Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Adspirer — what it is, how it works, pricing, security, supported platforms, and troubleshooting. Everything you need to know before getting started.

What Is Adspirer?

What is Adspirer?

Adspirer is an MCP server that connects AI assistants to advertising platforms. It gives your AI (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Cursor, Codex) access to 100+ tools for managing Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and TikTok Ads through natural language.

Instead of logging into 4 different ad platforms, you describe what you want — “find wasted spend across all platforms” or “create a Google Search campaign for my SaaS” — and your AI handles it.

Is Adspirer an AI agent or a tool?

Both. At the core, Adspirer is an MCP server that provides 100+ advertising tools. On top of that, it ships a performance marketing agent — a specialized AI agent with brand awareness, strategy persistence, and proven workflows.

• Tools only: Connect the MCP server and use raw tools. Good for quick queries.
• Agent + tools: Install the full plugin (agent, skills, slash commands). The agent follows proven workflows, remembers your brand, and persists strategic decisions.

See Agent Skills Overview for details.

How is Adspirer different from other ad management tools?

Traditional tools have dashboards you click through. Adspirer is different in two ways:

1. Natural language interface. You describe what you want. No dashboards, no button hunting, no learning a new UI.
2. AI-native workflows. The agent researches your competitors, pulls real keyword data, writes brand-voice ad copy, and creates campaigns — all in one conversation.

It’s not a dashboard replacement. It’s an AI-powered advertising manager that connects directly to your ad platforms.

Which AI clients work with Adspirer?

Any MCP-compatible AI client. Currently supported with setup guides:

Client	Agent Support	Setup Guide
Claude Code	Full (subagent + skills)	Guide
Claude	Skill upload	Guide
Cursor	Full (subagent + rules)	Guide
Codex	Full (agent config + skills)	Guide
ChatGPT	Tools only	Guide
Windsurf	Coming soon	Guide
OpenClaw	Bundled skill	Guide
Perplexity	Skill upload	Guide
Manus	Skills (GitHub import)	Guide

How It Works

How does Adspirer connect to my ad accounts?

Through OAuth 2.1 with PKCE — the same standard used by banking apps. When you connect a platform:

1. Your browser opens to Google/Meta/LinkedIn/TikTok’s login page
2. You sign in with your existing credentials (Adspirer never sees your password)
3. You authorize specific permissions (read campaigns, create ads, etc.)
4. Adspirer receives a scoped access token — not your password

You can revoke access anytime from your ad platform’s security settings. See Security.

Can Adspirer spend my money without permission?

No. Multiple safety layers prevent unauthorized spending:

• All campaigns are created in PAUSED status — you review before anything goes live
• The agent always asks before any action that affects spend
• Skills enforce a read-before-write pattern — research and validation happen before creation
• Adspirer never retries a failed campaign creation automatically
• Budget guardrails from your brand context file are checked before spend-affecting actions

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard created by Anthropic that allows AI assistants to connect to external tools and services. Think of it as a universal adapter between AI and the tools it needs.

Adspirer implements MCP so that any AI client — Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Cursor, Codex — can access the same 100+ advertising tools through one connection. See How MCP Works.

What are skills and why do they matter?

Skills are instruction files (SKILL.md) that teach AI assistants the right workflow for advertising tasks. Without skills, the AI guesses which tools to call. With skills:

• It follows proven workflows (research → validate → create → verify)
• Safety rules are enforced automatically
• Campaign creation works on the first try instead of failing mid-workflow

Skills are optional but highly recommended. See Agent Skills Overview.

Can I use Adspirer on a remote server or in Docker?

Yes. Generate a Personal Access Token (API key) from adspirer.ai/keys, then authenticate using either:

• CLI flag: openclaw adspirer login --token sk_live_your_key
• Environment variable: export ADSPIRER_API_KEY=sk_live_your_key

You still need to connect your ad platforms via OAuth from a browser at adspirer.ai/connections. The API key on your remote server will then access those connected accounts.

See the OpenClaw Remote Server Setup guide.

Do I need to install anything?

