How to Manage Meta Ads from Claude: Complete Setup Guide

Prerequisites

Before setting up the AdsMAA MCP server, make sure you have these in place:

• An AdsMAA account with at least one connected Meta ad account (connect via Integrations)
• An AI client that supports MCP: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code
• 5 minutes of free time (seriously, that is all it takes)

You do not need:

• Node.js or any local runtime
• Docker or containers
• Separate Meta access tokens
• Any coding knowledge

The AdsMAA MCP server runs remotely at https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp, which means zero local setup and automatic updates.

Step 1: Generate Your API Key

Your API key is how the MCP server authenticates your requests and scopes data to your organization.

Important: Store the API key somewhere safe. If you lose it, you will need to generate a new one. Old keys remain active until deleted.

The key grants access based on the permissions you assign. For full MCP functionality, enable both campaigns and analytics permissions.

Step 2: Claude Desktop Setup

Claude Desktop is the most popular way to use the AdsMAA MCP server. Here is how to set it up:

Find Your Config File

If the file does not exist, create it.

Add the AdsMAA MCP Configuration

Open the config file and add (or merge) this JSON:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adsmaa": {
      "url": "https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your_api_key_here with the key you generated in Step 1.

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the adsmaa entry inside the existing mcpServers object:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": { ... },
    "adsmaa": {
      "url": "https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop

Completely quit Claude Desktop (not just close the window) and reopen it. On macOS, use Cmd+Q. On Windows, check the system tray to make sure it fully exits.

Claude Code and Cursor Setup

Claude Code (CLI)

For Claude Code, add the configuration to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adsmaa": {
      "url": "https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then restart Claude Code. When you start a new session, the AdsMAA tools will be available automatically.

Cursor IDE

In Cursor, go to Settings > MCP Servers > Add Server. Enter:

• Name: adsmaa
• URL: https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp
• Headers: X-API-Key: your_api_key_here

Restart Cursor to activate the connection.

VS Code

VS Code requires an MCP extension (like the official MCP extension or Copilot Chat with MCP support). Once installed, add the same configuration to your VS Code settings JSON under the MCP section.

Step 3: Verify the Connection

After restarting your AI client, verify the connection is working:

Troubleshooting tip: If you see an authentication error, double-check that your API key is correct and that it has not been deleted from AdsMAA Settings > Developer. If you see a connection error, verify the URL is exactly https://mcp.adsmaa.com/mcp with no trailing slash.

Your First 10 MCP Commands

Now that you are connected, here are 10 powerful prompts to try right away:

Each of these commands triggers one or more of the 137 MCP tools behind the scenes. Claude selects the right tools, calls them with the correct parameters, and presents the results in a readable format.

For a complete reference of all available tools, check our 137 Tools Reference Guide.