To sign in to Google Ads, open the Google Ads home page, select Sign in in the top right corner and enter the email address of the Google Account your Google Ads account is tied to. An alternate email address you added to that Google Account works too, with the same password. If a sign-up page opens instead of your account, you signed in with a Google Account that is not associated with any Google Ads account.
Signing in is only the start; access is the harder part. I wrote about how not to lose it when you change agencies in Google Ads and Analytics account ownership. And if you do not have an account yet, create a Google Ads account first.
Which situation are you in
| Situation | What is going on | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| I see a sign-up page | You signed in with a Google Account that is not associated with an account | Select your profile image at the top right, choose Switch account and enter the email the account was created under, or the one that received the invitation |
| I have several accounts | One Google Account can be associated with several Google Ads accounts | In Google Ads select your profile image: a list of linked accounts opens and you can switch without signing out. Up to twenty Google Ads accounts, manager accounts included, can be associated with one email address |
| A contractor ran my ads | The account may be yours, but you are not among its users | Ask an admin to invite your email, then accept the invitation from the message |
| An agency runs my ads through a manager account | Admins of the manager account can manage your campaigns, and with ownership they can also edit user access | Check the manager accounts section to see who is listed as owner. An admin of your account can unlink the manager at any time |
| I cannot sign in | Forgotten password or email, a browser problem, 2-step verification | Update your browser and use the sign-in issues troubleshooter from Google Ads |
| The account manager left and there are no admins | Nobody is left to invite you | Fill out the Google Ads Account Access Request form and provide proof of ownership, which the support team validates |
Mind the boundary of responsibility. A lost phone number or trouble with 2-step verification is a Google Account recovery problem, not a Google Ads one, so Google Ads support does not handle it. The Google Account Help Center does. The sign-in details are on the page how to sign in to Google Ads.
Access levels: who gets what
| Access level | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Email-only | Receive notification emails and reports |
| Billing | See and edit billing information |
| Read-only | View campaigns and use planning tools |
| Standard | Edit campaigns |
| Admin | Edit campaigns, and also give account access, change access levels, accept manager account link requests and unlink managers, add product links |
The full table is in Google’s help page on access levels. I suggest that the business owner stays the admin, and that a contractor gets Standard access.
How to check who has access to your account
- Sign in to Google Ads and open Access and security in the Admin menu.
- Read the list of users and the Access level column.
- If there is only one admin, invite a second one. If the only admin becomes unavailable, you may lose access to your tags.
- Remove people who no longer work with you: in the Actions column select Remove access.
A typical owner mistake is handing a contractor the password instead of an invitation. Nobody should share a Google Account password; give access by inviting an email at the level the person needs. Turn on 2-step verification too, and add a recovery phone number.
Once access is back in your hands, the interesting part is next: your first campaign, whether you run an HVAC company, a plumbing shop or a law firm. The step-by-step version is in my book on Google Ads for business owners.
My e-book “19 Google Ads Secrets”: how to get the most out of Google Ads without draining your budget, drawn from real campaigns and tests.
See the book →When this does not apply
- The problem is in the Google Account itself, not in Google Ads. Then you need Google Account recovery.
- The account has no active admin. There is no quick path: the access request form and proof of ownership, which the support team validates.
- The account was canceled. Reactivate it first: in the Admin menu open Preferences, expand Account Status and select Reactivate my account.
Questions and answers
How many accounts can I have under one email?
Up to twenty Google Ads accounts, manager accounts included, can be associated with one email address. If you have more, or want everything in one place, you need a manager account.
How is a manager account different from a regular one?
It is not a level above your account but a separate Google Ads account that other accounts are linked to. Details are in Google Ads manager account.
Can I keep admin rights away from a contractor?
Yes. Standard access is enough to edit campaigns. Admin is needed, for example, to set up monthly invoicing.