Google Ads Source

Overview

The Google Ads Source connects Sourcesible to your Google Ads account, enabling campaign performance data, ad group insights, and audience metrics to sync into your CDP workspace for analysis, segmentation, and cross-channel activation. This source falls under the Advertising category in Sourcesible and authenticates via Google OAuth — no API keys or manual credentials are required.

Before starting, ensure you have admin or standard access to the Google Ads account you want to connect, that your Google account has permission to access the desired Ads account, and that the account is linked to a valid Google Manager Account (MCC) if applicable.

2. Google Ads Permission Setup

Before connecting in Sourcesible, verify the following permissions are in place on the Google Ads side.

1. Confirm your Google account has Admin or Standard access to the Google Ads account you want to connect. You can verify this in Google Ads under Admin → Access and security.
2. Ensure the Ads account is active and not suspended.
3. If your organization uses a Google Ads Manager Account (MCC), confirm that the target Ad account is linked to the MCC and that your Google account has access to the appropriate level of the hierarchy.

3. Connection Configuration (Inside Sourcesible)

The Google Ads setup uses a two-step wizard: Step 1 – Connect (Google OAuth authorization) and Step 2 – Set up Data Sources (name the source and select an Ads account).

3.1 Navigate to Data Sources

1. In the left navigation, under Connections, click Data Sources.
2. Click Add Data Sources in the top-right corner.

3.2 Select Google Ads as Your Source

1. On the Sources catalog page, scroll to the Advertising section.
2. Click the Google Ads tile.
3. On the Google Ads detail page, review the Set up requirements and Overview sections. The overview notes that once connected, data will automatically sync to your workspace, and that Google Ads data can be joined with other sources to create a unified customer view or tailor retargeting across channels.
4. Click Add Source → in the top-right corner to launch the setup wizard.

Step 1 – Connect (Google OAuth Authorization)

The wizard opens on the Authorize Google Ads Connection screen. Sourcesible requires limited access to your Google Ads account. Your credentials are encrypted and authorization can be revoked at any time.

1. Click Log in to Google Ads.
2. Google's account chooser opens. Select the Google account that has access to the Ads account you want to connect. If the required account is not listed, click Use another account to sign in with a different one.
3. If a "Google hasn't verified this app" warning appears, click Continue. This warning is expected in sandbox or pre-production environments.
4. On the Google permissions consent screen, review the access being requested. Sourcesible will be able to see, edit, create, and delete your Google Ads accounts and data. If you see a note that Sourcesible "already has some access," your account was previously connected — you can safely continue.
5. Click Continue to grant Sourcesible access to your Google Account.

Once authorization is complete, Sourcesible redirects back to the wizard and advances to Step 2. A green Authorization Successful badge confirms that your Google Ads account is connected to Sourcesible.

Step 2 – Set up Data Sources

1. In the Source Name field, enter a descriptive name to identify this connection within Sourcesible (e.g., Google Ads - Brand or Google Ads Production). The field accepts up to 50 characters and can be updated later under data source settings.
2. In the Google Ads Accounts section, a list of accessible Google Ads accounts loads automatically under Select Google Ads Account. Each account is shown with its name, numeric account ID in parentheses, and type label — either (Ads Account) for direct ad accounts or (Ads Manager Account) for MCC manager accounts. Review the helper text displayed above the account list:
   • Syncs can only send data to the ad accounts selected here. If left empty, syncs can use any ad account the authorized user can access.
   • If an account is at the top level, it means you have direct access to that ad or manager account. Otherwise, Sourcesible accesses child accounts via the root account you have direct access to.
3. Select the radio button next to the account you want to connect.
4. If the account list is empty or stale, click Refresh in the top-right corner of the account list panel to reload accounts from the Google Ads API.
5. Click Save to finalize the connection.

