How do I give a consultant access to my Meta ad account?

"Every client seems to not know how to add us to Meta."

It routinely stalls ad setup. Meta is insanely confusing, and the reason is there's so much optionality. That's what makes it powerful. You can't make it easy while also having so many options.

What access level should I give?

You don't have to give full access. Add the consultant's business as a partner and use partial access, the second-highest level. It flips all the right toggles for you.

What's the streamlined setup?

1. Make sure the ad account is owned by your business portfolio.
2. The owner adds the consultant's business as a partner (or adds them as admin).
3. Give access to both the ad account and the Facebook page.
4. The admin then adds the consultant and their teammate as users.

Starting from zero is honestly good. There's less mess to untangle.

Why can't I add my consultant?

• No ad account exists. Check whether the business portfolio even has one. Only business admins can create it. Fix: create one under the portfolio, add the admin, then add the consultant.
• Page added, ad account not. A client can add you to a page without adding you to the ad account. It's a routine half-done state.
• Verification. Expect identity verification and a card on file. Plan about 30 minutes.

Who should own the ad account?

The business owner. I learned this the hard way. A contractor had created ad accounts for me that weren't linked to my own Facebook profile, so when an ad got rejected, Meta support couldn't even see it.

My fix was to start a fresh account that I created and controlled, with the contractor walking me through every step. I do the same with clients now: we get everything ready, then walk the client through each step so they set it up themselves.

Once revenue allows, a real Facebook expert who comes in and fixes the account structure is worth paying for.

How do agencies make this less painful?

My fix was a step-by-step onboarding doc, spread over two roomy pages so it isn't overwhelming. The next step is a welcome email flow that sends new clients the link, plus a video walkthrough. Handling it correctly the first time makes life easier on both sides.

What else goes on the onboarding checklist?

Access is one line on a longer list. For new Meta ads clients, mine covers:

• Logos, so we can brand their greetform signup survey.
• The pixel, set up and tested.
• Partner access to the ad account, added properly. Lots of clients keep adding us the wrong way.
• Communication, so everyone knows where to talk.
• An automated weekly report, which I built for them.
• Creative: does the client want creative control, or will they send their own background video or UGC? Track it.

It's a template, because the clients are basically the same. Optional steps get checked off or skipped. If one doesn't want to use greetform, we note it. If they're okay with our creative, we don't need creative from them.

At about 10 clients and aiming for 50 or 100, I wanted it scalable without over-engineering something we're just starting.

For how the portfolio itself should be organized, see how to structure Meta business accounts.