How to Give Access to Google Ads and Link a Manager Account

If you need to give access to Google Ads to an agency, a freelancer or a new team member, you have two safe options. You can invite the person by email from Admin > Access and security, or you can link their manager account (MCC) to yours using your customer ID. Either way, nobody needs your password.

In this guide I explain each access level in plain words, show you the exact clicks for both methods, and cover how to remove people, unlink a manager and fix the errors I see most often. I also cover the newer security steps, such as second-admin approval and passkeys.

Two Ways to Give Someone Access to Google Ads

Before you click anything, decide which method fits the person you are adding.

• Invite a user by email. Best for one person: an in-house marketer, a freelancer, your accountant or a business partner. They get access with their own Google Account.
• Link a manager account. Best for agencies. A manager account (often called an MCC, short for “My Client Center”) is a Google Ads account that lets one team manage many client accounts from one login. When you link it, everyone on the agency’s team can work in your account based on the access the agency gives them.

In my experience, agencies almost always ask for a manager account link. It is cleaner for them, and it is easier for you to cut off later because you remove one link instead of five separate people.

One thing neither method can do: limit someone to a single campaign. Access in Google Ads is set at the account level, so a user can see every campaign in the account they join.

Google Ads Access Levels Explained

Google Ads has five access levels for users. Picking the right one matters more than anything else in this guide, so here is what each one can actually do.

Google lists the full permission details on its access levels help page. The short version above covers what most business owners need to decide.

Which Level Should You Choose?

My rule of thumb is simple: give the lowest level that still lets the person do their job.

• A freelancer who builds and runs campaigns needs Standard, not Admin.
• Your boss who wants to check results needs Read only.
• Your bookkeeper who pays invoices needs Billing.
• Only you, and maybe one or two co-owners, should have Admin.

There is one exception. Google says a user who will set up monthly invoicing or apply for a credit line needs Admin access. If that applies, give Admin for that task and lower it afterwards.

Always Keep a Second Admin

Google warns that if your account has only one administrator, you could lose access to things like your tags if that person becomes unavailable. I always add a second admin from inside the business, not from the agency. If the only admin leaves the company, getting control back is slow and painful.

Pick admins who are easy to reach, because Google may ask a second admin to approve user changes (more on this below).

How to Give Access to Google Ads by Inviting a User

You need Admin access to invite anyone. The person you invite needs a Google Account. It can be a Gmail address or a work email that has been set up as a Google Account.

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. Click the Admin icon in the left menu.
3. Select Access and security. You land on the Users tab.
4. Click the blue plus (+) button.
5. Enter the person’s email address.
6. If you want the access to end on a set day, choose an expiration date. The default is no expiration.
7. Choose an access level: Admin, Standard, Read only, Email only or Billing.
8. Click Send invitation. If Google asks you to confirm with a passkey, follow the prompt.

The person gets an email with a link. They click it, sign in with the Google Account for that email, and accept. Until they accept, they show under pending invitations on the Access and security page.

When a Second Admin Has to Approve

Google Ads now has multi-party approval: a second admin must approve high-risk changes before they happen. Google’s multi-party approval help page says this covers adding a user, removing a user, changing an access level and linking an existing account to a manager account.

It only applies to accounts with several admins. Google’s pages put the cut-off at three or more admins in one place and more than three in another.

When it applies, another admin goes to Admin > Access and security, opens Review request under pending invitations (or the Security requests tab), and clicks Approve or Deny. Requests expire after 20 days, and Google Ads support cannot approve them. I message the other admins before I send the invite. It saves days of waiting.

Give Temporary Access With an Expiry Date

You can set an end date on a user’s access, which is handy for an audit or a short-term contractor. When the date passes, Google removes the user for you.

• For a new user, pick the date in the invite form (step 6 above).
• For an existing user, hover over the date in the Access expires column and click the pencil icon.
• Access ends at 11:59 PM in your account’s time zone. Admins and the user get an email 7 days and 1 day before.
• To give access again later, send a new invite.

I use an end date for anyone I know is short term. It stops old access from piling up.

What the Invited Person Should Do

If you are on the receiving end, open the invite email and click the link. Sign in with the Google Account that matches the email address the invite was sent to.

