Google Ads Account Access refers to the settings that determine who can sign in to a Google Ads account and what they are allowed to see or change once inside. Getting this right matters because the wrong access setup can expose sensitive information or allow unintended changes to an account. Google Ads provides dedicated controls for managing users, Manager Account connections, and security settings.
1. Google Ads Account Access and Security
Google Ads Account Access is managed from a centralized location inside the interface. Settings related to who can access the account, what they can do, and how access is protected are available under Admin → Access and security.
Access management acts as a control system for the account. It determines which people can access the account and defines the boundaries of what each person can view or change.
The main areas under Access and security are:
- Users — Individual people who have been granted access through their own email address.
- Managers — Manager Account relationships connected to the Google Ads account.
- Security — Controls that help protect account access and restrict who can be invited.
2. Users
A user in Google Ads is an individual person who has been invited to access the account using their own email address. Each user receives a specific access level that determines what they are permitted to view or change.
2.1 How to Add a User
Adding a person to a Google Ads account follows a straightforward process:
- Open the Google Ads account.
- Click the Admin icon.
- Select Access and security.
- Open the Users section.
- Choose the option to add or invite a new user.
- Enter the person’s email address.
- Select the appropriate account access level.
- Send the invitation.
The person receives an email invitation and can accept it using a Google Account associated with the invited email address. Each person should have their own access rather than sharing one Google Account login with multiple people.
2.2 Adding an Email Address From Another Domain
A user does not necessarily need a Gmail address to be invited to a Google Ads account. An email address from a business or custom domain can also be used, such as:
The email address needs to be associated with a Google Account. For example, it may already be associated with a Google Workspace account, or a Google Account may have been created using an existing non-Gmail email address.
The email domain used for the invitation identifies the email address being added. It does not by itself establish the advertiser’s business identity or complete any advertiser verification process.
Google Ads also provides an Allowed domains setting that can restrict which email domains are permitted when adding users. For example, an organization could allow only company.com addresses. In that situation, an address such as person@company.com could be invited, while an address from a domain that is not allowed would be restricted.
Allowed domains is therefore an account-access control. It should not be confused with advertiser verification or Manager Account access.
2.3 Google Ads Account Access Levels
Google Ads provides different account access levels, and the level assigned to a user determines the scope of their permissions.
The access levels include:
2.3.1 Email Only
Email only is the most limited access level.
Users with Email-only access can receive account-related emails and notifications but do not receive the campaign-management permissions available to other access levels.
2.3.2 Billing
Billing access is focused on billing-related activities rather than campaign management.
Depending on the account configuration, users with Billing access can view billing information and perform permitted billing-related actions, including editing billing information where available.
This access level is intended for people who need to handle billing responsibilities without requiring campaign-management access.
2.3.3 Read Only
Read only allows users to view information without making the corresponding campaign edits.
Read-only users can generally:
- View campaigns and use planning tools.
- View billing information.
- View reports.
- View users, Manager Accounts, and product links.
- Add Email-only users where permitted.
They cannot edit campaigns or perform the broader account-management actions available to Standard or Admin users.
2.3.4 Standard
Standard provides broad access for users who actively manage a Google Ads account.
Standard users can:
- View and edit campaigns.
- View and edit reports.
- View billing information.
- View users, Manager Accounts, and product links.
- Add Email-only users where permitted.
Standard access provides substantial day-to-day management capabilities without providing the highest level of administrative control.
2.3.5 Admin
Admin is the broadest account access level.
Admin users can manage account access, including users, Manager Account connections, and product links. They can also perform administrative actions such as changing another user’s access level.
Because Admin access can affect who else can access the account, it should be given only to people who genuinely require administrative control.
The exact permissions available can vary depending on the account configuration and Google Ads interface. The access levels above represent the main capabilities associated with the options shown in Google Ads.
2.4 Managing Existing Users
Administrators can review existing users from the Users section within Access and security.
From there, they can:
- Check each user’s current access level.
- Change a user’s access level when responsibilities change.
- Remove a user’s access when it is no longer required.
- Review pending invitations.
- Cancel invitations that are no longer needed.
User access should be reviewed regularly so that permissions continue to match each person’s responsibilities.
3. Managers
Google Ads Account Access also includes a separate form of access through Manager Account connections. This works differently from access granted directly to individual users.
3.1 What a Manager Account Is
A Google Ads Manager Account, commonly referred to as an MCC, allows multiple Google Ads accounts to be managed from a central Manager Account.
The Manager Account itself is separate from an individual user’s access. The important point here is how its connection affects access to a Google Ads account.
3.2 Manager Access vs User Access
User access and Manager Account access should not be treated as the same thing.
User access is granted directly to an individual’s email address and associated Google Account.
Manager access is a relationship between a Manager Account and a Google Ads account. It is not simply another access level assigned to an individual’s email address.
This distinction is important when reviewing who or what has access to an account.
3.3 Managing Managers
The Managers section within Access and security allows authorized users to review Manager Account relationships connected to the Google Ads account.
Depending on the account permissions, administrators can review:
- Which Manager Accounts are connected.
- The existing Manager Account relationships.
- Access associated with connected Manager Accounts.
- Whether a Manager Account connection should remain in place.
When a Manager Account relationship is no longer required, it can be removed according to the account’s available access controls.
The detailed creation and setup of Manager Accounts is outside the scope of this article.
4. Security
Google Ads provides additional controls under the Security section of Access and security. These settings help protect the account from unauthorized access and control how new users can be added.
4.1 Verification During Sign-In
Verification during sign-in refers to additional security steps that Google may require when someone signs in.
This can include 2-Step Verification, which adds another verification step beyond the account password.
The purpose is to provide an additional layer of protection if a password is compromised. A person attempting to access the account may need to complete the required verification before access is granted.
Sign-in verification is an account-security feature. It is separate from advertiser identity, business, or payment verification.
4.2 Allowed Domains
Allowed domains controls which email domains can be used when inviting users to the Google Ads account.
For example, a business could restrict invitations to:
company.com
With that restriction in place, users with addresses such as person@company.com may be permitted, while addresses using domains outside the approved list may not be accepted.
This provides an additional layer of access control by limiting the types of email addresses that can be invited.
Allowed domains works directly with user management but does not determine the user’s Google Ads access level. The access level is selected separately when the user is added.
4.3 Protecting Account Access
Several practical practices can help maintain secure Google Ads Account Access:
- Avoid sharing Google Account login credentials between multiple people.
- Give each person individual access.
- Assign only the access level required for their responsibilities.
- Limit Admin access to people who need administrative control.
- Review users regularly.
- Remove inactive users or users who no longer require access.
- Review Manager Account connections periodically.
- Check for unexpected or unauthorized access activity.
- Keep account security and sign-in protections enabled where appropriate.
The goal is to ensure that the right people have the right level of access and that unnecessary access does not remain active.
5. Summary
Google Ads Account Access is managed through Admin → Access and security, where users, Manager Account relationships, and security controls can be reviewed and managed.
Individual users can receive different access levels, including Email only, Billing, Read only, Standard, and Admin, depending on what they need to do inside the account. Users can also be invited using business or custom-domain email addresses when those addresses meet Google’s Google Account requirements.
The Allowed domains setting can further restrict which email domains are permitted for user invitations. Manager Accounts represent a separate type of account relationship and should be distinguished from individual user access.
Finally, verification during sign-in, domain restrictions, appropriate permissions, and regular access reviews can help protect Google Ads accounts from unnecessary or unauthorized access.
