How to Make Someone an Admin on Google Analytics

Granting someone admin access to your Google Analytics account is simple, but understanding the difference between accounts, properties, and specific roles can be confusing. This guide will walk you through the exact steps for both Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics (UA), explain the different permission levels, and share some best practices for keeping your account secure.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Understanding Google Analytics User Roles & Permissions

Before you give someone the keys to your data kingdom, it's important to understand the different levels of access you can grant. Giving out full Administrator rights when someone only needs to view reports is a common but unnecessary security risk. Google Analytics permissions are structured hierarchically.

The hierarchy is as follows:

• Account: This is the highest level. A single Google account can have multiple Analytics accounts. Access at this level gives a user permission for all the Properties within that Account.
• Property: A Property typically represents a single website or app. Users can have access to one or more specific Properties within an Account.
• View (Universal Analytics) / Data Stream: Views in UA allowed for filtered versions of a property's data. GA4 uses Data Streams, which represent the flow of data from your website or app into the property. User permissions are mainly managed at the Account and Property levels, not the stream level.

When you add a user, you assign them one or more roles. Here’s what each standard role means:

Google Analytics 4 Roles

• Administrator: This is the highest level of access. Admins can do everything - manage users (add/delete users and change their permissions), create new properties and data streams, link other Google products (like Google Ads and Search Console), and change account settings. Only give this role to trusted individuals who truly need to manage the account's structure and users.
• Editor: Editors can perform most analytical tasks. They can create, edit, and delete audiences, conversions, funnels, reports, and other property-level assets. However, they cannot manage users. This is a good role for marketing managers or agency partners who need to actively work inside GA but don't need to control user access.
• Analyst: Analysts can create and share reports and explorations, but they cannot edit or delete shared assets created by others. They have access to all the data but their ability to modify the account setup is very limited. This is perfect for team members who need to analyze data and build reports without changing any core settings.
• Viewer: This is a read-only role. Viewers can see all reports and settings but can't change anything. They can't create or share reports. It's the most restrictive role and ideal for stakeholders or executives who only need to check in on performance.
• No Access: This removes the user's access from the specific level (Account or Property) where it's applied.

Universal Analytics (UA) Roles

While UA is no longer processing data, you may still need to manage permissions for historical reporting. Its roles were slightly different.

• Manage Users: Allows adding/deleting users and assigning permissions.
• Edit: Enables administrative and reporting functions like creating goals, filters, and reports. Does not include user management.
• Collaborate: Allows creating and sharing personal assets like custom reports and dashboards.
• Read & Analyse: Similar to GA4's Viewer, this provides read-only access to data and reports.

Now, let's get into the step-by-step process.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

How to Add an Admin in Google Analytics 4

Most users are on GA4 now, so we'll start here. The process is straightforward, but you need to decide whether you want to grant access for the entire Account or just a specific Property.

To grant Admin access to the entire account (granting access to all properties within it):

1. Log in to your Google Analytics account.
2. Click the Admin gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
3. In the Account column (the first one on the left), make sure the correct Analytics account is selected in the dropdown menu.
4. Click on Account Access Management.
5. Click the blue + button in the top right corner and select Add users.
6. In the Add permissions pane that appears on the right, enter the email address of the person you want to add. It's best practice to use a business email associated with a Google account.
7. Under Direct roles and data restrictions, select the Administrator role. You’ll see a checkmark appear next to it.
8. You can leave the data restrictions as they are for a full admin.
9. Click the blue Add button in the top right.

That’s it! The user will receive an email notification that they have been added to your Google Analytics account with Administrator permissions.

To grant Admin access for a single Property:

1. Navigate to the Admin section by clicking the gear icon in the bottom-left.
2. In the Property column (the middle one), ensure the correct property is selected from the dropdown.
3. Click on Property Access Management.
4. Click the blue + button in the top right and select Add users.
5. Enter the user's email address and select the Administrator role.
6. Click the Add button to save the changes.

An admin at the Property level can control everything within that specific property, but they won't be able to see or manage other properties in your account unless you grant them access to those as well.

How to Add an Admin in Universal Analytics (UA)

If you're still working with a Universal Analytics property to view historical data, the steps are very similar but the interface looks a bit different. As a reminder, UA can be identified by its tracking ID starting with "UA-".

1. Log in to Google Analytics and go to the Admin section (the gear icon).
2. Select the correct Account, Property, or View from the columns. To grant full admin access, you'll want to do this at the Account level.
3. In the Account column, click on User Management.
4. Click the blue + icon and then click Add users.
5. Enter the email address for the new user(s).
6. Check the box for Notify new users by email.
7. In the permissions section, check the box for Manage Users. For a full admin, you will likely also check Edit, Collaborate, and Read & Analyse. The ability to manage users is what defines the "admin" role in UA.
8. Click the blue Add button in the top right corner.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Best Practices for Managing Google Analytics Users

Just because you can add an admin in a few clicks doesn't mean you should give out that level of access freely. Good user management is key to maintaining data integrity and security.

1. Apply the Principle of Least Privilege

Don’t give someone Administrator rights if they only need to view reports. The "Principle of Least Privilege" means you only grant the absolute minimum level of access a user needs to perform their job. If a colleague just needs to pull monthly traffic data, the Viewer role is perfect. If an SEO contractor needs to set up conversion tracking, the Editor role is more appropriate.

2. Regularly Audit Your User List

Make it a quarterly habit to review everyone who has access to your Google Analytics account. Have employees left the company? Has a contract with an agency ended? Go to the Access Management section and remove any users who no longer need access. This prevents old accounts from becoming potential security vulnerabilities.

3. Use Descriptive User Groups for Large Teams

If you're managing access for a large organization, it's inefficient to add users one by one. Google Analytics allows you to create user groups (e.g., "Marketing Team," "Data Analysts," "External Agencies"). You can assign permissions to the group, and then simply add or remove individuals from that group as your team changes. This is much easier to manage at scale.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

4. Ask Why Before Granting Admin Access

Is someone asking for admin access simply because another tool they use requires it for an integration? Or do they genuinely need to create new properties and manage other users? Understand the reason behind the request. In many cases, a lower permission level might be sufficient.

Final Thoughts

Adding a user and making them an admin in Google Analytics is a quick process, whether you're working in GA4 or looking at old UA data. By understanding the key differences between Account and Property levels and what each role allows, you can confidently and securely share access to your analytics data.

Of course, managing granular permissions inside GA is often just one part of a bigger challenge: helping your team actually use the data. Instead of adding every single stakeholder into the GA interface just so they can check a single report, we've found a better way. With a tool like Graphed you can connect directly to your Google Analytics account and build real-time, shareable dashboards in seconds. This allows you to securely send beautiful reports to your team, clients, or executives without giving them full admin access, simplifying your user management and keeping your account secure.