> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.adspirer.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Computer Use Agents & Adspirer

> What are computer use agents? How Perplexity Computer, Manus, Codex, and other autonomous AI agents connect to Adspirer for hands-free ad campaign management.

Computer use agents are the next evolution of AI assistants — from tools you prompt to agents that **execute**. Instead of asking an AI to help you write an ad, you tell it to research your market, create a campaign, and monitor performance. The agent handles the rest.

Adspirer connects to multiple computer use agents, giving them direct access to 400+ advertising tools across Google Ads, Meta Ads, Amazon Ads, ChatGPT Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and TikTok Ads.

## What Are Computer Use Agents?

Traditional AI assistants answer questions. Computer use agents **take action**. They can:

* Break complex goals into subtasks and execute them sequentially
* Call external tools (like Adspirer's MCP server) to interact with real platforms
* Run for extended periods — minutes, hours, or on a schedule
* Chain web research, data analysis, and platform actions in a single workflow
* Operate autonomously with minimal human intervention

The key difference: you describe the **outcome** you want, not the steps to get there.

## How They Work with Adspirer

Computer use agents connect to Adspirer via <Tooltip tip="Model Context Protocol — an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools">MCP</Tooltip> — the same protocol used by all Adspirer-compatible AI clients. The agent discovers Adspirer's 400+ tools and uses them as part of its autonomous workflows.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
flowchart TD
    A[You] -->|"Launch a Google Ads campaign for my SaaS"| B[Computer Use Agent]
    B --> C[Research competitors on the web]
    B --> D[Research keywords via Adspirer]
    B --> E[Create campaign via Adspirer]
    B --> F[Generate performance report]
    C & D & E & F --> G[Deliver results to you]
```

The agent decides **which tools to call, in what order, and how to combine results**. With Adspirer connected, it has direct access to your ad accounts — no dashboards, no manual steps.

## Supported Computer Use Agents

Adspirer works with multiple autonomous agents. Each connects via MCP and gets access to the same 400+ tools.

| Agent                   | Auth            | Autonomous | Web Research | Best For                                    |           Setup Guide           |
| ----------------------- | --------------- | :--------: | :----------: | ------------------------------------------- | :-----------------------------: |
| **Perplexity Computer** | OAuth           |     Yes    | Yes (native) | Research + campaign creation                | [Guide](/docs/ai-clients/perplexity) |
| **Manus**               | API Key         |     Yes    |      Yes     | Dashboards, scheduled briefs, deep research |    [Guide](/docs/ai-clients/manus)   |
| **Codex**               | OAuth           |     Yes    |      No      | Scheduled monitoring, daily checks          |    [Guide](/docs/ai-clients/codex)   |
| **OpenClaw**            | OAuth / API Key |    Semi    |      No      | Pre-configured ad agent, CLI workflows      |  [Guide](/docs/ai-clients/openclaw)  |

### Perplexity Computer

Perplexity Computer orchestrates 19+ AI models to execute complex tasks. Its unique advantage is **native web search** — it can research competitors, market trends, and industry benchmarks in real-time, then immediately act on that research using Adspirer tools.

* **Plan required:** Perplexity Max ($200/mo) for Computer; Pro ($20/mo) for connectors only
* **How it connects:** Custom connector in Perplexity Computer → Connectors → OAuth
* **Skills:** Upload `SKILL.md` via Computer → Skills → + Create skill. Perplexity applies skills automatically when relevant.
* **Unique capability:** Combines real-time search with ad platform actions in a single workflow

**Example workflow:** *"Research the top 5 competitors for project management SaaS, analyze their Google Ads strategy, then create a campaign targeting keywords they're missing. Budget \$50/day."* — Perplexity Computer searches the web, pulls keyword data via Adspirer, creates the campaign, and delivers a summary.

### Manus

Manus is a general-purpose autonomous agent that can browse the web, write code, and generate interactive dashboards. It connects to Adspirer via API key authentication.

* **Plan required:** Manus account (any tier)
* **How it connects:** Custom MCP server with API key in Authorization header
* **Unique capability:** Interactive dashboard generation, scheduled email briefs, 24/7 monitoring

**Example workflow:** *"Set up a daily performance brief across all my ad platforms and email it to me every morning at 9 AM."* — Manus configures monitoring, fetches data daily, and delivers formatted reports.

### Codex

OpenAI's Codex operates as a background agent that can run tasks autonomously, including on a schedule.

* **Plan required:** Codex subscription
* **How it connects:** One-command installer + OAuth
* **Unique capability:** Scheduled autonomous tasks (e.g., daily performance checks at 8 AM)

**Example workflow:** *"Every Monday at 9 AM, pull my Google Ads performance for the past week and flag any keywords with spend > \$50 and zero conversions."*

### OpenClaw

OpenClaw is a CLI-based agent with Adspirer's skill file pre-bundled. It runs locally on your machine with direct terminal access.

* **Plan required:** OpenClaw (open source)
* **How it connects:** Plugin install with bundled 14KB skill file
* **Unique capability:** Pre-configured advertising agent with safety rules built in

## Computer Use Agents vs Chat Apps

|                  | Chat Apps (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity Search) | Computer Use Agents (Perplexity Computer, Manus, Codex) |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Interaction**  | You ask, AI responds                           | You define a goal, agent executes                       |
