YouTube
How to Add a Manager to Your YouTube Channel (Safely)
2 September 2026 · 8 min read · By Orion Media Group
Sharing a YouTube login with an editor is the single most common security mistake creators make, and it is entirely avoidable. YouTube supports proper role-based access — the person gets their own Google account, their own permissions, and you can revoke it in one click.
Here is how to grant access correctly, which level to give an agency, and the one prerequisite that trips people up.
The prerequisite: your channel must be a Brand Account
Permissions only exist on channels linked to a Brand Account. If your channel was created directly on a personal Google account, there is no way to add other people to it — you have to move the channel to a Brand Account first.
You can check in YouTube Studio under channel settings: if you see an option to manage permissions or add managers, you are on a Brand Account. If you do not, you are not.
- Personal Google account channel: no multi-user access, sharing means sharing the password.
- Brand Account channel: owners, managers, editors, and view-only roles, each tied to their own Google account.
- Moving to a Brand Account is done from YouTube's advanced channel settings and does not delete your videos.
Adding someone, step by step
On mobile the flow is the same but the Permissions screen lives inside the YouTube Studio app's settings; most people find the desktop route quicker.
- Open YouTube Studio and sign in as the channel owner.
- Go to Settings, then Permissions.
- Choose Invite, and enter the person's Google account email address — not a personal alias they cannot sign into.
- Pick the access level (see below) and send the invitation.
- The invitee accepts from their own inbox; access appears on their account within minutes.
Never hand over the account password to an agency or editor. Password sharing bypasses two-factor authentication, leaves no audit trail, and cannot be revoked without locking yourself out.
Book a callWhich access level to grant
There is no hard cap that most channels will ever reach; you can attach a normal team's worth of people. The practical limit is governance, not the platform — every extra person with upload rights is another route to a mistake.
- Owner — full control including deleting the channel and removing others. Keep this with you and, ideally, one trusted backup.
- Manager — can add and remove people and edit channel details. Grant sparingly, usually only to a long-term in-house lead.
- Editor — can upload, edit videos, manage most Studio functions, but cannot change permissions. This is the correct level for an agency or freelance editor.
- Editor (limited) — same without revenue data. Use when you would rather not share earnings.
- Viewer and Viewer (limited) — read-only analytics access, useful for consultants and stakeholders.
Housekeeping that saves you later
- Review the permissions list quarterly and remove former contractors the same week they finish.
- Keep owner access on an account you control, not on a staff member's personal Gmail.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for every account with editor access or above.
- If an agency asks for the password rather than an invitation, treat it as a signal about how they run everything else.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I add a manager to my YouTube channel?
- In YouTube Studio go to Settings, then Permissions, choose Invite, enter the person's Google account email and select an access level. The channel must be linked to a Brand Account for permissions to be available.
- Why can't I see the Permissions option in YouTube Studio?
- Your channel is on a personal Google account rather than a Brand Account. Move it to a Brand Account from advanced channel settings — your videos stay intact — and the permissions options appear.
- What access level should I give an agency or editor?
- Editor. It allows uploading and editing but not changing permissions or deleting the channel. Use Editor (limited) if you prefer not to share revenue data. Reserve Owner for yourself.
- How many people can manage a YouTube channel?
- A Brand Account supports a normal team's worth of people across owner, manager, editor and viewer roles. The real constraint is governance — limit upload rights to the people who genuinely need them.
- Should I just share my YouTube password with my editor?
- No. Password sharing bypasses two-factor authentication, leaves no audit trail and cannot be cleanly revoked. Use a permissions invitation instead.