If you have several Google Accounts signed in at once, this is where things often go wrong. I tell people to open the link in a private browser window so only the right account is signed in.

A Quick Example

Say you own a dental clinic and you hire a freelance PPC (pay-per-click) specialist. You invite their work email with Standard access. You invite your accountant with Billing access. You stay as Admin and add your practice manager as a second Admin. Each person sees only what they need, and nobody shares a login.

How to Link a Manager Account (MCC) to Your Google Ads Account

Linking works the other way round from inviting a user. The agency sends a request from their manager account, and you accept it in your account.

Step 1: Share Your Customer ID

Your customer ID is the 10-digit number in the format 123-456-7890. You can find it at the top of your Google Ads account, next to the account name.

It is safe to share. On its own, the customer ID only lets someone send you a link request. They get no access until an admin on your side accepts it.

Step 2: The Agency Sends the Link Request

This part is done by the agency, inside their manager account:

1. Sign in to the Google Ads manager account.
2. Click the Accounts icon, then select Sub-account settings.
3. Click the plus (+) button and choose Link existing account.
4. Enter the client’s customer ID. For several accounts, enter one ID per line.
5. Click Preview to check the details, then click Send request.

Google’s guide to linking accounts to a manager account has the same steps if the agency needs them. The agency can withdraw a request later under Sent link requests.

Step 3: Accept the Link Request

Only a user with Admin access on your account can accept. You will usually get an email about the request with an Accept request option, but you can also accept it directly in Google Ads:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. Click Admin, then Access and security.
3. Open the Managers tab.
4. Find the request under “Link request” and click Accept, then follow the steps on screen.

Once you accept, the accounts link. If your account uses multi-party approval, the link waits until a second admin approves it. Before I accept any request, I check the manager account name and ID against what the agency sent me. If a request turns up that nobody asked for, decline it.

What About Account Ownership?

A client account can have one “owner” manager account. Admins on the owner manager get extra powers over your account, such as managing your admin users and accepting or declining other managers.

When an agency creates an account for you from their manager account, they become the owner automatically. When they link to an account you already have, they do not become the owner unless an admin on your side turns ownership on.

Ownership does not change who owns the data. Your account keeps its data, and you can end ownership by unlinking the manager. Even so, I’d only give ownership to an agency you trust, and I’d make sure you keep your own Admin user inside the account no matter what.

How to Change or Remove Access

People leave and agencies change, so this part matters as much as adding access.

Change a User’s Access Level

1. Go to Admin > Access and security.
2. On the Users tab, hover over the person’s current level in the “Access level” column.
3. Click the arrow that appears and pick the new level.

Remove a User

1. Go to Admin > Access and security.
2. Find the user and click Remove access in the Actions column.
3. Confirm the removal.

To cancel an invite that was never accepted, find the pending invitation on the same page and click Revoke.

Removing a user does not touch your campaigns. Ads keep running and all the changes that person made stay in place.

Unlink a Manager Account

From your side (the client account):

1. Go to Admin > Access and security.
2. Open the Managers tab.
3. Find the manager account and click Remove access in the Actions column.
4. Read the preview, then click Unlink to confirm.

The agency can also unlink from their side. In the manager account they go to Accounts > Sub-account settings, tick the account, then choose Edit > Unlink and confirm after the preview.

What Happens When You Unlink

Your account keeps its campaigns and history. But a few things can break, so check these before you unlink:

• Monthly invoicing. If the agency’s manager account pays your bills through monthly invoicing, Google says your ads stop serving after unlinking. Set up your own billing first.
• Shared audience lists. Campaigns that target or exclude remarketing lists shared from the manager account stop running.
• Cross-account conversion tracking. If the agency tracked conversions with a tag set up in their manager account, it stops recording new conversions. Make sure your own conversion tracking is in place.

When I take over an account from another agency, this is the checklist I go through first. Billing and conversion tracking are the two things I usually see break.

Common Google Ads Access Problems and How to Fix Them

“The Person Doesn’t Have a Google Account”

The invite needs a Google Account at the other end. If the person uses a work email that is not a Google Account, they can create one for that address without making a new Gmail. Then they accept the invite with it.

The Invite Email Never Arrived

Ask them to check spam and any promotions folder first. Then check the pending invitations on Access and security to confirm you typed the email correctly. If it is wrong, revoke the invite and send a new one.