| **Duration**     | Single conversation                            | Can run for hours or on a schedule                      |
| **Multi-step**   | You guide each step                            | Agent plans and executes autonomously                   |
| **Web research** | Limited or manual                              | Built-in (Perplexity, Manus)                            |
| **Dashboards**   | Text/table output                              | Interactive charts and reports (Manus)                  |
| **Monitoring**   | Manual checks                                  | Automated alerts and scheduled briefs                   |
| **Best for**     | Quick queries, ad-hoc tasks                    | Complex workflows, ongoing management                   |

<Tip>
  You don't have to choose one or the other. Many users use **chat apps for quick queries** (e.g., "How's my Google Ads CTR this week?") and **computer use agents for complex workflows** (e.g., "Audit all platforms, find wasted spend, and create an optimization plan").
</Tip>

## What Computer Use Agents Can Do with Adspirer

| Workflow                         | What the Agent Does                                                                |    Which Agents   |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------: |
| **Full campaign launch**         | Research market → find keywords → validate assets → create campaign (PAUSED)       |        All        |
| **Cross-platform audit**         | Pull performance from all platforms → identify waste → recommend optimizations     |        All        |
| **Competitor research + action** | Search the web for competitor ads → analyze strategy → create campaigns to compete | Perplexity, Manus |
| **Daily performance brief**      | Fetch metrics → format summary → deliver via email or dashboard                    |    Manus, Codex   |
| **Automated monitoring**         | Watch for CPA spikes, budget overruns, or ROAS drops → alert you                   |    Manus, Codex   |
| **Interactive dashboard**        | Generate charts, KPI cards, and data tables from ad performance data               | Manus, Perplexity |
| **Budget optimization**          | Analyze ROAS across campaigns → recommend reallocation → execute after approval    |        All        |

## Safety with Autonomous Agents

Autonomous agents acting on your ad accounts sounds risky. Adspirer has multiple safety layers:

1. **All campaigns created PAUSED** — No live spend without your review
2. **OAuth scoping** — Agents only get the permissions you authorize
3. **Read-before-write** — Skills enforce research and validation before any creation
4. **Confirmation gates** — Spend-affecting actions require your approval
5. **No auto-retry** — Failed actions stop and report, never retry automatically
6. **Sandboxed execution** — Agents like Perplexity Computer run in secure sandboxes, isolated from your local machine

See [Security & Data Privacy](/docs/knowledge-base/security) for the full security model.

## Getting Started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Perplexity Setup" icon="https://mintcdn.com/adspirer/TdPg9YWtsb-THudf/icons/perplexity.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=TdPg9YWtsb-THudf&q=85&s=e1ee0859a3ade5ea84a9a9d5df37e6c5" href="/docs/ai-clients/perplexity" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/perplexity.svg">
    Connect via OAuth in Perplexity Computer. Search + ads in one agent.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manus Setup" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/docs/ai-clients/manus">
    Connect via API key. Dashboards, briefs, and monitoring.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Codex Setup" icon="https://mintcdn.com/adspirer/d1-3M_DPxPhMWBSu/icons/codex.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=d1-3M_DPxPhMWBSu&q=85&s=b31cb81882fba09f78a7d90639f6c97a" href="/docs/ai-clients/codex" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/codex.svg">
    One-command install. Scheduled autonomous tasks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="OpenClaw Setup" icon="https://mintcdn.com/adspirer/TdPg9YWtsb-THudf/icons/openclaw.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=TdPg9YWtsb-THudf&q=85&s=507164157fe5912c1dae95a190a65267" href="/docs/ai-clients/openclaw" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/openclaw.svg">
    Pre-configured ad agent with bundled skills.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Are computer use agents safe for managing ad spend?">
    Yes. Adspirer enforces multiple safety layers regardless of which agent connects. All campaigns start PAUSED, spend-affecting actions require confirmation, and OAuth scoping limits what the agent can access. The agent never has direct access to your ad platform credentials.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which computer use agent is best for advertising?">
    It depends on your needs. **Perplexity Computer** is best for research-heavy workflows (competitor analysis + campaign creation). **Manus** is best for ongoing management (dashboards, scheduled briefs, monitoring). **Codex** is best for scheduled automation (daily checks, weekly reports). You can use multiple agents with the same Adspirer account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do tool calls from computer use agents count against my Adspirer limit?">
    Yes. All tool calls count against your monthly limit regardless of which agent makes them. A Perplexity Computer workflow that calls 10 Adspirer tools uses 10 calls from your plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a computer use agent accidentally spend my ad budget?">
    No. Every campaign Adspirer creates starts in PAUSED status — you must manually enable it. The agent cannot unpause campaigns or increase budgets on existing campaigns. See [Capabilities & Limitations](/docs/knowledge-base/capabilities) for the full list.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>