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Connect Meta Ads with a system user token

Until Biddle’s own Meta app clears review, you connect Meta Ads with a system user token. You create a Meta app, give a system user that app and your ad accounts, and generate a token with only the ads_read permission.

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Before you start

  • Admin access to the Meta business portfolio that owns your ad accounts
  • A Facebook account that can sign in to developers.facebook.com
  • The leader role in Biddle, in Slack (only the leader can connect with a token)
On this page

  1. Step 1: Create a Meta app

    On developers.facebook.com, open My apps and click Create app. Choose the Business type and connect it to your company’s business portfolio.

    1 Click Create app, 2 pick the Business type, then 3 choose your Business portfolio.

  2. Step 2: Add the Marketing API use case and turn on ads_read

    In the app, open Use cases, click Add, choose Create & manage ads with Marketing API, and turn on the ads_read permission. Skip this and step 6 says “No permissions available”.

    1 Add, 2 Create & manage ads with Marketing API, 3 turn on ads_read.

  3. Step 3: Check the app is in your Business settings

    In business.facebook.com/settings, open Accounts > Apps and look for the app from step 1. If it’s not there, use Add > Connect an app ID and enter its app ID.

    1 If the app is listed, go on. If not, 2 Add, then 3 Connect an app ID.

  4. Step 4: Add a system user

    In the same Business settings, open Users > System users and click Add. Name it “Biddle” and give it the Employee or Admin role.

    1 Add, 2 name it Biddle, 3 role Employee (or Admin).

  5. Step 5: Assign the app and your ad accounts

    On the new system user, click Assign assets. On the Apps tab, pick the app from step 1, turn on Manage app, and save. On the Ad accounts tab, pick the ad accounts Biddle should read, turn on View performance, and save.

    Then refresh the page. Until you do, the next step may not see the new assignments.

    1 Assign assets. Apps tab: 2 turn on Manage app, 3 save. Ad accounts tab: 4 turn on View performance, 5 save. Then refresh.

  6. Step 6: Generate the token

    On the same system user, click Generate token. Pick the app from step 1, set expiration to Never, check only ads_read, generate, and copy the token. Once you close the dialog, you can’t see the token again.

    1 Generate token, 2 the same app, 3 expiration Never, 4 only ads_read, 5 Generate token, 6 Copy.

  7. Step 7: Paste it into Biddle

    In Slack, open Biddle’s Home tab. Under Connections, on the Meta Ads row, click Use a token. Paste the token, connect, and pick the ad accounts Biddle should read. The token goes straight to Composio (the connector service Biddle uses); Biddle never stores it.

    1 Use a token, 2 paste the token, 3 Connect, 4 Pick ad accounts.

Common snags

The token dialog says “No permissions available”
You skipped step 2 (the Marketing API use case and ads_read) or step 5 (assigning the app with Manage app), or picked a different app in step 6. Check all three, refresh, and try again.
ads_read isn’t in the permission list
The app doesn’t have the Marketing API use case, or ads_read is off. Go back to step 2.
Biddle lists no ad accounts
The system user has no ad accounts assigned. In step 5, on the Ad accounts tab, pick the accounts, turn on View performance, and save. You don’t need a new token.

Still stuck? Email contact@askbiddle.ai with the step number and what you see, and we’ll walk through it with you.