How to Give & Request Access to Meta Catalogues (step-by-step guide)

Meta Catalogue access is one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of Meta’s setup. 

Catalogues have their own permission system, separate from Pages, ad accounts, and pixels. That’s why you can have access to everything else and still be unable to run product-based ads.

Whether you’re a business owner trying to give an agency the right permissions or an agency trying to request access so you can launch ad campaigns, knowing how catalogue access works is essential.

In this article, we’ll walk through how to give, request, and manage access to Meta Catalogues without the confusion Meta’s interface often creates.

TL;DR: There are four ways to manage Meta Catalogue access 👇

Jump to the section you need:

Part 1: Give access to an individual — Add a team member, contractor, or freelancer to your catalogue.

Part 2: Give access to a partner business — Grant access to an entire agency or external business without adding their staff to your Business Portfolio.

Part 3: Request access through Meta Business Suite — Ask a business to approve your access to their catalogue (for both agencies and internal teams).

Part 4: Request access with Leadsie — The simplest, fastest way for agencies to get the correct catalogue permissions without confusing clients.

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Understanding Meta Catalogues

First, let’s quickly clarify what Meta Catalogues are and how they fit into your overall Meta setup.

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What is a Meta Catalogue?

A Meta Catalogue is a central database inside Commerce Manager where you store all the items you want to advertise or sell on Facebook and Instagram. 

Think of it as a digital inventory list that Meta automatically pulls from whenever you run ads or tag a product on Instagram, so the right photos, prices, and details always show up.

For example, if you sell shoes, your catalogue is where you’ll upload each style’s photos, price, sizes, and availability. When you run an ad or tag a product on Instagram, Meta will pull those details from your catalogue, so everything stays accurate without extra manual work.

💡 Tip: Unless you run several businesses, Meta recommends using one catalogue for all your items to make management easier and help your ads reach the right audiences.

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When you should use a Meta Catalogue

Use a Meta Catalogue any time you plan to:

• Run product-based ads, such as dynamic ads, carousel ads, or collection ads
• Set up a Shop on Facebook or Instagram
• Tag products in posts, reels, or stories
• Work with agencies or partners who need access to your product data to run ads

In short, if your product data drives your ads or Shop, you’ll need a Meta Catalogue.

👉 See all the ways you can use Meta Catalogues here. 

❗ Important: If you’re working with external partners, catalogue access alone isn’t enough to build or manage ad campaigns. They’ll also need access to your ad account, pixel, and sometimes Page or Commerce Manager permissions if they’re handling Shop-related tasks.

Related article: How to Create a Meta Ad Account

Meta Catalogue permission levels

Meta offers two permission levels, and it's important to choose the right one depending on the work someone needs to do:

1. Partial Access (to create ads)

This level is best for people who only need your catalogue for advertising. 

They can:

✅ View your products

✅ Create and manage product sets

✅ Check your catalogue’s match rate

✅ Use the catalogue when creating ads

They can’t:

❌ Add or edit items, which makes this a safe option for agencies or contractors who don’t need to touch your product data.

2.  Full Control (to manage the entire Catalogue)

Full control is for people who actively manage your inventory inside Commerce Manager. 

In addition to everything above they can:

✅ Add or update items

✅ Edit product data (images, titles, pricing, availability, etc.)

✅​​ Manage data sources or feeds

✅ Change catalogue settings

This level should be limited to trusted internal team members or partners who handle your product feed day-to-day, since they can make changes that directly affect your ads and Shop.

❗ Important: Catalogue access is limited to the catalog asset only. It doesn't give someone access to your broader Commerce Manager settings, Shop, or Business Portfolio. Any additional access must be granted separately.

Part 1: How to give an individual access to your Meta Catalogue

Catalogue access is managed directly inside Meta Business Suite.

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Related article: Meta Business Suite vs. Business Portfolio: What are the Key Differences? 

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📑 Before you start, there are two things you must have in place:

1. You need Full Control of the Business Portfolio that the catalogue belongs to. (Without this, you won’t see the option to assign or change permissions.)
   
2. The person you want to assign access to must already be added to your Business Portfolio. If they haven’t been added, you can follow Meta’s official instructions here.

Then, follow these steps to grant someone access to Meta Catalogues:

Step 1.  Open Meta Business Suite, go to “Settings,” and choose your business.

Step 2. Click Data sources > Catalogues.

❗ Note: If you don’t see your catalogue here, you may be in the wrong Business Portfolio or you don’t have the required permissions.

Step 3. Choose your catalogue and click “Assign people.” 

Step 4. Select one or more people, then choose Partial access or Full control.

Then, click “Assign” to confirm. 

Step 5. The person you invited can now see and use the catalogue inside Meta Business Suite.

All they have to do is log into Meta Business Suite using their own Facebook account, switch to your business in the top-left dropdown, and they’ll see the catalogue under Settings > Data sources > Catalogues.

How to change or remove an individual’s catalogue access

If you ever need to update what a person can do in your catalogue you can adjust their permissions at any time inside Meta Business Suite.

1. Go to your catalogue in Meta Business Suite by clicking on Settings > Data sources > Catalogues.
2. Open the People tab (this shows everyone who currently has access and their permission level.)
3. To change permissions, click “Manage” next to the person’s name and choose Partial Access or Full Control.
4. To remove someone, click the trash icon next to their name.

The person will immediately gain or lose the relevant catalogue capabilities.

