Google Ads API access levels in 2026: Test, Explorer, Basic and Standard, after the developer token sunset.
Since 9 September 2026, access to the Google Ads API no longer depends on a developer token but on the Google Cloud project behind your application. Written for those who build their own integration, this guide explains the four levels, how the daily limit is really counted, and which level to aim for.
Three things to remember if you build an integration.
The project holds the access
The access level belongs to the Google Cloud project that owns your OAuth client or service account, not to a person or a token.
Four levels, one ladder
Test, Explorer, Basic, Standard. You apply for the next level from the one you hold; Test is granted when you enable the API.
Using a tool? Nothing to apply for
When you connect a third-party tool, the access level is the tool's. What you grant is access to your account, through Google's consent screen.
The developer token is gone. Here is what replaced it.
For years, calling the Google Ads API required a developer token issued to a manager account, with an access level attached to it. Google's documentation now states that developer tokens were sunset on 9 September 2026, and that API access levels are determined by the Google Cloud project used to generate your OAuth credentials.
If you already had an approved token, Google says it examined 90 days of API call logs and assigned the token's level to the Cloud projects that used it. Existing code keeps working: a token may still be sent, and is ignored. Google encourages removing it, and warns that a future major version will reject it. A token that was approved but never used with a project transferred nothing.
Two practical consequences. Notices now go to the owners and editors of the Cloud project, so the right people must hold those roles. And an approved level can no longer be moved to another project: choose the project you will keep.
What each access level allows.
| Level | Accounts and daily limit | How you get it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Test accounts only; 15,000 operations a day | Granted when the Google Ads API is enabled in the Cloud project | A call to a real account is refused |
| Explorer | Real accounts: 2,880 operations a day. Test accounts: 15,000 | Application from the Test level; Google may upgrade automatically | No account creation, user management, planning or billing services |
| Basic | Real and test accounts: 15,000 operations a day | Application from Explorer, after brand verification of the Cloud project | Enough for most in-house tools and small portfolios |
| Standard | Unlimited daily operations; services keep their own rate limits | Application from Basic, with a detailed manual audit | For large companies or tools serving many users; a declared permissible use applies |
Documentation read on 12 October 2026. Google states it last updated these pages between 30 September and 7 October 2026. Check the linked pages before you apply.
What 2,880 operations a day really buys you.
The daily limit runs over a sliding 24-hour window, and Google counts in operations, not in requests. A search request counts as one operation however many rows it returns; following pages of the same result are not counted. In a change request, each individual change counts: adding 500 negative keywords in one request is 500 operations. A request rejected by the service still counts.
2,880 is not a random number: it is two operations a minute, around the clock. For reading, that goes further than it sounds. A daily report built from twelve queries per account uses twelve operations, so 2,880 would cover 240 accounts once a day, in theory. For writing, it runs out fast: one bulk upload of 3,000 keyword changes exceeds the day's allowance on its own.
Whatever the level, a single change request is capped at 10,000 operations, and exceeding the daily limit returns an error rather than slowing you down. Build the count into your design before you apply for a level, not after the first failure.
Choosing a level from what you are building.
| Your situation | Level to aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You use a tool such as Plireo | None | The publisher manages API access. You only authorise the connection to your accounts |
| You are learning or prototyping | Test | Test accounts accept the same calls, without touching real campaigns or spending anything |
| A script that reads a few of your own accounts | Explorer | 2,880 operations a day covers daily reporting on a small number of accounts |
| An in-house tool that also makes changes, or needs keyword planning | Basic | Planning, user and billing services are not open to Explorer, and bulk changes need the higher limit |
| A product used by many advertisers or agencies | Standard | The only level without a daily limit; expect an audit of what the tool does and for whom |
Our own reading of the documented limits, not an official recommendation by Google.
From a new Cloud project to production access.
Enable the API
In the Google Cloud project that owns your OAuth client or service account.
Grants Test
At once. Calls work against test accounts only.
Apply for Explorer
From the Google Ads API overview page of the project, under “Upgrade access level”.
Verify your brand, then apply for Basic
Brand verification of the Cloud project is a prerequisite for new Basic and Standard applications.
Audits for Standard
A manual review: what the tool does, who uses it, with demo access if external users are involved.
A call from a Test-level project to a real account returns CLOUD_PROJECT_NOT_APPROVED_FOR_PRODUCTION in version 25 of the API, and ACTION_NOT_PERMITTED in earlier versions. Google also lists known issues: some projects on a free trial or with suspended billing were refused Explorer or Basic.
Before you apply: six questions to settle.
Is this the project you will keep?
An approved level cannot be moved to another Cloud project. Avoid applying from a personal or temporary one.
Who receives Google's notices?
Owners and editors of the project. Make sure at least two people who will still be there next year hold those roles.
Is billing on the project in order?
Google lists refusals for projects on a free trial or with suspended billing as a known issue.
How many operations will you really use?
Estimate reads and writes separately, with a margin. It decides between Explorer and Basic.
Do you need a restricted service?
Keyword planning, user management, account creation and billing require Basic or Standard.
Can you explain the tool in one page?
For Standard, Google asks what the tool does and who it is for. Writing it first also clarifies what you should not build.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a developer token for the Google Ads API?
No. Google states that developer tokens were sunset on 9 September 2026. Access levels now belong to the Google Cloud project behind your OAuth credentials. A token still sent in a call is ignored for now, and Google says a future major version will reject it.
What is the Explorer access level?
The first level that can call real accounts: 2,880 operations a day on production accounts and 15,000 on test accounts. It cannot use account creation, user management, planning or billing services, which require Basic or Standard.
As an advertiser using a third-party tool, do I need API access?
No. The tool's publisher holds the access level. You authorise the tool on your account through Google's consent screen, and you can withdraw that authorisation from your Google account.
How long does approval take?
Test is immediate. For Explorer and Basic, Google says it may upgrade a project automatically after the application. The documentation mentions ten business days in the context of reviews without tying it clearly to one level, so do not plan a launch on that figure.
Related pages
Be among the first to use Plireo.
Plireo is in pre-launch. Request early access to be told when it opens, or apply to take part in private testing. Access opens gradually, so a request does not mean immediate access.
Paid plans open once the Google Ads, Meta, GA4 and GTM integrations are operationally validated.
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