How to Add Users to Google Merchant Center

If you need to add a user to Google Merchant Center, you do it from Settings: click the gear icon, open Access and services, stay on the People and access tab, click Add person, enter their email and pick Admin or Standard. The person gets an email invite and has access once they accept it. That is the whole job in one line.

The part that takes more thought is choosing the right access level. Pick too little and your agency can’t fix product issues. Pick too much and someone can remove your own access. Below I cover each access type, the steps, agencies, Google Ads linking and common problems.

Which Merchant Center Version This Guide Covers

For a few years Google ran two versions side by side: the classic Merchant Center and a newer one called Merchant Center Next. Everyone has now been moved to the newer version. In July 2026 Google dropped the “Next” from the name, so it is simply called Google Merchant Center again. Your login and bookmarks stay the same.

If you remember a Tools menu, an Account access page or a “Reporting manager” role, those belong to the classic version.

Multi-client accounts (a parent account above many sub-accounts) can look a little different. If your screens don’t match, check whether you are in the parent or a sub-account.

Who Should Get Access, and at Which Level

My rule of thumb: give the lowest level that lets the person do their job, and raise it later if needed.

• Business owner or main account holder: Admin, and make sure the business also holds super admin in Business Manager (more on that below). Keep at least two trusted Admins.
• Agency running Shopping or Performance Max campaigns: if the agency uses Merchant Center for Agencies, approve its link request instead of adding each staff member. Otherwise, Admin is often needed at first, because linking Google Ads needs Admin access.
• Freelancer fixing product data or feed errors: Standard.
• Developer working on the product feed or the Merchant API: Standard for the work itself, plus the API developer role if they own an API connection. Only for as long as the project runs.
• Manager or analyst who only wants to see results: Performance and insights.
• Someone who just needs alerts, like a store manager: Email-only.

In my experience, the biggest mistake is giving Admin to everyone “just to be safe”. Every Admin can remove people, including you.

Merchant Center Access Types Explained

Here is what each main access type lets a person do, in plain words. Google’s own help page on people and access levels has the official wording.

Admin

Admin is the highest role you can give from inside Merchant Center. Admins control who has access, and only they can add or remove apps and stores, such as a Google Ads link.

I always make sure the business itself, not only an agency, keeps Admin access.

Standard

Standard is the working level. A Standard user can fix product errors, edit product details, add data sources (the current name for feeds), verify the website and change most account settings.

Google’s help page now lists more limits. A Standard user can’t manage people, can’t add or remove apps and stores, can’t link Google Ads, can’t turn on programs, and can’t work with reports or performance insights. So if your freelancer also needs to read the numbers, Standard alone is not enough.

Read-Only

Read-only lets someone see what a Standard user sees without changing anything. I like it for auditors and new team members.

Performance and Insights

This level is for people who look at numbers. It opens the dashboards and reports, including custom reports, but not products or settings.

It replaces the classic “Reporting manager” role.

Email-Only

You can add someone who never signs in but still gets account emails, such as product data alerts or service announcements. Each person manages their own email preferences under Settings > General > Personal preferences.

Super Admin and Business Manager

Merchant Center now connects to Business Manager, a Google hub that ties together Merchant Center, Google Ads and Business Profile for one business. The top role there is super admin. Super admins have the highest access to connected apps and can add or remove other super admins and apps.

You can’t add a super admin from Merchant Center itself. You use Go to Business Manager under the People list, then add the person there. Google notes three catches:

• A new super admin doesn’t automatically get Admin in Merchant Center. Add them there as well.
• Removing a super admin in Business Manager doesn’t remove their access to Merchant Center. Remove them in both places.
• Super admin invites expire after 7 days.

FeedArmy has reported that when an account moved from classic to the new Merchant Center, the person who clicked the move button often became super admin. If an agency did that move for you, I’d check who your super admin is today.

API Developer and Other Special Roles

API developer marks the person who gets Merchant API emails. On its own it gives almost no access, so a developer also needs Standard or Admin. Each API connection needs at least one, so don’t remove the last one. The YouTube Shopping affiliate program role only covers YouTube affiliate campaigns.

How to Add a User to Google Merchant Center

You need Admin access to add people. If you don’t see the option to add someone, that is usually the reason.

