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Set up Google Ads for your YouTube channel

Before we can run your campaign, your channel needs a Google Ads account that we can manage. This guide shows you how to create and verify the account and give us access. You stay the owner the whole time.

  • About 15 minutes
  • Done by the channel owner
  • No campaign to build

Haven't signed up with us yet?Create your View Growth Labs account first, then come back to Step 1.

Sign up

Before you start

Tick these off as you go. Having them ready keeps the setup to one sitting.

The setup

Three steps, in order. Google changes its menus from time to time, so if a label looks a little different, pick the closest match.

  1. Create and verify your Google Ads account

    1. Go to ads.google.com and select Start now. Sign in with the Google account that owns your YouTube channel.
    2. The screens are headed Create your first campaign, which is expected. The business name is optional, so you can leave it blank. Under Where should people go after clicking your ad?, keep Your website selected and paste your YouTube channel link. Select Next.
    3. On Describe your business to get better campaign suggestions, leave everything as Google filled it in and select Next.
    4. Select Skip on the next three screens: Add more information to save time during setup, Choose your goal for this campaign and Choose a campaign type. After the last one, Google asks Leave campaign creation? Select Leave campaign creation. Don't build a campaign. We build it for you.
    5. On Confirm your account and payment settings:
      • Confirm your billing country and time zone. Google says the time zone applies to your whole account and can't be changed later.
      • Check the payments profile. It should show your name and Individual, which fits a creator who isn't a registered business. If it shows something else, select Change.
      • Add or confirm your card under Payment method. Google bills it on the 1st of each month, or sooner when your balance reaches your payment threshold.
      • Google may show a new-advertiser credit offer. Read its terms and deadline before you submit.
      • Google asks whether you want guidance from an account strategist by phone or messaging. This is optional, so choose Yes or No, then select Submit.
    6. When Google says Your account was created, select Continue. Google then asks you to complete advertiser verification before your ads can run.
    7. On Answer a few questions about your organization:
      • Under What legal name should appear in the ad disclosure?, keep your own name selected if you're advertising as yourself. Google shows this name and your country to people who see your ads.
      • Under Does (your name) manage Google Ads accounts for other organizations?, choose No.
      • Select Submit. Google makes some information about you and your ads public, including ad creatives, the dates and locations your ads ran, and business contact information.
    Heads up. An account without a payment method can't run ads, so complete billing before moving on. Google places a temporary authorization of about $50 on your card. It's removed within about a week.
    If Google asks for more. Google may ask for more details to finish verification. If it does, complete them, because your ads can't run until verification is done.

  2. Find your Customer ID

    Your Customer ID is a 10-digit number shown near the top right of Google Ads, under your account name. It looks like 123-456-7890. Copy it, because you'll send it to us in the next step.

  3. Send us your Customer ID and accept our request

    1. Submit your Customer ID on our intake page.
    2. We send a manager link request from View Growth Labs to your Google Ads account. We'll email you when it's on its way.
    3. Sign in to your Google Ads account and open Admin › Access and security, then the Managers tab. Under Link request, find our request and select Accept in the Actions column. You can also use Accept request in the email Google sends you.

    Once you accept, we'll email you to confirm that access is active. We then link your YouTube channel from inside your account. If you get an email asking you to approve the link, select approve.

What this access means

We never need your password

Access runs through Google's manager link. You don't share a login with us.

You stay the owner

The account, the channel and the billing profile are yours. You can remove our access at any time from the same Managers tab. Linking your channel later doesn't let anyone take control of it or edit your videos.

Ad spend goes to Google

Google bills the payment method on your account directly. Our fee is invoiced separately.

Common questions

Which Google account should I use?

Use the account that owns your YouTube channel. It keeps the account and the channel under the same owner, which makes linking the channel easier later.

Google keeps pushing me to build a campaign.

Select Skip on each of the campaign screens. When Google asks whether you want to leave campaign creation, confirm that you do. We don't need a campaign from you.

Why does Google want to verify me?

Google asks every advertiser to complete verification before ads can run. It gives people more transparency about who is behind an ad. The name you choose appears in the About this advertiser panel on your ads.

Do I need to be monetized or have a minimum number of subscribers?

No. Running ads doesn't depend on monetization or a subscriber count.

Google asked me to verify my payment or shows a temporary charge.

That's normal. Google places a temporary authorization of about $50 on a new card, and it's removed within about a week.

I don't see a request from View Growth Labs.

Check the email address tied to your Google Ads account and the Managers tab under Admin › Access and security. If nothing is there, double-check the Customer ID you sent. If it was wrong, submit it again on the intake page.

Screen names in this guide match Google Ads as we last checked it. Google changes its layouts often, so look for the closest match if something has moved.

Google Ads and YouTube are trademarks of Google LLC.