A Google Ads campaign can keep running when a supplier changes, but only if the business can still access the account, billing, tracking and connected data. For Malta businesses, agreeing who controls each asset before advertising starts is a practical way to avoid an expensive and confusing handover later.
This checklist explains how to structure Google Ads account access so your business retains continuity while an agency or consultant has the permissions needed to do good work. It is not about restricting a trusted partner. It is about making responsibilities clear.
The short answer: the business should retain control
Your company should normally retain reliable administrative access to its own Google Ads account and the business-owned systems connected to it. An agency can then link the client account to its Google Ads manager account. Google confirms that an existing individual Ads account can be linked to a manager account, allowing the agency to manage it without replacing the client account itself.
There is an important distinction between access and ownership inside Google Ads. A linked manager does not automatically become an administrative owner. Google provides a separate ownership status for manager accounts, with additional control over matters such as users, managers and product links. That status should be granted only when it is understood and genuinely required.
1. Create an inventory before granting access
Google Ads rarely operates alone. List the assets used to create, measure and improve campaigns. A typical inventory may include:
- The Google Ads customer ID and account name
- The payments profile and billing contact
- Google Analytics 4 properties
- Google Tag Manager accounts and containers
- Merchant Center for shopping campaigns
- YouTube channels used for video advertising
- Landing pages, domains and website administration
- Call-tracking numbers and platforms
- CRM, booking or ecommerce systems receiving leads and sales
- Consent-management tools used on the website
For every item, record the business owner, primary administrator, backup administrator, supplier access and recovery contact. Store the inventory somewhere controlled by the company, not in one employee’s inbox or an agency-only document.
2. Use business-controlled administrator identities
At least one current company representative should have the access required to manage users and recover the account. Use a durable business email identity rather than relying entirely on a departing employee, freelancer or supplier. Add a second suitable company administrator where your governance permits it, and review both access and recovery details when staff responsibilities change.
Do not share one password among several people. Give each person their own authorised access. This preserves accountability and makes it possible to remove one user’s access without disrupting everyone else.
3. Let the agency link its manager account
A practical arrangement is for the client to retain its individual Google Ads account while the agency links that account to its manager account. The client keeps its customer ID and campaign history, while authorised agency users can work through their own managed environment.
Ask the provider to explain the access level requested, why it is needed and whether manager-account ownership is also being requested. A normal manager link and manager ownership are not the same thing. Document the decision instead of treating every access request as routine.
4. Match permission levels to responsibilities
Google Ads offers different access levels. Assign enough permission for each person to perform their role, but avoid unnecessary administrative access. A campaign specialist may need to create and optimise campaigns, while a finance contact may only need billing visibility. The person responsible for governance needs the ability to manage access.
Review the user and manager lists at agreed intervals. Remove former staff, previous providers and obsolete integrations promptly. This is especially important after a handover, when old access is easily forgotten.
5. Confirm who controls billing
Before campaigns launch, document which legal entity pays Google, who can change the payment method, where invoices are delivered and who monitors failed payments. The arrangement should make costs visible to the business and allow authorised staff to retrieve records without depending on a supplier.
If an agency bills media spend through its own commercial arrangement, make sure the contract explains the process, fees, invoice detail and what happens when the relationship ends. Never assume campaign access and billing control are identical.
6. Keep conversion tracking portable
Campaign optimisation depends on conversion data, so tracking ownership deserves the same attention as the ad account. Identify where every conversion is created and measured. This may involve Google Ads conversion actions, Analytics events, Tag Manager tags, website forms, phone calls, bookings, ecommerce purchases or CRM stages.
Your company should be able to understand what is measured, access the relevant platforms and continue measurement after a supplier change. Google Tag Manager has separate account and container permissions, so access to Google Ads does not automatically provide control of the tags running on your website.
Ask for a simple measurement map showing the user action, tag or event, destination platform, attribution purpose and person responsible. This also helps prevent duplicate conversions or weak proxy actions from being mistaken for qualified enquiries.
7. Protect campaign history and working knowledge
The value in an established account is not limited to active adverts. It also includes search-term history, negative keywords, audience configuration, experiments, conversion settings, location targeting and change history. Starting again in a new account can separate future decisions from that context.
Require clear campaign naming and brief documentation of major decisions. Record the business objective, target locations, conversion definitions, exclusions and any important dependencies. Documentation does not need to be elaborate, but it should let a competent replacement understand the account without reverse-engineering every choice.
8. Put ownership and handover terms in the agreement
A proposal or contract should state:
- Which party creates and administers each account
- Which access levels will be granted
- Whether the agency requests manager ownership
- Who controls billing and receives invoices
- Who owns creative files, landing pages and tracking configurations
- How campaign data and documentation will be handed over
- How quickly access will be removed or transferred after termination
- Which third-party tools may stop working when the engagement ends
This complements a wider digital marketing agency proposal review. The aim is a clean operating model in which the provider can work efficiently and the business remains resilient.
Red flags to resolve before launch
- The business cannot name anyone with administrative access.
- The account exists only under a supplier’s email domain.
- No one can explain who controls the payments profile.
- Conversions are reported, but the business cannot inspect how they are measured.
- Analytics or Tag Manager access is withheld without a documented reason.
- A provider insists on creating a fresh account without explaining why existing history cannot be retained.
- There is no written handover process.
None of these automatically proves poor practice, because some arrangements have valid technical or commercial reasons. They are signals that the structure needs a clear explanation before money is committed.
Google Ads account handover checklist
When changing provider, complete the handover in a controlled order:
- Confirm current company administrators and recovery details.
- Record the Google Ads customer ID and all linked manager accounts.
- Verify billing contacts, invoices and payment responsibility.
- Check access to Analytics, Tag Manager, Merchant Center and any call-tracking or CRM tools.
- Export or document campaign objectives, conversions, audiences, exclusions and important tests.
- Link the incoming provider with the agreed permission level.
- Allow a short overlap for validation where commercially appropriate.
- Remove access that is no longer required.
- Test conversions and reporting after the change.
- Keep a dated record of the completed handover.
A simple question to ask any Google Ads provider
Ask: “If we stop working together, can our team retain the account, campaign history, billing records, tracking setup and connected data without rebuilding them?” A strong provider should be able to describe the access model and handover process plainly.
Digital Consulting Pros provides Google Ads management in Malta, including campaign structure, measurement and ongoing optimisation. If you want an existing setup reviewed before appointing or changing a provider, contact the team.
Official Google guidance
- Manage Google Ads account access
- Link an existing account to a manager account
- About ownership of client accounts
- Google Ads access levels
- Google Tag Manager user permissions
Featured photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash.
