If you are advertising for more than one business or managing Google Ads accounts for clients, keeping track of several separate logins can quickly become difficult. This is the problem a Google Ads Manager Account is designed to solve. A regular Google Ads account is generally used to run advertising campaigns for an individual advertiser, while a Manager Account allows multiple Google Ads accounts to be managed from one central location.
1. What is a Google Ads Manager Account?
A Google Ads Manager Account is a special type of account designed to manage multiple individual Google Ads accounts from one place. Instead of signing in separately to each advertising account, a Manager Account provides a central location where you can view, organize, and manage the accounts connected to it.
This account type is commonly associated with the older term MCC, which stands for My Client Center. “Manager Account” is the terminology Google uses today.
A Manager Account is separate from a regular Google Ads advertising account. Its primary purpose is account management rather than running advertising campaigns directly. Manager Accounts are commonly used by agencies, freelancers, consultants, and organizations responsible for multiple Google Ads accounts.
2. How Does a Google Ads Manager Account Work?
A Google Ads Manager Account works as a central management layer. You can link existing Google Ads accounts to the Manager Account and then access those accounts from the same login.
The basic model is:
- The Manager Account provides centralized management.
- Existing Google Ads accounts can be linked to it.
- Linked accounts can be accessed from the Manager Account.
- Each linked account continues to operate as a separate account.
- Campaigns, account data, and settings remain associated with the individual Google Ads account.
An important distinction is that linking a Google Ads account to a Manager Account does not turn it into a Manager Account. It also does not merge the two accounts. The original Google Ads account remains separate, with its own advertising history, campaigns, settings, and other account information.
3. Google Ads Account vs Google Ads Manager Account
Understanding the difference between these two account types is important.
3.1 Regular Google Ads Account
A regular Google Ads account is used to:
- Create and run advertising campaigns
- Manage advertising for a business
- Store campaign and performance data
- Control the settings associated with that advertiser
This is where the actual advertising activity takes place.
3.2 Google Ads Manager Account
A Manager Account is used to:
- Manage multiple Google Ads accounts
- Centralize access to those accounts
- Monitor accounts from one location
- Perform management and reporting tasks across managed accounts
3.3 Which One Should You Use?
If you advertise only for your own business and manage a single Google Ads account, you generally do not need a Manager Account. A regular Google Ads account is normally sufficient for a single advertiser. A Manager Account becomes useful when you are responsible for multiple Google Ads accounts, such as client accounts or separate accounts belonging to different businesses or brands.
4. Who Should Use a Google Ads Manager Account?
A Google Ads Manager Account is particularly useful for people and organizations that work with multiple advertiser accounts.
Typical users include:
- Digital marketing agencies managing several clients
- Freelancers running ads for multiple businesses
- Google Ads consultants who need access to client accounts
- Marketing professionals responsible for several advertiser accounts
- Businesses with multiple brands that use separate advertising accounts
- Organizations operating across different regions with multiple accounts
Someone managing only one Google Ads account for their own business generally does not need a Manager Account.
The main reason to use one is not simply being a Google Ads advertiser. It is the need to manage multiple Google Ads accounts from a central location.
5. What Can You Do With a Google Ads Manager Account?
A Manager Account provides several capabilities for managing multiple Google Ads accounts, including:
- Manage multiple Google Ads accounts from one login
- View information from managed accounts
- Switch between linked accounts
- Access account-level information
- Manage campaigns within accounts you have access to manage
- Create reports across multiple accounts
- Monitor performance across managed accounts
- Manage user access and permissions where applicable
- Link additional Google Ads accounts
- Organize accounts through a Manager Account hierarchy
These capabilities are intended to make managing multiple accounts more centralized and efficient.
For example, an agency managing several clients can use one Manager Account to access its linked client accounts instead of maintaining separate login sessions for every account.
The Manager Account does not replace the individual Google Ads accounts. Instead, it provides a central management layer for them.
6. Google Ads Manager Account Hierarchy
Manager Accounts can also be organized into a hierarchy, which is useful when a business or agency manages a large number of accounts.
6.1 Basic Manager Account Structure
A simple structure could look like this:
Manager Account → Google Ads Account
The Manager Account sits above the individual Google Ads account and provides a central way to manage it.
