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How to give agency access to Facebook and Meta

Last updated · every role links to a page checked against official help

The short answer

Ask your client to add your agency as a partner in their business portfolio (Settings → Users → Partners → Add) and give partial access to only the assets you work on. For ads, that's partial access with "Manage campaigns" on the ad account; for reporting, "View performance".

Which role to ask for, by task

One row per job. Ask for the role in the second column and nothing broader: the smallest role that does the job is easier for the client to approve, easier to audit, and simpler to remove when the work ends.

Role by taskscroll →
TaskAsk forAccess type
Run adsPartial access: Manage campaigns (ad account)Partner access
View ad reportsPartial access: View performance (ad account)Partner access
Ad accountPartial access: Manage campaignsPartner access
Facebook PagePartial access: Content, Ads and/or Insights (per SOW)Partner access
Meta Pixel (dataset)Partial access: Use events datasetPartner access
CatalogPartial access: BasicPartner access
Business portfolio (Business Manager)Partner access to specific assets, not a seat in the client's business portfolioPartner access

What the client needs before starting

Only someone with these rights can add the agency. If your contact doesn't have them, ask who does first.

  • Meta (Facebook & Instagram Ads)Full access (formerly full control) of their business portfolio, plus your business portfolio ID.
  • MetaFull access (formerly full control) of the business portfolio that owns the ad account, plus your business portfolio ID.
  • MetaFull access (formerly full control) of the business portfolio, plus your business portfolio ID.
  • MetaFull access (formerly full control) of the business portfolio that owns the dataset, plus your business portfolio ID.
  • MetaFull access (formerly full control) of the business portfolio that owns the catalog, plus your business portfolio ID (or they can send a share link).
  • MetaFull access (formerly full control) of their business portfolio. Only people with full access see Partners.

Step-by-step pages for Meta (Facebook & Instagram)

Run ads

View ad reports

Ad account

Facebook Page

Meta Pixel (dataset)

Catalog

Business portfolio (Business Manager)

Instagram

What the client clicks

The top-level clicks in Meta (Facebook & Instagram). Each task page above has the exact role to pick at the last step.

  1. Go to business.facebook.com and open Settings for your business portfolio.
  2. Under Users, click Partners.
  3. Click Add, then choose Give a partner access to your assets.
  4. Enter the agency's business portfolio ID and click Next.
  5. Select the ad account, choose Partial access and tick Manage campaigns.
  6. Also select the Page and tick the Ads task, then click Assign assets.

What breaks if the role is wrong

  • Too low · Run adsView performance: reports only; creating or editing ads fails.
  • Too high · Run adsManage ad accounts also controls settings, finances and permissions.
  • Too low · View ad reportsNo ad account shared: Ads Manager shows nothing for it.
  • Too high · View ad reportsManage campaigns lets the agency edit ads and spend when the SOW is reporting only.
  • Too low · Ad accountView performance: you can see ads and reports but can't create or edit ads.
  • Too high · Ad accountManage ad accounts (full access) also controls ad account settings, finances and permissions.
  • Too low · Facebook PageMissing the Ads task: ad creation for the Page fails even with ad account access.
  • Too high · Facebook PageFull access lets the partner give and remove other people's access to the Page.
  • Too low · Meta Pixel (dataset)Use events dataset: you can't add or remove events, change settings or create audiences.
  • Wrong owner · Meta Pixel (dataset)Don't create a new pixel in the agency's portfolio: a dataset can't be deleted or transferred to another portfolio, so keep it in the client's.
  • Too low · CatalogBasic: you can't add or edit products, fix data sources or change settings.
  • Too high · CatalogManage everything can delete the catalog.
  • Too high · Business portfolio (Business Manager)Adding agency staff as people with full access lets them manage everything, including people and deleting the portfolio.
  • wrongRoute · Business portfolio (Business Manager)Adding people (Settings → People) is different from adding a partner; partners keep their own portfolio and team.

Copy this access request

One message for every Meta (Facebook & Instagram) role above. Fill in the blanks and paste it into your email to the client. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Sources

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Related

Meta (Facebook & Instagram) access guide

The long-form walkthrough, beyond the role table.

Guide

Not sure? Use the access level picker

Answer two questions and get the level to request.

Tool