Why Sharing GA Access Securely is Crucial
HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT is a critical skill for collaborating with team members or agencies while keeping your data secure. Instead of sharing login credentials, Google Analytics has built-in user management to control what each person can see and do.
Quick Answer: 3 Steps to Grant Google Analytics Access
- Steer to Admin → Account or Property Access Management
- Click the “+” button → Add Users → Enter email address
- Select permissions (Administrator, Editor, Analyst, Viewer) → Click “Add”
The key is understanding that Google Analytics 4 offers six distinct user roles and two data restriction options, allowing you to grant the right level of access. You can add users at either the Account level (access to all properties) or Property level (access to a single website), and permissions automatically flow down.
This approach is far more secure than sharing your password. Proper user access lets you maintain control, track changes, and easily remove access when needed.
As Danielle Birriel, founder of D&D SEO Services, I’ve helped hundreds of businesses secure their analytics data. Properly understanding HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT is essential for maintaining data security while working with clients and their teams.
Understanding Google Analytics 4 Permissions and Roles
Before granting access in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it’s important to understand its permission system. GA4’s built-in features allow you to give specific account or property access to other users without sharing your login details. This lets you securely share insights with your team, troubleshoot with an expert, or collaborate with an agency, making it a fundamental part of managing your digital presence.
This section explains the foundational concepts you need to know before granting access, ensuring you give the right permissions to the right people.
The Hierarchy: Account vs. Property Access
Google Analytics 4 has made its access levels straightforward. When you’re thinking about HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT, you’ll primarily be working with two main levels: the Analytics Account Level or the Analytics Property Level.
- Account Level: This is the highest level. Access here grants control over everything within the account, including all properties (websites or apps). It includes user management, settings changes, and data viewing across all connected assets.
- Property Level: This grants access to a single, specific property (website or app) within your account. It’s ideal for giving focused access to a particular project’s data without exposing other properties.
Permissions granted at a higher level automatically flow down. So, if you give someone “Editor” access at the Account level, they automatically become an “Editor” for every property inside that account. You can’t give them less access at a lower level, but you can grant more specific permissions as you go down the hierarchy.
Choosing the right level is crucial. We always suggest granting access at the lowest level needed, following the “principle of least privilege.” This keeps things secure and tidy.
For even more insights into how GA4 works its magic, check out our detailed guide: More info about GA4 Analytics.
The Roles: What Each User Can Do
GA4 comes with six distinct roles, each with its own powers and limits. Understanding these roles is essential when you’re figuring out HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT.
Here’s a quick look at what each role can do:
| Role | Description | Can Manage Users? | Can Edit Settings? | Can View Reports? | Can Create/Edit Assets? (e.g., Audiences, Conversions) | Data Restrictions Apply? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Full control over the account, including user management, permissions, and all settings. Grant this role with care. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Editor | Can edit settings, reports, audiences, and conversions. Cannot manage users. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marketer | Can create, edit, and delete marketing assets like audiences and conversions. Can also view and create reports. | No | Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analyst | Can view data and create/share assets like reports and audiences. Cannot change settings. | No | No | Yes | Yes (personal assets) | Yes |
| Viewer | Read-only access to reports and data. Cannot save changes or create new assets. | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| None | No direct access at the current level. Permissions may be inherited from a higher level. | No | No | No | No | Yes |
The key difference between Administrator vs. Editor is user management. Administrators can add, remove, and change user access. Editors can change nearly everything else but cannot manage users. We recommend granting Administrator access sparingly, ideally only to a business owner or trusted manager.
Following the “principle of least privilege” is our guiding star here. Giving too much access can create security risks, while giving too little can slow down operations. By choosing the right role, you keep your data safe and your operations smooth.
Want to dive deeper into these permission levels? Google has a great resource directly: Learn more about permission levels in GA4.
Data Restrictions in GA4
GA4 also offers data restrictions for an extra layer of privacy, which are handy for controlling sensitive info. These are only available in GA4 properties.
You’ll find two main types:
- No Cost Metrics: When enabled, users with this restriction won’t see any cost-related data. This is perfect if you’ve linked Google Ads and don’t want certain team members or agencies to see your ad spend.
