How to Add Users to an Apple Search Ads Account

Managing who has access to your Apple Search Ads account is one of the first things you should set up when running campaigns. Whether you are bringing on a new team member, giving an agency access, or adding a client to view reports, Apple Search Ads makes it straightforward to invite users and assign the right level of permissions.

This guide walks through every step, from sending the invitation to verifying the user has the correct role.

Before You Start

You need a few things before adding a new user:

• Account Admin access on the Apple Search Ads account
• The Apple ID email address of the person you want to add
• A clear idea of what role they need (more on this below)

Only Account Admins can invite new users. If you do not have Admin access, ask someone who does to send the invitation on your behalf.

Step 1: Log In to Apple Search Ads

Go to searchads.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Make sure you are logged into the correct account if you manage multiple Apple Search Ads accounts.

Step 2: Open Account Settings

1. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the dashboard
2. Select Account Settings from the dropdown menu
3. Click the User Management tab on the left sidebar

This page shows every user who currently has access to your account, along with their role and invitation status.

Step 3: Click Invite User

At the top of the User Management page, click the Invite User button. A form will appear asking for the new user’s details.

Step 4: Enter the User’s Apple ID

Type in the Apple ID email address of the person you want to add. This must be the email they use to sign into their Apple ID. If they do not have an Apple ID, they will need to create one at appleid.apple.com before you can invite them.

Step 5: Select a Role

Apple Search Ads offers four user roles. Choose the one that fits the person’s responsibilities:

Account Admin

• Full access to everything in the account
• Can invite and remove users
• Can manage billing and payment methods
• Can access API credentials
• Best for: business owners, lead marketers, senior team members

Campaign Manager

• Can create, edit, and pause campaigns
• Can set budgets and adjust bids
• Can view all reports and analytics
• Cannot manage users or billing
• Best for: marketing managers, media buyers, campaign specialists

Limited Access

• Can only see campaign groups you specifically assign to them
• Cannot see other campaign groups or account-level settings
• Useful for agencies managing one product line or external contractors
• Best for: agencies, freelancers, department-specific access

Read Only

• Can view campaigns and download reports
• Cannot create, edit, or delete anything
• Best for: executives, stakeholders, clients who need visibility without control

Step 6: Assign Campaign Groups (Limited Access Only)

If you selected the Limited Access role, you will see an additional step. Choose which specific campaign groups this user can access. They will only be able to see data from these groups and nothing else in the account.

Step 7: Review and Send the Invitation

Double-check the email address and role selection. When everything looks right, click Send Invitation. The user will receive an email from Apple with a link to accept the invitation.

What Happens After You Send the Invitation

The invited user receives an email at their Apple ID address. Here is what they need to do:

1. Open the email from Apple
2. Click the invitation link
3. Sign in with their Apple ID
4. Accept the invitation
5. They now have access to the account

The invitation expires after a set period. If it expires before the user accepts, you can resend it from the User Management page.

Checking Invitation Status

Back in User Management, you will see the status of each user:

If an invitation shows as Expired, click on the user and select Resend Invitation.

Changing a User’s Role

If someone’s responsibilities change, you can update their role without removing and re-adding them:

1. Go to User Management
2. Click on the user’s name
3. Select the new role from the dropdown
4. Click Save

The change takes effect immediately. The user does not need to accept a new invitation.

Removing a User

To revoke someone’s access:

1. Go to User Management
2. Click on the user’s name
3. Click Remove User
4. Confirm the removal

The user loses access immediately. They will not receive a notification, so let them know if appropriate.

Common Issues and How to Fix Them

The user says they did not receive the invitation email

• Check that you entered the correct Apple ID email
• Ask them to check their spam or junk folder
• Make sure the email is associated with an active Apple ID
• Resend the invitation from User Management

The user cannot see certain campaigns

• Verify their role is not set to Limited Access with restricted campaign groups
• If they need broader access, change their role to Campaign Manager or Account Admin

You cannot find the Invite User button

• You may not have Account Admin access yourself
• Only Admins can manage users. Ask another Admin to grant you the correct role.

The invitation expired

• Go to User Management, find the user, and click Resend Invitation
• Invitations need to be accepted within the expiration window

Best Practices for User Management

Use the least privilege needed. Give each person only the access they require. A stakeholder who only needs to view reports should get Read Only access, not Account Admin.

Review access regularly. Check User Management at least once a quarter. Remove users who no longer need access, especially former employees and past agency partners.

Use Limited Access for agencies. If you work with an external agency, give them Limited Access to only the campaign groups they manage. This prevents them from seeing other parts of your account.

Keep at least two Account Admins. If the only Admin leaves the company or loses access to their Apple ID, you could get locked out. Having a backup Admin prevents this.

Connecting Apple Search Ads to Other Tools

Once your team has access, you may want to connect Apple Search Ads data to other platforms for reporting and analysis. Apple Search Ads supports API access for programmatic data pulls, which can be useful for:

• Pulling campaign performance into a central dashboard
• Automating bid adjustments
• Exporting data to spreadsheets or BI tools

API access is managed separately from user roles and requires Account Admin permission to set up.

For more detailed documentation on Apple Search Ads setup, integrations, and troubleshooting, see our Apple Search Ads documentation.

Last updated: March 4, 2026