How to Grant Access to Google Analytics

Sharing access to your Google Analytics account is a routine task, but the process can feel a little confusing if you don't do it often. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step walkthrough for granting access in both Google Analytics 4 and the older Universal Analytics (UA), ensuring you can collaborate with your team, agency, or consultant securely and efficiently.

Why Share Google Analytics Access?

You’ll likely need to grant access to your Google Analytics data at some point. It’s a foundational step for effective collaboration and getting expert help. Common scenarios include:

• Working with a Marketing Agency: Your digital marketing or SEO agency needs access to analyze performance, track campaign results, and make data-driven recommendations.
• Onboarding a New Team Member: A new marketing manager, content creator, or data analyst will need to see website traffic and user behavior to do their job effectively.
• Hiring a Freelancer or Consultant: A web developer might need access to track event performance, or a conversion rate optimization (CRO) consultant might need it to analyze user funnels.
• Audits and Reporting: You might grant temporary viewer access to an external auditor or a stakeholder who needs to pull specific reports.

The goal is always to provide just enough access for them to do their work without giving away unnecessary control over your account.

Understanding Google Analytics User Roles and Permissions

Before you add a user, it's important to understand the different levels of access and the roles you can assign. This ensures you’re following the principle of least privilege - only giving someone the permissions they absolutely need.

Google Analytics has a hierarchical structure:

• Account: This is the highest level. Access at the account level grants permissions for all properties within that account.
• Property: This is typically your website or app. Granting access here confines permissions to that specific property.
• View (Universal Analytics Only): UA introduced "Views," which are filtered versions of your property's data (e.g., a view that excludes internal traffic). GA4 does not use Views.

Permissions in Google Analytics 4

In GA4, you can grant access at either the Account or Property level. Here are the roles you can assign:

• Administrator: Has full control over the account or property. They can manage users (add, edit, delete), change settings, and see all data. This role should be assigned very sparingly.
• Editor: Can edit settings and configuration for the property, such as creating events, setting up conversions, and defining audiences. They cannot manage other users.
• Analyst: Can view data and create, edit, and share reports and explorations. They can analyze data but cannot change any administrative settings.
• Viewer: Has read-only access. They can see all reports and settings but cannot make any changes. This is the safest and most common role to assign for general data access.
• None: Explicitly removes a user's role from a specific resource if they have access at a higher level. For example, if a user is an Editor at the Account level, you could set their role to "None" on a specific property you don't want them to touch.

Permissions in Universal Analytics (UA)

Although it's an older platform, many users still need access to UA data. The roles are slightly different:

• Manage Users: Can add and remove users and assign permissions. It does not include the Edit, Collaborate, or Read & Analyze permissions.
• Edit: Can perform administrative and report-related functions like creating goals or filters. Cannot manage users.
• Collaborate: Can create, edit, and share personal assets like dashboards and annotations. Not able to edit account settings.
• Read & Analyze: Can view reports and configuration data, manipulate data within reports (e.g., apply filters), and create personal assets. This is the equivalent of a "viewer" role.

Now, let's get into the practical steps for adding a user to each platform.

How to Grant Access in Google Analytics 4: Step-by-Step

Follow these steps to add a new user to your GA4 property or account. The process is straightforward.

1. Navigate to the Admin Section

Log in to your Google Analytics account. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, click on the Admin gear icon.

2. Choose the Correct Access Level

The Admin dashboard is split into two columns: Account and Property.

• To grant access to all properties within your account, you will work in the "Account" column.
• To grant access to only a single website or app, make sure the correct property is selected and work from the "Property" column.

For most cases, granting access at the Property level is the best and safest practice.

3. Open Access Management

In the column for your chosen level (Account or Property), click on Access Management. This will be labeled either "Account Access Management" or "Property Access Management."

4. Add a New User

In the top-right corner, click the blue + button and select "Add users" from the dropdown menu.

5. Enter Email and Assign a Role

A panel will slide out on the right side of the screen. Here’s what you need to do:

• Under Email addresses, enter the Google account email address of the person you want to invite. You can add more than one at a time.
• Check the box for Notify new users by email to make sure they get an invitation.
• Under Standard Roles, select the permission level you want to assign (Administrator, Editor, Analyst, or Viewer). Start with Viewer if you’re unsure, as you can always increase their permissions later.

6. Confirm and Add

Review the details one last time. When you are ready, click the blue "Add" button in the top-right corner of the panel. The user will receive an email invitation and will appear in your user list.

How to Grant Access in Universal Analytics (UA): Step-by-Step

If you're still managing access to an older Universal Analytics property, the process is very similar but with a slightly different user interface.

1. Go to the Admin Section

Just like with GA4, sign in to your analytics account and click the Admin gear icon in the bottom-left.

2. Select the Right Level and Go to User Management

The UA admin screen has three columns: Account, Property, and View.

• For Account access: Click "User Management" in the first column.
• For Property access: Click "User Management" in the second column.
• For View access: Click "User Management" in the third column.

Selecting the right level is crucial. Agencies and consultants usually request access at the Property or View level.

3. Add a New User

Similar to GA4, click the blue + icon in the top-right corner and select "Add users."

4. Provide Email and Set Permissions

In the "Add permissions" screen:

• Enter the user's Gmail address. You can add multiple emails here as well.
• Make sure Notify new users by email is checked.
• Select the appropriate permissions by checking the boxes next to Manage Users, Edit, Collaborate, or Read & Analyze. For viewers, you only need to select "Read & Analyze."

5. Click 'Add' to Finish

After selecting their permissions, click the Add button in the top right. Your new user is now added and will be notified via email.

Best Practices for Managing Google Analytics Users

Granting access is easy, but managing it wisely is important for data security and clean account maintenance.

• Follow the Principle of Least Privilege: Always grant the minimum level of access required for the user to perform their task. A content writer probably only needs "Viewer" access, whereas a marketing analyst might need the "Analyst" role. Reserve "Administrator" for business owners and trusted senior team members.
• Conduct Regular Audits: At least once a quarter, review your user lists. Remove anyone who no longer works with your company, such as former employees, freelancers, or agencies you no longer partner with. This prevents unauthorized access to your sensitive business data.
• Use Professional Email Addresses: When granting access to external partners like agencies or freelancers, insist on using their corporate email address (e.g., name@agency.com) instead of a personal Gmail address (name123@gmail.com). This ensures access is tied to their professional identity and can be revoked by their employer if they leave.
• Be Cautious with User-Deleting Privileges: In GA4, both "Administrator" and "Editor" roles can modify or delete data streams, events, and conversions. Be extremely careful when assigning these roles. Accidental changes can permanently skew your data collection.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to grant access to Google Analytics is a fundamental skill for anyone managing a website's data. By understanding the different account levels and user roles, you can collaborate effectively while keeping your data governance practices sharp and secure. Remember to regularly audit your user list and adhere to the principle of least privilege.

Of course, sharing access is just the first step. The real challenge often lies in wading through all the reports to find actionable insights that help grow your business. Instead of spending hours building manual reports or digging through complex menus, we built Graphed to do the heavy lifting for you. We connect directly to sources like Google Analytics, allowing you and your team to use simple, natural language to get answers and create real-time dashboards in seconds, not hours. Empowering everyone with data shouldn't require extensive training or giving out login details, it should be as easy as asking a question.