How to use Google Keyword Planner without Adwords Campaign

Question

I want to use Google Keyword Planner. This requires an adwords account, which is fine. However, Google redirects me the the Getting Started wizard, which requires that I start an adword campaign and enter billing information, which I'd like to avoid.

How do I skip adwords' getting started wizard?

I've tried:

• This advertisercommunity post says there shold be a menu on the top.
  Result: There isn't. I guess adwords changed since 2014.
• Clearing my browser's cache and cookies.
  Result: No change.
• this techwyse post says I can click Skip the guided setup at the first time I login.
  Result: This worked for me in a test account
  But...: I didn't do that when I logged in using my main account, and now I can't get to that link.
• This tipsandtricksforum post says that you can change the URL - replace authuser=0 with authuser=1.
  Result: Doesn't work - I still get the create campaign wizard.
• I logged in with my test account, went to preferences, noted the URL. I then logged in with my main account, and entered the preferences URL, editing the __u=XXX&__c=YYY to match my main accounts'.
  Result: I do see the preferences page, including the top-level menu - yay! But selecting keyword planner still rdirects me to the getting started wizard.

Answer 1

You have to click the 'Skip the guided setup' link the very first time you see it, if you start the guided process, there is no going back.

If you are unwilling to create a campaign and enter billing info, you'll need to create a new account.