Page Summary
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Creating and configuring a Google API Console project for Google Ads API access depends on your chosen OAuth 2.0 authorization scenario (service accounts or user authentication).
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A Google API Console project is necessary to create OAuth 2.0 credentials and enable the Google Ads API, which are needed to generate tokens for API calls.
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While a single developer token can be used across multiple projects, each project can only use one developer token.
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To set up for Google Ads API use, you need to select or create a Google API Console project and enable the Google Ads API within it.
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For service account authorization, you must create a service account and download its key in JSON format.
How you create and configure a Google API Console project depends on your application's OAuth 2.0 authorization scenario. Select an authorization scenario to customize this guide.
You need a Google API Console project for creating OAuth 2.0 credentials and enabling the Google Ads API for your app.
These credentials authenticate and authorize your app or Google Ads users on Google servers and let you generate OAuth tokens to be used in calls to the API.
Select or create a Google API Console project
To set up a new project, follow the guide to create a Google API Console project. Enabling billing for your project is optional. If you have billing enabled, select a billing account for the new project. There is no charge for using the Google Ads API, though Cloud projects are subject to standard project quota limits.
Enable the Google Ads API in your project
To enable the Google Ads API in your project, follow these steps:
Open the API Library in the Google API Console. If prompted, select your project or create a new one. The API Library lists all available APIs, grouped by product family and popularity.
Use search to find the Google Ads API if it isn't visible in the list.
Select the Google Ads API, then click the Enable button.
Apply for API access
Next, visit the Google Ads API Overview page to check your current API access level. If your current API access level is Test, then expand the Upgrade access level section. Follow the instructions to apply for Explorer access level.
Once you complete your application, Google automatically reviews your application and upgrades it to Explorer access in most cases.
Configure the OAuth consent screen
When you use OAuth 2.0 for authorization, Google displays a consent screen to the user including a summary of your project, its policies, and the requested authorization scopes of access. Configuring your app's OAuth consent screen defines what is displayed to users and app reviewers, and registers your app so you can publish it later.
Configure an OAuth consent
screen for your application and add
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords as an OAuth scope.
Important considerations for user type and publishing status
When configuring the OAuth consent screen, pay attention to the User type and Publishing status settings.
- User type: Defines whether your app is limited to users within your organization (Internal) or available to any Google user (External). Internal is available only if your project is part of a Google Workspace organization.
- Publishing status: Determines whether the app is in Testing mode (limited to specific test users you add) or In production (available to the audience defined by User type, which might require app verification by Google).
To make the best choices for your application, review the detailed explanations and implications of these settings in the official Google Cloud support documentation:
Understanding these settings is crucial to ensure your application is accessible to your intended users.
Create a client ID and client secret
Create a client ID and client secret. You may choose either Desktop app or Web application as the application type. Once you create the OAuth 2.0 client, download the client's JSON file by clicking the Download JSON button on the confirmation dialog.