How to Get Facebook Ads Access from Clients Without Asking for Passwords

The Credential Problem

Facebook and Meta advertising access is consistently the most painful part of digital agency onboarding. Clients are confused by Business Manager. Personal and business accounts get mixed up. Access arrives at the wrong level.

None of this is the client's fault. The Meta Business Manager interface is genuinely confusing. The key is giving clients a clear process to follow rather than a vague request.

What You Actually Need

Before making any access request, be specific about what you need:

• Ad Account access — to view and manage campaigns
• Facebook Page access — to manage posts and run Page-boosted ads
• Instagram Account access — linked through Meta Business Manager
• Pixel access — to view or edit the Meta pixel on their website
• Catalogue access — if they run dynamic product ads

Most agencies need Ad Account access and Page access as a minimum.

Business Manager vs Personal Account

Meta has two environments:

• Personal profile — tied to an individual person, not recommended for business use
• Meta Business Manager (now called Meta Business Suite) — the correct tool for businesses and agencies

If your client runs ads from their personal Facebook profile, ask them to set up a Business Manager account first. Running agency work through personal accounts creates risk and limits what you can do.

How to Request Access Correctly

Option 1: Agency Gets Added as a Partner

This is the preferred method for ongoing relationships.

1. Your agency creates or uses its own Meta Business Manager account
2. Go to Business Settings in your Business Manager
3. Under Partners, click Add and select Give a partner access to your assets
4. Share your Business Manager ID with the client
5. The client logs into their Business Manager, goes to Business Settings, then Partners
6. They add your Business Manager ID and assign access to the relevant ad accounts, pages, and pixels

Access granted this way is tied to your agency Business Manager, not to individual people. When someone leaves your team, you manage access internally.

Option 2: Add Your Team Member as a User

1. Client logs into Meta Business Manager
2. Goes to Business Settings > Ad Accounts > selects the relevant account
3. Clicks Add People, enters your team member's email
4. Assigns Advertiser or Admin role as appropriate

Common Mistakes

Client does not have a Business Manager — walk them through creating one before requesting access.

Access granted to the wrong ad account — Meta accounts can have multiple ad accounts. Confirm the account name and ID before the client starts.

Employee role vs Admin role — Advertisers can create and edit campaigns. Admins can also manage billing and account settings.

Client uses a personal Facebook account for ads — flag this as a risk and recommend migrating to Business Manager.

After Access is Confirmed

Log into the account and verify you can see the correct campaigns, pixel, and account spend history.

For a complete list of everything to collect during onboarding, see the new client onboarding checklist. For guidance on handling any sensitive access safely, read about collecting client credentials securely.