication

Run the authentication flow to get your access tokens:

Terminal

npm run auth

This will:

Open your browser to LinkedIn's OAuth page
Ask you to authorize the application
Store your tokens locally in ~/.linkedin-ads-mcp/tokens.json
Tokens are valid for 60 days and auto-refresh

Claude Desktop Setup

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linkedin-ads": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/full/path/to/linkedin-ads-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "LINKEDIN_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "LINKEDIN_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace /full/path/to/linkedin-ads-mcp with the actual path where you cloned this repository.

After updating the config, restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

Available Tools

Account Management

Tool	Description
`list_ad_accounts`	List all accessible LinkedIn ad accounts
`get_account_details`	Get detailed account configuration and settings

Campaign & Creative Performance

Tool	Description
`get_campaign_performance`	Campaign metrics with all standard KPIs including audience penetration and average dwell time
`get_creative_performance`	Ad-level metrics with engagement, video stats, and average dwell time
`get_campaign_groups`	List campaign groups with aggregated performance
`list_campaigns`	List all campaigns including drafts and paused with zero impressions

Audience & Demographics

Tool	Description
`get_audience_demographics`	Performance by job function, industry, seniority, company size, country, region
`get_audience_reach`	Unique member reach, frequency, and native audience penetration metrics
`list_saved_audiences`	View matched and lookalike audiences

Conversions & Lead Generation

Tool	Description
`get_conversion_performance`	Conversion metrics by conversion action
`list_conversions`	View conversion tracking rules and configuration
`get_lead_gen_performance`	Lead form submissions and cost per lead
`list_lead_forms`	View lead gen form configurations

Advanced Analytics

Tool	Description
`compare_performance`	Compare metrics between time periods or entities
`get_daily_trends`	Daily time-series data for trend analysis

Campaign Management (Write Operations)

Tool	Description
`create_campaign_group`	Create a new campaign group for organizing campaigns
`update_campaign_group`	Update campaign group status, budget, name, or end date
`delete_campaign_group`	Delete a campaign group
`create_campaign`	Create a new campaign with targeting, budget, and objective
`update_campaign`	Update campaign status, budget, targeting, or bid amount
`delete_campaign`	Delete a campaign
`create_creative`	Create a creative from an existing post/share
`create_inline_ad`	Create an ad with inline content (text, image, CTA) in one call
`update_creative_status`	Activate, pause, or archive a creative
`upload_image`	Upload an image for use in ads (PNG, JPG, GIF)

Standard Metrics

Every performance report includes these metrics:

Metric	Description
Spend	Total cost in USD
Impressions	Number of times ads were shown
Clicks	Total clicks on ads
CTR	Click-through rate (%)
Reach	Approximate unique members reached
Frequency	Average impressions per unique member
Engagements	Total engagements (likes, comments, shares, etc.)
Engagement Rate	Engagements / Impressions (%)
CPM	Cost per 1,000 impressions
CPC	Cost per click
Conversions	Total conversion events
Conversion Rate	Conversions / Clicks (%)
Cost per Conversion	Spend / Conversions
Audience Penetration	Native LinkedIn metric: unique members reached / total target audience size (%). Uses API-native value when available (≤92 day range), with client-side fallback
Average Dwell Time	Average seconds users spent with >50% of ad pixels visible in viewport

API Limits & Best Practices

LinkedIn API Limits

Rate Limit: 45 million metric values per 5-minute window
Response Limit: Max 15,000 elements per response
Metrics per Request: Max 20 metrics
Demographic Data Delay: 12-24 hours
Reach Data: Max 92-day date range

Best Practices

Start with account listing - Always list accounts first to get valid account IDs
Use reasonable date ranges - Shorter ranges return faster; use 30 days for regular reporting
Be specific with campaigns - Filter by campaign IDs when you know which campaigns to analyze
Leverage comparisons - Use the compare tool to quickly identify performance changes

Project Structure

Code

linkedin-ads-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts              # MCP server entry point
│   ├── auth-cli.ts           # OAuth CLI tool
│   ├── auth/
│   │   ├── oauth.ts          # OAuth 2.0 flow
│   │   └── token-store.ts    # Secure token storage
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── linkedin-api.ts   # LinkedIn Marketing API client
│   │   └── types.ts          # TypeScript type definitions
│   └── tools/
│       ├── accounts.ts       # Account management tools
│       ├── performance.ts    # Campaign & creative performance
│       ├── demographics.ts   # Audience demographics tools
│       ├── conversions.ts    # Conversion & lead gen tools
│       ├── analytics.ts      # Advanced analytics tools
│       └── campaign-management.ts  # Campaign CRUD & image upload tools
├── dist/                     # Compiled JavaScript output
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── .env.example

Development

bash

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run the server (for testing)
npm run dev

# Run authentication flow
npm run auth

Troubleshooting

"Not authenticated" error

Run npm run auth to authenticate with LinkedIn.

"Rate limited" responses

The server automatically handles rate limits with exponential backoff. If you're hitting limits frequently, reduce the frequency of your requests.

Token expired

Tokens auto-refresh. If you're still having issues, delete ~/.linkedin-ads-mcp/tokens.json and re-authenticate with npm run auth.

API access denied

Ensure your LinkedIn Developer app has:

The "Advertising API" product approved
The correct OAuth scopes enabled (r_ads, r_ads_reporting)
Your user account has access to the ad accounts you're trying to query

Campaign names showing as "Unknown"

This typically means the campaign ID from analytics doesn't match any campaign in your account. This can happen with archived campaigns or if there's a sync delay.

Tech Stack

Model Context Protocol (MCP) - The protocol that enables Claude to interact with external tools
LinkedIn Marketing API - Official API for LinkedIn advertising data
TypeScript - Type-safe development
Node.js - Runtime environment

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

Built with the Model Context Protocol SDK by Anthropic.

Made with AI-powered workflows by Daniel Popa