Experimental feature: Google Ads connector is currently in beta. We’re actively improving sync reliability and adding more features.
Prerequisites
- A Google Ads account with active campaigns
- Google account with access to the Google Ads account you want to sync
- Google Ads account must have campaign and performance data
Connecting Google Ads
You can connect Google Ads in two ways: from the Sources page if you’re already using AstroBee, or during the onboarding process if you’re a new user.- During onboarding
- From Sources page
1
Choose Connect Sources
On the Import Data screen, click the “Connect Sources” card
2
Select Google Ads
Click “Connect” next to Google Ads in the list of available connectors
3
Start connection
Click “Connect” to begin the setup process
4
Authorize with Fivetran
AstroBee uses Fivetran to securely connect to Google Ads. Click “Continue” to proceed
- Secure: Data transfer is encrypted end-to-end and your credentials are never exposed
- Private: Your data passes through without permanent storage
5
Configure authentication and sync settings
Follow the setup guide on the right for detailed configuration instructions from Fivetran.
- Sync all accounts: Automatically sync all accounts you have access to under the customer ID
- Sync specific accounts: Select only specific accounts to sync
- How to find your customer ID
- Understanding account hierarchy
- Manager account vs individual account setup
6
Test and save connection
Once configured, click “Save & Test” to verify the connection
7
Select tables to sync
Back in AstroBee, your data is being synced from Google Ads. This typically takes 10 seconds to 10 minutes depending on your campaign volume and data history.Once synced, select which tables to include in your analysis. Common Google Ads tables include:
- account: Your Google Ads account information and settings
- campaign: Campaign details, budgets, and objectives
- ad_group: Ad group settings, bids, and targeting
- ad: Individual ad copy and creative
- keyword: Search keywords with bids and quality scores
- campaign_stats: Performance metrics aggregated by campaign
8
Connection complete
Your Google Ads connection is now active and appears in “My Sources”
What happens next
After connecting Google Ads, you can create a data layer to start querying your advertising data. Click “Create Data Layer” to let AstroBee analyze your Google Ads tables and generate a business model for natural language queries.Syncing data
Google Ads connections use manual sync - you control when data is refreshed. To sync your latest advertising data:- Navigate to the Sources page
- Find your Google Ads connection
- Click the sync button
Understanding Google Ads data
Google Ads syncs multiple related tables:- Account hierarchy: Accounts, campaigns, ad groups structure
- Ad content: Ad copy, headlines, descriptions, and extensions
- Keyword data: Search terms, bids, quality scores, and match types
- Performance metrics: Impressions, clicks, conversions, cost, and ROI
- Targeting data: Geographic, demographic, and audience targeting
Troubleshooting
For additional help, see Fivetran’s Google Ads troubleshooting guide.Authentication failed
Authentication failed
Issue: Unable to authorize access to Google Ads.Solution:
- Ensure your Google account has access to the Google Ads account
- Verify you’re signed in to the correct Google account
- Check that you have at least read-only access to the Google Ads account
- Try re-authorizing from the beginning
- Confirm your Google Ads account is active and not suspended
Invalid customer ID
Invalid customer ID
Issue: Connection fails with invalid customer ID error.Solution:
- Find your customer ID at the top of your Google Ads interface (10-digit number)
- Enter the customer ID without hyphens (e.g., 1234567890, not 123-456-7890)
- For manager accounts, use the manager account customer ID, not sub-account IDs
- Verify the customer ID corresponds to an account you have access to
- Check that the account is active and not suspended
No data syncing
No data syncing
Issue: Connection succeeds but no data appears in tables.Solution:
- Verify your Google Ads account has active or past campaigns
- Check that campaigns have actually run and generated impressions
- Ensure you selected the correct customer ID during setup
- Wait for the initial sync to complete (can take 10+ minutes for large accounts)
- Trigger a manual sync to refresh data
Sync taking too long
Sync taking too long
Issue: Initial sync appears stuck or is taking longer than expected.Solution:
- Large accounts with extensive campaign history can take 30+ minutes to sync
- Manager accounts syncing multiple sub-accounts take longer
- Check your internet connection
- Avoid making changes to the connection during sync
- Google Ads API rate limits may slow down large syncs
- If stuck for more than an hour, contact support at support@astrobee.ai
Missing campaigns or keywords
Missing campaigns or keywords
Issue: Some campaigns or keywords don’t appear in synced data.Solution:
- Verify the campaigns exist and are active in Google Ads
- Check that campaigns aren’t paused, archived, or deleted
- Ensure your account sync mode includes the accounts containing those campaigns
- Some campaign types (like Smart campaigns) may have limited data
- Trigger a new sync to pull the latest data
- Review your Google Ads access permissions
Manager account issues
Manager account issues
Issue: Cannot sync sub-accounts under a manager (MCC) account.Solution:
- Ensure you’re using the manager account customer ID, not a sub-account ID
- Verify you have access to all sub-accounts you want to sync
- Check that sub-accounts have granted access to the manager account
- Use “Sync all accounts” mode to automatically include all accessible sub-accounts
- Some sub-accounts may need to explicitly grant permission to the manager
Performance data incomplete
Performance data incomplete
Issue: Some metrics or time periods are missing from reports.Solution:
- Google Ads data may have a delay of up to 3 days for finalized conversion data
- Check that conversion tracking is properly set up in Google Ads
- Verify campaigns were active during the time period you’re querying
- Some metrics require specific campaign types or features to be enabled
- Trigger a new sync to pull the latest performance data
- Review Google Ads conversion attribution settings