What a Google Ads Manager Account Is (and Why It’s Worth Setting Up)
A Google Ads Manager account (often called an “MCC”) is a top-level workspace that lets you view and manage multiple Google Ads accounts from one login. If you’re an agency, consultant, franchise organization, or even an in-house team with multiple regions/brands, it’s the cleanest way to keep account access organized while still letting each client or business unit retain control of their own billing and data.
The biggest practical advantage is operational: you can switch between linked accounts without constantly logging in and out, invite teammates once at the manager level, and keep your account hierarchy structured as you scale (including using sub-manager accounts when you need layered access control).
Before you create one, understand two “set-in-stone” choices: your time zone can’t be changed, and your manager account currency is permanent. These settings affect how reporting is shown at the manager level and how cross-account cost comparisons can be displayed.
Quick pre-flight checklist (do this before you click “Create”)
- Choose the right login email: Manager accounts count toward the limit of Google Ads accounts you can have under one email, so use an email you intend to keep long-term.
- Name it for how clients will recognize you: Your manager account name is what clients see when they get a link request.
- Pick the time zone you’ll actually work in: Reporting and billing views follow the time zone you set.
- Pick a “home” currency for analysis: Your client accounts can still be billed in their own currencies, and you can view costs converted to your manager currency when comparing performance across accounts.
How to Create a Google Ads Manager Account (Step-by-Step)
Option 1: Create it from the Manager Accounts start page (most common)
This is the standard path when you’re setting up a fresh manager account (for example, starting a new agency MCC or creating a new umbrella manager for a multi-brand business).
Once you start the creation flow, you’ll be asked for your manager account name, how you plan to use the account (managing your own accounts vs. managing other people’s accounts), your country, time zone, and currency. Be especially careful with time zone and currency because you’re locking those in permanently for that manager account.
One important naming rule that trips people up: URLs are not accepted in account names. If your agency name includes a web address, remove it and keep the name brand-based instead.
Option 2: Create a sub-manager inside an existing manager account (useful for teams and agencies)
If you already have a manager account and want to create a sub-manager (for example, one MCC per department, geography, or brand), you can create it directly inside your existing hierarchy.
In the manager account interface, go to the area where you manage sub-accounts, choose the “create new manager account” option, and enter the new manager’s details (name, usage, country, time zone, and currency). This approach is ideal when you want cleaner separation without losing the ability for a top-level manager to oversee the entire structure.
Common creation troubleshooting (when the button exists but creation fails)
- Confirm you’re signed into the intended Google account (it’s surprisingly easy to create the MCC under the wrong login).
- Clear cache/cookies and retry (especially if the creation screen loops or won’t save).
- Try a different browser if the interface elements don’t load correctly.
- Check connectivity if the flow stalls mid-save.
After You Create the Manager Account: Link Accounts, Set Access, and Avoid Common Pitfalls
Link existing Google Ads accounts to your new manager account
Creating the manager account is the easy part. The real “go-live” moment is linking accounts so you can actually manage them.
From your manager account, you’ll send a link request by entering the Customer ID of the account you want to manage. Once the request is sent, someone with administrative access on the invited account must accept (or decline) the request. This acceptance typically happens inside the invited account under the section where it lists manager link requests.
If you’re working with multiple accounts, you can streamline the process by sending multiple Customer IDs at once, and you can also manage received link requests in bulk from the manager account interface.
Understand “linking” vs. “ownership” (critical for agencies)
When you link to an existing account, you do not automatically become the administrative owner of that client account. Ownership is a separate setting that must be enabled, and it grants deeper administrative capabilities (like managing administrative users and certain sharing/security settings). In a healthy agency–client relationship, I recommend requesting ownership only when you truly need those privileges—otherwise, a normal link plus proper user access is usually sufficient.
Create new client accounts from your manager account (when you want a clean build)
If you’re launching a brand-new advertiser, you can create a new Google Ads account directly from your manager account without setting up a separate email or password for that new client account. Those newly created accounts are automatically linked to your manager account, which saves time and reduces access mistakes.
One operational note: this creation method is available from within the manager account experience, and it’s not something you do through the desktop editor tool.
Invite your team and set the right access levels
Don’t run a manager account with a single admin login—people change roles, laptops get replaced, and access needs evolve. Set up at least two administrative users you trust, then assign other users more limited access based on what they actually need to do.
Manager accounts support multiple access levels (including administrative, standard, read-only, email-only, and billing). As a best practice, keep billing access tightly controlled, and use read-only or standard access for stakeholders who don’t need to change account structure.
Know the structural limits as you scale
Most advertisers never hit platform limits, but agencies and multi-location businesses can. A manager account can be linked to a large total number of non-manager accounts, while the number of active accounts you can link at the top level can depend on historical monthly spend. There are also hierarchy rules, such as how many managers can directly manage one client account, and how deep the overall manager-account “tree” can go. If you design your hierarchy intentionally from day one (top manager → sub-managers → client accounts), you’ll avoid painful restructuring later.
