Performance Max + Claude: bring your AdWhiz recommendations into the chat via MCP

Performance Max has long been called a "black box" — Google controls asset combos, bidding, and audience targeting, and most of what you see is aggregated. This post shows how to bring your account status and AI recommendations into Claude with the DEXUN AdWhiz MCP server, then combine them with PMax reports you export from Google Ads so AI can help you think through PMax decisions.

Why not just use the Google Ads UI?

• PMax asset-group insights, Top Search Terms, and spend curves are scattered across 4-5 different screens
• Cross-account comparisons require manual CSV exports + Excel
• Google's in-UI AI suggestions are generic ("add assets", "adjust bid") and ignore your business context (inventory, season, margin)

5-minute MCP setup

Prereqs: you've connected Google Ads in DEXUN AdWhiz and generated an API key (dashboard → Settings → API Keys).

Step 1: Edit Claude Desktop config

macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`. Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dexun-adwhiz": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@dexun/adwhiz-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "ADWHIZ_API_KEY": "dxk_live_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Restart Claude Desktop

After the restart, dexun-adwhiz and its 5 read-only tools should appear in Claude's tool list.

Real example: look at PMax with your AdWhiz recommendations

Just ask Claude:

Claude calls these read-only tools:

1. `list_ad_accounts` — list your connected accounts and confirm the Google Ads connection is healthy
2. `list_recommendations` — pull the AI's open recommendations (raise budget / lower budget / pause), each with a reason, expected impact, and confidence
3. `get_recent_activity` — check recent account activity, e.g. whether the account was just re-authorized

The MCP server does not expose PMax asset-group, search-term, or audience-signal data. When you need that detail, export the reports from Google Ads (asset group report, search term insights) and give them to Claude to analyze alongside AdWhiz's recommendations.

Worked example: PMax mismatches Claude can help you spot

Suppose a home-furniture brand has a PMax campaign stuck at a low ROAS. Given the exported reports, Claude can commonly surface mismatches like:

• PMax spends a sizable share of budget on "home cleaning" search terms — but the brand sells high-end furniture (intent mismatch)
• An asset group uses outdated images, with a clearly low CTR
• A customer-match audience signal expired months ago

Claude can help you work out specific adjustments, but you make every change yourself in Google Ads — the MCP tools are read-only and never modify your account. Fixing mismatches like these often leaves meaningful room to improve — but results vary by account and are not a promise; AdWhiz labels per-change savings as estimates and shows its control-group comparison with an uncertainty range.

Where MCP fits in PMax optimization

PMax hands a lot of control to Google, but the assets, audience signals, and negative signals you feed it determine the ceiling Google's algorithm can reach. MCP puts AdWhiz's account status and recommendations right into your Claude conversation, so you can weigh them next to your exported PMax reports without switching screens — the decisions and the changes stay with you.

Security notes

• Your API key stays in your local Claude Desktop config and is only sent to the DEXUN AdWhiz API
• All 5 MCP tools are read-only — the AI cannot change your Google Ads account; recommendations are advice, and if you act on one, you make the change in Google Ads yourself
• Revoke the key anytime in dashboard → Settings → API Keys