Error Linking MCC Test Account

[Jeremy Aube]

I tried linking an MCC test account to a standard MCC account to be managed by the standard MCC account, but received the following error:

• Enter descriptive names

Enter client names (optional)

The following customer IDs had errors

992-886-5208

An error occurred. Please try again later.

 

© 2013 Google | AdWords Home | Editorial Guidelines | Privacy Policy

Does this mean I can't link the two MCCs or is this an issue that can be resolved?

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Jeremy,

It looks to me as though you've not included a "descriptive name" for the linked MCC account. Please try again including a descriptive name.

Regards,

- Paul, AdWords API Team.

[Jeremy Aube]

Hi Paul,

There error is occurring before I get a chance to put in the descriptive name. I tried linking a non-test MCC and that worked fine, so I think this has something to do with linking test MCCs.

Jeremy

[Jeremy Aube]

Just wanted to follow up on this as I'm still not able to link the test MCC to a non-test MCC. After I click the "Link existing accounts" button, enter the customer id of the test MCC into the textbox, and click the "Continue" button, all I get is the following:

The following customer IDs had errors

992-886-5208

An error occurred. Please try again later.

If instead enter the customer ID of a non-test MCC, everything works just fine. 

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Jeremy,

Can you report a bug in myclientcentre, they'll be able to investigate the issue and solve it for you.

Regards,

- Paul, AdWords API Team.

[Jeremy Aube]

Here's the response I received:

Further to our conversation, I have spoken with the specialist team who confirmed that the account 992-886-5208 is a dormant API test account and serves no functionality. Adding it to the existing MCC is not possible, hence the error message.

There is no opportunity to avail of any of the functions within this account as opposed to a standard AdWords account and the account has been closed as a test account for a few days now.

So I'm not sure where to go from here. I tried the following work arounds, but neither of them worked:

1. Linking a brand new test MCC account (less than a minute old) to another MCC. 

2. Linking a live account to the test MCC account. If this had worked, I would have then tried linking the test MCC account to another MCC, with the idea that it might work now that it has a live account nested under it.

I also tested linking one test MCC account to another test MCC, which works fine, but doesn't solve the issue at hand.

Is there any way we can change the MCC linking rules to allow for linking closed accounts? Or is there perhaps some other work around we could use?

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Jeremy,

The best solution I can suggest is to use an active MCC account and create test accounts under it.

Is there a particular reason why you're trying to use the test MCC account?

Regards,

- Paul, AdWords API Team.

[Jeremy Aube]

I had thought we couldn't create test accounts anymore except through a Test MCC. Is that no longer true?

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Jeremy,

So talking with the team it appears I'm giving you out dated information.

The correct resolution is:

• Only use the Test MCC to create test accounts, it's no longer possible to create Test Accounts under a non-test account (this was the misinformation I was giving you before, please disregard my previous comment on this).
• Use the credentials (developer_token, client_id, client_secret) from your production MCC account, but specify the clientCustomerId from your Test Account.
• All accounts created under the Test MCC will be marked as test accounts. You would create them using the ManagedCustomerService (specify the clientCustomerId of the MCC).

[Rakesh R]

hi i am using the php client library. Could you please help me with these doubts:

1. For linking the test account to the test MCC account i should choose the option 'Link existing account' in my client center page right?

2. Which email and password should i use in the auth.ini file? Should i use the test account credentials or the MCC test account credentials?

3. the client customer id is one that is shown in the top right when i log into my test account right? or is it the id that is displayed in a table once i create a new account in the text MCC account?

Thanks

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Hi Rakesh,

Please see the answers inline:

On Friday, 20 December 2013 13:40:48 UTC, Rakesh R wrote:

1. For linking the test account to the test MCC account i should choose the option 'Link existing account' in my client center page right?

The best way to create test accounts is to log into the test mcc and create accounts. All accounts created through the test mcc will be test accounts.

 

2. Which email and password should i use in the auth.ini file? Should i use the test account credentials or the MCC test account credentials?

We recommend against providing emails and passwords in the auth.ini file as these are ClientLogin credentials. Instead, we suggest you use OAuth2. In either case, you would use your test authentication details. In the case of OAuth, this would mean you would paste the authorization URL into the test account window and offer consent there.

 

3. the client customer id is one that is shown in the top right when i log into my test account right? or is it the id that is displayed in a table once i create a new account in the text MCC account?

The clientCustomerId is the id of the account you want to access. So in this case, that would be the test account, yes.

The test accounts page has this information and more.

[Paul Matthews (AdWords API Team)]

Here's the test account page link.