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Once your Google Ads Manager Account (MCC) is set up with the right email, name, time zone, and currency, it becomes much easier to organize access, link multiple client accounts, and scale with sub-managers as your portfolio grows. If you want a hand staying on top of the day-to-day work after everything is linked, Blobr connects to your Google Ads and runs specialized AI agents that continuously analyze performance and suggest clear, prioritized actions, from keyword expansion and waste cleanup to ad copy and landing-page alignment—while you keep full control over what gets analyzed and applied.
What a Google Ads Manager Account Is (and Why It’s Worth Setting Up)
A Google Ads Manager account (often called an “MCC”) is a top-level workspace that lets you view and manage multiple Google Ads accounts from one login. If you’re an agency, consultant, franchise organization, or even an in-house team with multiple regions/brands, it’s the cleanest way to keep account access organized while still letting each client or business unit retain control of their own billing and data.
The biggest practical advantage is operational: you can switch between linked accounts without constantly logging in and out, invite teammates once at the manager level, and keep your account hierarchy structured as you scale (including using sub-manager accounts when you need layered access control).
Before you create one, understand two “set-in-stone” choices: your time zone can’t be changed, and your manager account currency is permanent. These settings affect how reporting is shown at the manager level and how cross-account cost comparisons can be displayed.
Quick pre-flight checklist (do this before you click “Create”)
- Choose the right login email: Manager accounts count toward the limit of Google Ads accounts you can have under one email, so use an email you intend to keep long-term.
- Name it for how clients will recognize you: Your manager account name is what clients see when they get a link request.
- Pick the time zone you’ll actually work in: Reporting and billing views follow the time zone you set.
- Pick a “home” currency for analysis: Your client accounts can still be billed in their own currencies, and you can view costs converted to your manager currency when comparing performance across accounts.
How to Create a Google Ads Manager Account (Step-by-Step)
Option 1: Create it from the Manager Accounts start page (most common)
This is the standard path when you’re setting up a fresh manager account (for example, starting a new agency MCC or creating a new umbrella manager for a multi-brand business).
Once you start the creation flow, you’ll be asked for your manager account name, how you plan to use the account (managing your own accounts vs. managing other people’s accounts), your country, time zone, and currency. Be especially careful with time zone and currency because you’re locking those in permanently for that manager account.
One important naming rule that trips people up: URLs are not accepted in account names. If your agency name includes a web address, remove it and keep the name brand-based instead.
Option 2: Create a sub-manager inside an existing manager account (useful for teams and agencies)
If you already have a manager account and want to create a sub-manager (for example, one MCC per department, geography, or brand), you can create it directly inside your existing hierarchy.
In the manager account interface, go to the area where you manage sub-accounts, choose the “create new manager account” option, and enter the new manager’s details (name, usage, country, time zone, and currency). This approach is ideal when you want cleaner separation without losing the ability for a top-level manager to oversee the entire structure.
Common creation troubleshooting (when the button exists but creation fails)
- Confirm you’re signed into the intended Google account (it’s surprisingly easy to create the MCC under the wrong login).
- Clear cache/cookies and retry (especially if the creation screen loops or won’t save).
- Try a different browser if the interface elements don’t load correctly.
- Check connectivity if the flow stalls mid-save.
After You Create the Manager Account: Link Accounts, Set Access, and Avoid Common Pitfalls
Link existing Google Ads accounts to your new manager account
Creating the manager account is the easy part. The real “go-live” moment is linking accounts so you can actually manage them.
From your manager account, you’ll send a link request by entering the Customer ID of the account you want to manage. Once the request is sent, someone with administrative access on the invited account must accept (or decline) the request. This acceptance typically happens inside the invited account under the section where it lists manager link requests.
If you’re working with multiple accounts, you can streamline the process by sending multiple Customer IDs at once, and you can also manage received link requests in bulk from the manager account interface.
Understand “linking” vs. “ownership” (critical for agencies)
When you link to an existing account, you do not automatically become the administrative owner of that client account. Ownership is a separate setting that must be enabled, and it grants deeper administrative capabilities (like managing administrative users and certain sharing/security settings). In a healthy agency–client relationship, I recommend requesting ownership only when you truly need those privileges—otherwise, a normal link plus proper user access is usually sufficient.
Create new client accounts from your manager account (when you want a clean build)
If you’re launching a brand-new advertiser, you can create a new Google Ads account directly from your manager account without setting up a separate email or password for that new client account. Those newly created accounts are automatically linked to your manager account, which saves time and reduces access mistakes.
One operational note: this creation method is available from within the manager account experience, and it’s not something you do through the desktop editor tool.
Invite your team and set the right access levels
Don’t run a manager account with a single admin login—people change roles, laptops get replaced, and access needs evolve. Set up at least two administrative users you trust, then assign other users more limited access based on what they actually need to do.
Manager accounts support multiple access levels (including administrative, standard, read-only, email-only, and billing). As a best practice, keep billing access tightly controlled, and use read-only or standard access for stakeholders who don’t need to change account structure.
Know the structural limits as you scale
Most advertisers never hit platform limits, but agencies and multi-location businesses can. A manager account can be linked to a large total number of non-manager accounts, while the number of active accounts you can link at the top level can depend on historical monthly spend. There are also hierarchy rules, such as how many managers can directly manage one client account, and how deep the overall manager-account “tree” can go. If you design your hierarchy intentionally from day one (top manager → sub-managers → client accounts), you’ll avoid painful restructuring later.
