LinkedIn advertising MCP server
LinkedIn Advertising provides programmatic access to B2B advertising campaigns on the world's largest professional network. An AI agent with access to LinkedIn Ads can create and optimize campaigns, manage budgets, target professional audiences with precision, and generate performance reports without manual campaign management.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
LinkedIn Advertising uses Bearer token authentication through OAuth 2.0. Request access to the Advertising API from the LinkedIn Developer Portal. Include LinkedIn-Version: 202511 and X-Restli-Protocol-Version: 2.0.0 headers in all API requests. In the LinkedIn Developer Portal, go to developer.linkedin.com, create an app, and request access to the Marketing Developer Platform to obtain your credentials.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| Auth endpoint | https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/authorization |
| Token endpoint | https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken |
| Scopes | r_ads, w_ads, r_ads_leadgen_automation, w_ads_leadgen_automation |
Available tools
This MCP server enables campaign creation, audience targeting, creative management, lead generation, and performance tracking for LinkedIn advertising operations.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create campaign | Create a new advertising campaign with budget, targeting, and scheduling |
| Update campaign | Modify campaign settings including budget, bids, and targeting criteria |
| List campaigns | Retrieve all campaigns in an account with status and performance data |
| Get campaign status | Check current spend, performance metrics, and budget utilization |
| Pause campaign | Stop a campaign from running and accruing charges |
| Delete campaign | Remove a campaign from the account |
| Create ad group | Create an ad group within a campaign with creative and targeting |
| Update ad group | Modify ad group settings and performance parameters |
| List ad groups | Retrieve all ad groups in a campaign |
| Create creative | Upload ad creative including images, headlines, and copy |
| Update creative | Modify creative assets and messaging |
| List creatives | Retrieve available creatives in an account |
| Target by profession | Apply professional demographic targeting by job title and function |
| Target by company | Reach employees at specific companies or company sizes |
| Create lead gen form | Build a lead generation form for capturing contact information |
| Export leads | Download leads captured from lead gen campaigns |
| Get analytics | Retrieve campaign performance metrics including impressions, clicks, conversions |
| Generate report | Create performance reports for campaigns and ad groups |
Tips
Use your latest account ID — LinkedIn Advertising requires your correct account ID for all operations. Verify this in LinkedIn Campaign Manager before configuring the MCP server.
Combine multiple targeting dimensions (profession, company, geography) to reach your ideal audience — test targeting combinations on a small budget first to optimize cost per result.
Use LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms for higher conversion rates than click-through campaigns for B2B — use pre-filled fields like email and company to reduce friction.
Monitor your daily spend to avoid pausing ads unexpectedly at critical times — LinkedIn accounts have daily spend limits by region.
Always include LinkedIn-Version: 202511 and X-Restli-Protocol-Version: 2.0.0 headers in requests — requests without these headers will fail with version mismatch errors.
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