Authorization

Every request your application sends to the AdMob API must include an authorization token. The token also identifies your application to Google.

About authorization protocols

Your application must use OAuth 2.0 to authorize requests. No other authorization protocols are supported. If your application uses Sign In With Google, some aspects of authorization are handled for you.

Authorizing requests with OAuth 2.0

All requests to the AdMob API must be authorized by an authenticated user.

This process is facilitated with an OAuth client ID.

Get an OAuth client ID

Or create one in the Credentials page.

The details of the authorization process, or "flow," for OAuth 2.0 vary somewhat depending on what kind of application you're writing. The following general process applies to all application types:

  1. When your application needs access to user data, it asks Google for a particular scope of access.
  2. Google displays a consent screen to the user, asking them to authorize your application to request some of their data.
  3. If the user approves, then Google gives your application a short-lived access token.
  4. Your application requests user data, attaching the access token to the request.
  5. If Google determines that your request and the token are valid, it returns the requested data.

Some flows include additional steps, such as using refresh tokens to acquire new access tokens. For detailed information about flows for various types of applications, see Google's OAuth 2.0 documentation.

Here's the OAuth 2.0 scope information for the AdMob API:

Scope Meaning
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admob.readonly See all AdMob data. This may include account information, inventory and mediation settings, reports, and other data. This doesn't include sensitive data, such as payments or campaign details.
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admob.report See ad performance and earnings reports. See publisher ID, timezone, and default currency code.

To request access using OAuth 2.0, your application needs the scope information, as well as information that Google supplies when you register your application (such as the client ID and the client secret).

Tip: The Google APIs client libraries can handle some of the authorization process for you. They are available for a variety of programming languages; check the page with libraries and samples for more details.