❗ Note: Removing catalogue access does not remove them from your Business Portfolio. They simply won’t see or be able to use that specific catalogue anymore.

Part 2: How to give a partner business access to your Meta Catalogue

If you work with an external partner like a marketing agency, the best practice is to keep the catalogue inside your Business Portfolio and give them access as a partner. This connects the catalogue to their Business Portfolio without requiring you to add individual agency employees to yours.

Giving access to a partner business doesn’t give their employees automatic access. Instead, it keeps your Business Portfolio private and secure, while still letting you choose exactly which individuals get permission to work on your catalogue.

❗ Important: Your partner must have their own Business Portfolio to receive catalogue access.

Then, follow these steps to grant them partner access:

Step 1.  Open Meta Business Suite, go to “Settings,” and choose your business.

Step 2. Click Data sources > Catalogues and choose your catalogue.

Step 3. Click “Assign partner.”

From here, you have two ways to give partner access:

Option 1: Assign via Business ID

This is usually the fastest method. 

1. Select “Business ID.”

2. Enter the partner’s Business ID. (Agencies can find this under Settings > Business portfolio info)

3. Choose “Partial Access” or “Full Control.”

4. Click “Assign.”

Option 2: Share an invitation link

If you don’t have the partner’s Business ID, you can send them a one-time access link.

1. Choose “Get Link to Share.”

2. Select “Partial Access” or “Full Control.”

3. Copy the link and send it to your partner.

The partner will immediately see your catalogue inside their own Meta Business Suite.

❗ Important: Each link can only be used once, and it expires after 30 days. If the agency misses the window, you’ll need to generate a new link.

How to change or remove catalogue access for a partner business

If you’ve given catalogue access to an external partner business, you can update or remove that access at any time.

1. Go to Meta Business Suite > Settings > Data sources > Catalogues
2. Select your catalogue
3. Open the Partners tab
4. Click the partner business you want to update

From here, you can:

• Change their permission level (Partial Access or Full Control), or
• Remove them entirely from the catalogue

These changes will apply instantly.

❗ Important: Changing or removing partner access affects the entire partner business. For example, if you switch a partner to Partial Access, everyone on their team loses Full Control.

Part 3: How to request access to a Meta Catalogue

If you need to work on a catalogue you don’t currently have access to—whether you’re part of an internal team or an external agency—you can request access directly through Meta Business Suite. 

Someone with Full Control of the Business Portfolio that owns the catalogue will need to approve your request.

Step 1. Open Meta Business Suite, go to “Settings,” and choose your business.

Step 2. Click Data sources > Catalogues.

Here you’ll see all catalogues that belong to—or are shared with—your business. Catalogues you don’t have access to will be labelled No access.

Step 3. Select the catalogue you need, then click “Request access.”

The catalogue will now show “Access requested” in your settings. Your request will stay pending until someone with Full Control of the business approves it.

You’ll receive a notification by email and inside Business Suite once the request is approved or declined.

🔎 Note: Most of the time, you’ll be requesting Full Control. However, if you’re in a partner business that only has Partial Access to the catalogue, you can only request Partial Access.

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Part 4: How to request access to a Meta Catalogue using Leadsie (the easiest method)

If you’re an agency, requesting catalogue access manually through Meta Business Suite can be slow and confusing—especially when you’re relying on clients who aren’t familiar with Meta’s backend. 

That’s where Leadsie makes the process easier.

Instead of walking clients through Meta’s UI or waiting for a Business Admin to approve a request they never see, you can simply send them a secure Leadsie link.

All they have to do is sign in, click approve, and Leadsie handles the technical steps in the background.

Here’s how it works:

1. You create a Leadsie request link for the catalogue permissions you need.
2. Send the link to your client
3. The client logs in and confirms the request.
4. Leadsie automatically grants your agency business the correct access in Meta.

It’s that simple! 🎉

Why Leadsie works better than Meta’s built-in access option

✅ No Meta navigation — Clients don’t need to find Catalogues, Pages, Pixels, or Business Portfolios.

✅ Always reaches the correct admin — No more stalled or ignored access requests.

✅ Works even when clients don’t understand their Meta setup — No need for them to be tech-savvy or follow confusing steps.

✅ Fast, frictionless onboarding — One link, one click, access granted.

And best of all:

✅ Access to multiple assets with one link — Request catalogue access alongside ad accounts, Pages, and 31+ other marketing platforms using the same single link.

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⚡ Agency hack: Get access to all your clients’ marketing accounts with one Leadsie link 

Are you an agency that needs access to multiple marketing or social media accounts?

With Leadsie, you can request and receive access to all your clients’ accounts in just a few clicks. 

Leadsie is a client onboarding software that simplifies requesting and giving access to marketing assets, social media, and ad accounts with one secure link. Get access to your clients' X, Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, Shopify, LinkedIn, and other platform accounts without sharing passwords. 🔒

Leadsie automates account access management to deliver a fast, secure, and seamless client onboarding experience, helping you impress clients and showcase professionalism from day one.

✅ Minimize frustrating chaser emails and calls for access

✅ Reduces your agency's turnaround time by over 50%

✅ Scales with your agency as you grow beyond onboarding 5-10 new clients a week

✅ Makes it possible to get access to 31+ social, marketing, and analytics platforms at once

✅ Start billable work and billing cycles for your new clients without delays

🎁 Try a free 14-day trial on us—no credit card needed!‍

P.S. It's risk-free, and you get to keep your account connections after the trial ends. 🙌