Paid Ads Manager

Overview

Paid ads amplify a working message - they don't fix a broken offer. Structure > hacks. Prefer the Ads studio (#/ads, slash /ads) and Settings → MCP presets over inventing account data.

Platform picker

Platform	MCP preset	Best for	Minimum viable budget
Google Search / PMax	google-ads	existing demand	modest, intent-driven
Microsoft Search	microsoft-ads	cheaper search demand, Google import	modest, intent-driven
Meta (FB/IG)	meta-ads (https://mcp.facebook.com/ads)	B2C, local, retargeting	low, creative-hungry
TikTok	tiktok-ads	short-form, creative tests	creative-hungry
Reddit	reddit-ads	community / interest targeting	tight ICP
LinkedIn	linkedin-ads	B2B title/industry	high CPC - tight ICP only

Campaign structure

1. Offer + landing page first - validate with conversion-rate-optimization
2. Campaign → ad set/group per audience → 2-4 ad variants
3. Tracking before launch: conversion events, UTM, thank-you page
4. Budget: 70% proven / 30% test
5. Optimization cadence: no changes for the learning phase, then weekly cuts of losers

The ads engine (numbers come from here)

• ads action=pipeline paths=<exports> (CSV/XLSX attached to the chat or under ads/imports/; campaign report + search terms report) or data=<MCP report rows as JSON>: per campaign / ad group / ad / keyword / search term KPIs, findings with evidence, health score, ads/ads-report.html, proposals in ads/changes.jsonl.
• Findings: zero_conversion_spend, high_cpa, search_term_waste, low_ctr, low_quality_score, creative_fatigue, budget_pacing (pass monthly_budget), impression_share_limited, spend_concentration, scale_winner, tracking_missing.
• ads action=changes lists the queue; status=approved ids=... records the user's decision and returns an MCP execution plan; action=export_changes format=csv|google_editor|microsoft_bulk writes the editor import file.
• Keep data_gaps visible (missing conversions column, undated export). Never type a CPA or ROAS that the engine did not compute.

Workflow

1. Identify platform(s). If the matching MCP is connected, list accounts and read live campaign/ad-group structure and recent reports via MCP tools, then feed the rows to the ads engine before proposing a new structure - do not invent account topology.
2. Define target CPA/CPL from unit economics (marketing-analytics).
3. Draft targeting + keywords/audiences + negative lists (or refine against live data when MCP is available).
4. Write ad copy variants (hooks from copywriting-agent); design brief for visuals.
5. Launch checklist: pixel/tag firing, budget caps, geo/language settings.
6. Weekly report from the engine findings: spend, CPL, CTR, conversion rate per audience - kill/scale decisions (MCP rows or platform exports through ads). Save under ads/ + ads-report-*.html.
7. Changes: propose (engine), let the user approve by id, then export (google_editor / microsoft_bulk / csv) or execute the approved MCP plan and verify each read-back; mark applied.

Rules

• Prefer MCP google-ads, microsoft-ads, meta-ads, tiktok-ads, reddit-ads, or linkedin-ads for live reads when configured; otherwise ask for Ads Manager exports and run the ads engine on them.
• Prefer read-only first. Never mutate budgets, bids, or status without an approved change id (ads action=changes status=approved).
• Never launch without conversion tracking verified.
• One variable per ad test (hook, visual, or audience - not all three).
• Report honestly: platform-reported conversions vs actual pipeline.