Adding Your First Client

This guide walks you through every step of adding a client to PerfoAds. You'll connect your Google Ads account, choose which accounts to manage, set up client details, and run your first sync. By the end, you'll have a complete client profile with live data.

What You'll Learn

Time needed: 10-15 minutes per client

Before You Start

Access Requirements

You need one of these:

Option 1: Direct Account Access

Option 2: MCC (Manager) Account Access

What to Have Ready

[Screenshot: Checklist of items to prepare before adding client] Having this info ready makes setup faster and more complete

Understanding Account Types

Before you start, it helps to know which type of access you have:

Direct Access Accounts

What it is: You log in directly to a single Google Ads account.

How it works:

Example: You manage ads for a local bakery. You log in with the bakery's Google account to access their ads.

MCC (Manager Customer Center) Access

What it is: You manage multiple Google Ads accounts through one master account.

How it works:

Example: Your agency has 20 clients. You log into your agency MCC account and see all 20 client accounts.

[Screenshot: Account selector showing MCC with multiple client accounts] MCC users see all linked client accounts in one list

Not sure which you have? Log into Google Ads. If you see multiple accounts in a dropdown, you have MCC access.

Step 1: Start the Add Client Process

From your PerfoAds dashboard:

  1. Click Add Client in the top right corner
  2. The account selector screen appears

[Screenshot: Empty client dashboard with "Add Client" button highlighted] Starting point - click Add Client to begin

Step 2: Connect Your Google Account (First Time Only)

If this is your first time, you'll need to authorize PerfoAds:

  1. Click Connect with Google
  2. Select your Google account from the list
  3. Review the permissions requested:
    • Read Google Ads data
    • View basic profile info (name, email)
  4. Click Allow

[Screenshot: Google OAuth permission screen showing requested permissions] Google asks you to approve access - this is secure and normal

What permissions does PerfoAds get?

Security note: PerfoAds uses OAuth, Google's secure authentication. We never see your Google password.

Already connected? You'll skip this step and go straight to account selection.

Step 3: Select the Google Ads Account

Now you'll see a list of all Google Ads accounts you have access to.

For Direct Access Users

You'll see:

[Screenshot: Account selector showing 1-3 direct access accounts] Choose the account you want to manage

For MCC Users

You'll see:

[Screenshot: Account selector showing MCC with 15+ client accounts, some already added] MCC users see their full client list - already-added accounts are grayed out

Selecting Your Account

  1. Scroll through the list if you have many accounts
  2. Use the search box to filter by name or customer ID
  3. Click the account you want to add
  4. The account highlights and you move to the next step

Pro Tip: The customer ID (10-digit number like 123-456-7890) uniquely identifies each account.

Step 4: Fill in Client Details

Now you'll set up the client profile. This information helps the AI give better insights.

Required Fields

Client Name

Google Ads Customer ID

[Screenshot: Add Client form with required fields highlighted] Only client name is required - everything else is optional but helpful

Optional But Recommended Fields

Website URL

Monthly Budget

Industry

Business Goals

[Screenshot: Add Client form with all optional fields filled in] More details = better AI insights and recommendations

Advanced Settings (Expandable)

Click Advanced Settings to see:

Auto-Sync Schedule

Alert Preferences

Data Retention

[Screenshot: Advanced settings section expanded] Advanced settings are optional - defaults work well for most users

Step 5: Create the Client

  1. Review all the information you entered
  2. Click Create Client
  3. You'll see a success message
  4. The client appears in your client list

[Screenshot: Success message after creating client] Client created successfully - now ready for first sync

What happens next?

Step 6: Run Your First Sync

Now let's get some data.

Starting the Sync

  1. Find your new client in the list
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to their name
  3. Select Smart Sync

[Screenshot: Client list with Actions menu open, Smart Sync option highlighted] Smart Sync pulls all data for the first time

What Gets Synced

During the first sync, the system pulls:

Campaign Data

Ad Group Data

Keyword Data

Ad Creative Data

Conversion Data

Performance Metrics

[Screenshot: Sync progress showing different data types being pulled] First sync pulls everything - you'll see progress for each data type

How Long It Takes

Small accounts (1-10 campaigns):

Medium accounts (10-50 campaigns):

Large accounts (50-200 campaigns):

Very large accounts (200+ campaigns):

Why the variation? More campaigns, ad groups, and keywords = more data to pull.

During the Sync

You'll see:

Can you navigate away? Yes! The sync runs in the background. Come back anytime to check progress.

[Screenshot: Sync in progress at 60%, showing "Syncing keywords..."] Sync keeps running even if you leave the page

Step 7: Verify the Sync Completed

When sync finishes:

  1. You'll see a green checkmark next to the client
  2. Status changes to "Last synced: Just now"
  3. Client detail page now shows data

Checking the Data

Click on the client name to open their detail page.

What you should see:

[Screenshot: Client detail page after first sync, showing populated data] After sync, you see all campaigns, metrics, and AI insights

If Sync Failed

Symptom: Red X icon, status says "Sync failed"

Common causes:

  1. Permission issue - Account access was revoked
  2. Google Ads suspended - Account is paused or suspended
  3. API limit reached - Too many syncs in one day (rare)

How to fix:

  1. Check Sync Logs page for error details
  2. Verify you still have access to the Google Ads account
  3. Try syncing again
  4. If it keeps failing, contact support

[Screenshot: Failed sync showing error message] Sync errors show detailed messages - check Sync Logs for more info

Step 8: Set Up Business Context (Optional but Powerful)

Want better AI recommendations? Add business context.

