# The client access checklist for agency onboarding

Most agencies lose the first week with a new client to access: the wrong ID, a client who is not an admin, a password
sent by email. This checklist is what to ask for, what to send, and what usually goes wrong.

## What to ask for

| For | Ask for | Role that is usually enough |
|---|---|---|
| Paid social | Meta ad account, Facebook Page, dataset (pixel), Instagram account | manage campaigns; create ads on the Page |
| Google Ads | Google Ads account, linked to your manager account | standard access through the link |
| Measurement | Google Analytics 4 property, Google Tag Manager container | Analyst or Marketer; Publish only if you set up tags |
| SEO | Search Console property | Full user |
| E-commerce | Shopify store (collaborator access) | only the sections you need |

Ask only for what the work needs. Clients say yes faster to a short list.

## What to send the client

- **Your Meta Business ID**, not an ad account ID. See [How to find your Meta Business ID](/guides/find-your-meta-business-id).
- **Your Google Ads manager account ID**. See [How to find your Google Ads manager account ID](/guides/find-your-google-ads-manager-account-id).
- **The Google account email** that should get Analytics, Tag Manager and Search Console access. It has to be a real
  Google account.
- One message with all of it, in the order the client will click through it.

![Four steps: ask for the accounts, send the IDs in one message, the client shares on each platform, check each account](/guides/images/client-access-checklist.svg "Four steps from first ask to verified access.")

## What usually holds it up

1. **The person you talk to is not an admin.** They can see the ad account but cannot share it. Ask early who owns the
   business portfolio and the Google Ads account.
2. **Assets owned by someone else.** An ad account that belongs to a former agency's portfolio can only be shared by
   that portfolio. The client may have to request it back first.
3. **Google's passkey rule.** Linking Google Ads needs a passkey, and a new passkey can take up to 7 days. Tell the
   client on day one; see [Google Ads now needs a passkey](/guides/google-ads-passkey-requirement).

## Never

- Ask for passwords or accept them by email. Every platform here has a way to share access without them.
- Create the ad accounts in your own business for the client. Ownership should stay with the client.


## Frequently asked questions

### Should an agency ever ask for a client's password?

No. Meta, Google and Shopify all have ways to share access without a password.

### Who should own the ad accounts?

The client. Create them in the client's business portfolio or account, and share them with the agency.

## The quicker way

Agency Client Onboarding turns this checklist into one link: the client signs in on each platform's own page, ticks
the accounts, and you see which access is ready and which still needs something.