Manage Google Ads targeting (`adsap_google_manage_targeting`)

Platform: Google Ads · Read or write: Write · Plan: Early Access · Consumes a task: Yes · Preview supported: Yes

What it does

Manages a campaign or ad group’s targeting after creation: locations, languages and audiences. It adds up to 100 locations or 50 languages to a campaign. It attaches or excludes audiences at campaign or ad group level, sets targeting versus observation mode, or removes one criterion. Ask for a preview first.

When to use it

Use it on a campaign or ad group that already exists. op add attaches locations, languages or audiences. op remove deletes one criterion.
One call takes up to 100 geo_targets, 50 languages or 50 audiences. Get location IDs from adsap_google_search_geo_targets and audience IDs from adsap_google_list_audiences.
Locations and languages go on the campaign. With level set to ad_group and an ad_group_id, the tool handles audiences only.
remove needs criterion_id, written <parent_id>:<criterion_id>. For a location or language, the criterion ID equals the constant ID, so France on campaign 123 reads 123:2250.
It supports a preview call. For campaign negative keywords, use adsap_google_manage_keywords.

Worked example

You ask

“Preview adding France and the French language to Display campaign 21000000002 in Google Ads account 1234567890.”

The assistant calls `adsap_google_manage_targeting`


{
  "op": "add",
  "ad_account_id": "1234567890",
  "campaign_id": "21000000002",
  "geo_targets": [
    { "id": "2250" }
  ],
  "languages": ["1002"],
  "dry_run": true
}

Adsap returns

The field names are the ones Adsap returns. The values are examples.


{
  "ok": true,
  "dry_run": true,
  "platform": "google",
  "entity_type": "campaign",
  "entity_id": "21000000002",
  "name": "Summer collection",
  "current_status": "ENABLED",
  "changes": [
    {
      "field": "add_location",
      "current_value": null,
      "new_value": "geoTargetConstants/2250",
      "will_change": true
    },
    {
      "field": "add_language",
      "current_value": null,
      "new_value": "languageConstants/1002",
      "will_change": true
    }
  ],
  "total_would_change": 2,
  "google_validation": "passed",
  "warnings": []
}

How to read it

changes holds one row per criterion. field reads add_location, add_excluded_location or add_language, and new_value is Google’s constant, here France and French. An audience call uses add_audience, exclude_audience and audience_mode rows instead. google_validation reads passed when Google accepts the batch. Otherwise it carries Google’s error message.

When audiences are added with no mode, warnings can flag the outcome. With no audience setting on the entity, Google defaults to targeting, which narrows delivery.

Nothing was applied here. The response also carries a human_readable_summary sentence, left out of this example. To apply it, the assistant repeats the call with dry_run set to false. That response lists the new criterion IDs in created_criteria.

Parameters

Descriptions are shortened from the tool schema. Your assistant sees the full text.

Name	Type	Required	Description
`op`	one of `add`, `remove`	Yes
`ad_account_id`	string	Yes	Bare 10-digit Google Ads customer ID (from adsap_google_list_ad_accounts). No dashes, no act_ prefix.
`level`	one of `campaign`, `ad_group`	No	Where the criteria live. Default ‘campaign’. ‘ad_group’ = audience adds on an ad group (pass ad_group_id), or removes of ad-group criteria.
`campaign_id`	string	No	op ‘add’ at campaign level: the EXISTING campaign to add targeting to.
`ad_group_id`	string	No	op ‘add’ with level ‘ad_group’: the EXISTING ad group to attach audiences to.
`geo_targets`	array of object	No	op ‘add’: locations to target (or exclude via negative: true). Resolve names to ids with adsap_google_search_geo_targets first.
`geo_targets[].id`	string	Yes	Numeric geo target constant id (from adsap_google_search_geo_targets, e.g. 2250 = France).
`geo_targets[].negative`	boolean	No	true = EXCLUDE this location (not allowed on Performance Max campaigns).
`languages`	array of string	No	op ‘add’: language constant ids (e.g. 1000 = English, 1002 = French). No language criteria on a campaign = all languages. NOT for Search campaigns: Google removes Search language targeting in late September 2026 (Google rejects the add with OPERATION_NOT_PERMITTED_FOR_CONTEXT…
`audiences`	array of object	No	op ‘add’: audiences to attach or exclude. Cannot be combined with geo_targets/languages in the same call.
`audiences[].user_list_id`	string	No	Numeric user list (audience segment) id from adsap_google_list_audiences. Use everywhere EXCEPT Demand Gen.
`audiences[].audience_id`	string	No	Numeric Audience resource id from adsap_google_list_audiences: DEMAND GEN ad groups only. Exactly one of user_list_id / audience_id per item.
`audiences[].negative`	boolean	No	true = EXCLUDE this audience (user_list_id only; campaign-level exclusions also work on Display and Performance Max).
`mode`	one of `targeting`, `observation`	No	Audience targeting setting: ‘targeting’ narrows delivery to the attached audiences; ‘observation’ keeps full reach (bid adjustments only). Combinable with an audience add, or standalone.
`criterion_id`	string	No	op ‘remove’ only: the criterion as “<parent_id>:<criterion_id>”: campaign id for level ‘campaign’, ad group id for level ‘ad_group’. Geo/language/audience criteria only: campaign negative keywords are removed via adsap_google_manage_keywords.
`dry_run`	boolean	No	Preview only: the request is validated and the resolved payload returned, nothing is created or changed.

Example prompts

“Add Belgium and Switzerland to my Search campaign’s locations and exclude Monaco.”
“Attach my Website visitors audience to the Brand campaign in observation mode.”
“Remove Germany from the targeting of campaign 1234567890.”

Notes

Audiences cannot be combined with locations or languages in one call. Google’s default audience setting is targeting, which narrows reach, so ask for observation on Search and Shopping unless you want to narrow. Demand Gen audiences go on the ad group, not the campaign.

adsap_google_keyword_ideas: Get keyword suggestions with search volume from Google Keyword Planner for a Google Search campaign.
adsap_google_manage_keywords: Manage Google Ads Search keywords AFTER creation.
adsap_google_search_geo_targets: Find Google Ads geo target constants by location name (city, region, country, postal area) for Search campaign location targeting.
adsap_google_search_terms: Search terms report for a Google Ads account: the REAL user queries that triggered Search (and Shopping) ads, with…

Guide

Read Managing Google Ads in bulk for the workflow around this tool, and the Tool reference for every tool.

The Google Ads MCP server page shows how to connect Google Ads to Claude, ChatGPT or Perplexity.

Manage Google Ads targeting (adsap_google_manage_targeting)