4. Test Your Connection

Google Ads uses an OAuth-based flow with no separate Test Connection step. Sourcesible validates the connection implicitly during the authorization process:

• That the Google OAuth token was successfully issued and is valid
• That Sourcesible can access the Google Ads API on behalf of the authorized account
• That the selected Ads account (or accessible accounts, if none selected) is reachable via the API

If the account list in Step 2 fails to load, click Refresh to retry. If authorization fails at any point in the OAuth flow, Sourcesible returns you to Step 1. Retry by clicking Log in to Google Ads again.

5. Next Steps

Once your Google Ads source is active, you can begin using campaign and audience data within Sourcesible:

• Create a Dataset — Define which Google Ads campaign, ad group, or keyword fields to include as a structured dataset
• Configure a Dataset Model — Map Google Ads data to Sourcesible's identity model for customer unification
• Build Audiences — Use Google Ads engagement signals as a segmentation source in the Audiences module
• Single View of Customer — Join Google Ads data with warehouse or CRM sources to build unified customer profiles
• Configure Sync — Activate unified audiences back to Google Ads for retargeting and similar audience campaigns

6. Tips and Troubleshooting

Google Ads Accounts List Is Empty or Fails to Load

Symptom: After completing OAuth, the Select Google Ads Account panel shows a loading spinner that never resolves, or loads with no accounts listed.

Cause: The authorized Google account does not have access to any active Google Ads accounts, or the Google Ads API failed to return account data.

Fix:

1. Click Refresh in the top-right corner of the account list panel to retry the API request.
2. Confirm in Google Ads that the authorized account has at least one active Ads account with Admin or Standard access.
3. If the list remains empty, click Back to return to Step 1 and re-authorize with the correct Google account.

"Google hasn't verified this app" Warning During OAuth

Symptom: After selecting a Google account, Google displays a warning that the app has not been verified.

Cause: This warning appears when Sourcesible's OAuth app is in a test or pre-verification state with Google. It is expected in non-production environments.

Fix: Click Continue to proceed through the authorization flow. This warning does not affect the functionality of the connection.

Wrong Google Account Was Used During Authorization

Symptom: After completing OAuth, the expected Ad accounts are not shown in the Select Google Ads Account list.

Cause: The OAuth flow completed using a different Google account than the one with access to the target Ads account.

Fix:

1. Click Back to return to Step 1.
2. Click Log in to Google Ads again.
3. On the Google account chooser, click Use another account and sign in with the correct Google account.
4. Complete the authorization and return to Step 2 to select the correct account.

Manager Account (MCC) vs. Direct Ad Account — Choosing Correctly

Symptom: The account list shows both (Ads Account) and (Ads Manager Account) entries, and you are unsure which to select.

Cause: If your Google Ads access is via a Manager Account (MCC), your account hierarchy has multiple levels. Top-level entries are accounts you have direct access to; child accounts beneath them are accessed through the MCC root.

Fix: Use the following guidance to select the correct account type:

Authorization Revoked — Source Stops Syncing

Symptom: A previously active Google Ads source shows an error or stops pulling data.

Cause: Sourcesible's access was revoked from Google Account settings, or the authorized user's Ads account permissions changed.

Fix:

1. In Sourcesible, navigate to Data Sources and click on the affected Google Ads source.
2. Open the source settings and look for a Re-authorize or Reconnect option.
3. Complete the Google OAuth flow again to restore access.

Consent Screen Requests Broader Permissions Than Expected

Symptom: During the OAuth flow, Google's consent screen states that Sourcesible will be able to "see, edit, create, and delete your Google Ads accounts and data," which seems more permissive than read-only access.

Cause: The Google Ads API requires the https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords scope, which is a broad scope Google mandates for all Ads API integrations. Sourcesible uses this scope to read campaign and performance data, but does not create, modify, or delete your Ads account objects.

Fix: This is expected behavior. Review Sourcesible's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service if you have concerns about data usage, then click Continue to proceed. If your organization requires a data processing agreement before granting this scope, contact Sourcesible support before connecting.