Add User Access
Use this runbook to onboard people or partners through Meta Business Manager and grant access to ad accounts, pixels, catalogs, pages, and other assets.
Prerequisites
- Business Manager Admin rights on the owning business.
- The user's work email and confirmation they have (or will create) a Facebook account.
- Decision on whether they need Admin, Advertiser, or Analyst role on the ad account.
- List of assets to assign: ad account(s), pixels, catalogs, pages, apps, or other resources.
- Approval from manager or business owner for the access request.
Invite Workflow
Step 1: Navigate to Business Settings
- Go to Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com) and sign in.
- Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
- In the left sidebar, select Users → People.
Step 2: Initiate Invite
- Click Add people (or + Add if no users exist yet).
- Enter the user's email address (must be associated with their Facebook account).
- Choose access level:
- Employee access: Default for internal team members and most contractors.
- Admin access: Only for business admins who will manage billing, users, and business verification.
Step 3: Assign Ad Account Roles
- In the Assign assets section, expand Ad Accounts.
- Select the ad account(s) the user needs access to.
- For each ad account, choose the role:
- Admin: Full control including billing, user management, and campaign access. Use sparingly.
- Advertiser: Can create, edit, and manage campaigns and audiences. Cannot manage billing or users.
- Analyst: View-only access to reporting and insights. Cannot edit campaigns.
- Confirm the role assignments appear correctly.
Step 4: Assign Related Assets (Optional)
Depending on the user's responsibilities, assign access to additional assets:
Pixels
- Expand Pixels in the asset list.
- Select the pixel(s) the user needs.
- Choose the role:
- Admin: Can manage pixel settings, Conversions API, and share access.
- Analyst: Can view events and diagnostics only.
Catalogs
- Expand Catalogs in the asset list.
- Select the catalog(s) the user needs for dynamic ads or product management.
- Choose the role:
- Admin: Can manage catalog settings, feeds, and sharing.
- Advertiser: Can use catalog for dynamic ads but cannot modify settings.
Pages
- Expand Pages in the asset list.
- Select the page(s) the user needs for ad creation or management.
- Choose the role:
- Admin: Full control over page settings, posts, and ads.
- Editor: Can create/edit posts and respond to messages.
- Moderator: Can respond to comments and create ads.
- Advertiser: Can create ads using the page only.
- Analyst: Can view insights only.
Apps (if applicable)
- Expand Apps in the asset list.
- Select the app(s) the user needs for mobile ad tracking or app event management.
- Choose the appropriate role (Developer, Admin, Advertiser, Analyst).
Step 5: Review and Send Invite
- Review all assigned ad accounts and assets to confirm accuracy.
- Add a note (optional) explaining the reason for access or the user's role.
- Click Send invite.
- Confirm the user appears as Pending in the People list.
Post-Invite Follow-Up
User Acceptance
- The user receives an email invitation to join the business.
- They must accept the invite and sign in to Facebook to confirm their account.
- If they don't have a Facebook account, they must create one using the invited email address.
- After acceptance, their status changes from Pending to Active in Business Settings.
Security Setup
- Require two-factor authentication (2FA) for all users, especially Admins.
- Go to Business Settings → Security Center → Two-factor authentication.
- Enable the requirement for all users or specific roles.
- Verify the user has accepted by checking their status in the People list.
- Test their access by having them log in and confirm they can see the assigned ad accounts and assets.
Documentation
- Update your access log or ticketing system with:
- User name and email.
- Date added.
- Ad accounts and assets assigned.
- Roles granted (Admin, Advertiser, Analyst).
- Business justification and approver name.
- Set a review date (e.g., 90 days) to confirm the user still needs access.
- Capture a screenshot from Business Settings → People showing the user and their assigned assets.
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Onboarding an Internal Media Buyer
- Role: Advertiser on specific ad accounts.
- Assets: Ad accounts for their market or product line.
- Additional: No pixel or catalog access unless they manage tracking or product feeds.
- 2FA: Required.
Scenario 2: Adding an Agency Partner
- Role: Advertiser or Admin on client ad accounts (depending on contract).
- Assets: Ad accounts, potentially pixels for tracking setup.
- Additional: Consider adding the agency as a Partner instead of an employee for clearer governance.
- 2FA: Required for Admins, recommended for Advertisers.
Scenario 3: Granting Finance or Stakeholder Access
- Role: Analyst (reporting only).
- Assets: Ad accounts for the markets or campaigns they oversee.
- Additional: No campaign editing or billing access.
- 2FA: Recommended.
Scenario 4: Adding a Developer for Pixel/CAPI Setup
- Role: Analyst on ad account (if needed for reporting), Admin on pixel.
- Assets: Pixel(s) for the domains they are implementing.
- Additional: May need access to Events Manager and Test Events for debugging.
- 2FA: Required.
Troubleshooting
User Didn't Receive Invite Email
- Confirm the email address is correct and associated with a Facebook account.
- Check the user's spam/junk folder.
- Resend the invite from Business Settings → People.
- If still not received, ask the user to manually search for Business Manager invites in their Facebook notifications.
User Can't Accept Invite
- Confirm they are signed in to Facebook with the email address that received the invite.
- If they have multiple Facebook accounts, ensure they're using the correct one.
- Ask them to go directly to business.facebook.com and check for pending invitations.
User Doesn't See Assigned Assets After Accepting
- Verify the user accepted the invite and is marked as Active in Business Settings.
- Check that assets were actually assigned during the invite (not just business access).
- Re-assign assets if needed by editing the user in Business Settings → People.
User Needs Different Roles Than Originally Assigned
- Use the Update Access workflow to change roles without re-inviting.
- See Update Access & Roles for detailed steps.
Guardrails & Best Practices
- Least-privilege principle: Start with the minimum role required (Advertiser or Analyst) and promote to Admin only when necessary.
- Business Admin access is rare: Only grant Admin access at the business level for people who manage billing, domains, or user access.
- Use Partners for agencies: Add external teams as Partners rather than Employees for clearer separation and easier offboarding.
- Require 2FA for Admins: Before granting Admin access to billing or pixels, ensure the user has enabled two-factor authentication.
- Document everything: Keep a change log with who approved the access, why it was granted, and when it should be reviewed.
- Review after launch: Revisit permissions 30-90 days after onboarding to confirm the user has the right level of access.
Checklist
- Business Manager Admin access confirmed.
- User's email and required assets documented.
- Business justification and approver noted.
- Invite sent with correct role (Admin, Advertiser, Analyst).
- Related assets assigned (pixels, catalogs, pages).
- User accepted invite and status is Active.
- Two-factor authentication enabled (for Admins).
- Access logged in internal roster or ticketing system.
- Screenshot captured from Business Settings → People.
- Review date set for future access audit.