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Pre-Built Tooling

CategoryDetails
AuthenticationOAuth 2.0 (Authorization Code with refresh tokens) + Developer Token
Two-Way SyncNo
Events SupportedNo
RealtimePolling
Supports Rate LimitingYes (Google Ads API quotas & 429 handling)
Authentication Scopes Supportedhttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform.read-only, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile

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Objects Supported

Alloy Automation supports the following via Google Ads API v16:
  • Campaigns
  • Ad Groups
  • Ads
  • Keywords
  • Audiences
  • Conversions
  • Reports (via Google Ads Query Language)

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Set Up Guide

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Trial Access

QuestionAnswer
Offers free trial?Yes. Create a Google Ads account at https://ads.google.com/start and set up a test account (MCC test account) for development.
Requires paid sandboxNo. Google provides test accounts for development purposes.
Requires partnership to obtain authentication?No. However, you must apply for a Developer Token from Google Ads, which can take several business days for approval.

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Authentication (OAuth 2.0 + Developer Token)

For customers who want to completely whitelabel their OAuth experience, you can provide your own developer keys instead of using Alloy Automation’s.

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Prerequisites

  1. Developer Token: Before using the Google Ads API, you must apply for and receive a Developer Token:
    • Go to Google Ads (https://ads.google.com) → Tools & Settings → API Center
    • Apply for a Developer Token (approval typically takes 24-48 hours)
    • For production use, your token must be approved by Google (requires demonstrating compliance with Google Ads API Terms)

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Create your OAuth app (Google Cloud Console)

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console (https://console.cloud.google.com) → APIs & Services → Credentials.
  2. Create an OAuth client ID (application type: Web application).
  3. Add the redirect URI: https://api.runalloy.com/api/strategy/connector/googleAds/callback
  4. Enable the Google Ads API for your project (APIs & Services → Library).
  5. Configure the scopes you intend to request:
    • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords (full access to Google Ads)
    • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email
    • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile
  6. Copy your Client ID and Client Secret into Alloy Automation.
  7. Additionally, provide your Developer Token in Alloy Automation’s configuration.
  • Set up the OAuth consent screen with your app details and domain.
  • For production use, complete Google app verification if using external users.
  • Your Developer Token must be approved for production access (test tokens have limited functionality).

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Use Cases

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1) Campaign performance monitoring and alerting

Automatically fetch campaign, ad group, and keyword performance metrics to monitor spend, conversions, and ROI. Trigger alerts or workflows when campaigns exceed budget thresholds or underperform.

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2) Automated bid management

Build custom bid adjustment workflows that respond to performance data, competitor activity, or inventory levels by programmatically updating bids for keywords, ad groups, or campaigns.

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3) Cross-platform advertising analytics

Consolidate Google Ads performance data with other advertising platforms (Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads) into unified dashboards or data warehouses for comprehensive marketing attribution analysis.

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4) Dynamic ad copy and creative updates

Automatically generate and update ad copy, headlines, and descriptions based on inventory changes, seasonal promotions, or A/B test results, keeping campaigns fresh and relevant.

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5) Lead and conversion synchronization

Sync Google Ads conversion data with your CRM or analytics platform to close the loop on attribution, enabling better optimization decisions based on downstream customer value.

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API Gotchas

  • ⚠️ Developer Token required: Unlike most Google APIs, Google Ads requires a separate Developer Token in addition to OAuth credentials. This token must be included in the developer-token header for every request. Test tokens have limited daily quotas and can only access test accounts.
  • ⚠️ Google Ads Query Language (GAQL): The Google Ads API uses GAQL for fetching data, which is similar to SQL but has its own syntax and limitations. You must specify exactly which fields you want to retrieve, and not all field combinations are allowed together.
  • ⚠️ Customer ID format: Customer IDs in Google Ads must be formatted without hyphens (e.g., 1234567890 not 123-456-7890). Many API endpoints require the customer ID in the path, so ensure proper formatting.
  • ⚠️ Manager (MCC) account access: If using a Manager account, you must specify the customer ID of the sub-account you want to access. Queries don’t automatically aggregate across all sub-accounts unless you explicitly request manager-level reporting.
  • ⚠️ Rate limiting per customer: Google Ads enforces rate limits per customer account, not per developer. High-volume operations across multiple customer accounts require careful quota management and exponential backoff strategies.
  • ⚠️ API version lifecycle: Google Ads API versions are supported for one year after release. Plan for regular migrations as older versions are deprecated. The API is currently on v16 as of late 2024.
For questions or troubleshooting, contact support@runalloy.com.
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