Cline is the open-source autonomous coding agent that lives inside VS Code. Wire SearchAd AI's MCP server into Cline's config and the same agent that just refactored your StoreKit code can finish the session by drafting and (within your envelope) deploying the launch campaign. Long-running tasks, audited the whole way.
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchad": {
"url": "https://searchad.ai/mcp",
"type": "streamableHttp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer sak_live_..."
}
}
}
}
Add through Cline's MCP servers panel or paste directly into cline_mcp_settings.json. Cline picks up changes without a VS Code reload.
SearchAd app → Settings → API access → New key. Set the daily envelope to whatever ceiling you would happily lose to a stray loop.
Open the Cline panel in VS Code → MCP Servers tab → Configure MCP Servers. Paste the snippet from the hero into the config file.
In Cline, ask: "List my Apple Search Ads apps". If the tools resolve, the connection works. Tweak the auto-approve list to decide which SearchAd tools Cline can call without VS Code-level confirmation.
Cline's defining feature is multi-step autonomy. It will plan a task, execute the steps, recover from errors, and report back. That power makes it the most interesting MCP client to wire into a real ad budget. It is also the client where a runaway loop would do the most damage if there were nothing to stop it.
SearchAd's envelopes are designed exactly for this case. You set a daily ceiling on the MCP key (say $200 of new Apple spend per day). Cline can plan, draft, and deploy all day inside that envelope without bothering you. The minute it wants to step past it, the server returns ENVELOPE_EXCEEDED and Cline has to wait for your tap. Autonomy where it is cheap; a human in the loop where it is not.
"When the build passes, draft a launch campaign for the new feature in the 11 premium markets and report the plan ID."
"Find every keyword that has spent over $50 with zero installs in the last 14 days and draft a pause plan. Wait for my approval."
"Identify the three highest-ROAS countries from the last 30 days and propose a 2x budget increase capped at $30/day each."
"After deploying, post a summary to my Slack with the plan diff and the new daily spend ceiling."
Open the Cline panel in VS Code, click the MCP Servers tab, then Configure MCP Servers. Add a searchad entry with URL https://searchad.ai/mcp and an Authorization header carrying your SearchAd MCP key. Cline auto-reloads; tools are available immediately.
Inside the daily spending envelope, yes. Cline can chain reads, drafts, and within-envelope deploys without stopping. Outside the envelope, the server returns ENVELOPE_EXCEEDED and Cline surfaces the need for your approval.
Adding manually is recommended because it lets you scope the key precisely. The mcp.json schema is identical to Claude Desktop's, so copying that snippet works as-is.
Yes. Cline's auto-approve controls which MCP tools Cline can call without your confirmation in VS Code; the SearchAd approval gate independently controls what Cline's calls can do to your Apple account. Both layers protect different things.
It cannot, by construction. Daily envelope caps Apple-side spend per day; out-of-band approvals govern any excess. The one-tap kill switch on the dashboard revokes every key instantly if you ever want to stop everything cold.