How to Give Google Analytics 4 Access

Granting someone access to your Google Analytics 4 property is a necessary step when working with marketing agencies, freelancers, or new team members. This guide breaks down exactly how to add, edit, and remove users at both the Account and Property levels, ensuring everyone has the right permissions without compromising your data security.

Understanding GA4 Access Roles and Permissions

Before you start adding users, it's important to know what each permission level means. Giving someone more access than they need can lead to accidental changes to your configuration. GA4 offers several predefined roles, each with specific capabilities. The main idea is the "principle of least privilege": grant only the minimum level of access needed for someone to do their job effectively.

Here are the standard roles available in Google Analytics 4:

• Administrator: This is the highest level of access. Administrators can manage users (add, edit, and delete them), change settings, and have full editing and viewing rights for all data. They can also link the GA4 property to other Google products like Google Ads. Only give this role to trusted individuals who are responsible for the overall analytics setup.
• Editor: Editors have most of the capabilities of an Administrator but cannot manage users. They can edit property settings, create and modify events, configure conversions, and manage audiences. It’s the right choice for team members who need to manage the day-to-day analytics configuration without handling user permissions.
• Marketer: This role is designed for team members who run advertising campaigns and manage audiences. Marketers can create, edit, and delete audiences, conversions, and attribution models. They also have Analyst permissions, allowing them to create and share reports.
• Analyst: Analysts can create, edit, and share custom reports and explorations. They can view all data and settings but cannot make any changes to the account or property configuration. This is a common role for team members who need to dig into the data for insights but shouldn't alter the setup.
• Viewer: This is the most restrictive, read-only role. Viewers can see reports and configuration settings but cannot make any changes. They can’t create or share assets like reports or explorations. It’s perfect for stakeholders who just need to check in on performance metrics.

In addition to these roles, you can apply data restrictions to limit access to cost and revenue metrics. This is useful when you want to grant access to a user (like an SEO consultant) who needs to see traffic data but doesn't need to know campaign costs or product revenue.

How to Give Access to an Entire GA4 Account

Granting access at the Account level gives a user the same permissions across all properties within that account. This is useful for managers who oversee multiple websites or apps grouped under a single business account. For example, if your company has separate websites for the US, Canada, and the UK, giving Account-level access lets a user see data for all three regions.

Follow these steps to add a user at the Account level:

1. Sign In to Google Analytics: Go to the Google Analytics website and sign in with an account that has Administrator permissions.
2. Navigate to Admin: Click the gear icon labeled "Admin" in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
3. Select the Right Account: In the Admin panel, you'll see two columns: Account and Property. Make sure you have the correct Account selected in the first column.
4. Open Account Access Management: In the Account column, click on "Account Access Management."
5. Add New Users: Click the blue "+" button in the top-right corner and select "Add users".
6. Enter Email Addresses: In the "Email addresses" field, type the Google account email of the person or people you want to add. You can add multiple emails at once.
7. Assign a Role: Select one of the standard roles (Administrator, Editor, Marketer, Analyst, or Viewer) from the list. The permissions for this role will apply to all properties within the account.
8. Add the User: Review your settings and click the blue "Add" button in the top-right corner. The user will receive an email notification that they have been granted access.

How to Give Access to a Specific GA4 Property

This is the most common way to grant access. Giving someone access at the Property level means they can only see and/or manage the specific GA4 property you select. It’s the best option when you're working with a consultant or agency that only needs access to one particular website, not your entire portfolio of sites.

Follow these steps to add a user to a single property:

1. Sign In and Go to Admin: Sign into Google Analytics and click the "Admin" gear icon at the bottom left.
2. Select the Right Property: In the Admin panel, make sure you have the correct Account selected in the first column and the correct Property selected in the second column.
3. Open Property Access Management: In the Property column, click "Property Access Management."
4. Add New Users: Just like with account-level access, click the blue "+" button in the top-right corner and select "Add users".
5. Enter Email Addresses: Type in the Google account email address for the user you wish to add.
6. Assign a Role: Select the role that fits their needs (Administrator, Editor, etc.). Remember, these permissions will only apply to the specific property you've selected.
7. Set Data Restrictions (Optional): Below the roles, you have the option to apply data restrictions. You can choose "No Cost Metrics" or "No Revenue Metrics." This is a powerful feature that allows you to provide access to traffic and engagement data while hiding sensitive financial information.
8. Confirm and Add: Double-check the email address and permissions, then click "Add" to finalize. The user will be notified and can now access your property.

How to Edit or Remove User Access in GA4

Managing permissions is an ongoing process. You might need to change a user's role as their responsibilities evolve, or remove access completely when someone leaves your team or a contract ends. This helps keep your account secure.

Modifying a User's Permissions

1. Navigate to either "Account Access Management" or "Property Access Management" depending on where the user was originally added.
2. You'll see a list of all users with access. Find the user you want to modify and click the three vertical dots on the far right of their row.
3. Select "View user's account details".
4. From here, you can change their role or edit their data restrictions.
5. Click "Save" once you're done.

Removing a User Completely

1. Go to the correct Access Management screen (Account or Property).
2. Find the user you want to remove and click the three vertical dots on the right.
3. A menu will appear. Simply click "Remove access".
4. A pop-up will ask you to confirm. Click "Remove". The user’s access will be revoked immediately.

Best Practices for GA4 User Management

Safeguarding your data is just as important as gathering it correctly. Following a few best practices for user management can go a long way.

• Embrace the Principle of Least Privilege: Don't give every user Administrator access "just in case." Grant the lowest level of permission required for their role. A content marketer probably only needs Analyst access, not the ability to edit your entire GA4 configuration.
• Use Groups for Larger Teams: If you are managing a large team or company, consider creating user groups. You create groups (e.g., Marketing Team, Sales Leadership) and assign permissions to the group. Then, you can simply add or remove users from that group, and their GA4 permissions update automatically. It's much simpler than managing dozens of individual user permissions.
• Conduct Regular Audits: At least once a quarter, review your user list. Does everyone on the list still work with you? Are their permission levels still appropriate for their role? Immediately remove access for former employees, agencies, or freelancers as soon as your engagement ends.
• Be Clear on Account vs. Property Access: Before adding a user, always ask yourself if they need access to all your websites or just one. Default to property-level access unless absolutely necessary.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're adding an agency partner to a single property or giving a manager access to your entire account, managing users in Google Analytics 4 is straightforward once you understand the different roles. By following the principle of least privilege and regularly auditing your user list, you can collaborate effectively while keeping your valuable analytics data secure.

Granting access helps your team see the data, but actually getting quick, clear insights from GA4 can still be a challenge for those who aren't analytics experts. That's where we come in. We designed Graphed to be the easiest way to analyze your performance without getting lost in complex reports. Instead of giving everyone GA4 access and expecting them to learn it, you can connect your property to Graphed in one click and let your team build dashboards and get answers just by asking questions in plain English.