6.2 Sub-Manager Account Structure
For larger organizations, Manager Accounts can also be connected to other Manager Accounts:
Main Manager Account → Sub-Manager Account → Google Ads Accounts
A sub-manager relationship adds another management level.
For example, a larger organization could have a main Manager Account overseeing several sub-manager accounts, with each sub-manager responsible for a group of individual Google Ads accounts.
This structure can help organize larger account portfolios without putting every individual account directly under one management layer.
7. How to Create a Google Ads Manager Account
Creating a Manager Account involves a few basic steps.
7.1 Start the Manager Account Setup
Go to Google’s official Manager Account page: Google Ads Manager Accounts
7.2 Sign In
Sign in with the Google account you want to use for managing the accounts.
7.3 Enter the Required Information
Provide the requested business and account information.
7.4 Complete the Setup
Follow the setup instructions provided by Google to complete the Manager Account creation.
7.5 Access the Manager Account
Once the setup is complete, you can access the Manager Account and begin linking Google Ads accounts.
Creating a Manager Account is separate from creating a regular Google Ads advertising account. You do not need to turn your existing advertising account into a Manager Account to use a Manager Account for managing other accounts.
8. How to Link a Google Ads Account to a Manager Account
After creating a Manager Account, you can link an existing Google Ads account to it.
The basic process is:
8.1 Open the Manager Account
Sign in to your Google Ads Manager Account.
8.2 Start the Account-Linking Process
Go to the account management area and select the option to link an existing account.
8.3 Enter the Customer ID
Enter the Customer ID of the Google Ads account you want to link.
8.4 Send the Request
Send the account-linking request.
8.5 Accept the Request
The owner or appropriate user of the Google Ads account can accept the request when required.
8.6 Confirm the Connection
Once accepted, confirm that the Google Ads account appears as linked within the Manager Account.
After the account is linked, the two accounts remain separate. The Manager Account gains a management connection to the linked account, but the accounts are not combined.
9. Important Manager Account Rules and Limitations
There are several important points to understand before working with linked accounts.
9.1 A Manager Account Is a Different Account Type
A Manager Account and a regular Google Ads account serve different purposes. A regular Google Ads account is used to run advertising, while a Manager Account is designed to manage other Google Ads accounts.
9.2 Linking Does Not Merge Accounts
Linking an account does not combine it with the Manager Account. The original Google Ads account retains its own account history and advertising information.
9.3 Direct Access Can Remain
Users of the original Google Ads account can generally continue to access that account directly, alongside management through the Manager Account.
9.4 Access Is Not the Same as Ownership
Having management access to a Google Ads account does not automatically mean that the Manager Account has administrative ownership of it. Access and ownership are separate concepts and depend on the permissions and account relationship that have been established.
9.5 Account Limits Can Apply
Google applies limits and rules to Manager Account relationships and linked accounts. The number of accounts that can be managed can depend on factors such as account relationships and combined client spending. Because Google’s limits and policies can change, specific limits should be checked against Google’s official documentation before relying on a particular number.
10. Do You Need a Google Ads Manager Account?
A regular Google Ads account is generally sufficient if:
- You manage advertising for one business.
- You only need to manage your own advertising.
- You are responsible for one advertiser account.
A Manager Account is more useful if:
- You manage accounts for multiple clients.
- You work as an agency, consultant, or freelancer.
- You manage several brands or advertising accounts.
- You need centralized access to multiple Google Ads accounts.
- You need reporting or management across multiple accounts.
The simplest way to understand the difference is:
Regular Google Ads Account = run advertising
Manager Account = manage multiple Google Ads accounts
You do not need a Manager Account simply because you use Google Ads. Its main purpose is to simplify the management of multiple accounts.
11. Conclusion
A Google Ads Manager Account is designed for centralized management of multiple Google Ads accounts rather than replacing a regular advertising account.
A regular Google Ads account is where advertising campaigns are run, while a Manager Account provides a central way to organize, access, and manage multiple Google Ads accounts.
If you manage advertising for only one business, a regular Google Ads account is generally sufficient. If you manage multiple client accounts, brands, or advertiser accounts, a Manager Account can provide a more efficient way to manage them from one place.
