The short answer
To give access to GA4, open Admin → Property access management → + → Add users, enter the person’s Google email and choose a role (Editor for someone managing tracking, Viewer for reports only). For GTM, open Admin → User Management on the container, add the email, and choose Read, Edit, Approve or Publish. Keep the business as owner and Administrator, and remove access when the work ends.
Before you start
By the end of this SOP
The agency has the right level of access to GA4 and GTM, and the business still owns both.
- Time
- 10 minutes
- You’ll need
- Administrator access in GA4 and admin rights on the GTM account or container.
- Who does this
- The business owner or whoever holds admin access.
About this SOP: why it matters, where and when
Why it matters: Sharing passwords is unsafe and breaks Google’s terms. Proper user access is logged, limited and easy to remove.
Where: GA4 Admin and tagmanager.google.com → Admin.
When: When onboarding an agency or freelancer, and at the end of every engagement.
Stage 1
Add the user in GA4
- 1
In GA4, open Admin. Choose property-level access (Property access management) unless the agency must manage several properties.
- 2
Click + → Add users. Enter the agency person’s Google account email.
- 3
Choose the role:
- Viewer: see reports.
- Analyst: also create explorations and shared assets.
- Marketer: also manage audiences, key events and attribution settings.
- Editor: also change settings and data streams. Usual choice for a tracking agency.
- Administrator: also manage users. Keep this for the business.
- 4
Untick “Notify new users by email” only if you will tell them yourself. Click Add.
Stage 2
Add the user in Google Tag Manager
- 1
In GTM, open Admin. Under the container (right column), click User Management → + → Add users.
- 2
Enter the email. Account permission: User (not Administrator).
- 3
Container permission:
- Read: view only.
- Edit: create changes in workspaces but not publish.
- Approve: edit and approve versions.
- Publish: edit and push changes live. Give this only to the person responsible for tracking.
- 4
Click Invite.
Stage 3
Keep ownership and review access
- 1
Make sure at least two people from the business are Administrators in GA4 and GTM, so access isn’t lost if one leaves.
- 2
Record who has access, why and since when in your client onboarding sheet (SOP 039).
- 3
When the engagement ends, remove the users from GA4 Property access management and GTM User Management, and change any shared passwords on related tools.
Practice & check
Now do it for real
Reading is not doing. Open your own account and complete this task before you move on.
Practice task (5 min)
Add a colleague to a test GA4 property as Viewer and to a GTM container with Read permission, then remove both and screenshot the empty user list.
Prove it
Two questions. Get both right and this SOP is done.
Common questions
Can I give GA4 access to a non-Gmail email?
Yes, as long as the email is a Google account. A work email can be registered as a Google account without creating Gmail.
What is the difference between account and property access in GA4?
Account-level access applies to every property in the account. Property-level access applies to one website or app. Give the narrowest access that works.
Should an agency create the GA4 property under its own account?
No. The business should own the GA4 account and GTM account and add the agency as a user, so the data stays with the business if the agency changes.
Done. That’s a real skill, not a certificate.
Want to do this on real client budgets, with a mentor checking your work? That’s Level 2 at Unlearn. See the Digital Marketing track