Is this the same as the Cursor mcp.json setup guide?

No. The setup guide for Cursor documents a url-only entry in ~/.cursor/mcp.json for the desktop app. This article is Cursor on the web and Cursor Agents: the same hosted MCP URL, first-use OAuth, and the callback at https://www.cursor.com/agents/mcp/oauth/callback. Connecting Google Ads and ticking accounts still happens on Get MCP Ads. Both pages are needed if you use both surfaces.

Does Cursor on the web use a Connectors UI like Claude?

Cursor's official MCP docs do not describe a Claude-style Connectors screen for the web app. They tell you to add servers from Customize or with mcp.json, using a url field for a remote server. Third-party 2026 write-ups mention Cursor Settings, Tools and MCP, then New MCP Server, which opens mcp.json. This page follows the official Customize plus url-only mcp.json path, and names the two OAuth callbacks Cursor documents.

Why not use Google's official Ads MCP only?

Use it when you want Google's 3 read-only tools and you are willing to run pipx or your own Cloud Run service, with a developer token and a GCP project. Get MCP Ads is a hosted URL with OAuth 2.1 and dynamic client registration, a ticked-account allowlist, and the Google Ads tools in the catalogue, including writes that preview then confirm. Google does not host an MCP URL the way Meta hosts mcp.facebook.com/ads.

What is the ticked-account allowlist?

Connecting a Google MCC does not expose the client accounts under it. After OAuth, the dashboard lists what the token can reach and every account starts unticked. The gateway answers only for the IDs you tick, and the check runs server-side on every call, including calls routed through run_tool. Un-ticking an account removes access on the next call rather than hiding a row.

Can Cursor write to Google Ads on the Free plan?

No. Write tools are absent from the tool list on the Free plan, and calling one is refused before it reaches Google. On a paid plan, every write previews first: without confirm set to true, the tool describes the change and applies nothing. That is true in Cursor on the web, in the desktop app, and in Claude.

Do you ship X Ads or Microsoft Advertising?

There is no X Ads source. Do not expect tools for it. Microsoft Advertising appears in the dashboard as soon: OAuth exists, the tool set is not shipped, so nothing is exposed to Cursor. The live sources are Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Pinterest Ads, GA4 and Search Console.

Does Cursor receive my Google Ads credentials?

No. You authorise Google Ads on Get MCP Ads. Refresh tokens are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM and stay on the server. Cursor authenticates to the hosted MCP URL over OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration and receives tool results, never an ads credential. Revoking the Cursor client does not require rotating a Google token.

How-to9 min read

Published 30 Aug 2026Updated 30 Aug 2026

Connect Google Ads to Cursor (web)

Emmanuel Guillo · published by BENLY HLG

Summarize with ChatGPT Summarize with Claude Summarize with Perplexity Summarize with Gemini View as Markdown

Cursor on the web can call Google Ads through a hosted MCP URL. Get MCP Ads exposes ticked accounts after OAuth, versus Google's official Ads MCP which is self-hosted (pipx or your own Cloud Run), needs a developer token plus GCP, and ships 3 tools with no Google-hosted URL.

Key takeaways

Get MCP Ads is a hosted MCP gateway at https://mcp.getmcpads.com/mcp; Cursor on the web and the desktop app both take that URL as a remote server.
Google's official Ads MCP ships 3 tools (list_accessible_customers, search, get_resource_metadata), is read-only, and you run it yourself with pipx or your own Cloud Run.
The ticked-account allowlist is checked server-side: connecting a Google MCC does not expose client accounts until you tick them.
Google Ads on this gateway is 38 tools from the catalogue, 7 of them writes that preview then confirm; the Free plan has no write tools.
Six live sources: Meta Ads, Pinterest Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Search Console, Google Analytics 4. Microsoft Advertising is soon, with no tools. There is no X Ads source.
Two OAuth redirect surfaces: web and Cursor Agents use https://www.cursor.com/agents/mcp/oauth/callback; the desktop app uses http://localhost:8787/callback.

Spec

Field	Value
Product	Get MCP Ads
Category	hosted MCP gateway
Protocol	MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Live sources	6: Meta Ads, Pinterest Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Search Console, Google Analytics 4
Google Ads tools	38 (7 write)
Auth	OAuth 2.1 + dynamic client registration
Transport	HTTPS, streamable HTTP
Endpoint	`https://mcp.getmcpads.com/mcp`
Account access	ticked-account allowlist, checked server-side
Pricing	Free 0 (1 ad account, 1 seat, 200 tool calls per period, read only). Pro 39 per month. Team 99 per month. Agency 199 per month.

To paste the URL into Cursor, create an account. Connecting Google Ads and ticking accounts happens there, not in Cursor.