- No Revenue Metrics: This hides all revenue-related data. If your GA4 property tracks e-commerce sales, you can use this to ensure only select users can see income figures.
We often use these restrictions when setting up access for partners or internal team members who need to understand performance but don’t need to see sensitive financial numbers.
How to Grant Access to Your Google Analytics Account (The 3 Core Actions)
Now that you understand the levels and roles, here are the steps for the three core user management actions: adding, editing, and removing users.
This section provides the step-by-step instructions for the three main user management tasks.
Before You Start: Verify Your Own Admin Rights
To manage users in Google Analytics, you must have Administrator privileges. Without them, you cannot grant or change access for others.
Here’s a quick way to check: Head over to analytics.google.com and click the gear icon (Admin) in the bottom-left corner. Look for either “Account Access Management” or “Property Access Management”.
Once there, find your email address in the user list and click on it. You should see “Administrator” listed under your roles. If you don’t, you’ll need to ask someone with admin rights to give you the proper permissions.
Action 1: How to Add a New User to Your Google Analytics Account
Adding someone new is straightforward. The person you’re adding needs a Google account (it doesn’t have to be a Gmail address, but it must be linked to Google).
Start by clicking the Admin gear icon, then decide whether to give them Account level or Property level access. Account access is for the whole building, while property access is for a single office.
Look for the blue plus icon (+) in the top-right corner and click “Add users.” Now, enter their email address carefully to avoid granting access to the wrong person.
Next, choose their role, applying the principle of least privilege. Don’t give Editor access if they only need to view reports. If working with an external partner, consider if they need to see cost or revenue data and apply data restrictions accordingly.
Make sure to check the “Notify new users by email” box so Google sends them a notification about their new access.
For more detailed guidance, Google has put together a comprehensive resource: A guide to adding users.
Action 2: How to Edit an Existing User’s Permissions
People’s roles change, and editing existing permissions is even easier than adding new users.
Steer back to your Access Management section (Account or Property level). Find the person whose permissions need adjusting and click on their email address.
A sidebar will pop up showing their current roles and data restrictions. From here, you can check or uncheck boxes to add or remove permissions. Maybe an intern was promoted and now needs Editor access, or a contractor no longer needs to see revenue data.
The changes take effect immediately after you click “Save.” The user might need to refresh their browser to see the changes.
Action 3: How to Remove a User from Your Google Analytics Account
Removing user access is a critical security step that should happen promptly when someone leaves your team or a project ends.
You need Administrator access at the account level to remove users entirely. This prevents people from accidentally locking themselves out.
Find the user you want to remove in your Access Management list and click the checkbox next to their email. You can select multiple people. Then click the “REMOVE” button that appears at the top.
Google will ask you to confirm before access is immediately revoked. Double-check that you’re removing the correct user.
I recommend making user removal part of your standard offboarding process. It’s a simple step that prevents future security issues.
Best Practices for Managing Your Analytics Users
Managing user permissions in Google Analytics is an ongoing task. Implementing best practices ensures your data remains secure, your team is efficient, and collaborations run smoothly. The goal is to give everyone what they need and nothing more.
What Permissions Do Marketing Agencies Typically Need?
This is a common and important question. When you partner with a digital marketing agency like D&D SEO Services, we need access to your Google Analytics data to provide the best service, whether for an SEO audit, campaign tracking, or performance reporting.
Marketing agencies typically need Editor or Analyst permissions at the Property level.
Editor: This role is often the perfect fit. With Editor access, we can configure conversions, create and manage audiences, link your GA4 to other platforms like Google Ads, and create custom reports. This allows us to fine-tune your analytics setup and build an effective strategy.
Analyst: If an agency’s role is purely to observe and report without changing your GA4 setup, then Analyst access is sufficient. This role lets us view all your data, create custom reports, and share insights without touching your settings.
Why not Administrator? We advise against giving Administrator access to agencies unless there’s a specific, high-trust situation. Administrator access includes user management, which the business owner should ideally control. Granting property-level access ensures we can do our job effectively without having overarching control of your entire Google account.
