If you’re paying for it, you should own it.
This should go without saying, but here we are.
If you’re a business owner or marketing manager investing in Google Ads,
Whether you use Microsoft Ads, Facebook/Instagram campaigns, GA4, or Google Tag Manager, you should always own your accounts. Not just have access. Not just be able to see reports.
You should be the primary admin and account owner. Because without that ownership, you’re building your business on someone else’s foundation — and trust me, that’s a risk you don’t want to take.
Why This Is a Problem (And Yes, It’s a Real Problem)
I’ve worked with clients who’ve spent tens of thousands on PPC over the years, only to find out they didn’t own a single asset. The agency controlled its Google Ads account. Their GA4 property was created under the agency’s email. They had no access to their Facebook Business Manager.
So when the relationship ended?
They lost everything.
No campaign history.
No conversion tracking setup.
No search term reports.
No audiences.
No benchmarks.
They had to start from scratch — and we had to rebuild it all, from new tags to new audiences, and relearn their ideal CPLs. That is not only time-consuming, but it’s expensive.
Image Idea:
A “New Google Ads Account” screen next to a sad emoji. Caption: “Starting from scratch… again.”
Why Historical Data is Non-Negotiable
Let me break this down: your ad account is more than just a platform for running ads. It’s a library of everything your business has learned:
- What keywords convert
- Which audiences engage with your brand
- Which ad copy drives clicks (and which ones flop)
- How much do you need to spend to get a lead or sale
Without access to that history, your next agency (or internal hire) is flying blind. You lose the ability to make informed strategic decisions based on past successes and failures. You’re essentially tossing your playbook out the window.
So… Why Do Agencies Keep the Keys?
The most common excuse I hear is:
“We don’t want too many people making changes.”
Okay, that’s fair in theory. But that’s why platforms let you assign different roles. Not everyone needs edit access — but you need to be the owner.
Let me be blunt: when an agency refuses to give you admin access to something you’re paying for, it’s not about protecting you — it’s about controlling you. And that’s not a partnership. That’s a hostage situation.
What You Should Always Own
Here’s a quick checklist of what your business should have admin-level access to:
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Ads (Bing)
- Meta Ads Manager (Facebook/Instagram)
- Google Analytics 4
- Google Tag Manager
- Your business’s Facebook Page
- Any paid media or reporting platforms you’ve subscribed to.
- And ownership should be tied to a company-controlled email, not a personal or agency-owned address. Create a shared business email (like marketing@yourcompany.com) and make that the main admin on all platforms.
What Happens When You Don’t
Here are just a couple of real-world examples (from my own experience):
Client A had been running ads for years. They switched agencies, but the original agency refused to release the Google Ads account. We had to start fresh, and all their best-performing campaigns were lost. CPL increased by 30% for the first 60 days while we were rebuilding.
Client B had no access to their Facebook Business Manager. The former agency ghosted them. Meta support took weeks to resolve the ownership issue. In the meantime, they couldn’t launch any ads, losing out on a significant product launch window.
Both situations were preventable.
What to Do Right Now
- Log into every ad platform you’re paying for — can you access it? Can you make changes? Are you listed as an admin?
- Check who owns your accounts — not just who uses them.
- If you’re not the owner, fix it today. Request admin access or start the process of transferring ownership.
- Ask your agency what happens to your data if you part ways. The answer should never be “we keep it.”
Final Thought
Great agencies operate in transparency. They’re not afraid to share access, because they know good marketing comes from collaboration, not control.
So if you’re reading this and realizing you don’t own your marketing accounts — don’t panic, but do act because you’ve invested too much into your business to let someone else own the keys.
You should never have to rebuild what you already paid for.
Own your data. Own your future.
