AdButler is an ad server that delivers display, video, native, and CTV ads across the zones a publisher or retail media network runs. Connecting AdButler to clariBI brings delivery stats (impressions, clicks, conversions, fill) into your AI analyses next to the revenue those ads earn.
Why connect AdButler
Delivery numbers sit in the ad server while billing and revenue sit elsewhere, so questions about yield per advertiser or fill per zone mean exporting two reports and reconciling them by hand.
With AdButler connected, you can ask "Which advertisers delivered the most impressions last month?", "What is the click-through rate by zone?", or "Which campaigns under-delivered against their booked volume?" and the AI engine reads the stats live.
How the connection works
clariBI talks to AdButler through its hosted MCP server at https://mcp.adbutler.com/mcp. Authentication uses an API key you generate in your vendor account. Tokens stay encrypted server-side and never leave clariBI in clear form.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant V as AdButler
U->>V: Generate an API key in AdButler dashboard
U->>C: Paste the key into the connect wizard
C->>V: list_tools (verify the key)
V-->>C: Tools available
C->>C: Encrypt and store credentials
C-->>U: Connection ready
Available tools
clariBI exposes the read-only AdButler tools that the vendor's MCP server publishes at connection time. Write operations (create, update, delete, send, refund) are filtered out by a name-pattern blocklist before any tool reaches the analysis engine, so connecting AdButler cannot modify data on the vendor side.
The exact tool inventory depends on the AdButler features your account has access to. After connecting, try a few natural-language questions to see what AdButler data clariBI can pull.
Data flow during analysis
When you ask a question that maps to AdButler, the AI engine routes to the right tool, reads the result, and pairs the answer with a chart you can pin to a dashboard.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant AI as AI engine
participant V as AdButler
U->>C: Ask a question about ad serving and delivery data
C->>AI: Plan the analysis
AI->>V: Call the right tool
V-->>AI: Tool result
AI->>AI: Summarize and chart
C-->>U: Answer plus visual
Setting up the connection
- Open Data Sources in the clariBI sidebar.
- Click Add data source.
- Open the MCP Servers tab.
- Click the AdButler card.
- In AdButler, go to Settings → API and create an API key (admins and users with API permission can do this).
- Paste the key into clariBI and click Connect.
- Give your data source a name and click Finish.
Permissions and data access
clariBI authenticates with the AdButler API key you paste in and reads the stats and configuration that key can see (campaigns, advertisers, zones, and delivery metrics). The catalog exposes read tools only; clariBI never creates a campaign, changes a flight, or edits a zone. Rotate or delete the key anytime from Settings → API in AdButler, or disconnect from Settings → Integrations in clariBI.
Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Invalid API key" | The key was deleted in AdButler, or the request comes from an IP outside the key's allow list. | Generate a fresh key under Settings → API and, if you set an IP allow list, confirm clariBI's requests are permitted, then paste the key again. |
| "No campaigns returned" | The key belongs to an account or sub-account without campaigns in the window, or the campaigns are paused. | Confirm the account in AdButler and widen the time range so delivered impressions show up. |