How to Grant and Manage Google Ads Access Levels

### Admin Access

Full control over the account. Admins can create, edit, and delete campaigns, manage billing, invite and remove users, and change account settings. Reserve Admin access for account owners and senior team members.

Standard Access

Can create, edit, and pause campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and ads. Can view all reports. Cannot manage users, change billing, or modify account-level settings. This is the appropriate level for most campaign managers and media buyers.

Read-Only Access

Can view campaigns, reports, and settings but cannot make any changes. Ideal for stakeholders, executives, or clients who need visibility without the risk of accidental changes.

Billing Access

Can view and manage payment methods, invoices, and billing settings. Cannot see or modify campaigns. Useful for finance teams who handle payments but should not touch advertising settings.

Email-Only Access

Receives email notifications and reports but cannot log into the account at all. Useful for people who only need automated performance summaries.

- In Google Ads, go to Tools & Settings > Access and security

- Click the blue "+" button

- Enter the person's email address (must be a Google account)

- Select the access level

- Click Send invitation

The person receives an email with a link to accept access. Once accepted, they can log into the account at their assigned level.

Go to Tools & Settings > Access and security. Find the user in the list. Click the pencil icon to change their access level, or click the X to remove them entirely. Changes take effect immediately.

Minimum privilege principle: Give each person the lowest access level they need to do their job. Campaign managers need Standard, not Admin.

Maintain at least two Admins: If only one person has Admin access and they leave the organisation or lose access to their Google account, you could be locked out permanently.

Audit quarterly: Review who has access every quarter. Remove anyone who no longer needs it — former employees, old agency partners, or freelancers whose contracts ended.

Never share login credentials: Always add users through the Access and security panel. Sharing passwords means you cannot track who made changes and cannot revoke individual access.

Use an MCC for agency access: If an agency manages your account, they should link it to their MCC rather than having individual team members added to your account. This way, you can revoke the entire agency's access in one click by unlinking the MCC.

When a Manager Account (MCC) is linked to your Google Ads account, the MCC inherits access at the level you grant during the linking process. Users in the MCC can access your account based on both the MCC link level and their individual MCC role. You can set the link to Administrative access, Standard access, or Read-only access.