How to Transfer Meta Business Account

Dealing with Meta Business settings can feel like walking through a maze, especially when you need to change who owns the account. This guide cuts through the confusion to show you exactly how to transfer ownership of a Meta Business Account, what to do if the original owner is gone, and how to protect your assets going forward.

First, Understand What You're Transferring

Transferring a "Meta Business Account" (formerly Facebook Business Manager) isn't like handing over a single password. The account itself is a container that holds all your business assets. Think of it as a digital briefcase for your company's presence on Meta's platforms.

Before you transfer anything, it’s important to know what you’re working with. These assets typically include:

• Facebook Pages: Your business's official page.
• Ad Accounts: Where you create, manage, and pay for all your Facebook and Instagram ads.
• Instagram Accounts: Your business's Instagram profile.
• Meta Pixels: The tracking code on your website that gathers data for ad targeting and analytics.
• Product Catalogs: Used for running dynamic ads and tagging products.
• Audiences and other data sources.

The "owner" of the Business Account is the person with full admin access. They can add or remove people, assign permissions to assets, add or remove assets, and even delete the Business Account. Transferring ownership means giving someone else that top-level control.

Scenario 1: The Easy Way (The Original Admin is Available)

This is the ideal situation. The current admin is still with the company, is cooperative, and can perform the transfer for you. The goal here is simple: add a new user and give them full admin privileges.

Follow these steps carefully:

Step 1: The Current Admin Adds a New Person

The person who currently has admin control needs to do this.

1. Log into Meta Business Suite or go directly to business.facebook.com/settings.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on People. You'll see a list of everyone who has access to the account.
3. Click the blue "Add people" button in the top right corner.
4. Enter the work email address of the person you want to make an admin. It’s crucial to use the email they use for their own Facebook profile. Click "Next."

Step 2: Assign Admin Access

This is the most important part of the process. In the next screen, you’ll be asked to assign business account roles.

1. Under "Assign business role," toggle on Full control. Ticking this box automatically gives them "everything," including access to manage finances and permissions.
2. Read the description carefully. A pop-up will explain that you are granting permanent admin access. This person will have the same level of control as you, including the ability to remove you. Click "Next."
3. Review the invitation and click "Send Request."

An email invitation will be sent to the new user. They must accept this invitation to be added to the Business Account.

Step 3: The New Person Accepts the Invitation

The new admin-to-be needs to open their email, find the invitation, and click the link to accept. They'll be prompted to enter their name and log in with their personal Facebook credentials to confirm their identity. Once they do this, they’ll appear in the "People" section of the Business Account.

Step 4 (Optional): Removing the Old Admin

If the original admin is leaving the company, you'll need to remove their access completely. A new admin needs to do this.

1. Navigate back to the People tab in your Business Settings.
2. Click the name of the person you want to remove.
3. In the top right corner of their profile panel, click the three dots and select "Remove."
4. Confirm the removal. All their access to the Business Account and its assets will be instantly revoked.

Scenario 2: The Hard Way (The Original Admin is Gone)

This is a common, frustrating problem. An employee set up the Business Account years ago and has since left the company, leaving no one else with admin access. If this is you, take a deep breath. There is a path forward, but it requires patience and documentation.

First, Check for Other Admins

Before you escalate, go to the People tab and check the full list of users. Are you absolutely certain no one else has an "Admin" role listed next to their name? Sometimes a founder or another senior team member was added as an admin long ago. If another admin exists, they can simply follow the steps in Scenario 1.

If you're an employee with basic access, you might just see a list of accounts and pages you can access. Try looking for coworkers and see what level of access they have.

If you are truly locked out with no existing admin, you need to file a formal request with Meta.

Requesting an Admin Cession from Meta

Meta has a process for recovering a Business Account when the admin is unavailable. You'll need to prove to them that you are the rightful owner or an authorized representative of the business.

What you'll need to gather:

• A Government-Issued ID: Scanned copy of your driver’s license or passport.
• A Key Person Statement: This is the most important part. You will need to write and sign a statement that includes:

It's often a good idea to have this statement notarized to add weight to your claim.

How to Submit the Request

Navigating Meta's support system can be tricky. The best starting point is usually the Meta Business Help Center.

1. Go to the Meta Business Help Center.
2. Look for a "Contact advertising support" or a similar button. You might have to click through a few topics before you can get to a form or a live chat option.
3. When you get in touch with a support representative, clearly state your issue: "I need to request an admin cession for our Meta Business Account because the sole admin has left the company and is unreachable."
4. They will guide you through the process and tell you where to upload your documents.

Heads up: This process can take weeks, and you may have to follow up multiple times. Be persistent, be polite, and have all your documentation ready. They are looking to protect business ownership, so the burden of proof is on you.

Best Practices to Avoid Getting Locked Out Again

Once you regain control (or if you already have it), implement these practices immediately to prevent this headache from ever happening again.

1. Have at Least Two Admins

This is the golden rule. There should always be more than one person with full admin control of your Business Account. The second admin should be a long-term, trusted individual in the company, like the business owner, CEO, or another key stakeholder — not just two people from the same team.

2. Conduct Regular Access Audits

Every quarter, go to the People tab in your business settings and review who has access. Remove anyone who no longer needs it, especially former employees or old agency partners. Don’t just leave them in there.

3. Use the Least-Privilege Principle

Don't make everyone an admin just because it's easier. If your social media manager only needs to post to the Facebook Page and run ads, give them "Employee" access and only assign them control over those specific assets. Restricting access reduces the risk of accidental changes or security breaches.

4. Enforce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

In your Business Settings, go to Security Center. You have the option to require 2FA for everyone in the Business Account. Turn this on. It adds a critical layer of security that protects your valuable business assets from being compromised.

Final Thoughts

Transferring a Meta Business Account can be a straightforward task if the current admin is available, or a lengthy, documented process if they are not. The most critical lesson is to be proactive: always ensure at least two trusted individuals have admin access to prevent your accounts from being held hostage by a departure.

Managing who has access to your assets is a crucial first step. The next is making sense of all the performance data those assets generate. Manually pulling reports from Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and your e-commerce platform can be just as time-consuming as dealing with Meta's settings. At Graphed, we created a tool that centralizes all your marketing and sales data, so you can stop wrestling with CSV files. You simply connect your sources and ask questions in plain English — like "show me my best performing Facebook campaigns this month" — to instantly get the charts and dashboards you need.