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Connect Google Ads

This is the last step of onboarding. After you pick a plan, Hero Marketer needs Google Ads API access to create campaigns in your account. Connecting takes about a minute.

How it works​

The Connect step does Google OAuth and, if needed, the customer account pick, in one screen:

  1. Click Connect Google Ads. Google's authorization screen opens in the same tab.
  2. Approve the requested scopes (see below).
  3. Google redirects back to Hero Marketer. The page replaces the Connect button with a loading state while it fetches the Google Ads accounts visible to your Google identity.
  4. If you have exactly one Google Ads account under that Google identity, Hero Marketer picks it automatically and finishes onboarding.
  5. If you have several (manager accounts, multiple sub-accounts), the wizard renders a picker. Pick the one you want to launch from, then click Go to Hero AI.

Either way you land on the Hero AI chat surface when onboarding is done.

Scopes we request​

Hero Marketer asks for two Google OAuth scopes:

  • Manage your Google Ads campaigns (adwords scope). Required so we can read your account list, create campaigns, and write keywords, ad copy, and extensions.
  • Sign in with Google (openid, email). Used to identify you and match the connection back to your Hero Marketer account.

We do not request access to Gmail, Drive, Calendar, or any other Google service.

2 Step Verification required by Google​

As of April 21, 2026, Google requires 2-Step Verification (2SV) on any Google account that grants Google Ads API access. This applies whether you connect through Hero Marketer, Google Ads Editor, Google Ads Scripts, or any other tool that uses the Google Ads API.

If 2SV isn't already enabled on the Google account you sign in with, Google's authorization screen walks you through setting it up before the connection completes. Connections made before April 21, 2026 keep working. No action needed for accounts you've already linked.

You can check or enable 2SV from the Security tab of your Google Account.

What you'll see in the account list​

If the list renders (multiple accounts), expect:

  • Direct accounts. Standard Google Ads accounts you own or are a user on.
  • Manager accounts (sometimes called MCC accounts). These manage other accounts under them. If you sign in as a manager, you'll see the accounts beneath it.
  • Test accounts. Marked as such by Google. You can connect them, but campaigns created in test accounts won't run.

If you don't see an account you expected, the most common reason is that your Google identity isn't a user on it. Ask whoever owns it to add you through Google Ads' user management screen.

What happens once you finish​

Hero Marketer saves the selected Google Ads account as your active account and inherits its time zone and currency. Dashboard reporting uses both so numbers line up with what you see in Google Ads. Existing campaigns in the account are not modified. You can switch the active account from the sidebar at any time.

You land on Hero AI, ready to ask questions or build your first campaign.

I don't have a Google Ads account yet​

If your Google account has never had a Google Ads account attached, Google's authorization screen will tell you. Two paths:

  • Create one first. Go to ads.google.com and follow Google's signup. The minimum is a billing profile and a time zone. Come back to Hero Marketer and click Connect again.
  • Use an existing account from your team. If a coworker already has a Google Ads account set up, ask them to add your Google identity through Google Ads' user management. After that you can connect normally.

What we can and can't do​

With the access you grant, Hero Marketer can:

  • List the Google Ads accounts your Google identity has access to.
  • Read existing campaigns, keywords, ad copy, and extensions.
  • Create new campaigns and assets.
  • Pull performance metrics for the dashboard.

Hero Marketer cannot:

  • Change your Google Ads billing or payment methods.
  • Delete existing campaigns you didn't create through Hero Marketer.
  • Access any Google product outside Google Ads.

You can revoke access at any time from your Google account permissions page. See Disconnect Google Ads.

Plan limits on accounts​

How many Google Ads accounts you can have active in Hero Marketer depends on your plan:

  • Pro. 1 account.
  • Growth. 1 account.
  • Agency. Up to 10 accounts.

If you need more than one account, see Add another Google Ads account and Compare plans.

Stuck​

See I can't connect Google Ads for common failure modes and fixes.

Next​

Create your first campaign