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How to give access to a Google Ads account

As a business owner, you may need to grant access to your Google Ads account to internal team members or external partners. This guide will outline two primary methods for granting access to your Google Ads account:

  1. Inviting an individual user.
  2. Approving a manager’s request.

From an owner’s perspective, the distinction between these methods might seem subtle. However, for a PPC freelancer or an agency, it becomes a matter of convenience. We typically prefer having all client accounts consolidated under our manager account for easier Google Ads management.

Option #1: Inviting an Individual User

Firstly, let’s delve into the user roles in Google Ads. There are five user roles in total:

  1. Email only
  2. Billing
  3. Read only
  4. Standard
  5. Admin
Google Ads Access 1
User roles in Google Ads

As a general rule, you would prefer to assign either the “read only” or the “standard” permission level.

The “read only” option is ideal if you’re adding a user for audit purposes, as it provides all the necessary information without the risk of unintended changes.

The “standard” permission level provides a balanced approach, granting necessary permissions for the continuous management of the account.

Assuming you are the admin, you will have the ability to modify access levels or completely remove any user at any moment in the future. With that in mind, assign admin roles with caution, as any admin could potentially remove you from the account.

How to add a new user

Should you wish to add a user directly to your Google Ads account, here’s a straightforward step-by-step guide:

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  2. Click on the “Tools and Settings” icon on the top right corner, followed by “Access and security” under the “Setup” section.
  3. On the “Users” tab, click on the blue + icon to add a new user.
  4. Input the email address of the user and select their level of access.
Google Ads Access 2
Adding a new user to a Google Ads account

Once done, Google sends an invitation email to the recipient, who will then need to accept the invitation:

Google Ads Access 3
An invitation email for a Google Ads account

Option #2: Approving a Link Request

Another approach is commonly used by PPC freelancers and agencies. The primary drawback of adding individual users is that, if you have an external team, you will need to manually send invitations to each specialist involved in your project. PPC professionals use a special type of Google Ads account — the MCC (My Client Center) account, which consolidates multiple client accounts under one MCC. This setup allows for managing multiple accounts from a single interface, enables shared library for using shared scripts and negative keyword lists, and gives centralized user management (the MCC owner can add and remove new users within their team).

Contrary to the first option, you can’t directly add a new manager to your account. Instead, the workflow is somewhat reversed: the manager links your account to their MCC account. To make this possible, you’ll need to share your Google Ads account ID and then approve the incoming request.

The manager is granted a ‘standard’ access level, which ensures they cannot remove you or other admins from the account. Just like with individual users, you retain the power to revoke any manager’s access in the future. This ensures you’re always in control.

How to add a new manager

  1. Provide your Google Ads account ID to your PPC contractor.
  2. The contractor will then submit a request to link your account.
  3. An email from Google will arrive regarding this request.
  4. To accept, navigate to “Tools & Settings” → “Access and Security“, then click the “Managers” tab (this is the second tab after the “Users” tab).
  5. In this section, you have the option to accept or decline the request.

Option #3: Sharing Your Password (Bad Practice)

One thing you should never do is share your Gmail password or Google Account with a third party. This could lead to major security and privacy issues and is not practical, especially if you have two-factor authentication activated.

Recap & Recommendations

To conclude, granting access to your Google Ads account is a process that should be handled with care, especially when your business depends on it. Both adding a user and adding a manager have their uses, depending on the situation.

I recommend adding an individual user when you are working with team members within your organization. This gives you the ability to assign specific roles, and restrict their access based on their responsibilities. Be especially deliberate with adding admins as any admin is able to remove you from account without your permission.

When working with an external partner, like a PPC agency or freelancer, I highly recommend adding a manager. This allows for easier account management for your partners without the need for multiple accounts and passwords, and gives them just the right level of access they need to optimize your campaigns.



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