How do you connect Google Ads to Cursor on the web?Link to this section

Cursor on the web and Cursor Agents take a remote MCP URL. You add Get MCP Ads from Customize or with a url-only mcp.json entry, then approve OAuth on first use. Connecting Google Ads and ticking accounts still happens in the Get MCP Ads dashboard. Those two steps need a person; an agent cannot complete them.

Open Cursor on the web at cursor.com, or the desktop app if you also use that surface.
Add a remote MCP server from Customize in the sidebar, or create a url-only entry in mcp.json.
Set the server URL to https://mcp.getmcpads.com/mcp and save. Do not paste a CLIENT_ID or CLIENT_SECRET; this gateway uses dynamic client registration.
On first use, approve the OAuth screen Cursor opens. Web and Cursor Agents callback at https://www.cursor.com/agents/mcp/oauth/callback. The desktop app callbacks at http://localhost:8787/callback.
In the Get MCP Ads dashboard, connect Google Ads and tick the accounts the gateway may reach. An agent cannot complete OAuth consent or the ticked-account allowlist.
Ask Cursor something the Google Ads tools can answer, for example listing campaigns on a ticked account.

Official Cursor docs put custom servers on the Customize page or in mcp.json. A remote server is a url field, not a command. Get MCP Ads speaks OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration, so a URL-only entry is enough; do not add an auth object with CLIENT_ID or CLIENT_SECRET.

jsonRemote server, url only

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "get-mcp-ads": {
      "url": "https://mcp.getmcpads.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor documents two OAuth redirect URLs. Web and Cursor Agents use https://www.cursor.com/agents/mcp/oauth/callback. The desktop app uses http://localhost:8787/callback. That is the difference versus Connect Get MCP Ads to Cursor, which shows ~/.cursor/mcp.json for the desktop app. Some 2026 write-ups say Cursor Settings, Tools and MCP, then New MCP Server, which opens mcp.json. This page follows the official Customize plus url path.

How is that different from Google's official Ads MCP?Link to this section

Google's official Ads MCP is a Python server you run yourself. Default transport is stdio via pipx, with a developer token and a GCP project. You can deploy that same server on Cloud Run, which you still operate. It ships 3 read-only tools. Google does not offer a Google-hosted MCP URL.

Hosted Get MCP Ads versus official Google Ads MCP versus a generic local MCP

	Hosting	Setup	Auth	Accounts reachable	Tool coverage	Writes
Get MCP Ads	Hosted gateway, one URL	Paste the URL in Customize or mcp.json	OAuth 2.1 with DCR, no client secret to paste	Ticked-account allowlist, checked server-side	38 Google Ads tools from the catalogue, plus other live sources	Preview then confirm; absent on Free
Official Google Ads MCP	You run it: pipx stdio by default, or your own Cloud Run. No Google-hosted URL	pipx, developer token, GCP project ID, OAuth or ADC	OAuth 2.0 or service account, plus a developer token	Customers `list_accessible_customers` returns for that auth	3 tools, read-only: `list_accessible_customers`, `search`, `get_resource_metadata`	None in the current release
Generic local MCP	Local stdio process you operate	Whatever that server documents	Whatever that server implements	Whatever that server implements	Varies; not this catalogue	Varies; this page does not claim them

The official server is documented in Google's Ads MCP developer guide and in the googleads/google-ads-mcp repository. Mode is read-only. Transport defaults to stdio. Cloud Run is optional self-hosting: you operate the service; Google does not give you a hosted MCP URL the way Meta hosts mcp.facebook.com/ads. That Meta endpoint is a note, not a row that claims we beat it.

On Get MCP Ads, Google Ads is 38 tools, listed on /tools#google_ads and in the Google Ads source guide. Writes preview first. See pricing for which plans include them.

What about Claude?Link to this section

Claude on desktop and on the web adds a custom connector from Settings, then Connectors, using the same hosted URL. There is no mcp.json. ChatGPT and Codex can use that URL too; they are not the point of this page. OAuth consent and the ticked-account allowlist stay on Get MCP Ads, not inside Claude.

Open Claude and go to Settings, then Connectors.
Choose Add custom connector.
Paste https://mcp.getmcpads.com/mcp as the remote MCP server URL and confirm.
Approve the sign-in page. Connecting Google Ads and ticking accounts still happens on Get MCP Ads, not inside Claude.

The full Claude walkthrough is Connect Get MCP Ads to Claude. Claude asks for approval the first time it calls a tool, and again for anything that writes. That prompt is Claude's own, on top of the preview this gateway already returns. ChatGPT (developer mode connector) and Codex (codex mcp add) take the same URL; this article does not repeat those setup pages.

