We recommend using the C implementation if you can, but PHP may be needed in
some cases (such as when limited by security or technical constraints).
The PHP implementation is automatically installed like any other
googleapis/gax-php dependencies in
Composer, but it is used at runtime only if the C implementation is not
installed and configured.
C implementation
To install and configure the Protobuf PHP extension:
Run sudo pecl install protobuf from the command line.
Add an extension=protobuf.so line to the php.ini file.
PHP implementation
Make sure the C implementation is disabled and all the dependencies of
the googleapis/gax-php library are
installed:
Comment out any extension=protobuf.so line in php.ini.
Run composer install from the directory that contains the
composer.json file of the project being worked on. The composer.json
should specify google-ads-php or any project that requires it as a
dependence.
Determine which implementation is being used
Run php -i | grep protobuf:
If not empty, you're using the C implementation.
Otherwise, you're not using the C implementation and the Google Ads API
PHP library will rely on the PHP implementation (if installed correctly
using Composer).
[null,null,["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe Google Ads API for PHP offers two implementations: C (for performance) and PHP (for ease of use).\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe C implementation utilizes the Protobuf PHP extension and requires manual installation via \u003ccode\u003epecl\u003c/code\u003e and \u003ccode\u003ephp.ini\u003c/code\u003e configuration.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe PHP implementation is automatically installed with \u003ccode\u003egoogleapis/gax-php\u003c/code\u003e dependencies but is used only if the C implementation is unavailable.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUsers can determine the active implementation by running \u003ccode\u003ephp -i | grep protobuf\u003c/code\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Protobuf implementations\n\nThere are two implementations that are available for PHP:\n\n1. **C** : Uses the [Protobuf PHP extension](//pecl.php.net/package/protobuf) which gives better performance.\n2. **PHP** : Uses the [`google/protobuf` PHP\n package](//packagist.org/packages/google/protobuf) which is easier to implement.\n\nWe recommend using the C implementation if you can, but PHP may be needed in\nsome cases (such as when limited by security or technical constraints).\n\nThe PHP implementation is automatically installed like any other\n[`googleapis/gax-php`](https://github.com/googleapis/gax-php) dependencies in\nComposer, but it is used at runtime **only if** the C implementation is not\ninstalled and configured.\n\nC implementation\n----------------\n\nTo install and configure the Protobuf PHP extension:\n\n1. Run `sudo pecl install protobuf` from the command line.\n2. Add an `extension=protobuf.so` line to the `php.ini` file.\n\nPHP implementation\n------------------\n\nMake sure the C implementation is disabled and all the dependencies of\nthe [`googleapis/gax-php`](https://github.com/googleapis/gax-php) library are\ninstalled:\n\n1. Comment out any `extension=protobuf.so` line in `php.ini`.\n2. Run `composer install` from the directory that contains the\n `composer.json` file of the project being worked on. The `composer.json`\n should specify `google-ads-php` or any project that requires it as a\n dependence.\n\n | **Key Point:** Typically, the protobuf version that this PHP library relies on is transitively specified in [`composer.json`](https://github.com/googleapis/gax-php/blob/master/composer.json) of `google/gax`, which is one of the core dependencies. But for performance or compatibility reasons, we may specify the protobuf version directly in the PHP library's [`composer.json`](https://github.com/googleads/google-ads-php/blob/HEAD/composer.json).\n\nDetermine which implementation is being used\n--------------------------------------------\n\nRun `php -i | grep protobuf`:\n\n- If *not* empty, you're using the C implementation.\n- Otherwise, you're *not* using the C implementation and the Google Ads API PHP library will rely on the PHP implementation (if installed correctly using Composer)."]]
