How to Request Access to a Meta Business Portfolio (agency guide)

To request access to a client’s Meta business assets, open your agency’s Meta Business Settings, go to Users > Partners > Add, and choose the option to request assets as a partner or agency. Enter the client’s details, select the assets and permissions you need, and send the request for them to approve.

This is known as an agency-initiated request. 

More broadly, there are two ways to get access to a client’s Meta assets:

1. Agency-initiated request: You request access from your own business portfolio.
2. Client-initiated invite: The client adds your business portfolio as a partner.

Alternatively, you can also use a client onboarding tool like Leadsie to avoid the manual setup and let clients grant access through a single secure link (more on that in this article!).

This guide mainly focuses onthe agency-initiated process, including how to request an individual asset and what to do if your request stalls. We’ll also show you how Leadsie simplifies the process.

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🔗 Related article: How to add or give someone access to a Meta Business Portfolio

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Option 1: Request partner access to a client’s Meta business assets 

Follow these steps to send a partner access request from your agency’s business portfolio.

Before you get started

Make sure:

• You have full access to your agency’s business portfolio
• Your client has their own Meta business portfolio
• You have the client’s email address and business portfolio ID (can be found under Business portfolio info in their settings)

If your client doesn’t have a business portfolio yet, they’ll need to create one first. You can share our guide on how to create a Meta business portfolio to help them get set up.

Step 1: Open your business portfolio settings

Go to Meta Business Suite settings @ https://business.facebook.com/settings and select your agency’s business portfolio.

Step 2: Open the Partners section and start a partner access request

From the left-hand menu, go to Users > Partners. Click Add, then select Request assets as a partner or agency.

Depending on the version of Meta Business Suite you’re using, this option may also appear as Ask a partner to assign you their assets.

Can’t see the Partners section or the option to add a partner? Go to People, find your name, and check that you have full access. If not, ask an admin (someone with full access) to update your permissions.

Step 3: Enter your client’s details

Enter the information Meta requests about your client and your working relationship. This includes:

• Your client’s email address
• Their business portfolio ID
• Your role in the partnership
• Your client’s role in the partnership

Your client can find their portfolio ID under Business portfolio info (https://business.facebook.com/latest/settings/business_info) in Meta Business Settings. It also appears in their Business Suite URL as the number after business_id=.

If they’re unsure where to find it, send them this quick guide on finding your business portfolio ID.

Step 4: Choose the assets and permissions you need

Choose the assets your agency needs to work with. These might include:

• Facebook Pages
• Ad accounts
• Instagram accounts
• Pixels or datasets
• Catalogues

You’ll also need to choose the appropriate permission level for each asset. Only request the access your agency needs to complete the agreed work; the client can then approve, reject, or adjust your selections before granting access.

Step 5: Decide whether you need access to the client’s credit line

Meta may ask whether your agency needs access to the client’s credit line to place ads on their behalf. This only applies if the client pays for Meta ads through monthly invoicing.

Select Yes if you’ve already agreed to use their credit line. Otherwise, choose No or Not now, then click Next.

Step 6: Review and send the request

Before sending, take a moment to check the client’s details, requested assets, and permission levels. If everything looks right, submit the request.

You can track its status from the Partners section of your business portfolio. If anything is incorrect, cancel the request and send a new one.

What your client will see

Your client will receive a pending request in their Partner section asking them to review it. Access won’t be granted until someone with the necessary permissions in the client’s business portfolio approves the request.

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Request access to specific assets (individual Page or ad account)

If you only need one specific asset, you can also start the request from that asset instead of going through the Partners section.

In Meta Business Settings:

1. Go to Accounts and select the relevant asset type, such as Pages or Ad accounts.
2. Click Add.
3. Select the option to request shared access.
4. Enter the asset’s name or ID.
5. Choose the permissions your agency needs.
6. Send the request for the client to approve.

This is still shared partner access between two business portfolios, but the request is limited to the selected asset.

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Option 2: Ask the client to add your agency as a partner

Instead of sending the request yourself, your client can add your agency’s business portfolio as a partner and assign the required assets directly.

They’ll need to:

1. Open Meta Business Settings.
2. Go to Users > Partners.
3. Click Add > Give a partner access to your assets.
4. Enter your agency’s business portfolio ID.
5. Select the assets and permissions to assign.
6. Confirm the assignment.

For complete instructions, send them our guide to giving a partner access to assets in a Meta business portfolio, or use the message template below.

Client access request message template for agencies

Hi [Name],

To get started, we’ll need access to your Meta business assets.

Could you please add our business as a partner in your business portfolio using the ID below and grant access to the following:

• [Ad account name] – ad management access
• [Facebook Page] – content/management access
• [Instagram account] – content access

Business ID: [XXXX]

If it’s easier, we can also send a request from our side—happy to guide you through it if needed.

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How to fix Meta partner access issues

1. What to do if your access request is still pending

If your client hasn’t approved the request, check the following:

1. Confirm that you entered the correct business portfolio ID and email address.
2. Make sure the request was sent to the portfolio that owns the assets.
3. Ask the client to check their notifications and pending business requests.
4. Confirm that the person reviewing the request has sufficient access to approve it. If you’re unsure who has access, or want to avoid chasing the wrong person, use Access Detective - it shows you exactly who has admin access to a business portfolio, so you know who to contact right away.
5. Check the request’s status from your Partners or Requests tab (https://business.facebook.com/latest/settings/requests).
6. Cancel and resend the request if any details or permissions are incorrect.

If the client can access their portfolio but can’t see a requested Page, ad account, or other asset, that asset may belong to a different business portfolio.

2. What if nobody has full access to the business portfolio?

An ordinary partner request won’t solve the problem if nobody currently has enough access to approve it.

This can happen when:

• A former employee created the portfolio and has left the business.
• A previous agency still controls the portfolio.
• The original administrator is no longer reachable.
• The business doesn’t know who created the portfolio.

In this situation, the business owner may need to use Meta’s process for requesting full access to a business portfolio. In this case, Meta will ask the requester to provide evidence that they’re authorized to act for the busines., such as atax certificate, articles of incorporation, or a utility/bank statement matching the business name.

Keep in mind that this is a portfolio recovery process, so it should be completed by the business owner or an authorized representative, not by an external agency claiming ordinary partner access.

If the problem only affects a Facebook Page, Meta may direct the business through a separate Page access or Page admin dispute process. See our guide to regaining access to a Facebook Business Page for the steps.

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Option 3: Request access to a business portfolio with Leadsie (the fastest way)

Leadsie is a client onboarding tool that lets agencies request access to a client’s Meta assets through a secure link. 

You simply select the assets and permissions you need in the Leadsie app, then send the link to your clients. No need to find their business portfolio ID or navigate Meta’s settings manually.

From there, the client:

1. Logs in to their Meta business account

2. Selects the relevant assets you need access to

3. Reviews choices and grants access in under five minutes!

Access is still granted through Meta’s official permissions, but Leadsie guides the client through the process and removes the need to exchange business portfolio IDs.