1. Sign in to Merchant Center at merchants.google.com with a Google Account that has Admin access.
2. If you manage more than one account, check the account name and ID at the top, so you add the person to the right one.
3. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the left menu and open Access and services.
4. On the People and access tab, under People, click Add person.
5. Type the person’s email address. It must be an email linked to a Google Account.
6. On the next screen, choose the access type: Admin or Standard.
7. Click Add user to send the invite.

The person now shows in the list with a “pending” status. Their access starts once they accept the invite. Google’s default email settings apply to new people.

If the person needs one of the other access types, such as Read-only or Performance and insights, open Manage next to their name and check the options there.

One habit I recommend: write down who you added, why, and when you plan to review it. It makes clean-up much easier later.

One limit to know: a single Google Account can be a user on up to 100 Merchant Center accounts.

Adding a User to a Multi-Client Account

If you run a multi-client account, you can add people at the parent level or at a single sub-account. Access at the parent level usually reaches the sub-accounts under it. Google now calls the process of turning a normal account into one of these an “advanced account setup”, found under Settings > General > Account setup.

If an outside freelancer only works on one store, add them to that sub-account only.

Giving Access to an Agency That Uses Merchant Center for Agencies

Many agencies now use Merchant Center for Agencies, a separate agency view that shows all their clients in one place. Google made it generally available in the US and Canada in March 2026 and started rolling it out worldwide in May 2026. Google still calls it limited availability.

With this setup, the agency doesn’t ask to be added as a user. It sends a link request from its agency account, asking for either Admin or Standard plus performance and insights. Here is what you do as the merchant:

1. Look for the email from Google about the agency’s request, or open Settings > Access and services > People and access.
2. Find the request in the Partners table.
3. Approve it if you know the agency and the access level is right. Reject it if not.

Only an Admin on your account can approve. Once approved, the agency is connected as a whole. Individual agency staff won’t show up in your People list, because the agency manages its own team. Google’s guide on user access in Merchant Center for Agencies explains the agency side.

I like this model because you remove one partner instead of chasing old logins. The trade-off: you can’t see which agency staff have access, so ask for a list if that matters.

How to Accept a Merchant Center Invitation

If you are the person being added, here is what happens on your side.

1. Look for an email from Google about access to a Merchant Center account. Check spam and promotions folders too.
2. Click the link in the email.
3. Sign in with the exact Google Account the invite was sent to. This is where most people go wrong.
4. Accept the invitation. The account should now appear when you go to merchants.google.com.

If you are signed in with several Google Accounts, Merchant Center may open the wrong one. I usually tell people to use a private window with only the invited email.

Linking Google Ads (and How It Differs From Adding a User)

Adding a user gives a person access. Linking Google Ads connects two accounts, so your products can be used in Shopping ads and Performance Max campaigns.

Here is how linking works from Merchant Center today:

1. An Admin clicks the gear icon (Settings), opens Access and services and selects the Apps and services tab.
2. They click Add service, choose Google Ads and click Next.
3. They either pick a Google Ads account they manage, or choose Account you don’t manage and enter the 10-digit Google Ads customer ID.
4. They click Link (or Send request for an account they don’t manage).
5. If the same person is an admin in both accounts, the link is approved straight away.
6. If not, an admin in Google Ads approves it under Tools > Data manager > Connected products, using Manage & link for Google Merchant Center and the Received tab.

Two points catch people out. A Standard Merchant Center user can’t start or accept the link, and a Google Ads manager account (MCC) itself can’t be linked; you link the individual Google Ads accounts under it. One Merchant Center account can link to up to 500 Google Ads accounts. Google’s guide on linking a Google Ads account to Merchant Center covers each screen.

For the Google Ads side of access, including manager accounts, see my guide on how to give access to Google Ads and link a manager account.

How to Change or Remove a User

Change Someone’s Access Level

1. Go to Settings > Access and services and open the People and access tab.
2. Find the person and click Manage next to their name.
3. Change the access type.
4. Click Save.

Remove Someone Completely

1. Go to Settings > Access and services and open the People and access tab.
2. Click Manage next to the person.
3. Under Account status, click Remove person and confirm.

