How to Add Access to Google Analytics

Sharing access to your Google Analytics data is a fundamental task, whether you're bringing on a new team member, hiring a marketing agency, or collaborating with a consultant. The good news is that it’s a quick and easy process. We’ll walk you through exactly how to grant access, explain what the different permission levels mean, and share best practices for keeping your account secure.

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Understanding Google Analytics Roles and Permissions

Before adding a user, it's important to understand the different levels of access you can provide. Giving someone too much access can lead to accidental changes in your account, while not providing enough can prevent them from doing their job. Google Analytics uses a hierarchy to manage permissions: Account, Property, and View (though Views are part of the older Universal Analytics).

Hierarchy of Access

Access can be granted at two main levels in Google Analytics 4:

• Account Level: Giving access at the account level means the user will have permissions for every property within that account. This is ideal for team members who manage multiple websites or apps under one company umbrella.
• Property Level: Granting access at the property level restricts the user to only that specific property. This is perfect for when you need to give an agency or contractor access to a single website's data but not your entire portfolio.

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GA4 User Roles

Google Analytics 4 offers several predefined roles, each with a specific set of permissions. This system follows the "principle of least privilege," which means you should only grant a user the minimum level of access they need to perform their duties.

• Administrator: This is the highest level of access. Administrators can do everything, including managing user permissions (adding/deleting users), linking accounts (like Google Ads), and making any administrative changes. This role should be reserved for trusted individuals who are fully responsible for the GA account. Example: The company owner, head of marketing.
• Editor: Editors have a great deal of control over the property. They can edit settings, create and modify events, set up conversions, and manage audiences. They cannot, however, manage user permissions. Example: A digital marketing manager or an SEO specialist who needs to implement tracking and set up goals.
• Marketer: This role is designed for team members who manage advertising and audiences. They can create, edit, and delete audiences, conversions, and creative attribution models. They can see all report data but cannot make major administrative changes. Example: A paid ads specialist who needs to build audiences for remarketing campaigns.
• Analyst: Analysts can access and analyze all report data. They can create, edit, and share reports and explorations, but they cannot make any changes to the property settings. This role is a safe option for team members who only need to analyze performance, not configure the account. Example: A data analyst or a junior marketing employee who pulls weekly reports.
• Viewer: This is a read-only role. Viewers can see reports and configuration settings but cannot make any changes whatsoever. This is the safest permission level and is perfect for stakeholders who just need to see performance data. Example: An executive or a client who wants to check in on key metrics but shouldn't have editing capabilities.
• No access: This setting removes all permissions for a user at a specific level (like a single property), but they might still have access at another level (like the account).

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a User in GA4

Ready to grant access? The process only takes a minute. Follow these simple steps.

1. Navigate to the Admin Section

Log into your Google Analytics account. In the bottom-left corner of your screen, you’ll find a gear icon labeled "Admin." Click on it to go to your administration panel.

2. Choose Where to Grant Access (Account or Property)

The Admin screen is divided into two columns: Account and Property. This is where you decide the scope of the access you're about to grant.

• To grant access to all properties in your account, look for "Account Access Management" in the Account column on the left.
• To grant access to a single property, select the correct property from the dropdown menu in the Property column (on the right) and click on "Property Access Management" within that column.

For most situations, adding a user at the Property Level is the safer and more common choice.

3. Add the New User

In the Access Management screen, you’ll see a list of current users and their permission levels. Look for a blue plus (+) icon in the top-right corner and click "Add users."

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4. Enter E-mail Address and Assign a Role

A new panel will slide out from the right. Here you will configure the new user's access:

1. Email Addresses: Enter the email address of the person you want to add. The email must be associated with a Google Account. You can add multiple emails at once.
2. Notify new users by email: Keep this box checked. It sends an automatic notification to the person, letting them know they've been granted access.
3. Predefined Role: This is where you assign the role. Select one of the roles we discussed earlier (Administrator, Editor, Analyst, etc.) from the dropdown menu.

Double-check the email address and the assigned role to make sure they are correct.

5. Confirm and Add the User

Once you’ve configured the permissions, click the blue "Add" button in the top-right corner. That's it! The user has now been added to your Google Analytics property and will appear in your user list.

How to Edit or Remove a User in GA4

Managing who has access to your data is just as important as granting it. You should periodically review your user list to remove anyone who no longer needs access, such as a former employee or terminated contractor.

1-3. Go to Account or Property Access Management

Follow the same first steps as above: click the Admin gear icon and navigate to either Account Access Management or Property Access Management.

4. Select the User to Modify or Remove

You’ll see the list of everyone with access. Click on the three vertical dots on the far right of the row for the user whose permissions you want to change.

5. Make Your Changes

From the menu that appears, you have three options:

• View user's account details: This gives you a summary of their access.
• Edit user's access: Select this to change their role. For example, you can upgrade a Viewer to an Analyst, or downgrade an Editor to a Viewer.
• Remove access: Select this to completely revoke the user's access to this Account or Property. This action is immediate and permanent (though you can always re-add them later).

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Best Practices for Secure User Management

Managing GA access is easy, but a few simple guidelines will help keep your data secure and your account running smoothly.

• Grant Smallest Necessary Privilege: Always assign the most restrictive role that still allows the person to do their job. Don’t make everyone an Administrator "just in case." A basic Viewer or Analyst role is often all that’s needed.
• Conduct Regular Audits: At least once a quarter, review your list of users in the Access Management section. Remove anyone who has left the company, finished a project, or no longer needs access for their current role. Keeping a clean user list prevents unauthorized access.
• Do Not Share Login Credentials: Never, ever share your own Google account username and password. This is a massive security risk and gives them access to your entire Google account - not just Analytics. The proper method is always to add them as a new user with their own email.
• When in Doubt, Start with 'Viewer': If you're unsure what level of access someone needs, start them with the Viewer role. You can easily upgrade their permissions later if they require more capabilities.
• Advise using Work Emails: When possible, grant access to professional or company-affiliated Google accounts instead of personal email addresses (e.g., janedoe@company.com instead of janedoe123@gmail.com). This practice makes it easier to manage access when roles change or employees leave.

Final Thoughts

Granting and managing user access in Google Analytics is a core skill for anyone overseeing a website's data. By understanding the different role types and following the straightforward steps, you can securely share data with your team and partners while maintaining control over your account.

Handling user access is simple on one platform like GA, but it quickly becomes a pain when your marketing and sales data is spread across a dozen tools. You end up juggling logins for Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Shopify, Salesforce, and more, just to see the bigger picture. With Graphed, we solve that completely. You connect your data sources once, and we bring everything into a single, unified view. Team members can then ask questions and get AI-powered insights in plain English, empowering them to make better decisions without needing separate logins or expertise in every tool.