Google Ads and Merchant Center problems

Metrara only reads Google Ads: it never changes campaigns, budgets or ads, not even when Google's permission screen says "view, edit and delete".

1. Google asks to "view, edit and delete" your Google Ads data

Google Ads has no read-only permission, so Google shows a broad description. Metrara uses the permission to read figures only.

1. Click Allow to continue. Without it, advertising figures can't come in.
2. Changes to campaigns, budgets and ads are always made by you, in Google Ads itself.

2. "Google Ads is not connected yet. Google will ask for permission once more."

Your Google connection was made without the Google Ads permission, for example for Analytics and Search Console only.

1. Go to Manage, choose the business and open Access keys. Client users open Connections.
2. In the Google block, click Also connect Google Ads.
3. Choose the Google account that has access to Google Ads and click Allow.
4. Choose your Google Ads account and click Save and fetch figures.

3. "This Google account manages no advertising accounts."

The Google account you connected with has no access to any Google Ads account.

1. Check in Google Ads which email address has access, under Admin, Access and security.
2. In Metrara, click Disconnect in the Google block, then Continue with Google, and sign in with that Google account.
3. Or ask the owner of the Google Ads account to add your Google account as a user, then reload the page in Metrara.

4. The account is missing from the list

The list shows accounts you have access to directly, plus the active accounts directly under a manager account you have access to. Manager accounts themselves are not in the list, because they don't advertise. An account can be missing because:

• it sits two levels deep, under a sub-manager account;
• it is canceled or suspended in Google Ads;
• your Google account was added only a few minutes ago.

1. In Google Ads, check that the account is active and that your Google account has access, directly or through the manager account one level up.
2. Wait a few minutes after a new link or invitation, then reload the page.
3. Still missing? Give your Google account direct access to the advertising account.

5. "The advertising accounts could not be fetched: …"

Google refused to return the list of accounts. The text after the colon comes from Google.

1. In the Google block, click Disconnect and confirm. Your chosen property and site stay.
2. Click Continue with Google and choose Allow for every permission.
3. If it keeps failing, contact support and include the full message.

6. No access to the Google Ads account

On Home, agency admins see One source could not be fetched with the source google_ads and a reason that mentions no access (403). The account is not linked to the manager account yet, the link is still being processed, or the customer ID is wrong.

1. In Google Ads, check that the advertising account has accepted the link to your manager account. A new link can take a few minutes to work.
2. Check that the account you chose is the right one: a customer ID has 10 digits.
3. Wait a few minutes, then click Refresh figures at the top of Metrics or SEO.
4. Still failing? In the Google block, click Disconnect, then Continue with Google, and choose the account again.

7. "No Google Ads account is linked for …"

The SEA tab has no Google Ads account for this business.

1. Go to Manage, choose the business and open Access keys. Client users open Connections.
2. In the Google block, choose the Google Ads account.
3. Click Save and fetch figures.

See Google Ads.

8. The SEA tab says there is no ad data yet

You chose an account, but no figures have been fetched yet, or the account has no campaigns with activity.

1. Wait for the next nightly fetch, or click Refresh figures at the top of Metrics or SEO.
2. Check in Google Ads that the account has campaigns that ran in the period you look at.
3. A new account without campaigns stays empty. Once a campaign runs, figures come in with the next fetch.

When a period has no figures you see No data in this period yet. Choose a longer or earlier period.

9. "Not enough history yet for insights and a seasonal pattern."

Insights, Reach, Quality and Opportunities under SEA need more history than a few weeks.

1. Use Overview and Campaigns in the meantime.
2. Check back once the account has several months of figures in Metrara.

10. "No search campaigns with ad groups are running."

Write ad can only extend groups of running search campaigns. Your account has none, for example because campaigns are paused or you only run Shopping or Performance Max.

1. Choose New ad group to write for a new campaign.
2. Or start a search campaign in Google Ads and try again after the next fetch.

Find opportunities needs running search campaigns too. When the converting search terms are already keywords, you see No clear opportunities found: the search terms that convert are already keywords in the account. See Write an ad.

11. "This business has no Google Ads link."

You clicked Find opportunities for a business without a Google Ads account. Connect Google Ads first, as described above.

12. The Keyword Planner is not available

Next to the button you see Keywords cost 1 extra credit because the Keyword Planner is not linked. Or, for agency users, keyword research under SEO shows your credit balance instead of Free via the Google Ads Keyword Planner. The Keyword Planner runs through the Google Ads account of the business, even if you don't advertise with it.

1. Connect Google Ads for the business and choose an account, as described above.
2. Reload the page. You then see Keywords via the Keyword Planner: free.
3. Without a Google Ads account, Metrara uses its own keyword data and charges credits. Find opportunities then only uses search terms from the account.

See Credits.

13. Merchant Center: "Also connect Merchant Center" is missing

The button only appears for a connected webshop. Metrara shows Merchant Center for businesses that sell through WooCommerce or Shopify.

1. Connect your webshop first. See WooCommerce.
2. Reload Access keys. The Google block now shows Merchant Center is not connected yet. Google will ask for Shopping permission once more.
3. Click Also connect Merchant Center and click Allow.

14. "This Google account has no Merchant Center accounts."

The Google account you connected with has no access to Merchant Center, or Google returned an empty list.

1. Type the Merchant Center number in the field below the list. You find it at the top right in Merchant Center.
2. Click Save and fetch figures.
3. If figures don't come in, add your Google account as a user in Merchant Center, then click Disconnect and Continue with Google in the Google block.

15. A Merchant Center account can't be selected

Accounts marked manager account, pick the shop account below it can't be selected. Reports only exist for the shop account.

1. Choose the shop account listed below the manager account.
2. Click Save and fetch figures.

If you typed a manager account number yourself, the Shopping block on E-commerce shows an error. Choose the shop account instead.

16. "The Merchant Center list could not be fetched: …"

Google refused to return your Merchant Center accounts.

1. Type the Merchant Center number in the field below the list and click Save and fetch figures.
2. Or click Disconnect, then Continue with Google, and choose Allow for Shopping.

17. "Merchant Center returned an error: …"

The Are your products in Shopping? block on E-commerce couldn't read your products. Below the error you see Check that the account you connected Google with has access to this Merchant Center ID, or reconnect via Admin. "Admin" here means Manage.

1. In Merchant Center, check that your Google account is a user of this account.
2. In Metrara, go to Manage, Access keys, click Disconnect in the Google block and connect again with Continue with Google.
3. Check the chosen Merchant Center account and click Save and fetch figures.

The same error can show under Free Shopping listings.

18. "This needs Merchant Center. Enter the Merchant Center ID under Manage, Access keys, Google."

No Merchant Center account is chosen for this business. Connect Merchant Center as described above. Client users fill in the Merchant Center ID under Connections.

19. "Merchant Center reported no impressions or clicks for free Shopping in this period."

The connection works, but your products got no impressions in free listings in this period.

1. Choose a longer period.
2. In Merchant Center, check that free listings are switched on and that your products are approved.
3. Rejected products are invisible in Shopping. The Are your products in Shopping? block shows why.