You may have come across intimidating terms such as developer token, manager account, OAuth, and Google Cloud Console if you have read about the “Google Ads API.” AdPilot takes care of the integration. This guide shows the connection steps you need to finish.
First, the good news: you don't “set up an API”
This is the key point, and it clears away most of the anxiety: the developer token and Manager (MCC) account required by the Google Ads API belong to AdPilot, the software, not to you. We already have them configured on our end.
Your regular Google Ads account does not have an “API Center,” and it does not need one. To connect, you simply grant permission through a standard Google sign-in, while AdPilot’s credentials handle the technical steps behind the scenes.
What you need before you start
Only two things are required: a Google Ads account (free to create at ads.google.com) and your 10-digit Account ID. You do not need a Google Cloud project, any extra billing setup beyond what your Google Ads account already uses, or an MCC.
Step 1: Find your Google Ads Account ID
Sign in at ads.google.com to your Google Ads account. Then check the top-right corner, where you will see a 10-digit number in the format 123-456-7890. That number is your Account ID (Google also refers to it as the Customer ID). Write it down, because you will verify it in AdPilot in Step 4.
Step 2: Click “Connect Google Ads” in AdPilot
Inside AdPilot, open Settings. In the Google Ads area, press the Connect Google Ads button. You will be redirected to Google’s protected sign-in page. At that moment, you are on Google’s side, not ours.
Step 3: Sign in with Google and click “Allow”
Pick the Google account that has access to your Google Ads account, the same login you use on ads.google.com. Google will display the permission request from AdPilot, namely access to manage your Google Ads campaigns, and you click Allow (or Continue). Google then returns you directly to AdPilot, now connected.
Step 4: Link your website to your Google Ads account
Return to AdPilot Settings, where your website(s) will appear. For each site, select your Google Ads account (the 10-digit Account ID from Step 1) and click Link. This action simply tells AdPilot which account should receive the campaigns it creates and sends. That is the final step.
That's it. What happens next?
You are now connected. From here, you can generate a campaign from your website URL, inspect and change every field, and send it to Google Ads with a single click. Every campaign starts paused: nothing runs or spends until you review it and turn it on yourself.
“But don't I need a developer token or an MCC?”
This is the question people ask most often, so let’s make it plain. The Google Ads API does indeed require a developer token, and developer tokens can only be issued through a Manager (MCC) account. However, that obligation applies to the app provider, and Google’s own documentation says the developer token provides general API access, while access to your particular account is handled separately via your sign-in permission (OAuth).
Put another way: AdPilot keeps the developer token under its own manager account; you authorize access to your individual account by signing in. A standalone Google Ads account can be handled this way without ever setting up its own manager account. That is why your account has no “API Center,” and why it does not require one.
If you're an agency with a Manager (MCC) account
This also works for client accounts managed through a Manager (MCC) account. In Step 3, sign in with the Google account that has manager access. Then, in Step 4, link each website to the specific client Account ID you want it to use. Using the precise ID ensures each website points to exactly the correct account.
Is this safe? What am I giving AdPilot access to?
You connect your Google Ads account to AdPilot through Google’s authorization screen. You build and review campaigns in AdPilot, then choose when to publish them. Published campaigns start paused; you enable them in Google Ads. AdPilot does not manage your account or publish campaigns automatically. You can revoke the connection at any time by clicking Disconnect in AdPilot or visiting your Google Account under Security → Third-party access.
