MCP loads everything. Even what you don't need.
Every MCP session, your AI receives the JSON signatures of 173 tools — about 30,000 tokens — before even processing your first request.
The AI burns tokens reasoning about 170+ tools it won't use.
CLI: 40 tokens. The exact operation.
With the CLI, the AI generates a precise command. 40 tokens. Clean JSON output. Zero context overhead.
- ~40 tokens per call vs ~30,000 with MCP
- Clean JSON, composable, filterable (grep, jq)
- Deterministic — same input, same output
- CI/CD, cron jobs, bash scripts compatible
Without Skills, the CLI is powerful but blind.
The AI has 30,000 tokens of context. It knows tool names, their parameters, their effects. It improvises a workflow — sometimes correctly.
The AI has nothing. It must invent the operation order, guess required verifications, without knowing your naming conventions or method.
Skills encode your method: operation order, mandatory verifications, naming templates, business rules. The AI follows your protocol, not its own.
With MCP, Skills are a bonus. With CLI, they're essential.
What Skills concretely encode
Each Skill is an operational protocol. The AI doesn't invent it — it follows it.
cli-qa — Verify before deploying
- 1 Inspect full campaign configuration
- 2 Check naming conventions (tenant templates)
- 3 Verify each creative (compliance, SSL)
- 4 Simulate deployment without spending credits (dry-run)
- 5 Go / no-go recommendation with report
cli-deploy — Controlled deployment
- 1 Confirm QA is validated
- 2 Check delivery defaults (CPM, pacing, frequency)
- 3 Deploy (5 credits)
- 4 Poll status every 5-10s (max 5 min)
- 5 Automatic delivery report
cli-orders — Search before creating
- 1 Search for existing advertiser
- 2 Create if absent (1 credit) with naming template
- 3 List orders for this advertiser
- 4 Create if absent (1 credit)
- 5 Return confirmed IDs
3 operational arguments
Auditability
Every CLI call is a traceable command. Logged, reproducible, verifiable. With MCP, the AI generates implicit calls — hard to audit after the fact.
✓ logged in audit.json
Cost
MCP loads ~30,000 tokens per session. The CLI uses ~40 tokens per call. On 100 daily operations: 3,000,000 tokens with MCP vs 4,000 with CLI.
CI/CD Integration
orbiads campaigns deploy 12345 --yes plugs directly into GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or a cron job. MCP is not designed for scripted automation.
- run: orbiads campaigns deploy $ID --yes
MCP alone vs CLI + Skills
Which method for which need?
Choose MCP if...
- You're exploring GAM capabilities for the first time
- You want a 2-minute installation
- Your tasks are one-off and varied
Choose CLI + Skills if...
- You have a GAM workflow repeated every week
- You want consistent results across operators
- You have naming conventions to follow
- You want to automate tasks (cron, CI/CD)
Ready to install CLI + Skills?
5 free credits. No credit card required.