To add a user to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), navigate to Admin in the lower-left corner, select Property Access Management (or Account Access Management), click the blue + button in the top-right corner, enter the user’s Google-associated email address, select their standard role, apply any necessary data restrictions, and click Add.

Step-by-step guide to adding a user in GA4

You can grant access to a specific property without exposing the rest of your analytics account. To assign access at the property level, complete the following steps:

1. Log in to Google Analytics and select the relevant GA4 property from the account picker.

1. Click the Admin gear icon located in the bottom-left corner of the interface.

1. Under the Property column, click Property Access Management. (If you want the user to manage all properties within the account, click Account Access Management under the Account column instead).

1. Click the blue + (plus) icon in the top-right corner of the user management table and select Add users.

1. Enter the full email address of the person or agency you are inviting. Ensure this email address is linked to an active Google account.

1. Tick Notify new users by email so the platform sends an automated confirmation message.

1. Choose the appropriate standard role: Administrator, Editor, Marketer, Analyst, or Viewer.

1. Configure optional Data Restrictions if you need to conceal advertising costs or e-commerce revenue figures from this user.

1. Click the blue Add button in the upper-right corner to finalise the invitation.

Account-level versus property-level access

Google Analytics operates on a strict permission hierarchy consisting of the Account level and the Property level. Permissions assigned at the Account level automatically cascade down to every property created under that account, including current properties and any added in the future. In most collaborative scenarios, including working with external digital marketing contractors, creative agencies, or departmental specialists, access should be granted strictly at the Property level. Reserving Account-level access for internal governance leaders protects organisation-wide settings, user directories, and unrelated business properties from accidental modification or data exposure.

GA4 roles and permission levels explained

Legacy Universal Analytics roles such as “Collaborate” and “Read & Analyse” do not exist in GA4. The platform uses five primary standard roles, each designed for specific operational responsibilities:

- Administrator: Full control over the account or property. Administrators can add, modify, and delete users, assign any role level, link third-party integrations, and configure data governance settings.

- Editor: Complete administrative control over tracking configurations, events, conversions, custom definitions, and audience definitions. Editors cannot manage user access or change property ownership.

- Marketer: Can create, edit, and delete audiences, events, conversions, and attribution settings. This role is intended for performance specialists who need to define campaign outcomes without touching structural property settings.

- Analyst: Can create, edit, and share custom explorations, dashboards, and report filters. Analysts can inspect all tracking data but cannot modify core property definitions or tracking tags.

- Viewer: Read-only access to standard reports and configuration panels. Viewers can change date ranges and apply ad-hoc report comparisons, but they cannot save explorations or share private reports with the team.

In addition to the standard roles, GA4 provides granular Data Restrictions. An Administrator can check No Cost Metrics to hide financial spend figures pulled from Google Ads, or check No Revenue Metrics to hide purchase values, average order values, and gross revenue metrics throughout all reports and explorations.

How to edit, downgrade, or revoke user access

User access should be reviewed regularly to maintain accurate governance. To modify or remove an existing user, return to Admin > Property Access Management. Use the search bar to locate the user’s email address, then click on their row. To change their role or data restrictions, select the new options and click Save in the top-right corner. To completely remove the user from the property, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of their user profile screen (or select their row from the main list) and click Remove access. The change takes effect immediately.

Troubleshooting common GA4 invitation issues

If an invited team member or contractor cannot view your GA4 property, the root cause is usually related to identity configuration or account routing:

- Non-Google email address: GA4 requires an identity tied to Google’s authentication system. If the recipient uses a private domain email that is not hosted on Google Workspace, they must register that email address as a standalone Google Account before the property will load in their portal.

- Missing email notification: The automated invitation email can be caught in commercial spam filters. However, receiving the email is not strictly required. As long as the user logs in to the main Google Analytics portal using the exact email address you granted access to, the property will appear directly in their property selector menu.

- Multiple active Google accounts: When users remain signed into multiple personal and professional Google profiles within the same browser session, GA4 may load under the wrong default profile. Instruct the user to open an Incognito or Private browsing window and log in solely with the invited business credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a user access GA4 using an email address not hosted on Gmail or Google Workspace?

Yes. Any custom email address can access GA4, provided the owner registers it as a Google Account. The user does not need to convert their email hosting to Google Workspace; they simply need to visit accounts.google.com/signup and select “Use my current email address instead” to link authentication to their existing corporate inbox.

What is the difference between the Analyst and Marketer roles in GA4?

The Marketer role allows users to configure marketing outcomes, including creating custom audiences, marking events as conversions, and adjusting attribution models. The Analyst role cannot modify conversions or audience parameters; it is restricted to querying existing data, creating private or shared custom explorations, and exporting analytical reports.

How do the ‘No Cost Metrics’ and ‘No Revenue Metrics’ restrictions work?

These restrictions act as visibility filters applied to any standard role. Selecting “No Cost Metrics” hides Google Ads spend, cost-per-click, and return-on-ad-spend figures, while “No Revenue Metrics” removes monetary purchase values and e-commerce transactions. Users with these restrictions applied will see blank or unavailable states in affected report tables and explorations.

How do I resend a GA4 invitation if the recipient did not receive the email?

GA4 does not include an explicit “resend invitation” button once access has been added. Because platform access is granted immediately in the database upon entry, you can direct the recipient to visit analytics.google.com directly while logged into their invited account, or temporarily delete and re-add their email address to trigger a fresh notification.

How do I remove a former employee or agency from my GA4 property?

Navigate to Admin, click Property Access Management (or Account Access Management if they were added globally), locate their name in the user table, select the checkbox beside their profile, and click the “Remove” button in the upper header banner. Confirming this action immediately terminates their access to your data, saved explorations, and settings.

How do I add a user to GA4?