Before you remove anyone, check one thing. Website verification in Merchant Center (proof that you own your store’s domain) is tied to the person who verified it. If you remove that person, the verification and claim are removed too, and your products can stop showing until someone verifies and claims the site again.

So when an agency or developer leaves, I first make sure the website is verified under an account the business controls. Then I remove the old user. To remove an agency connected through Merchant Center for Agencies, remove it from the Partners table instead.

Removing an Agency That Set Up the Account

If an agency created your Merchant Center account, they may be the only Admin, and they may also be the super admin. Ask them to add you as Admin first, and to make you super admin in Business Manager. Once you have accepted and can see People and access, you can remove them or lower their access to Standard.

Don’t forget the Google Ads link. Removing a person does not remove a link to their Google Ads account. If you no longer want your products used in that account, unlink it in the Apps and services tab too.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

“This Email Isn’t Linked to a Google Account”

Merchant Center only works with Google Accounts. The person can create a free Google Account using their existing work email; it does not have to be a Gmail address. Once that is done, send the invite again.

The Invite Never Arrived

• Check spam, promotions and company email filters.
• Check the email address for typos.
• Remove the pending invite and add the person again.

They Accepted, but Can’t See the Account

Almost always, they are signed in with a different Google Account. Ask them to check the profile icon in the top corner and switch to the invited email.

You Can’t Find “Add Person”

You probably have Standard, Read-only or Performance and insights access, not Admin. Ask an existing Admin to add the person or to raise your access.

Wrong Account or Sub-Account

Check the account ID at the top before you click Add person. If you got it wrong, remove them and add them to the correct account.

The Agency Can’t Link Google Ads

Linking needs Admin access in Merchant Center. Either give them Admin while they set up the link, or have your own Admin send the link request and let them approve it on the Google Ads side.

Old Screenshots Don’t Match

Older guides show the classic version, with Tools and Account access menus, or an earlier Settings menu where People and access sat on its own. Today, look for the gear icon, then Access and services, then the People and access tab.

Security Tips for Merchant Center Access

• Never share your Google password. Every person should have their own login, so you can see who did what.
• Use the least access needed. Standard covers most feed and product work. Read-only suits people who only need to look. Save Admin for owners and people setting up links.
• Keep two Admins you control, and make sure the business holds super admin in Business Manager.
• Turn on 2-Step Verification for every Admin’s Google Account.
• Review users and partners regularly. I check the People list and the Partners table every quarter and after any agency or staff change.

I apply the same review habit to every tool a store shares. If you also need to share analytics, see how to give access to Google Analytics 4 and how to add a user to Google Search Console.

What Has Changed Recently

Here are the access-related changes Google has confirmed since this guide was first written:

• Merchant Center for Agencies (October 2025 to May 2026). A wider rollout began in October 2025, US and Canada launch followed in March 2026, and worldwide rollout in May 2026. Agencies may now send you a link request instead of asking to be added as a user.
• Agency roles and the Partners table (June 2026). Google added Agency Admin and Standard roles, plus labels for grouping clients, and published a user access guide. You approve or remove an agency in the Partners table, and its individual staff don’t appear in your People list.
• “Next” dropped from the name (July 2026). Merchant Center Next is now just Google Merchant Center. Access works the same.
• Agency limit documented (August 2026). Google’s help pages now say one agency account can link up to 1,000 client Merchant Center accounts.
• Content API for Shopping shut down (August 2026). Google sunset the old API on 18 August 2026. Integrations now use the Merchant API, which needs a one-time developer registration and at least one person with the API developer role.
• More roles and a new menu path (date not announced). Google’s help pages now list Read-only and API developer roles, say Standard can’t work with reports, and place People and access under Access and services. Check what each helper needs before you pick a role.

Wrapping Up

To add a user to Google Merchant Center, an Admin opens Settings, goes to Access and services and clicks Add person on the People and access tab. The invitee accepts with the same Google Account. For most helpers, Standard is enough; keep Admin for owners and for linking Google Ads, and approve agencies through the Partners table when they use Merchant Center for Agencies.

Your next step: open People and access today and look at both the People list and the Partners table. Remove anyone who shouldn’t be there, check that at least two people you trust are Admins and that your business holds super admin, and make sure website verification sits with an account your business controls.