Are You Setting Up Client Access the Wrong Way?

Why It Matters

Proper access setup prevents asset loss, compliance violations, and costly account bans, protecting both client continuity and agency reputation.

Key Takeaways

• Clients must own their Business Manager and all assets.
• Add agency as a Business Manager partner, not as an individual.
• Partner access buffers both client and agency from future disputes.
• Grant only necessary permissions; avoid full control unless essential.
• Never share login credentials; use Business Manager permissions instead.

Summary

The video explains how agencies should structure access to a client’s Meta advertising assets. It stresses that the client must retain ownership of their Business Manager, ad accounts, pages, Instagram profiles, pixels, and catalogs, rather than allowing the agency to create them under its own manager.

Key recommendations include adding the agency as a Business Manager partner—not as a personal user—to create a protective buffer for both sides. Once partnered, the client assigns specific assets, typically granting partial permissions for campaign management while reserving full control for critical data sets like product catalogs and pixels. Full control over ad accounts should be limited to rare cases due to financial and permission risks.

The host warns against sharing login credentials, citing horror stories where agencies retain ownership and clients lose access after contracts end. He also notes that agencies can subsequently add their own staff as individual users, preserving the partner relationship with the client.

Following these practices safeguards against account bans, ensures seamless transition when relationships end, and maintains clear ownership, ultimately protecting both the client’s brand and the agency’s operational integrity.

Original Description

Today's question is about the recommended structure and access levels between a client and agency when onboarding. Setting this up incorrectly can lead to serious problems, including getting accounts banned. Jon explains why the client should own all of their own assets and add your agency as a partner rather than a person, what access levels to grant for each asset, and why sharing login credentials or creating assets under the agency's business manager leads to problems when the relationship eventually ends. Want your question to be answered on a future episode? Go to JonLoomer.com/Question (https://jonloomer.com/question) and record your question today.