Google Ads passkey
Google now asks for a passkey before it will let TrueMetriks connect to your Google Ads account. Setting one up takes about two minutes, and one extra click saves you a week of waiting.
Set this up with AI
Copy this prompt into ChatGPT, Claude or whichever AI you use. It carries this whole guide, the pages it depends on, and a link to every video, so it can walk you through it one step at a time.
Prefer to watch instead of read? The Google Ads setup steps are also on video, bundled together at Google Ads video guides.
What changed
From August 5, 2026 Google requires a passkey on any Google account that grants new access to the Google Ads API. TrueMetriks uses that access to upload your conversions, so it lands on you the moment you connect.
This is Google's rule. There is no switch on our side, and we cannot do it for you: the passkey belongs to your Google account.
Do I need to do this?
Yes, if you are about to click Connect or Reconnect Google Ads. That is when Google issues new access. Whoever clicks the button needs the passkey, on the Google account that has access to your Google Ads account.
No, if Google Ads is already connected and working. Existing connections are unaffected and are never asked to reauthorize.
Create your passkey
On Google's site, not in TrueMetriks. About two minutes.
Step 1 - Open your passkeys page
Go to g.co/passkeys and sign in with the same Google account you use for Google Ads. If you manage several, check the account shown in the top right.
Step 2 - Click Create a passkey
Click Create a passkey and this dialog opens.
Create a passkey for your Google Account
Create a passkey to start signing in with just your fingerprint, face, or screen lock. You can create a passkey on this device or use another device, like a hardware security key. Learn more
Step 3 - Choose where to save it
Any of these works:
- On this device - Touch ID, Face ID or Windows Hello. Fastest if you always connect from the same computer.
- On your phone - scan a QR code and approve there. Better if you use more than one computer.
- In a password manager - 1Password, iCloud Keychain, Chrome and others store passkeys, so it follows you across devices.
Confirm the prompt your device shows. The passkey then appears in the list.
Step 4 - Approve it, or wait up to 7 days
A new passkey can sit in a Google security delay of up to 7 days. You can usually skip that: if Google shows an "Approve this passkey?" prompt, click Approve.
Passkeys
Create passkeys on your devices, or you can create a passkey on your security key. Learn more
YOUR DEVICES
1Password
Approve this passkey?
Confirm with a passkey or security key you already have on another device and the new one works immediately. Skip this and you may have to come back in a few days before Google Ads will connect.
Now come back and connect
- In TrueMetriks, open Settings > Ad integrations.
- Pick the Google Ads tab and click Connect Google Ads.
- Sign in with the same Google account and clear the passkey prompt.
The rest of the flow is unchanged: see the Google Ads guide.
Troubleshooting
Connect did not complete. Most likely there is no usable passkey on that account yet. If you created one minutes ago, check whether it still needs approving.
I already have 2-Step Verification. Not enough. A password, an authenticator code and an SMS code no longer clear this. Google wants a passkey or a hardware security key.
My passkey is new and still will not work. That is the security delay. Use the Approve this passkey? prompt at g.co/passkeys. With no other passkey or security key to approve with, you have to wait it out, up to 7 days.
I do not want a passkey. There is no alternative for the Google Ads API, so that account cannot connect or reconnect until one exists.
It worked before and now it does not. Not this. Existing connections are unaffected: see the Google Ads guide or common issues.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a passkey if Google Ads is already connected and working?
No. Connections that already work keep working, and Google does not ask you to reauthorize them. You only need a passkey when you connect Google Ads for the first time or when you reconnect it.
I already use 2-Step Verification. Is that enough?
No. A password on its own no longer clears this, and neither does a code from an authenticator app or an SMS code. Google specifically asks for a passkey or a hardware security key.
I just created a passkey and Google still will not let me connect.
A brand new passkey can sit in a security delay of up to 7 days. Open g.co/passkeys, find the new passkey, and use the Approve this passkey? prompt with an existing passkey or security key on another device. That makes it usable straight away.
Can TrueMetriks do this for me or turn the requirement off?
No. This is Google's rule for the Google Ads API, it applies to your own Google account, and it is not something TrueMetriks can switch off or work around on your behalf.
What happens if I do not want a passkey?
There is no alternative. From August 5, 2026 Google will not issue the access TrueMetriks needs without one, so Google Ads cannot be connected or reconnected until a passkey exists on the account.