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I can't connect Google Ads

The Google Ads connection flow fails or finishes without showing the account you expected. The most common cause is signing in with a Google identity that isn't a user on the Google Ads account you want. Work through the section that matches what you saw, they're ordered from most to least common.

I authenticated but the account list is empty​

You signed in successfully but Hero Marketer shows no accounts to pick from. Google Ads accounts are managed through user permissions, not through the Google identity itself, having a Google account doesn't mean you're a user on a Google Ads account. Two causes:

Your Google identity isn't a user on any Google Ads account.

  • If you own a Google Ads account, you're already a user on it, you likely signed in with a different Google identity (see below).
  • If a coworker owns it, ask them to add your Google identity in Google Ads under Tools and Settings → Access and Security.
  • If neither, create your own Google Ads account at ads.google.com.

You signed in with the wrong Google identity. If you have several Google accounts (work, personal, multiple work), you may have authorized one that isn't on the Google Ads account you wanted. Disconnect and run the connection again with the correct identity. See Disconnect Google Ads.

I see other accounts but not the one I want​

Some accounts you have access to appear, but the specific one you want is missing. Three causes:

  • Google suspended or disabled the account. Suspended accounts don't appear in the list. Check status at ads.google.com and resolve the suspension with Google first.
  • Your access is read-only or limited. A restricted role on the account may not give Hero Marketer the access it needs to read and operate the account. Ask the account owner to raise your access level.
  • The account moved to a different manager (MCC) structure. If a manager account was moved or restructured, your visibility can change. Re-check your user permissions on the account.

I get an error on the Google authorization screen​

If Google itself shows an error during the connection (OAuth) flow, match the message:

  • "This account doesn't have access to Google Ads." The Google identity you signed in with isn't a user on any Google Ads account. Sign in with a different identity that has access, or create a Google Ads account at ads.google.com.
  • "Access denied." You declined the permissions screen. Run the connection again and approve the requested permissions. Hero Marketer needs the Google Ads permission to read accounts and create campaigns.
  • Google asks you to turn on 2-Step Verification. Google requires 2-Step Verification on accounts that grant Google Ads API access. Enable it in the Security tab of your Google Account, then return to Hero Marketer and connect again.
  • "Access blocked: This app's request is invalid." This is a configuration problem on the Hero Marketer side, not something you can fix from your account, contact support with a screenshot of the error.

"We couldn't load your Google Ads accounts"​

Hero Marketer shows this panel on the Connect Google Ads step when the account fetch after sign-in fails. The panel has two buttons:

  • Try again repeats the account fetch against your existing connection. Use this when the failure looks transient, a network blip or a momentary error from Google.
  • Reconnect Google Ads runs the connection (OAuth) again from scratch. Use this when Try again keeps failing, or when you signed in with the wrong Google identity.

A related panel, "We couldn't finish connecting Google Ads," means sign-in and the account fetch both succeeded but the final save didn't. The same two buttons apply, Try again first, then Reconnect.

If both buttons keep failing, work through the sections above, an empty account list or a wrong Google identity is the usual cause behind a persistent failure here.

The connection works but features fail later​

You connected and picked an account, but later actions, creating a campaign, fetching keyword data, fail with auth errors. The token Hero Marketer uses to reach Google Ads has stopped working. Three causes:

  • The token can't be refreshed. Hero Marketer refreshes tokens automatically, but a revoked refresh token needs a fresh connection. Disconnect and reconnect from Account → Connections. See Disconnect Google Ads.
  • Permissions changed on the Google side. Someone may have removed your access mid-session. Re-check user permissions on the Google Ads account at ads.google.com.
  • Google Ads API throttling. Rarely, the Google Ads API throttles requests. This is uncommon for normal usage, wait a few minutes and try again.

For the full breakdown of auth errors that appear after a working connection, see My session keeps expiring.

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