Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal, and it can use any MCP server as a set of tools. Point it at VibeAds and it can read your Google Ads performance, explain wasted spend, and draft campaigns, right next to the code and notes you already keep in your repo. It's a good fit for agencies and anyone who likes to script a weekly account review.
What do I need?
- Claude Code installed and signed in.
- A VibeAds account (free to create) with Google Ads connected in Settings. Reading works on every plan; drafting, importing, recommendations and publishing need Pro ($20 a month) or Max.
- A VibeAds API key. Claude Code connects with a key rather than a sign-in. Generate one at Settings, MCP Server Keys; it starts with
vba_mcp_and is shown once.
How do I add VibeAds to Claude Code?
Use the hosted server, with the key in a header. Nothing to install:
claude mcp add --transport http vibeads https://getvibeads.com/api/mcp --header "x-vibeads-api-key: vba_mcp_YOUR_KEY_HERE"
Or run the open-source npm package locally, which forwards to the same server:
claude mcp add vibeads -e VIBEADS_API_KEY=vba_mcp_YOUR_KEY_HERE -- npx -y @vibeads/mcp
Check it with claude mcp list, then start Claude Code and ask: "Show me my Google Ads campaigns in VibeAds."
Keep the key out of files you commit. Each key can be revoked on its own in VibeAds, so make one per machine or per client.
What can Claude Code do with it?
The same tools every assistant gets: campaign details and a health score, wasted-spend and winning search terms, the optimizer's issues and recommendations, drafting a campaign, importing campaigns you already run, pausing one, Google's own recommendations, and for agencies the list of client accounts under a manager account.
Where Claude Code shines is putting those together:
- "Pull every campaign's numbers for the last 7 days and write them to reports/2026-10-09.md, with what changed since last week's file."
- "List the search terms that cost over $20 with no conversions and draft a negative keyword list I can review."
- "For each client account, show the top three issues and the fix for each."
Can an API key spend money?
No. With a key, publishing a campaign always returns an approval link: you open it in your browser, signed in to VibeAds, and approve or reject it there. The key can't approve it, and neither can Claude Code. Raising a daily budget, or a bid past double or $50 a click, works the same way. Changes that run directly, like applying one of the optimizer's recommendations, go through the same safety checks as the dashboard, and each key is limited to 60 calls an hour.
Why doesn't Claude Code use the sign-in flow like Claude on the web?
Claude Code signs in through a callback on your own computer, and VibeAds lets assistants sign themselves in only from the official ChatGPT, Claude and Meta AI apps, which keeps look-alike apps from asking for access to your account. An API key is the way in for terminal and editor tools.
Troubleshooting
- "Missing VibeAds API key". The header name must be exactly
x-vibeads-api-key, and the key must start withvba_mcp_. - "Not included in this account's plan". Drafting and publishing need Pro or Max; reading works on any plan.
- Google Ads not connected. Connect it in VibeAds Settings, then try again.
More detail, including every tool and its plan, is in the MCP server docs.