X Ads Add User Access | OpsBlu Docs

X Ads Add User Access

How to invite team members and grant access to X (Twitter) Ads. Covers role assignment, permission levels, API key generation, and onboarding best.

Add User Access

Use this runbook when you need to grant partner teams or client stakeholders access to X Ads. Whether you're onboarding an agency, internal campaign manager, or client stakeholder, this guide ensures proper permissions while maintaining access controls.

How X Ads structures users

X Ads operates at the ad account level - there's no manager account (MCC) concept. Each ad account has its own user roster and funding sources. Users must have an active X (Twitter) account to receive access.

Ad account–level roles:

  • Account Administrator: Full control including billing, permissions, campaign management, audience creation, and conversion tracking. Administrators can see and edit all funding sources.
  • Ad Manager: Campaign creation, optimization, audience building, and conversion pixel installation. Cannot manage users or billing.
  • Analyst: Read-only reporting access. Can export data but cannot create or edit anything.
  • Partner: Limited collaborator view on some legacy accounts (availability varies).

Users are added via the ad account's Edit access to account menu using their @handle or email associated with their X profile.

When to Add Users

Add users to X Ads when:

  • A new campaign manager joins your team and needs to create or optimize campaigns
  • An external agency is contracted to manage your X Ads account
  • A client requests read-only access to monitor campaign performance
  • Finance or billing teams need to manage payment methods or credit lines
  • A data analyst requires reporting access for performance dashboards
  • A temporary contractor needs limited-term access for a campaign launch
  • An internal team member needs to manage custom audiences or conversion tracking

Prerequisites

Before adding a user, gather:

  • Account Administrator rights on the X Ads account
  • The user's X handle (e.g., @username) or email associated with their X account
  • Confirmation they have an active X account
  • The role they need: Administrator, Ad Manager, or Analyst
  • Confirmation of whether they need billing visibility
  • Approval from the account owner or finance team, especially for Administrator access

Role selection guidance:

  • Account Administrator: Only for users who will manage billing, payment methods, user access, or need full account control
  • Ad Manager: For media buyers and campaign managers who create and optimize campaigns. Most common role.
  • Analyst: For analysts, clients, or stakeholders who need read-only reporting visibility

Invite Workflow

Follow these steps to add a new user to your X Ads account:

Step 1: Access user management

  1. Sign in to X Ads at ads.x.com using an Account Administrator account
  2. Navigate to the correct ad account (if you have multiple)
  3. Click your avatar or profile icon in the top-right corner
  4. Select Edit access to account from the dropdown menu

Step 2: Initiate adding access

  1. You'll see a list of current users with access to the ad account
  2. Click Add access

Step 3: Search for the user

  1. In the search field, enter the user's @handle or their email address associated with their X account
  2. X will search for matching X profiles
  3. Select the correct user from the search results. Verify it's the right person by checking their display name and profile photo.

Important: The user must have an active X account. If they don't appear in search results, confirm they've created an X account first.

Step 4: Assign role

  1. Select the appropriate role from the dropdown:
    • Account Administrator if they need full control including billing
    • Ad Manager for campaign management without billing access
    • Analyst for read-only reporting access
  2. If uncertain, start with Ad Manager and adjust later

Step 5: Configure billing visibility

  1. Account Administrator automatically has full billing access (funding sources, payment methods, credit lines)
  2. Ad Manager and Analyst do not have billing access
  3. Confirm the correct funding source is selected if the role has billing visibility

Step 6: Save and verify

  1. Click Save or Add to grant access
  2. The user will immediately appear in the access list with the assigned role
  3. X may send a notification to the user that they've been granted access (not a formal invite email)
  4. Screenshot the access list for your compliance records

Step 7: Notify the user

  1. Inform the user they've been granted access
  2. Ask them to log in to ads.x.com and navigate to the ad account
  3. Provide the ad account handle or name so they can find it

Post-Invite Follow-Up

User communication

  • Notify the user they've been added to the X Ads account
  • Provide the ad account name or @handle so they can locate it after logging in
  • Ask them to confirm access by logging in and viewing the ad account dashboard
  • Share any onboarding materials such as campaign naming conventions, audience guidelines, or your organization's SOPs

Documentation

  • Capture the access details in your ticketing system or access log:
    • User @handle and name
    • Role assigned (Administrator, Ad Manager, Analyst)
    • Date granted
    • Approver name
    • Ad account(s) granted
  • Screenshot the access list from Edit access to account for compliance records

Validation

  • Ask the user to confirm they can see the ad account in their X Ads dashboard
  • If they're an Ad Manager, verify they can create campaigns
  • If they're an Analyst, verify they can view reports but cannot edit campaigns
  • If they're an Administrator, verify they can access billing and user management

Tracking and review

  • Set a calendar reminder for your next quarterly access review
  • If the user is a contractor or temporary resource, document their planned removal date
  • Update your internal roster or SSO directory

Troubleshooting

User doesn't appear in search results:

  • Confirm they have an active X (Twitter) account
  • Try searching by their @handle instead of email, or vice versa
  • Ensure their X account is not private or restricted
  • Have them create an X account if they don't have one

User can't see the ad account after being added:

  • Verify they're logging in to ads.x.com with the correct X account
  • Confirm the ad account handle or name so they can locate it
  • Check if they were added to the correct ad account (if you have multiple)
  • Have them log out and back in to refresh their session

User has wrong role:

  • Go back to Edit access to account and change their role immediately
  • Changes take effect on their next page load

User can see billing but shouldn't:

  • They were likely assigned Account Administrator instead of Ad Manager
  • Change their role to Ad Manager to remove billing access

User needs access to multiple ad accounts:

  • X Ads has no MCC structure, so you must add them to each ad account separately
  • Repeat this process for each ad account they need

Common Use Cases

Onboarding an agency partner:

  • Role: Ad Manager
  • Ad accounts: All accounts covered by their contract
  • Follow-up: Provide agency with campaign naming conventions, audience guidelines, and brand safety policies

Adding a client stakeholder:

  • Role: Analyst
  • Ad accounts: Only the client's own accounts, never competitors
  • Follow-up: Show client how to access dashboards and export reports. Emphasize read-only limitations.

Onboarding an internal campaign manager:

  • Role: Ad Manager
  • Ad accounts: Accounts for their portfolio or region
  • Follow-up: Pair with a senior campaign manager for training. Review campaign setups before launch.

Adding finance team member:

  • Role: Account Administrator
  • Ad accounts: All accounts they need to manage billing for
  • Follow-up: Confirm they can manage payment methods and credit lines

Temporary contractor for campaign launch:

  • Role: Ad Manager
  • Ad accounts: Only the launch-related account
  • Follow-up: Document end date and set reminder to remove access

Adding data analyst:

  • Role: Analyst
  • Ad accounts: All accounts they need to report on
  • Follow-up: Share data export procedures and BI tool integrations

Best Practices

  • Confirm users have active X accounts before attempting to add them
  • Use @handles for search when possible - they're unique and reliable
  • Start with minimal permissions (Ad Manager or Analyst) and elevate only if needed
  • Document every addition with approver, date, and reason in your access log
  • Set review reminders for temporary users to ensure timely offboarding
  • Keep Account Administrator access limited to reduce billing and financial risk
  • Add users to each ad account separately (X has no MCC structure)
  • Screenshot the access list after every change for compliance
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