Google Ads MCC Scripts: Cross-Account Management Automation

If you are an agency or large enterprise, you live in the My Client Center (MCC). But clicking into 50 individual accounts to check for "Disapproved Ads" is a waste of human life. You don't need more account managers. You need MCC Scripts. Unlike standard scripts (which run on one account), MCC Scripts sit at the master level and iterate through every child account executing logic. One script, 50 accounts, 5 minutes.

In this guide, we break down the MCC Iterator Pattern, the top 3 scripts for agencies, and how to build a centralized "Health Dashboard."

The Financial Logic of MCC Automation

• Manual Check: 5 minutes per account x 50 accounts = 4 hours/day.
• Script Check: 0 minutes (Runs at 6 AM).
• Efficiency Gain: You save 20 hours/week.
• Reliability: Humans miss broken links. Scripts check every single URL code 200.

Theory: The Iterator Pattern

All MCC Scripts follow the same logic:

1. Select Accounts: Define which accounts to touch (e.g., Label = 'Active').
2. Iterate: Open Account A -> Do Task -> Save -> Open Account B.
3. Aggregate: Email a single report with data from all 50 accounts.

Framework: The "Link Checker" (Must-Have)

The most dangerous thing in PPC is paying for traffic to a 404 page. If a client changes a URL and doesn't tell you, you are burning cash. The Script Logic:

1. Iterate through all accounts.
2. Scan all Active Ads and Keywords.
3. Fetch the HTTP response for every URL.
4. If Code != 200 (e.g., 404, 500), pause the ad or email the manager immediately. Impact: Zero wasted spend on broken pages.

Execution: Setting Up Your First MCC Script

1. Navigate: MCC Dashboard → Tools → Scripts.
2. New Script: Click "+".
3. The Boilerplate:

   function main() {
     var accountIterator = AdsManagerApp.accounts()
         .withCondition("LabelNames CONTAINS 'Active'")
         .get();
   
     while (accountIterator.hasNext()) {
       var account = accountIterator.next();
       AdsManagerApp.select(account);
       // Your logic here (e.g., check budget)
     }
   }
   

4. Authorize: You must authorize the script to access all child accounts.
5. Schedule: Set to run "Hourly" or "Daily."

Advanced Strategy: The "Budget Pacing" Dashboard

Clients hate overspending. They hate underspending. Manually checking "Month-to-Date Spend" vs "Budget" in Excel is painful. The Fix: Use an MCC Script that:

1. Pulls Cost and Budget for every account.
2. Calculates % Spent vs % of Month Elapsed.
3. Writes rows to a Master Google Sheet.
4. Result: A single Google Sheet where you can see the pacing of 50 clients in real-time. Green = On Track. Red = Overspending.

Case Study: The "Anomaly" Alert

Agency: Performance Agency (100 Accounts). Incident: A junior buyer accidentally set a daily budget of $10,000 instead of $100. Detection: Humans didn't catch it until day 3 ($30k loss). Solution: Implemented an MCC Script that checks: "Is Yesterday Spend > 200% of Avg Daily Spend?" Result: Caught the next error within 1 hour. Saved the agency from bankruptcy.

Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Execution Time Limits

MCC Scripts have a 30-minute execution limit. If you have 500 accounts, the script will time out before finishing. Fix: Use executeInParallel() function. This runs the script on 50 accounts simultaneously (using separate threads) rather than sequentially.

2. Accidental "Global" Changes

A bad loop can pause every keyword in every account. Fix: ALWAYS use "Preview" mode first. Add a safety clause: if (campaignName.contains("Test")).

3. Ignoring "Cancelled" Clients

If you don't use Labels (e.g., "Active"), your script will try to fix ads in a cancelled account, causing errors. Fix: Always filter accounts by withCondition("LabelNames DOES_NOT_CONTAIN 'Cancelled'").

Summary

MCC Scripts allow you to be "Omnipresent." You can watch every ad, every budget, and every URL, 24/7.

Your MCC Checklist:

1. Install the Link Checker script.
2. Install the Budget Pacing script (to Sheets).
3. Install the Anomaly Detector script.
4. Use executeInParallel for large portfolios.

Scale your brain, not your headcount.