It depends on your AI client:

• Claude (web/desktop): No install. Add a connector URL in settings. Guide →
• ChatGPT: No install. Add a connector in settings. Guide →
• Claude Code: One command (/plugin install adspirer). Guide →
• Cursor: One command (bash installer). Guide →
• Codex: One command (bash installer). Guide →

Ad Platforms

Which ad platforms does Adspirer support?

Four platforms with 100+ tools:

Platform	Tools	What You Can Do
Google Ads	39	Keyword research, Search & PMax campaigns, wasted spend, budget optimization, ad extensions
LinkedIn Ads	28	Sponsored content, lead gen, B2B targeting, creative management
Meta Ads	20	Image/video/carousel campaigns, audience targeting, creative fatigue
TikTok Ads	4	In-feed campaigns, video asset validation

See Platform Comparison for a detailed breakdown.

Can I use Adspirer with multiple ad accounts?

Yes. You can connect multiple accounts per platform. Use switch_primary_account to change which account you’re managing, or specify the account ID in your prompts. See Multi-Account Management.

Does Adspirer work with agency accounts?

Yes. Adspirer supports MCC (My Client Center) accounts for Google Ads and Business Manager accounts for Meta. You can manage multiple client accounts from one Adspirer connection. See Multi-Client Management.

Are campaigns created live or paused?

Always paused. Every campaign Adspirer creates starts in PAUSED status. You review the campaign — targeting, keywords, ad copy, budget — and manually enable it when you’re ready. This is enforced at both the skill level and the tool level.

Pricing & Billing

How much does Adspirer cost?

Pricing is based on tool calls, not ad spend:

Plan	Price	Tool Calls	Best For
Free	$0/mo	15/month	Try it out
Plus	$49/mo	150/month	Small advertisers
Pro	$99/mo	600/month	Active campaign managers
Max	$199/mo	3,000/month	Agencies and power users

A “tool call” is one Adspirer MCP tool invocation (e.g., get_campaign_performance, research_keywords). A typical campaign creation uses 8-12 tool calls. See full pricing.

Is there a free tier?

Yes. 15 free tool calls per month, no credit card required. Enough to try a performance review, keyword research, or wasted spend analysis. Sign up free →

Do I pay separately for each AI client?

No. Your Adspirer plan works across all AI clients. The same account and tool call quota applies whether you use Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Cursor, or Codex.

Security & Privacy

Is my data safe?

Yes. Key protections:

• OAuth 2.1 with PKCE — Adspirer never sees your passwords
• Scoped permissions — you authorize exactly what Adspirer can do
• Encrypted tokens — access tokens encrypted at rest, auto-refreshed
• Revocable access — revoke anytime from your ad platform’s security settings
• No billing data — Adspirer never accesses credit cards or payment information

See Security & Data Privacy for full details.

Can I revoke Adspirer's access?

Yes, anytime. Go to your ad platform’s security or connected apps settings:

• Google Ads: myaccount.google.com/permissions
• Meta: Settings & Privacy → Settings → Business Integrations
• LinkedIn: Settings → Data Privacy → Permitted Services
• TikTok: Settings → Security → Authorized Apps

How are API keys secured?

API keys are hashed with SHA-256 before storage — the raw token is never stored server-side. Keys can be revoked instantly from the dashboard, set to expire after a specified period, and are tier-limited (Free: 2 keys, Plus: 5, Pro: 10, Max: 20). See Security — API Key Authentication.

Does Adspirer store my ad data?

Adspirer reads your campaign data in real-time from ad platform APIs and returns it to your AI client. It does not permanently store campaign performance data, ad copy, or targeting settings. OAuth tokens are stored encrypted for session management.

Troubleshooting

Nothing is working — tools fail or I can't reach Adspirer

If no tools work at all (even get_connections_status or echo_test fails), this is a connection issue between your AI client and the Adspirer MCP server. Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Check tool permissions

Your AI client needs the right tool permission settings:

• Read tools (performance analysis, keyword research, connection status): Set to Always allow
• Write tools (campaign creation, budget changes): Set to Custom (ask each time)

If tools are set to “Block” or “Never allow,” Adspirer can’t execute anything. Check your connector settings and toggle permissions.