This secure collaboration ensures we have the data needed to help you succeed, just like when we prepare an SEO Audit Report – it’s all about making smart, informed decisions based on accurate data.
Using User Groups for Efficient Management
If you have a large team or work with multiple agencies, adding users one by one can be tedious. User groups simplify this process.
User groups let you assign a specific set of permissions to a group, and then you simply add users to that group. If you need to change permissions later, you just edit the group, and everyone in it automatically inherits the changes. It’s a huge time-saver and ensures consistency.
Requirement for User Groups: To create user groups in GA4, your account usually needs to be linked to a Google Marketing Platform Organization. If it’s not, GA4 will guide you through setting one up. This structure is typically for larger businesses or agencies managing many accounts.
If your GA4 account isn’t part of a Google Marketing Platform Organization, you’ll manage users individually, which is fine for most small to medium businesses. But for those who qualify, user groups are a fantastic way to streamline permissions.
You can find even more detailed information on GA4 User Groups directly from Google: More on GA4 User Groups.
Regularly Auditing User Access
Over time, user access lists can become outdated as people leave or roles change. Regularly auditing your Google Analytics users is a crucial best practice for data security.
We recommend a quick audit at least quarterly, or whenever there’s a significant change in your team or agency partnerships. During your audit, ask these simple questions for each user:
- Does this person still need access?
- Is their current role appropriate? Could their permissions be reduced?
- Are there any inactive users who should be removed?
Removing users who no longer need access is your first line of defense against unauthorized data access and keeps your account tidy and secure. Think of it as spring cleaning for your digital data.
Frequently Asked Questions about Google Analytics Access
We’ve covered a lot of ground on HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT. Here are some common questions we hear, boiled down for you.
What’s the difference between Administrator and Editor permissions?
The core difference between an Administrator and an Editor in Google Analytics is user management. An Administrator has full control, including adding, deleting, and modifying user permissions. An Editor can change most settings and configurations—like setting up conversions or managing audiences—but cannot manage users.
For most day-to-day configuration, Editor access is sufficient. Reserve the Administrator role for only a few trusted team members.
Can you grant access to specific reports only?
The straightforward answer is no. Google Analytics doesn’t offer the granularity to grant access to individual reports or dashboards.
The smallest unit you can assign permissions to is a Property (a specific website or app). Within that property, the most limited role is ‘Viewer,’ which gets read-only access to all reports and data available. They can explore the data by applying filters or changing date ranges, but they can’t save changes or limit their view to a single report.
What do I do if the only Administrator has left the company?
This is a challenging but fixable situation. Google has a process to help you regain control of your account by proving ownership of the associated website.
Typically, the process involves:
- Contacting Google Support: You’ll need to use a specific troubleshooter form from Google Analytics support to start the account recovery process.
- Proving Ownership: Google will require you to demonstrate that you are the legitimate owner of the website. This usually means placing a unique HTML file on your website’s root directory or adding a specific DNS record.
- Patience and Documentation: Be prepared to provide any documentation that proves your ownership. The process can take time, but it’s the official way to regain access.
Our best advice? Head to the Google Analytics Help Center and search for phrases like “regain access to Google Analytics account.” And a crucial takeaway: always have at least two trusted individuals with Administrator access to your Google Analytics account as a digital safety net.
Take Control of Your Analytics and SEO Strategy
We’ve walked through HOW TO GRANT ACCESS TO YOUR GOOGLE ANALYTICS ACCOUNT. This isn’t just a technical chore; it’s about safeguarding your data and enabling smarter collaboration with your team and partners.
When you manage user roles carefully, use data restrictions wisely, and regularly audit who has access, you build a strong, secure foundation. This ensures your analytics data is both accessible to those who need it and protected from those who don’t.
Clean, secure analytics data provides a clear map for your business journey, helping you make the smart, data-driven decisions that boost your SEO strategy.
Here at D&D SEO Services, we live and breathe this kind of data. We know that understanding your analytics—and keeping it secure—is the first step to dominating your local market. Our AI-powered local SEO strategies are built on a deep understanding of your data, ensuring we optimize for real, measurable results.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Let’s work together to optimize your strategy and open up your full online potential.
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