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's the most common thing that 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 the most common half-done state.
• Verification. Expect identity verification and a card on file. Plan about 30 minutes.

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.

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