Step 2: Disconnect and reconnect the Adspirer connector

• Claude (web/desktop): Go to Customize → Connectors, find Ads MCP, click Disconnect, then Connect again and complete the OAuth flow
• ChatGPT: Go to Settings → Connectors, remove Adspirer-MCP, then re-add it with URL https://mcp.adspirer.com/mcp and complete OAuth
• Claude Code: Run claude mcp remove adspirer, then claude mcp add --transport http adspirer https://mcp.adspirer.com/mcp, restart, and re-authenticate via /mcp
• Cursor: Re-connect via MCP settings

Step 3: Refresh your Adspirer session

If reconnecting the connector doesn’t fix it, your Adspirer login session may have expired:

1. Go to adspirer.ai
2. Log out (click your avatar → Sign out)
3. Log back in
4. Return to your AI client and try again

When does this apply? Only when nothing works — not even basic tools like get_connections_status. If some ad accounts work but one doesn’t (e.g., Google works but LinkedIn fails), that’s a platform-specific connection issue, not a general connection problem. In that case, reconnect just that platform at adspirer.ai/connections.

Why does my connector keep disconnecting? (Claude / ChatGPT web)

Claude (web/desktop) and ChatGPT periodically disconnect MCP connectors — typically every 1–2 weeks. This is normal behavior for web-based AI clients, not an Adspirer issue.

When it happens:

1. Go to your AI client’s connector settings
2. Find Adspirer / Ads MCP
3. Click Connect (or re-enable it)
4. Complete the OAuth flow if prompted
5. Verify tool permissions are set correctly (read tools → Always allow, write tools → Custom)

If you find yourself reconnecting frequently, make sure you’re logged into adspirer.ai in the same browser. An active Adspirer session makes re-authentication faster (often just a single click).

Why isn't Adspirer connecting to my ad account?

Common causes:

1. Ad platform not connected: Visit adspirer.ai and connect your Google/Meta/LinkedIn/TikTok account
2. OAuth expired: Re-authenticate by clicking the MCP server connection in your AI client
3. Browser extension interference: Disable ad blockers temporarily during OAuth
4. Wrong account: Use switch_primary_account to select the correct ad account

Why do I see 'token expired' errors?

Access tokens expire after 1 hour. Adspirer auto-refreshes them, but if the refresh token (30-day lifetime) has also expired, you’ll need to re-authenticate:

• Claude Code: Run /mcp, select the Adspirer server, and re-authenticate
• Claude: Reconnect the connector in Customize → Connectors
• ChatGPT: Reconnect in Settings → Connectors
• Cursor: Re-connect via MCP settings

If re-authenticating doesn’t work, log out of adspirer.ai and log back in to refresh your session, then reconnect the connector.

I hit my tool call limit. What now?

Your free tier includes 15 tool calls/month. Options:

1. Wait for the monthly reset
2. Upgrade to Plus ($49/mo for 150 calls) or Pro ($99/mo for 600 calls)
3. Check your usage with get_usage_status

View pricing →

My API key isn't working. What should I check?

Common causes:

1. Key revoked or expired: Check your key status at adspirer.ai/keys
2. Wrong format: API keys start with sk_live_ — check for extra whitespace or line breaks
3. No ad platforms connected: API keys authenticate you, but you still need to connect platforms at adspirer.ai/connections
4. Environment variable issue: Verify with echo $ADSPIRER_API_KEY

Generate a new key if the existing one is compromised or expired.

Campaign creation failed. What should I do?

Don’t retry automatically. Common causes:

• Missing keyword research: Run research_keywords before creating Search campaigns
• Invalid assets: Run validate_and_prepare_assets to check image dimensions, headline lengths
• Platform not connected: Run get_connections_status to verify
• Budget below minimum: Google/LinkedIn require $10/day minimum, Meta$5/day

If using skills, the workflow handles all of these automatically.

Related Documentation

• Security & Data Privacy — OAuth, token lifecycle, data access
• Pricing — Plans and tool call limits
• Platform Comparison — Google vs Meta vs LinkedIn vs TikTok
• Agent Skills Overview — Skills, workflows, and safety rules