How Do I Add an Admin to Facebook Ads Manager?

Quick Answer

To add an admin to Facebook Ads Manager, go to business.facebook.com > Business Settings > Users > People > Add, enter the person's email, select Admin access, then assign them to your ad account under Accounts > Ad Accounts > Add People. The invite takes 2 minutes and the recipient must accept via email.

Step-by-Step: Adding an Admin

Go to business.facebook.com/settings
Click Users > People in the left sidebar
Click the blue Add button
Enter the person's work email address
Under Assign business role, select Admin access (toggle on)
Click Next
Select Ad Accounts from the asset list
Choose the ad account(s) they should access
Toggle Manage ad account to give full control
Click Invite

The person receives an email and must click Accept Invitation to activate access. Until they accept, their status will show as Pending.

Admin vs Employee: What's the Difference?

Role	Can Do	Cannot Do
Admin access	Add/remove users, edit business info, access all assets, manage billing	Nothing restricted
Employee access	Only access assets specifically assigned to them	Add users, edit business settings, see other assets
Finance editor	View/edit billing, payment methods, spend reports	Create campaigns, manage ads
Finance analyst	View billing and spend only	Edit payments, manage ads

Use Admin access only for business partners or senior staff you fully trust. For freelancers, agencies, or junior marketers, use Employee access with specific asset assignments.

Common Problems When Adding Admins

Problem: "You don't have permission"
You must already be an admin of the Business Manager. If you only have Employee access, you cannot invite others — ask the existing admin to do it.

Problem: The invite never arrives
Check the recipient's spam folder. Meta emails often land in Promotions or Junk. You can also resend from Users > People > click the pending user > Resend Invite.

Problem: They accept but cannot see the ad account
Accepting the business invite is separate from asset assignment. After they accept, go back to their profile in Business Settings and explicitly assign the ad account under Assigned assets.

Problem: "This business has reached its user limit"
Free Business Manager accounts are capped. Remove inactive users first, or contact Meta support to request a limit increase.

Invite Email Template

Send this to your new admin before inviting them, so they know what to expect:

Subject: You've been added to our Meta Business Manager
Hi [Name],

I'm adding you as an admin to our Facebook Ads Manager. You'll get an email from Meta titled "You've been invited to [Business Name]" within the next 10 minutes.

To accept:

Click Get Started in the Meta email

Log in with your personal Facebook account (not a new one)

Confirm you want to join [Business Name]

You'll land in Business Manager with full admin access

Important: Check your spam folder if you don't see the email. The sender is notification@facebookmail.com.

Let me know once you've accepted and I'll walk you through the account structure.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Security Best Practices

Never share logins. Adding someone as an admin is safer than sharing your password.
Enable two-factor authentication on every admin account. Go to Business Settings > Security Center > enforce 2FA.
Audit users quarterly. Remove anyone who no longer needs access.
Use Employee access by default. Only upgrade to Admin when absolutely required.
Never give admin access to agencies. Use Partners in Business Settings instead — it creates a separation of accounts and prevents the agency from locking you out.

Why This Gets Messy

Facebook's permission system has five overlapping layers: Personal account, Business Manager, Ad Account, Page, and Pixel. Each has its own permissions. Adding someone as a Business Manager admin does not automatically give them Ad Account access — you have to assign assets separately. This is where most teams get confused and accidentally lock people out.

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