What can you ask once Google Ads is connected?Link to this section

Once Cursor can call the gateway, Google Ads answers through the google_ads_* tools the catalogue actually ships. Reads include search terms, Performance Max diagnostics and change events. Writes pause, rename or recap a campaign, always as a preview until you confirm. The Free plan has no write tools.

Worked prompts mapped to shipped google_ads_* tools

Ask	Tools
Show me search terms we paid for last month that we would never have bid on.	`google_ads_get_search_terms`, then `google_ads_get_keyword_performance`
Is any Performance Max campaign spending without the ad strength to justify it?	`google_ads_get_pmax_asset_diagnostics`, then `google_ads_get_pmax_placements`
Who changed what in this Google Ads account in the last two weeks?	`google_ads_get_change_events`, then `google_ads_get_campaigns`

These asks match the Google Ads source guide. More prompts, including writes such as google_ads_update_campaign_budget, live on /tools#google_ads. A write without confirm: true returns a preview and applies nothing.

When should you not use a hosted gateway?Link to this section

A hosted gateway is the wrong shape when the machine cannot reach the public internet, when you only want Google's 3 official tools, when you are on Free and need a write, or when the source is not shipped. This product has no X Ads. Microsoft Advertising is listed as soon, with no tools yet.

Air-gapped or local-only MCP: run a stdio server on the machine. A hosted URL cannot answer there.
You only want Google's 3 official tools (list_accessible_customers, search, get_resource_metadata) and you will operate pipx or Cloud Run yourself.
You need a write on the Free plan. Write tools are absent from the list and refused if called.
The source is not shipped. There is no X Ads. Microsoft Advertising (bing_ads) is soon: OAuth exists, tools do not.

The MCP specification is the protocol both the hosted gateway and a local server speak. Choosing a hosted URL is an operations choice, not a protocol one. If you do want the hosted path, the quickstart is the four steps in order, and pricing is which plan can write.

Questions

Is this the same as the Cursor mcp.json setup guide?: No. The setup guide for Cursor documents a url-only entry in ~/.cursor/mcp.json for the desktop app. This article is Cursor on the web and Cursor Agents: the same hosted MCP URL, first-use OAuth, and the callback at https://www.cursor.com/agents/mcp/oauth/callback. Connecting Google Ads and ticking accounts still happens on Get MCP Ads. Both pages are needed if you use both surfaces.
Does Cursor on the web use a Connectors UI like Claude?: Cursor's official MCP docs do not describe a Claude-style Connectors screen for the web app. They tell you to add servers from Customize or with mcp.json, using a url field for a remote server. Third-party 2026 write-ups mention Cursor Settings, Tools and MCP, then New MCP Server, which opens mcp.json. This page follows the official Customize plus url-only mcp.json path, and names the two OAuth callbacks Cursor documents.
Why not use Google's official Ads MCP only?: Use it when you want Google's 3 read-only tools and you are willing to run pipx or your own Cloud Run service, with a developer token and a GCP project. Get MCP Ads is a hosted URL with OAuth 2.1 and dynamic client registration, a ticked-account allowlist, and the Google Ads tools in the catalogue, including writes that preview then confirm. Google does not host an MCP URL the way Meta hosts mcp.facebook.com/ads.
What is the ticked-account allowlist?: Connecting a Google MCC does not expose the client accounts under it. After OAuth, the dashboard lists what the token can reach and every account starts unticked. The gateway answers only for the IDs you tick, and the check runs server-side on every call, including calls routed through run_tool. Un-ticking an account removes access on the next call rather than hiding a row.
Can Cursor write to Google Ads on the Free plan?: No. Write tools are absent from the tool list on the Free plan, and calling one is refused before it reaches Google. On a paid plan, every write previews first: without confirm set to true, the tool describes the change and applies nothing. That is true in Cursor on the web, in the desktop app, and in Claude.
Do you ship X Ads or Microsoft Advertising?: There is no X Ads source. Do not expect tools for it. Microsoft Advertising appears in the dashboard as soon: OAuth exists, the tool set is not shipped, so nothing is exposed to Cursor. The live sources are Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Pinterest Ads, GA4 and Search Console.
Does Cursor receive my Google Ads credentials?: No. You authorise Google Ads on Get MCP Ads. Refresh tokens are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM and stay on the server. Cursor authenticates to the hosted MCP URL over OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration and receives tool results, never an ads credential. Revoking the Cursor client does not require rotating a Google token.

Sources

Author

Emmanuel Guillo ships Get MCP Ads, the hosted MCP gateway this page describes. He connected Google Ads through this URL from Cursor so the steps match the product, not a reconstructed UI. BENLY HLG publishes the site; Get MCP Ads is a separate product from Benly and does not read Benly data.

This page as Markdown: /articles/google-ads-mcp-cursor.md. One reading. Every page under /articles answers to Accept: text/markdown as well.