How to Request Access to a Facebook Ad Account in 2026

To get access to a client's Facebook ad account without sharing passwords, there are two native methods depending on whether your client has a Meta Business Portfolio:

1. If they have a Business Portfolio: request Partner Access via Meta Business Suite (best for agencies managing multiple assets) or request access directly using their Ad Account ID (best for a single ad account).
2. If they don't have a Business Portfolio: ask them to add you directly in Ads Manager under Ad Account Roles, where they can assign you Admin, Advertiser, or Analyst access.

For most agencies, Advertiser access is sufficient to create and manage campaigns.

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How do I get access to a client’s Facebook ad account?

There are two native ways to request access to your client's Facebook ad accounts, plus a third option for clients without a Business Portfolio:

1) Partner Access (via Meta Business Suite): best for agencies who need access to multiple assets and want to assign permissions to their whole team.

2) Request by Ad Account ID (via Meta Business Suite): best when you only need access to a single ad account and already have the client's Ad Account ID.

3) Direct add via Ads Manager: for clients who don't have a Meta Business Portfolio. They add you by email directly in Ads Manager settings.

💡 Pro tip: Need a faster method? Leadsie automates the entire process with a single shareable link. No Business IDs, no manual steps.

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If you prefer a video, here’s how to get access to a Meta Ad Account & Facebook Page:

Roles and permissions

There are three ad account roles:

1. Admin: Full control; Can manage users, billing, and delete the account. Only grant this if the person genuinely needs ownership-level control.
2. Advertiser: Can create and manage campaigns and view performance reports. This is the right level for most agencies and freelancers managing ad campaigns.
3. Analyst: Can view performance reports only. Use this for stakeholders who need visibility but should not make changes.

For most agencies, Advertiser access is sufficient. Avoid granting Admin unless billing or user management is part of the scope.

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Before you start

Before you start, the right method to use depends on your client's setup:

Does your client have a Meta Business Portfolio?

• YES: Use Method 1 (Partner Access) if you need access to multiple assets, or Method 2 (Request by Ad Account ID) if you only need the ad account.
• NO: Use Method 3 (via Ads Manager), or ask your client to create a Business Portfolio first.

Not sure? Ask your client to check business.facebook.com. If they can log in and see a Business Portfolio, they have one.

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Method 1: Request partner access to an ad account

Requesting partner access through a business portfolio is the usual method for agencies, freelancers, and marketers as it allows you to assign permissions to your own team (instead of having your client give access to 4 of your teammates individually!). However, if you’re looking to automate access requests (yes, Partner access), scroll down to method 3!

Step 1. Go to Partners (using this link) under Settings in Meta Business Suite

Step 2. At the top, check that you’re in the correct business portfolio to get access to your client's ad account

‍Step 3. Now click ‘Add’, and select ‘Ask a partner to share their assets’

Step 4. A popup will appear. Click ‘Get started’ and follow the prompts to add a contact name, email address, and the Business Portfolio ID of the ad account (not ad account ID!)

Step 5. Under Permissions, click ‘Ad accounts’, and choose the level of access you require. Then click ‘Next’

Step 6. Review the request and once it’s all good, click ‘Send request’

Step 7. Your client will receive your request and can take one of the following actions:

• Approve: Grant access to all requested assets with the specified permission levels.
• Modify: Provide access to only some of the requested assets.
• Deny: Reject the request for access.

You'll be notified once your partner responds. You can track your request's status anytime in “Business settings → Partners”, selecting the partner, and checking the status.

💡 If needed, you can cancel your request. Simply go to the “Partners” tab, choose the partner associated with the request, and click “Cancel request.”

Want to learn how to get Facebook Ad account access in a few clicks, without having to know your client's business manager ID? 😎

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Method 2: Request to share an ad account

⚠️ Important: To run ads, you'll also need access to your client's Facebook Page. The ad account and the Facebook Page are separate assets. Without Page access, your ads may not run correctly.

To request Page access: go to Meta Business Suite → Settings → Accounts → Pages → Add → Request Access to a Page, and follow the same process.

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Step 1. Go to Ad accounts under Settings in Meta Business Suite at https://business.facebook.com/latest/settings/ad_accounts

Step 2. Click on the ‘+ Add’ button in the top right corner. A popup will appear

Step 3. Select ‘Request to share an ad account’. Doing so does not move the ad account away from its original business portfolio

⚠️ Can’t select this method? Your business portfolio needs to have a primary Page set first, before you can use it to request access to ad accounts and other business assets. Learn how to set a primary Page for your Meta Business Portfolio.

Step 4. Type in your client's Meta/Facebook Ad account ID. They can find it in Meta Ads Manager, it appears as a number in the account dropdown at the top left of the screen. Ask them to share it before you begin. Then, select the level of access you need: Partial access or full control.

🔗 Here's how to find your Meta/Facebook Ad account ID.

Step 5. Choose the access you require (partial or full), then click ‘Confirm’

Step 6. Your request has been sent and an admin of the Ad account has to confirm it. Then, it will show as an asset in your Business Portfolio.

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Template to send to your client to remind them to accept your request

Message to send your client:

Hi [Name], could you please share your Meta/Facebook Ad Account ID with us?