They Accepted, but the Account Doesn’t Show Up

This nearly always means they signed in with a different Google Account. Ask them to sign out of every account and click the invite link again, or use a private window. If you invited an alternate email linked to their Google Account, Google says they can accept with that address or their main one.

Google Asks for a Passkey

Google says a passkey may be needed for sensitive actions such as adding users, changing billing and linking accounts. A passkey is a sign-in key saved on your phone or computer that you unlock with your fingerprint, face or screen PIN. Google’s passkey help page has the steps. The main points:

• Create it under Passkeys and security keys in the Google Account you use for Google Ads, then wait a day or two.
• Do not use a private window, a shared computer or an Android browser for these checks.
• Single sign-on tools such as Okta do not count.

Without a passkey you can still sign in and run campaigns. You just cannot complete the sensitive actions.

“You Need Administrative Access to Perform This Action”

Only Admin users can invite people, change levels, accept link requests or unlink managers. Ask an existing admin to do it, or to raise your level.

“You Have Reached the Maximum Number of Managers”

Google allows up to five manager accounts linked directly to one client account. Unlink an old agency you no longer use, then send the request again. I often find old manager links from agencies the business stopped working with years ago.

“Invitee Is Already Managed by Another Manager in Your Hierarchy”

A client account can only be linked once inside one manager structure. If the agency has several manager accounts, they need to move your account between them instead of linking it twice.

“You Have Reached the Maximum Number of Pending Invitations”

A manager account can have up to 20 pending link requests. The agency needs to withdraw old requests under Sent link requests in Sub-account settings, or ask clients to accept them.

The Unlink Is Blocked

Google will not let you unlink if it would leave the account with no admin user and no owner manager. Add an Admin user to the account first, then unlink.

One Google Account, Too Many Google Ads Accounts

Google says each Google Account can have direct access to up to 20 Google Ads accounts. Freelancers who hit this limit should set up their own manager account and ask clients to link to it.

Security Tips for Sharing Google Ads Access

Your Google Ads account is tied to a credit card or bank account, so treat access like a key to your money.

• Never share your password. Everyone gets access with their own Google Account. Shared logins make it impossible to see who changed what, and they do not work with passkeys.
• Use the least access needed. Standard for people who run campaigns, Read only for people who watch, Billing for finance.
• Keep at least two admins from your own business. Do not let an agency be the only admin.
• Set up passkeys and 2-Step Verification on every admin’s Google Account.
• Review users and managers regularly. I check the Users and Managers tabs every quarter and remove anyone who has left or no longer needs access.
• Check the change history if something looks odd. It shows who changed what and when.

If you are giving the same agency access to your other Google tools, the steps are similar but the roles differ. My guides on giving access to Google Analytics 4 and giving access to Google Tag Manager cover those two.

What Has Changed Recently

Google has added several security steps to Google Ads access since early 2026. Here is what changed and what it means for you.

• Multi-party approval (from about February 2026). On accounts with several admins, adding or removing users, changing access levels and linking to a manager account need a second admin’s approval within 20 days. Tell your other admins before you make changes.
• Passkeys for sensitive actions (from 15 July 2026). Google told advertisers a passkey is now required for certain sensitive actions, such as adding users. Set one up on every admin account before you invite anyone.
• Permanent passkey checks (rolling out in 2026). Admins can make passkey checks permanent, with a start date up to 30 days ahead. It cannot be turned off, so give your team time to register first.
• Free email test (reported August 2026). On some accounts, Google is blocking Gmail, Yahoo and other free addresses from user and linking changes. If you are enrolled, move admins to business email.
• More for Billing users (date not given). Google now says Admin and Billing users can edit payments profile details and complete Advertiser Verification. Your finance person can do more with Billing access alone.

Conclusion

To give access to Google Ads, invite individual people by email from Access and security, and link agencies through their manager account using your customer ID. Pick the lowest access level that works, add an end date for short-term users, keep a second admin from your own team, and check your Users and Managers tabs often.

Before you unlink an old agency, check billing, shared lists and conversion tracking first. If you are setting up a local business’s other Google tools at the same time, my guide on adding a manager to Google Business Profile is a good next step.