Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Google Ads Audit agent skill (ads-google)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The ads-google skill is an instruction file that tells an AI agent, such as Claude, how to audit a Google Ads account in a structured way. It covers conversion tracking, Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Demand Gen, keywords and search terms, bidding, budgets, settings and policy. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for an audit in plain language, and what you need before you start.
Google Ads AuditAgriciDaniel/claude-ads · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the ads-google ZIP file from this skill page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Confirm the plugin files are present. Make sure the ads/ operating contract and references such as google-audit.md and gaql-notes.md are available, since SKILL.md depends on them.
- 5Gather account data. Prepare an export, screenshot, API result or MCP query result, along with the date window, currency and conversion definition.
- 6Ask for an audit in plain language. Describe the review you want and mention Google Ads, such as a search terms review or a conversion tracking check.
- 7Review the findings. Read observations, diagnoses and recommendations separately, and resolve any flagged uncertainties before taking action.
What does the ads-google skill make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives the agent a set of instructions for one kind of task. Once the ads-google skill is installed, the agent follows a defined procedure when you ask it to review a Google Ads account. It first collects the context it needs, such as the objective, the conversion definition, account and campaign age, geography, date window, timezone, currency, spend, targets and available data sources.
The agent then evaluates the account against controls covering measurement, search terms and waste, account structure, keywords, creative assets, bidding and budgets, settings, eligibility and policy. Each finding is kept separate: observations, diagnoses, recommendations, opportunities and proposed changes are reported as different things, and uncertainty and contradictions are flagged rather than hidden.
- Checks conversion tracking, Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen setups
- Reviews keywords, search terms, bidding, budgets, settings and policy
- Keeps evidence tied to each export, screenshot, API result or manual value
- Reports problems rather than changing campaigns
How do you install the ads-google skill?
You can install the skill in one of two ways. The first is to download the ZIP file from the skill's page on this directory, then unzip it into your user skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/ or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. The second is to upload the ZIP in the Claude apps by going to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and uploading it there.
The skill's own files are listed as SKILL.md. The skill also depends on the wider claude-ads plugin files, including the ads/ operating contract and references such as ads/references/google-audit.md and ads/references/gaql-notes.md. The SKILL.md looks for these files from the plugin root or from the skills directory in a standalone install, so check that they are available to the agent before you rely on the audit.
- Option A: download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/
- Option B: unzip it into a project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Option C: upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills
- Confirm that the ads/ files the skill depends on are present
What do you need before running an audit?
The skill needs Google Ads account data. The source lists four routes: an export, a screenshot, an API, or an MCP server, for example the results of a GAQL query. The more complete the data, the more the agent can check. The agent will ask for missing inputs and will mark findings it cannot verify.
Reports and API results should include the date window and currency, because the skill checks these as part of its procedure. Keyword and search-term evidence built from an API, MCP server or export follows the rules in the gaql-notes reference.
- Account data as an export, a screenshot, an API result or an MCP server query result
- The date window, timezone, currency and conversion definition
- Campaign objective, geography and account or campaign age
- For search terms work, a real search terms report
How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need special syntax. Describe the task in ordinary language and mention Google Ads. The skill's description includes terms such as Google Ads, AdWords, Search campaigns, search terms reports, broad negatives, Shopping, Performance Max, PMax, Demand Gen, GAQL and Google conversion tracking, so requests using these words are the ones it is built to handle.
Ask for a review, not a change. The skill is read-only and will tell you when a change belongs to the ads-optimize skill.
- Audit my Google Ads conversion tracking before I trust the bidding data.
- Review this search terms report and tell me which queries look like waste, with the evidence for each.
- Check whether my Performance Max campaign settings look sound for the stated objective.
- Look at my Shopping and Demand Gen campaigns and list policy or settings risks.
What are the safety notes for scripts and network use?
According to the skill's listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network connection. It is read-only: it reports findings and does not modify campaigns. Any change you want is handled by the separate ads-optimize skill, and a proposed change stays a draft until a main mutation gate passes.
The skill also treats external account and web content as data, never as instructions. It refuses to produce a generic negative keyword list. Without a real search terms report and a review for business relevance and overblocking, it asks you for that evidence instead of naming terms to exclude.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Read-only: changes are deferred to ads-optimize
- Negative keywords require a real search terms report and an overblocking review
What tips help you get useful results?
Give the agent as much account context as you can, and be honest about recent changes. The skill warns that accounts with little data or recent changes can produce misleading benchmarks and recommendations, so treat those results with extra caution. It also avoids universal rules, so expect answers that depend on your objective and data rather than fixed thresholds.
Keep the audit output with the evidence it cites, and check that the agent's flagged uncertainties are resolved before acting on any recommendation.
- Supply the conversion definition and date window with every request
- Export search terms reports before asking about negative keywords
- Expect unscored items for optional, beta or unavailable features
- Use a separate change process, such as ads-optimize, for any edits
What people use it for
- Checking whether conversion tracking and bidding setup look sound before trusting account performance data
- Reviewing a search terms report to identify likely wasted spend, with evidence for each query
- Assessing Performance Max or Demand Gen settings against the campaign objective
- Auditing an existing Shopping account for settings, policy and eligibility issues
- Preparing a structured findings list that a human can later turn into changes through a separate process
Frequently asked questions
Is the ads-google skill free?
The listing states that the skill is released under the MIT licence. The source does not describe pricing, so check the directory page for any licence details beyond that.
Do I need to install anything else to use ads-google?
Yes, the SKILL.md depends on the wider claude-ads plugin files, including the ads/ operating contract and the references in ads/references/. Make sure those files are available to the agent, either from the plugin root or from the skills directory in a standalone install.
Can ads-google change my Google Ads campaigns?
No. The skill is read-only and reports problems rather than changing campaigns. Changes are handled by the separate ads-optimize skill, and any proposed change remains a draft until a safety gate passes.
Will ads-google generate a list of negative keywords for me?
Not on its own. The skill forbids generating negative keywords without a real search terms report plus a business-relevance and overblocking review, because generic lists can block valuable traffic. Provide a search terms report and it can review the evidence.
What data does ads-google need from Google Ads?
It works with account data from an export, a screenshot, an API, or an MCP server such as GAQL query results. The more complete the data and context, such as date window, currency and conversion definition, the more the agent can verify.
How does ads-google compare with a manual audit or other tools?
The skill gives an agent a structured procedure and separates observations from recommendations, which helps consistency. It does not replace a qualified review of your account, and it notes that accounts with little data or recent changes can give misleading results. The source does not compare it with specific alternative tools.
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Our verdict
Use ads-google if you want a structured, read-only audit of an existing Google Ads account and you can supply real account data, especially a search terms report for any negative keyword work. Pick something else if you want automatic campaign changes, a generic negative keyword list, or an audit of an account with very little data or recent major changes.
Download the skill