Access to Adsroid MCP is authenticated through an API key. The same key you use to call the Adsroid API directly also works to authenticate the MCP server, there is no separate credential, no additional setup, and no distinction between the two access methods at the billing level. If you already use the Adsroid API, you are ready to use Adsroid MCP with the exact same key.
Your API key
Your API key is a unique token that identifies your Adsroid workspace and authorises all requests made on its behalf, whether those requests come from the API directly or from an AI assistant through the MCP server.
To generate or retrieve your API key, log in to your Adsroid account and navigate to Settings → API Keys. From there you can create a new key, view existing keys, and revoke access if needed.
Keep your API key private. It grants full access to all projects in your workspace, including the ability to read data and apply changes to all connected ad accounts.
How authentication works
When Claude connects to the Adsroid MCP server, it sends your API key with every request as a bearer token in the request header. The MCP server verifies the key on each call before processing anything.
If the key is valid, the request proceeds. If it is invalid, expired, or revoked, the server returns an authentication error and the tool call fails. Claude will surface this as an error in the conversation.
You do not need to manage this process manually. Once you have entered your API key in Claude’s integration settings, it is used automatically for the duration of every session.
Credits — one system for API and MCP
One of the design principles behind Adsroid MCP is simplicity. Rather than introducing a separate billing model for MCP usage, Adsroid uses the same credit system for both the API and the MCP server.
Every tool call consumes 1 credit, regardless of the tool type, the platform being queried, or the volume of data returned. A call to retrieve account metrics costs the same as a call to update a campaign status.
This means:
- You manage a single credit balance that covers all usage, API calls made directly by your own code and tool calls made by AI assistants through MCP
- There is no minimum usage, no monthly seat fee specific to MCP, and no price difference between read and write operations
- Monitoring your consumption is straightforward: every tool call in a conversation is one credit, so a session that makes 12 tool calls costs 12 credits
Credits are consumed at the time of the tool call, not at the time of the conversation. If Claude calls 3 tools to answer a single question, that costs 3 credits.
Planning your credit usage
A typical Adsroid MCP session involves multiple tool calls. Claude often chains them automatically, for example, listing campaigns first, then pulling metrics for each one, then querying keywords. It is normal for a thorough account audit to involve 15 to 30 tool calls.
To get a sense of what a session costs, you can ask Claude to summarise how many tools it called at the end of a conversation. You can also monitor credit usage in real time from your Adsroid dashboard under Settings.
If you are running automated workflows or high-frequency sessions, consider setting up usage alerts in your dashboard to avoid unexpected consumption.
Managing your API key
Rotating your key. If you suspect your API key has been compromised, revoke it immediately from the API Keys settings page and generate a new one. You will need to update the key in Claude’s integration settings after rotation.
Multiple keys. You can create multiple API keys for the same workspace, for example, one for direct API usage in your codebase and a separate one for MCP access. Both consume from the same credit balance. Using separate keys makes it easier to revoke access selectively without disrupting all integrations at once.
Key scope. API keys are scoped to the organization level. A key gives access to all projects in the organization. There is currently no option to restrict a key to specific projects or platforms.
