Client access glossary: Meta and Google terms for agencies

Meta and Google have renamed several of the terms that agencies and their clients meet when access is given. Meta's Business Manager is now a business portfolio, its full control is now called full access, and a Meta Pixel's data now sits in a dataset. Google Analytics' permissions are now roles with new names, and Google's help still labels the Google Ads manager account MCC.

Each term below gives today's name first, the older name in brackets where there is one, and the guide where the term matters.

Business portfolio (Business Manager)

A business portfolio is where Meta lets a business manage its Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts and other business assets in one place, together with the people and partners who work on them. Meta formerly called it Business Manager, and each asset can belong to only one business portfolio. An agency gets access through partner access in the client's business portfolio. How it differs from Meta Business Suite and Ads Manager is in Meta Business Suite vs Business Manager.

Business portfolio ID (Business Manager ID)

The business portfolio ID is the unique number of a Meta business portfolio, shown in Meta Business Suite under Settings > Business portfolio info, below the portfolio's name. Meta's help also calls it the business ID, and you need the other business's ID to give it partner access or to send it a partner request. Only a person with full control of a portfolio can share its assets, so the ID on its own shares nothing; see how to find it.

Partner

In Meta Business Suite, a partner is another business, such as an agency, that you give access to your business assets, or that you ask to share its assets with you. A partner works from its own business portfolio and gives its own people the tasks you allowed, so you add or remove one business instead of each person. Partners are listed under Partners in Settings, separate from the people in your own portfolio; see how to give an agency partner access.

Full access (full control)

Full access is the top level of access in Meta Business Suite, on a whole business portfolio or on a single asset. Meta's help now says "full access (formerly full control)", and several of its pages still say full control. On a portfolio it covers settings, people, partners' access and assets, and on a shared asset it lets the holder manage who else has access, which is more than campaign work needs; see access levels.

Partial access

Partial access limits someone to the assets or tasks they have been assigned, such as creating content, managing ads or responding to messages. Each kind of asset has its own task names, for example Ads and Insights on a Facebook Page or Manage campaigns on an ad account. For people added to a business portfolio, the default is basic access, which Meta formerly called the employee role; the tasks for each asset are in access levels.

Second admin approval

Second admin approval is Meta's name for having two active people with full control of a business portfolio, which adds a second approval to sensitive actions. Meta recommends it but does not require it. When someone else with full control has to approve adding a person, Meta's help says they do it under Requests in Settings. Meta's partner steps also note that someone else with full control may need to approve a share, as the partner access guide explains.

Dataset (pixel)

A dataset is where Meta organizes event data, such as purchases on a website, from sources including the Meta Pixel, the Conversions API and apps. The pixel is the code on the website, and when an existing pixel is linked to a dataset, the dataset ID is the same number as the pixel ID. Meta Business Suite lists both under Data sources > Datasets & pixels in Settings; see how to share a dataset or pixel.

Manager account (MCC)

A Google Ads manager account is a separate Google Ads account that lets an agency view and manage several Google Ads accounts from one place, with a single sign-in. Google's help still labels it MCC, and a client account is linked to it when an admin on the client's account accepts the agency's link request. The client keeps its own account and can unlink it; see how to link a client's account to a manager account, and how to create one.

Administrative owner

An administrative owner is a Google Ads manager account that has been given ownership of a client account, which lets it manage that account's user access, including adding and removing admin users. Google says linking a manager account does not make it an owner. Whether to hand over ownership is the client's decision, covered under Google Ads in access levels.

Customer ID

A Google Ads customer ID is the unique number of a Google Ads account, shown in the top right corner of the account and under the account name when you click your profile picture. An agency enters it to send a manager link request, and Google says to share it only with people you trust. The client side of that request is in Google Ads access, and where else the ID shows is in how to find your customer ID.

Google Ads access levels

Google Ads gives each invited user one access level: Email-only, Billing, Read-only, Standard or Admin. Standard can edit campaigns and billing information, while only Admin can give access, accept manager link requests and add product links. What each level covers, side by side with Meta, is in access levels.

Multi-party approval

Multi-party approval is a Google Ads security feature that makes sensitive changes, such as adding or removing a user, changing a role or linking an existing account to a manager account, wait for a second administrator. It applies only to accounts with more than three administrators, and a request expires if nobody acts on it within 20 days. See the multi-party approval guide.

Analytics roles (permissions)

Google Analytics gives each user a role on an account or a property: Administrator, Editor, Marketer, Analyst or Viewer. The roles replaced the older permissions: Administrator replaced Manage Users, and Editor, Analyst and Viewer are the new names for Edit, Collaborate and Read & Analyze. A role given on the account applies to every property in it, which is why the GA4 access guide gives an agency its role on one property.

Tag Manager permissions

Google Tag Manager sets permissions in two layers: an account permission, User or Administrator, and a container permission for each container, No access, Read, Edit, Approve or Publish. Publish is the only container permission that can publish changes to the website, and Administrator on the account adds creating containers and changing user permissions. See Tag Manager access.

Merchant Center for Agencies

Merchant Center for Agencies is a Google Merchant Center account for agencies that keeps client account connections and the agency's team permissions in one place. The agency requests a link to a client's Merchant Center account with Admin or Standard + performance and insights access, and an admin on the client's account approves or rejects it under People and access > Partners. Google says it is available on a limited basis; see Merchant Center access.