Do I need a developer token to get data from Adwords

Question

Do I need a developer token to get data from Adwords?

I only want to grab some data and not create/edit/modify something.

My plan was to let my customers authenticate via oauth and then plot some charts over their data from adwords.

It seems to me I have to get a developer key to obtain that data (source).

Is this right or is there another way to get data out of an adwords account?

Answer 1

The answer is yes, you need a developer token to get data from AdWords:

A developer token is required to make AdWords API calls. It's main purpose is to ensure that the developer has accepted AdWords API T&Cs, identify your requests in case we need to troubleshoot issues you are facing, etc. In the past, it was also used to identify the account to which API calls were charged, but that's no longer the case since AdWords API calls are now free.

OAuth2 tokens are used to authenticate the calls you make against a client account. You may also use ClientLogin as an alternative to OAuth2, but it is deprecated and it's use is strongly discouraged.

You need an MCC account to get a developer token, but it's not a requirement that the account you make calls to lives under that MCC. Using OAuth, you could make calls to a totally unrelated account (e.g. a client logs in from the UI), as long as you can generate an access token for the same. Right now, your developer token is under review, that's why your ability to make calls are restricted to test accounts. Once your token is approved, you should be able to make calls to any account that you have access to.