Why Context Matters

The AI analyzes your data, but it doesn't know:

Example without context: AI suggests: "Increase bids on keyword X"

Example with context: AI suggests: "Increase bids on keyword X, but stay within your $5K monthly budget. This aligns with your goal to generate more qualified leads in the legal services industry."

Adding Context

  1. Go to client detail page
  2. Click Business Profile tab
  3. Fill in:
    • Industry details (what they sell, target audience)
    • Geographic focus (local, national, international)
    • Conversion value (what's a lead/sale worth?)
    • Budget constraints (hard limits, seasonal changes)
    • Competitive landscape (main competitors, market position)

[Screenshot: Business Profile form with example entries] The more context you provide, the smarter the AI recommendations become

Pro Tip: Come back and update this as you learn more about the client's business.

What Happens After Setup

Automatic Daily Syncs

If you enabled auto-sync (default):

Change sync schedule: Go to Settings → Sync Schedule

AI Analysis Begins

After first sync, the AI starts working:

  1. Scans for optimization opportunities

    • Budget waste on low performers
    • Missing conversion tracking
    • Poor quality scores
    • Better bidding strategies

  2. Creates Smart Alerts

    • Ranked by severity (low, medium, high, critical)
    • Grouped by category (budget, performance, technical)
    • Actionable recommendations

  3. Enables AI Chat

    • Ask questions about the account
    • Get insights based on real data
    • Explore trends and patterns

[Screenshot: Smart Alerts dashboard showing 5 new alerts for newly added client] AI finds optimization opportunities right after first sync

You Can Now

Tips & Best Practices

When Adding Multiple Clients

Batch your setup: Add all clients in one session. It's faster than doing them one at a time.

Stagger sync times: Don't sync all clients at once. Space out auto-sync times to avoid hitting API limits.

Example schedule:

Client Naming Conventions

Use consistent naming to stay organized:

Good examples:

Avoid:

Filling Out Business Profile

Do it right away: Fresh context helps AI from day one.

Be specific: "Generate qualified leads" is better than "Get more business".

Include numbers: "Increase sales by 20%" is better than "Increase sales".

Update regularly: Business goals change - keep the profile current.

Managing MCC Accounts

Add clients gradually: Don't add 50 clients at once. Start with 5-10, learn the system, then add more.

Prioritize high-spend accounts: Add your biggest clients first - they benefit most from AI optimization.

Use folders (coming soon): Organize clients by industry, team, or region.

Common Questions

Q: Can I add the same Google Ads account twice? A: No. Each Google Ads customer ID can only be added once. If you try, you'll see a message saying the account already exists.

Q: What if I manage accounts for a client through their Google login? A: You have two options:

  1. Log into PerfoAds with their Google account
  2. Ask them to add you as a user in their Google Ads account, then log in with your own account

Q: Can I change the client name later? A: Yes! Click the client, then click Edit to update name, website, budget, or any other field.

Q: Do I need to add business context right away? A: No, but it's recommended. You can always add it later. The AI works without it, but gives better recommendations with it.

Q: What happens if I lose access to the Google Ads account? A: Syncing will fail. You'll see an error message. You can remove the client or reconnect with a different Google account that has access.

Q: Can I sync on-demand, or is it only automatic? A: Both! Auto-sync runs daily, but you can manually sync anytime from the client list or detail page.

Q: How often should I manually sync? A: Only when you need fresh data before a client call or after making changes in Google Ads. Daily auto-sync is usually enough.

Troubleshooting

Problem: "Account already exists" error

Symptom: After selecting an account, you see "This account is already added"

Cause: The Google Ads customer ID is already in your client list

Solution:

  1. Go to your client list
  2. Search for the customer ID or account name
  3. If you want to re-add it, delete the existing entry first
  4. Then add it again

Problem: "No accounts found" when selecting

Symptom: After connecting Google, the account list is empty

Cause: Your Google account doesn't have access to any Google Ads accounts

Solution:

  1. Verify you logged in with the correct Google account
  2. Check that account has Google Ads access (direct or MCC)
  3. Try logging out and back in
  4. Contact support if issue persists

Problem: Sync fails immediately

Symptom: Sync starts but fails within seconds with "Permission denied"

Cause: Account permissions changed after you selected it

Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Connected Accounts
  2. Click Reconnect Google Ads
  3. Grant all requested permissions
  4. Try syncing the client again

Problem: Sync takes forever

Symptom: Sync stuck at same percentage for 10+ minutes

Cause: Very large account or API slowness

Solution:

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Wait 15-20 minutes (large accounts can take this long)
  3. If still stuck after 30 minutes, cancel and retry
  4. Contact support if consistently slow

Problem: Wrong account was added

Symptom: You selected the wrong Google Ads account

Solution:

  1. Go to client detail page
  2. Click three-dot menu → Delete Client
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Add the correct account again

Next Steps

Now that your first client is set up, here's what to explore:

Ready to add more clients? Click Add Client and repeat the process!

Want to customize sync settings? Go to Settings → Sync Schedule

Need help? Contact support at contact@perfoads.com

Last Updated: October 4, 2025