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Cheatsheet: Claude Code, MCPs, Skills, APIs — for us non-techies

You can code now too. MCPs, APIs, n8n, skills, agents, Clawdbot — explained for my marketing friends 🫶

Angrez Aley·Senior paid ads manager·February 2, 2026·10 min read

I live at the intersection of marketing and AI. Lucky to have tech friends who teach me everything. I help marketers set this up all the time.

So I wrote it down for you too.

What all these words mean (in plain English)

Claude CodeYou describe what you want, it writes the code for you.
CursorSame thing, different tool. Free. Start here.
MCPA bridge that lets AI connect to your ad accounts and other tools.
APIHow apps talk to each other behind the scenes. You don't need to get it.
n8nDrag and drop automation. Like Zapier but free.
SkillsShortcuts for AI. Instead of explaining everything, you give it a skill and it knows.
AgentsAI that actually does stuff. Not just chatting — booking, emailing, managing.
ClawdbotAn AI assistant you text on WhatsApp or Telegram. It handles your tasks.
VercelMakes your tool/site live on the internet.
GitHubWhere your code is saved. Like Google Drive for code.

What You Can Build (examples from our community)

Marketing Dashboards — Your metrics. Your way. ROAS, CPA, spend by channel. No more Looker Studio.
Content Calendar Generators — Enter your niche. Get 30 days of content ideas.
Clawdbot-based Chat for Ads — Manage your Google or Meta Ads through WhatsApp or Telegram. Text commands, get results.
Landing Pages to Test — Spin up landing page variants in minutes. Test headlines, offers, layouts.
Ad Images/Videos at Scale — Generate hundreds of ad creatives with AI. Different sizes, formats, variations.
Dashboard you can vibe code and connect to Google Ads

Example of a dashboard you can vibe code and connect to your Google Ads

Client ad report with live data

Example of a client ad report with live data you can build

AI ads at scale example

Example of AI ads at scale from @maverickecom. You can build something similar using @vargastartup

Where to Start: Cursor vs Claude Code

Two main tools. Pick one based on what you're building.

Option 1: Cursor

  • Visual stuff: websites, dashboards, landing pages
  • Easier for beginners
  • Free

Option 2: Claude Code

  • Backend stuff: automations, APIs, MCPs, agents
  • More powerful
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Works inside VS Code or terminal

My take: Start with Cursor. Build something visual. Get comfortable. Then move to Claude Code when you need APIs, MCPs, and automations.

How to Set Up Cursor

  1. 1Download from cursor.com
  2. 2Create a folder on your desktop
  3. 3Open folder in Cursor
  4. 4Press Ctrl+K to talk to AI
  5. 5Describe what you want
  6. 6Accept the code, iterate, done

How to Set Up Claude Code

  1. 1Download VS Code
  2. 2Install Claude extension from marketplace
  3. 3Sign in with your Anthropic account
  4. 4Open your project folder
  5. 5Open Claude panel
  6. 6Start describing what you want to build

The Vibe Coding Workflow

Every project follows four steps.

1
Describe — Tell AI what you want. Plain English. Be specific.
2
Build — AI writes the code. You don't need to understand it.
3
Iterate — First version won't be perfect. Keep talking to AI until it works.
4
Deploy — Push to GitHub. Connect to Vercel. It's live.

GitHub is also your backup. Every version saved. If something breaks, you can go back.

For bigger projects, talk to your developers. They can review your code, improve it, or take it from there. You built the prototype. They make it production-ready.

Connecting Google & Meta Ads to Your Projects

With MCPs, AI talks directly to your ad accounts. Pull reports. Pause campaigns. Adjust budgets.

What you can do once connected:

Read:

  • Pull campaign performance
  • Check spend and budgets
  • Get keyword and audience reports

Write:

  • Pause or enable campaigns
  • Adjust budgets
  • Create new ads
  • Update targeting

Use cases:

  • Build a Clawdbot chatbot that manages your ads through WhatsApp. Text "pause low performers" and it does it.
  • Auto-generate weekly reports. No more manual exports.
  • Get alerts when ROAS drops. AI pauses the campaign for you.
  • Ask questions about your data. "What's my best ad set this week?"

How to set it up:

  1. 1Get the API/MCP for Google/Meta Ads (you can use ours at Ryze AI → API or find one online)
  2. 2Follow the setup docs (they walk you through it)
  3. 3Connect to Cursor or Claude Code
  4. 4Start building

Any action you do manually in the ads UI — AI can now do for you.

Level Up: Stuff that will save you hours

You don't need to be a developer. But knowing these basics will save you from headaches.

The non-negotiables:

.envA file where you store secrets (API keys, passwords). Never share it. Never push it to GitHub.
npm run devRuns your project locally so you can test it.
npm run buildPackages your project for the real world.
package.jsonA file that lists everything your project needs to work.
localhost:3000Your project running on YOUR computer. Not a real URL. Nobody else can see it.
Environment variablesSecrets stored safely. Never hardcode passwords in your code.
Terminal errorsDon't ignore them. Copy the error, paste to AI, ask what's wrong.
git add .envNever do this. You'll expose your secrets to the world.

Nice-to-haves (will save you days):

npm i --legacy-peer-depsMagic words when packages fight each other.
.gitignoreA list of files Git should never track. Your .env should be here.
git clone / pull / commit / pushBasic commands to save and sync your code.
Divs, components, modals, cardsDev jargon for "boxes on screen." You'll hear it a lot.
Reading docsFaster than guessing. Faster than asking AI sometimes.
Asking AI better questions"Fix this" works. "Fix this, here's the error, here's what I expected" works better.

That's it. That's vibe coding for marketers.

You don't need to become a developer. You just need to start.

DM me if you get stuck. Happy to help 🫶

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