You can find it in Meta Ads Manager, it's the number shown in the account dropdown at the top left.
Once you send it over, we'll send you an official access request through Meta Business Suite. You'll then see it in your Meta Business Settings under Requests → Received, and just need to click Approve.
If you also manage a Facebook Page, we may need access to that separately. We'll send a second request if so.

Thanks!

💡 Pro tip: If your client hasn't approved your request within 24–48 hours, ask them to check Meta Business Settings → Requests → Received, or look for a notification email from Meta.

You can also send them instructions from this article on how to give someone access to your Facebook Ad account.

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Method 3: For clients without a Meta Business Portfolio: direct access via Ads Manager

If your client doesn't have a Meta Business Portfolio, they can add you directly in Ads Manager instead. Here's what they need to do:

1. Log in to Meta Ads Manager at https://adsmanager.facebook.com/.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the left-hand menu.
3. Under Ad Account Roles, click "Add People".
4. Search for you by name (you may need to be Facebook friends) or enter your email address.
5. Select your role: Advertiser (to manage campaigns) or Analyst (to view reports only).
6. Click "Confirm". You'll get a notification to accept the invitation.

Note: This method gives access to one person's Facebook profile, not your whole agency team. If you need team-wide access, ask your client to set up a Meta Business Portfolio first.

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What your clients need to do to accept your request

Note: The person approving must have Admin or Full Control access to the ad account. If your contact can't find the request, they may not have sufficient permissions. Ask them to check with the account owner. Once you send the request, here’s how your client can approve it (feel free to share these steps with them).

1. Go to Meta Business Settings.
   
   
2. In the left-hand menu, click “Requests”.
   
   
3. Look under the “Received” tab for pending requests. (A small notification icon will appear if they have requests waiting.)
   
   
4. Find the agency’s request under “Ad Accounts” and click “Respond to Request”.
   
   
5. Choose “Approve” and re-enter Facebook password if prompted.

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Why you should never use your client's Facebook login

You shouldn’t share passwords or logins with clients: it’s a major security risk for both of you. When you use a client’s personal login, you aren’t just looking at their business page; you’ll have full access to their personal messages, photos, and friends. 

• Sharing a password creates "master key" vulnerabilities that are hard to fix.
• Hackers now use "infostealer" software to grab saved passwords directly from browsers. If one person on your team is compromised, every client account you "share" a password for is compromised, too.

Part of the problem is that many agencies still use access methods that were never built for teams. The Agency Growth Pod highlights that “the client should own the ad accounts and the agency should be added to them” gets repeated online so often that it is treated as the default for “transparency purposes”. But in practice, that setup can slow onboarding and make collaboration harder for agencies.

There are also operational downsides:

• No clear audit trail of who did what
• No structured billing or ad spend tracking
• No protection if disputes arise

On top of that, two-factor authentication (2FA), now required for many Meta business actions, makes shared logins even more impractical and unscalable.

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Can’t get access? Troubleshooting common issues

You may get stuck in some situations. Here are some common error messages and how to resolve them.

"Only people with full control of the page can claim it into this business account”

Other similar error messages: 

• “You cannot claim this page. You are not an admin on this page or you only have access via an agency"
• "Only people with full control access of the page can add it into this business portfolio"
• "You do not have sufficient permissions to import this asset into the given business"

Fix: You don't have sufficient permissions. Ask your client to upgrade your access to Admin/Full Control before retrying, or use our guide to grant ad account access.

🔗 Related article: How to See Who Has Access to Facebook Business Page

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Error: The 'Request access to an ad account' option isn't showing

Fix: The ad account may be part of a different Business Portfolio, or your own Business Manager may not be fully set up yet. Ask the account owner to add you directly, or complete your Business Portfolio setup before trying again.

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Issue: Can't see the ad account after being given access

Fix: Make sure you're logged in with the same Facebook account the invitation was sent to. Ask the account owner to re-send the invite if it expired or was sent to the wrong email.

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Client approved the request but access still isn't showing

Fix: Refresh your Meta Business Suite and check under Accounts → Ad Accounts. If it still doesn't appear, ask your client to check the approval status under Business Settings → Partners.

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How to find out who has access to a Meta Business Portfolio

You need to know who has access to a Business Portfolio to:

• Know who to contact to give you (or new people) access to Meta, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
• Make handoffs easier and speed up the start of your project.
  When employees leave or agencies are swapped out, you want to make sure old users are removed promptly to avoid confusion (or worse, unauthorized actions).

• Guarantee security and make sure only the right people have access.
• Hold people accountable for their actions. When you know who has access, it’s easier to track who made changes, whether it’s posting content, launching ads, or adjusting settings.

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Here’s how to see who has access to Meta Business Suite: 

1) Go to Meta Business Suite → 'Settings' → 'Users' → 'People' by using this direct link 🔗

2) Go to Meta Business Suite → 'Settings' using this direct link 🔗. Under 'Users' → select 'Partners'

You'll need to do both steps to see all the people who have access to your Business Portfolio.

💡 Agency pro tip: Alternatively, use our Access Detective feature and let the software do the work for you.