Connect Google Ads

Connecting Google Ads lets StockSweep run clearance campaigns against your dead stock and report on how they perform — on your own Google Ads account, under the spend limits described in Paid Ads — who pays for what. This article covers the connection itself: authorizing access and picking the right account.

Estimated time: 5 minutes, once available (see the note below).

Not yet available to connect

Read this before the checklist below. Connecting to Google Ads needs Google Ads API access provisioned on StockSweep's side, and that is not provisioned yet. The rest of this article is accurate and ready — it documents exactly what will happen once it is, so you know what to expect the day the Connect button starts working. Until then, clicking Connect will not complete, and that is not something wrong with your account. If Google Ads is the reason you're evaluating StockSweep, contact us for the current status directly. See also Integrations Overview.

What you'll accomplish

• Authorize StockSweep to access your Google Ads account
• Pick the right Google Ads account if you manage more than one
• Pick the conversion action StockSweep should report against
• Know the connection states you'll see and what each means

Requirements

• Plan: Pro or Enterprise. Not available on Free or Growth.
• A Google Ads account you have access to, with at least one conversion action already set up (StockSweep picks from your existing ones — it does not create one for you).
• Found at Settings → Integrations → Google Ads.

Quick checklist

• You're on Pro or Enterprise
• You know which Google Ads account (or sub-account, if you use a manager account) should run clearance campaigns
• You have at least one conversion action already configured in that account
• You're logged into the right Google account when the authorization screen appears

Step-by-step

1. Open the Google Ads integration page

Settings → Integrations → Google Ads → Connect.

2. Approve access on Google's side

You're sent to Google's own account-permission screen — this is Google asking you, not StockSweep. It requests access to manage your Google Ads account (the standard AdWords/Google Ads API scope). Approve it to continue.

3. Pick your account

If you use a Google Ads manager account (an MCC) with multiple accounts underneath it, the connection status shows Choose account and StockSweep lists every account your login can reach. Pick the specific account (a "login customer ID" for the manager, and the "target customer ID" for the account clearance campaigns should actually run in — these can be the same account if you don't use a manager account).

4. Pick your conversion action

StockSweep lists the conversion actions already configured in the account you picked. Choose the one that should count as a "conversion" for clearance campaign reporting — typically the same one you use to measure purchases elsewhere. StockSweep does not create a new conversion action on your behalf.

5. Save

Once an account and a conversion action are both selected, the connection status moves to Connected and campaign creation becomes available — see Paid Ads — who pays for what for what happens next, including the spend governor that limits how much any campaign can spend.

What success looks like

• The integration page shows Connected, with the account name and conversion action you picked both visible.
• Campaign performance data and conversion counts begin appearing against that conversion action inside a normal Google Ads reporting delay — Google Ads reports offline conversions on its own schedule, not instantly.

Troubleshooting

Stuck on "Choose account" and nothing lists

Symptom: after authorizing, no accounts appear to pick from. Likely cause: the Google login you authorized with doesn't have access to the Google Ads account you meant to connect. Fix: disconnect and reconnect, authorizing with the correct Google account this time. Confirm: the account you expect appears in the list.

Status shows "Needs attention"

Symptom: the connection was working, then flipped to Needs attention (internally called Degraded). Likely cause: most often a secret/token issue on Google's side — access was revoked, or a permission was removed from the connected Google account. Fix: reconnect through Connect again, then re-confirm your account and conversion action selection. Confirm: status returns to Connected.

Couldn't save my account/conversion action selection

Symptom: picking an account and conversion action and clicking save fails with an error. Likely cause: the conversion action you picked no longer exists or was disabled in Google Ads since the list was loaded, or the connection needs to be re-authorized first. Fix: refresh the conversion-action list and try again; if that fails, reconnect first. Confirm: the selection saves and status moves to Connected.

Billing & responsibility

You pay Google directly, on your own Google Ads account — StockSweep does not resell ad inventory, mark up your spend, or bill you for it. Your StockSweep subscription is a flat monthly price whether you spend nothing or a lot on ads. Full detail on how the spend governor protects your budget is in Paid Ads — who pays for what; read it before running your first campaign, not after.

FAQ

Does StockSweep create the conversion action for me?

No. Pick from conversion actions you've already set up in Google Ads. If you don't have one yet, create it in Google Ads first, then come back and connect.

Can I change which account or conversion action is selected later?

Yes — reconnecting lets you pick again without losing your campaign history.

Is this the same connection as Google Analytics 4?

No — they're separate. GA4 is a credentials-based connection with no OAuth step; see Connect Google Analytics 4. Google Ads is the OAuth flow described here.

Related articles

• Integrations Overview
• Paid Ads — who pays for what
• Connect Google Analytics 4