> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.adjar.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Get Google Ads API access
Adjar works through the Google Ads API. To let it in, you'll collect a few credentials into one `google.json` file. This page walks through each one.
Managing OpenAI Ads instead? Its setup is much simpler — a single API key. See [Get OpenAI Ads API access](/docs/openai-ads-api-access).
## Prerequisites
* A Google Ads account you want to manage
* A Google account to sign in with — it owns the manager account and approves access
* The [Google Cloud console](https://console.cloud.google.com/) (creating a project is free)
* `curl` for the final step (preinstalled on macOS and Linux)
Google issues developer tokens only to a **manager account** — an umbrella Google Ads account (you may see it called "My Client Center" or MCC) that sits above your regular ad accounts and manages them. Already have one? Skip to the next step.
1. Create a manager account at [Google Ads → Manager accounts](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/manager-accounts).
2. In the manager account, click **Link existing account**, enter the **Customer ID** of the account you want to manage (the `xxx-xxx-xxxx` shown top-right in that account), and click **Send request**.
3. Sign in to that account, open **Admin → Access and security → Managers**, and **Accept** the request.
Reference: [Link accounts to your manager account](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7459601).
In your manager account, open **Admin → API Center** and request a token ([Google's guide](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/get-started/dev-token) walks through the form). New tokens start with *test* access, which reaches only test accounts — so apply for *basic* access to use your real account.
Google reviews each basic-access request and usually replies by email in **3–5 business days**, often asking what you'll use the API for. Reply promptly — something like this clears review:
"We use the Google Ads API through Adjar, a command-line tool, to manage our own company's Google Ads account. It exports the account into version-controlled config files, shows proposed changes as diffs for review, and applies the approved changes through the API. We are not reselling API access or building a tool for third parties."
1. In the [Google Cloud console](https://console.cloud.google.com/), create a project (or pick one) and enable the **Google Ads API** for it.
2. Configure the **OAuth consent screen** (you may find it under **Google Auth Platform**): choose **External**, add an app name and support email, and list your own Google account under **Test users**.
3. Open **Clients → Create client**, set **Application type** to **Desktop app**, and click **Create**. Desktop clients allow `localhost` redirects automatically, so there's no redirect URL to set.
4. Copy the **Client ID** and **Client secret** — your `client_id` and `client_secret`.
Reference: [Manage OAuth clients](https://support.google.com/cloud/answer/6158849).
There's no app running to catch Google's response, so do this by hand:
1. Open this URL in a browser (paste in your `client_id`), sign in as the user with access to the ad account, and approve:
```
https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=http://localhost:3000&response_type=code&scope=https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords&access_type=offline&prompt=consent
```
`access_type=offline` and `prompt=consent` are what make Google return a refresh token.
2. The browser lands on `http://localhost:3000/?code=...` and shows a connection error — that's expected, nothing is running there. Copy the value after `code=` from the address bar (up to the next `&`); if it contains `%2F`, change that to `/`.
3. In a terminal, run the command below to exchange the code for a refresh token. Do it right away — the code is single-use and expires fast:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token \
-d client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID \
-d client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET \
-d code=THE_CODE \
-d redirect_uri=http://localhost:3000 \
-d grant_type=authorization_code
```
The response contains your `refresh_token`.
Reference: [OAuth for desktop apps](https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/oauth2/native-app).
## Assemble the credentials file
Put all six values into one `google.json` file:
```json theme={null}
{
"developer_token": "...",
"client_id": "...",
"client_secret": "...",
"refresh_token": "...",
"login_customer_id": "1234567890",
"customer_id": "9876543210"
}
```
* `developer_token` — from your manager account's API Center.
* `client_id` / `client_secret` — from your OAuth client.
* `refresh_token` — from the exchange above.
* `login_customer_id` — your manager account's ID, digits only (no dashes).
* `customer_id` — your ad account's ID, digits only (Google shows it as `987-654-3210` top-right). This is the value you pass to `adjar import --account`.
### Point Adjar at the file
Save the file anywhere, then point Adjar at it:
```bash theme={null}
# per command
adjar plan --config config/google.toml --credentials /path/to/google.json
# or once, via the environment (e.g. in your shell profile or CI)
export ADJAR_CREDENTIALS=/path/to/google.json
```
`--credentials` takes priority over `ADJAR_CREDENTIALS`. Either way, give the path to the JSON file, not a folder. There are no implicit or default locations — credentials are always explicit.
With `google.json` ready, head to the [Quick Start](/docs/quickstart) to import your account.