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I cannot connect Google Ads

The Google Ads connection flow fails or finishes without showing the account you expected. Most often, you signed in with a Google identity that is not a user on the Google Ads account you want. Work through the section that matches what you saw. The sections are ordered from most to least common.

"We couldn't find any Google Ads accounts"​

You signed in successfully, but Hero Marketer shows We couldn't find any Google Ads accounts and no accounts to pick from. User permissions govern access to Google Ads accounts, not the Google identity itself. If you have a Google account, that does not mean you are a user on a Google Ads account. Two causes:

Your Google identity is not a user on any Google Ads account.

  • If you own a Google Ads account, you are 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 Admin > 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 is not on the Google Ads account you wanted. On the screen We couldn't find any Google Ads accounts, click Reconnect Google Ads. Then choose the Google account that is a user on the Google Ads account. You do not need to disconnect anything.

For an account that you already connected, use Reconnect in Settings > Connections. To open Settings, click your profile picture at the bottom of the sidebar, then click Settings. Do not disconnect the account.

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. Two causes:

  • The account is suspended or cancelled. A suspended or cancelled account that you can open directly can show as Unnamed Account. Check its status at ads.google.com, and resolve the suspension with Google first.
  • You sign in through a manager (MCC) account. Hero Marketer lists only the manager's direct client accounts that are enabled. A client under a sub-manager does not show. Connect with a Google login that is a direct user of that client account, or of its immediate manager. If the list shows a manager name followed by (Manager), that manager has no direct client accounts that Hero Marketer can list. You connect client accounts one at a time.

If someone moves or restructures a manager account, the accounts that you can see can change. Check your user permissions on the account again.

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 is not 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. Email support@heromarketer.io with a screenshot of the error.

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

Hero Marketer shows this panel on the Choose an account 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 did not complete. The same two buttons apply. Use 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 fail with auth or permission errors. For example, this happens when you create a campaign or fetch keyword data. Four causes:

  • The token cannot be refreshed. Hero Marketer refreshes tokens automatically, but a revoked refresh token needs a fresh connection. Open Settings > Connections and click Reconnect on that account. Sign in with the Google account that can open the Google Ads account. Do not disconnect. A disconnect cannot be undone, and you must connect the account again from the start.
  • Your access is read only. The account shows, and you can read reports. But when you create a campaign or apply a change, you see Permission denied. Check your Google Ads account permissions. Ask the account owner to give you Standard or Admin access.
  • 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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