How to Give Someone Access to Google Analytics
Granting someone access to your Google Analytics account is a routine task, but picking the right permission level can feel a bit like handing over the keys to your car. You want them to be able to drive, but you might not want them to be able to rebuild the engine. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add new users to Google Analytics 4, explain what each permission level actually means, and share best practices for keeping your account secure.
Understanding Google Analytics User Roles and Permissions
Before you add anyone, it's important to understand the different levels of access you can grant. Giving someone "Administrator" access when all they need is to view reports is a common mistake that can create unnecessary security risks. GA4 provides a clear hierarchy of roles to match different needs.
Here are the standard user roles in Google Analytics 4, from most to least powerful:
Administrator: This role has full control. Administrators can add and remove other users, change settings, link accounts (like Google Ads), and edit everything within the account or property. Only give this to trusted partners or team members who are responsible for managing the entire GA setup.
Editor: An Editor can do almost everything an Administrator can do with the data and settings, but they cannot manage users. They can create audiences, set up conversion events, and change property settings. This role is ideal for marketers or analysts who actively manage the analytics configuration.
Marketer: This role is designed for the people running your campaigns. Marketers can create and edit audiences, make changes to conversion events, and manage creative assets. They can see all the data but have slightly less control over the fundamental property settings than an Editor.
Analyst: Need someone to create reports and analyze data without changing any settings? The Analyst role is perfect. They can create, edit, and share custom reports and explorations, but they can't change how data is collected or configured. This is a safe and effective permission level for most internal stakeholders or freelance analysts.
Viewer: The most restrictive role, Viewers have read-only access. They can see reports and data but cannot change any settings, create new reports in the "Explore" tab, or modify anything. This is great for executives or clients who just need to check in on performance.
None: This option essentially removes access for a user at a specific level (like a single property) without removing them from the parent account entirely.
In addition to these roles, you can apply two data restrictions to any user besides Administrator: "No cost data" and "No revenue data." This is useful if you want to grant someone Editor access, for instance, but don't want them to see campaign spending or ecommerce revenue figures.
How to Add a New User in Google Analytics 4 (Step-by-Step)
Adding a new user is a simple process once you've decided on the right permission level. Below is the step-by-step guide to get it done.
Step 1: Go to the Admin Panel
Log in to your Google Analytics account. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, click on the gear icon labeled Admin. This will take you to the administration panel where all your account and property settings are managed.
Step 2: Choose Where to Grant Access (Account vs. Property)
The Admin screen is divided into two columns: Account and Property. This is a critical decision point.
Granting access at the Account level gives the user the same permissions for every property within that account. Do this for team members who manage all of your websites or company-wide assets.
Granting access at the Property level gives the user permissions for that specific website or app only. This is much more common and is the best choice for freelancers, agency partners, or team members assigned to a single project.
In the appropriate column, click on either "Account Access Management" or "Property Access Management." We'll use the Property level for this example.
Step 3: Add New Users
In the top-right corner of the access management screen, you'll see a blue “+” button. Click it and then select “Add users.”
Step 4: Enter Email Address and Set Permissions
Now you’ll see the "Add permissions" panel. Here’s what you need to do:
Enter Email Addresses: In the first field, type the Google account email address of the person you want to add. You can add multiple people at once by separating their emails with a comma.
Notify New Users: Keep the "Notify new users by email" box checked. This sends an automatic email letting them know they've been granted access.
Select a Role: Under "Standard Roles," choose one of the roles we covered earlier (Administrator, Editor, Analyst, Viewer, etc.). Think carefully about what this person needs to accomplish and apply the principle of least privilege - give only the permissions needed to do their job.
Apply Data Restrictions (Optional): If needed, check the boxes for "No cost data" or "No revenue data" to further restrict their access.
Step 5: Click 'Add' to Save
Once you've confirmed the email and permissions are correct, click the blue "Add" button in the top-right corner. That's it! The user now has access to your Google Analytics property with the exact permissions you assigned.
How to Manage or Remove User Access in GA4
People's roles change, and sometimes you need to update or revoke access. Managing users is just as easy as adding them.
Navigate back to the same Admin > Account/Property Access Management screen.
You will see a list of users. From here, you can manage permissions or remove users.
To change permissions: Click on the user's name. The permissions panel will slide out from the right, allowing you to select a different role or add data restrictions. Click "Save" after making changes.
To remove a user: Click the three vertical dots on the far right of the user's row, and then select “Remove access.” A confirmation box will appear to make sure you want to proceed. This action is immediate and permanent (though you can always re-add them later).
Quick Guide: Managing Users in Universal Analytics
While Google Analytics 4 is the new standard, you may still have old Universal Analytics (UA) properties with historical data you need to grant access to. The process is very similar, though the roles have different names.
Go to Admin in your Universal Analytics property.
Under the Account, Property, or View column, click on "User Management."
Click the blue "+" icon to add a new user.
Enter their email address and select the permission level. The UA permissions are:
Manage Users: Add/delete users and change permissions. Can't do anything else.
Edit: Change settings but not manage users.
Collaborate: Create and share assets like dashboards but can't change settings.
Read & Analyze: Look at data and reports, but not change or create anything.
Click “Add” to finish.
Best Practices for Managing Your GA Users
Keeping your analytics access organized prevents security leaks and ensures everyone has the resources they need. Follow these simple best practices:
Grant Only What's Needed: Always default to the most restrictive permission level possible for a user to accomplish their tasks. A content writer probably only needs "Viewer" access, while an SEO agency tuning your events needs "Editor."
Use Professional Email Addresses: Whenever possible, grant access to a user's professional domain email (employee@yourcompany.com) rather than a personal Gmail account (randomperson123@gmail.com). This improves security and makes ownership clearer.
Conduct Regular Audits: At least once a quarter, review the user lists for both your Account and all attached Properties. Remove ex-employees, past agencies, or old freelancers who no longer need access. Letting access linger is a common and avoidable security risk.
Never Share Your Login: This might seem obvious, but it's worth repeating. Never share your username and password. Always add someone as a new user with their own Google credentials. This gives you a clear audit trail and allows you to revoke access for one person without disrupting everyone else.
Final Thoughts
Giving someone access to your Google Analytics is a straightforward task once you understand a few key concepts. By choosing the correct access level - Account or Property - and assigning the right role, you can securely collaborate with your team, agencies, and partners to get an accurate view of your business performance.
Once your team is connected, the next challenge is quickly turning all that raw data into clear answers. Manually pulling reports can feel like a bottleneck to getting meaningful insights. We built Graphed to solve exactly that. After you connect your Google Analytics account, you can simply use plain English to ask questions and build dashboards automatically, turning hours of report-building in GA into a 30-second conversation.