Google has retired developer tokens for the Google Ads API, moving API access control to Google Cloud projects from 9 September 2026. For most UK businesses that manage campaigns through the normal Google Ads interface, the change requires no action.
The change matters mainly to advertisers, agencies and software providers using custom integrations, reporting dashboards, CRM connections or automation built on the Google Ads API. Google says existing active access levels were automatically transferred from developer tokens to the Google Cloud projects that had used them during the previous 90 days.
Existing integrations should therefore continue working in most cases. Google says applications can still send a developer token in API request headers for now, but the token is optional and ignored by its servers. Developers are being encouraged to update client libraries and remove the dependency because a future major API version will reject developer tokens entirely.
There are a few situations worth checking. A recently approved token that was never used, a project that has been inactive for more than 90 days, or a pending Basic Access application may not have inherited production access. Google says affected projects should apply for the appropriate access level through Google Cloud Console instead of the old Google Ads API Center.
Google’s developer-token guidance confirms that API access is now determined by the Cloud project that owns the OAuth credentials or service account. Its access-level documentation also sets out the new Test, Explorer, Basic and Standard tiers.
For a small business, the practical question is simple: do you have anything custom connecting directly to Google Ads? If the answer is no, there is little to worry about. If a developer, agency or third-party platform handles automated campaign changes, reporting or conversion data, ask them to confirm which Google Cloud project owns the credentials and whether the correct production access level is showing.
The shift does not change the wider decision between paid and organic acquisition. Businesses reviewing that mix can see our guide to SEO vs Google Ads for local businesses, while our digital marketing guide for small businesses covers how paid search fits alongside other channels.