The Google Ads MCP connector: setup in Claude or ChatGPT, safety and limits

MCP is a standard protocol for language models to talk to external tools. A “remote” connector means the server runs in a hosted environment rather than on your computer; you only provide its address. Tecrube is such a connector: it brings Google Ads and the other ad platforms into Claude and ChatGPT with one address.

The difference from a local server is that setup and maintenance are not yours. When the API version changes, OAuth is renewed or a new tool is added, nothing needs doing on your side.

A Google Ads account, or one you have access to; a free Tecrube account; and a Claude or ChatGPT plan that supports connectors. The connector address is shown in the /app panel. No code, no API project, no developer token.

If you have standard rather than admin access to the ad account, some writes may be refused on Google's side; reads still work.

In Claude, follow Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, paste the address copied from the panel and save. Enable the connector in the chat. If you use Claude Code, run claude mcp add --transport http tecrube followed by the address in the terminal, then authenticate with /mcp.

On Team or Enterprise Claude plans an administrator may have restricted custom connectors; in that case your admin adds the connector at organisation level.

In ChatGPT, go to Settings → Connectors, enable developer mode at the bottom of the page and add the same address as a custom MCP server. Choose OAuth for authentication. This step is available in the web interface on paid plans only. For Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf, add a single mcpServers block to the mcp.json file.

After adding the connector, make sure it is enabled in each new chat; ChatGPT can switch connectors on and off per conversation.

Whichever client you use, the first message is the same: “connect my Google Ads account”. Google's OAuth window opens and you grant access; no password is shared. Because the grant is tied to your Tecrube account it is done once; moving from Claude to ChatGPT does not repeat it.

Suggested first commands: “show spend, conversions and CPA per campaign for the last 30 days”. “List search terms that spent without converting.” “Audit my account; rank the conversion tracking, budget and ad strength issues.” All three are reads and spend no credits.

Writes pass through the approval gate on the Tecrube server: preview first, then your approval, then apply. Single-step budget increases above fifty percent are rejected, so the AI cannot accidentally multiply your budget. Every change is written to the audit log and can be listed in chat.

An “always allow” setting on the client side does not bypass the gate. You revoke access from the panel in one click, and your data returns only to your chat.

Alongside Google Ads, the same address covers Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and LinkedIn ad accounts plus GA4, Tag Manager, Search Console, YouTube and Business Profile. The free account gives 75 credits that never expire. Pro at $49 a month gives a single business one account per platform and 5,000 credits; Agency at $99 a month gives unlimited credits and every client under an MCC; Enterprise starts at $299.

Looking at the panel spends no credits; credits go only to actions requested in chat. You can remove the connection from the panel in one click at any time.

The connector offers the same tools in both; the difference lies in how the assistants work. For long account audits, multi-step diagnostics or justifying a large negative list, Claude's long context is convenient. ChatGPT brings the advantage of habit if it is already the workspace your team uses.

The most practical approach is to try both. Because the Google grant is tied to your Tecrube account, you can use the same ad account in both assistants without authorising again. You could, for example, run the weekly report in ChatGPT and the monthly deep audit in Claude. Whichever you choose, the approval gate and the audit log are the same.

For technical teams using Claude Code or Cursor there is a third option: the same connector works inside the terminal and editor. A developer adding a conversion tag to the site code, for example, can check the Google Ads conversion action in the same session. Whatever the channel, credit usage comes out of the same account and every change lands in a single audit log.