Ad Account Roles Explained: Admin, Advertiser, Analyst
Admin manages everything including billing and people; Advertiser runs ads; Analyst only views reports. Here is what each ad-account role really controls.
A Facebook ad account has its own set of roles, entirely separate from Page access. There are three: Admin, who controls everything including billing and who else has access; Advertiser, who can create and manage ads but not the account itself; and Analyst, who can only view performance. Picking the right one — and keeping Admin to a trusted few — is how you let people run ads without handing over your spend.
Admin: full control of the account
An ad-account Admin can do everything: create and edit campaigns, manage payment methods and billing, view all reports, and — the key power — add and remove other people on the account and change their roles. Admin is the only role that can manage access.
Because Admin controls billing and people, it is the level to guard most carefully. A single business owner or a small internal team should hold it; an external media buyer almost never needs it.
Advertiser and Analyst: the working roles
Advertiser is the day-to-day media-buyer role. It can create, edit, and manage ads and view reports, but it cannot touch billing or manage who has access. This is the right level for most agencies and freelance buyers — full campaign control, no power over your payment methods or your team.
Analyst is read-only. It can view ads and reports but cannot create or change anything. Use it for stakeholders who need to see results — a finance lead, a client contact — without the ability to spend.
The three ad-account roles at a glance
Match the person to the narrowest role that still covers their work.
| What you’re seeing | Likely cause | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Everything — ads, billing, and people | Can manage campaigns, payment methods, and who else has access. Keep this to a trusted few. |
| Advertiser | Create and manage ads; view reports | Full campaign control without billing or people management. The right default for buyers and agencies. |
| Analyst | View ads and reports only | Read-only. Cannot create, edit, or spend. Good for stakeholders who only need visibility. |
These roles are assigned at the ad-account level, separately from any Page access — and only access is shareable. The ad account's owning portfolio can never be changed.
Frequently asked questions
Delvia
Access issues are easier to prevent when roles, owners, and responsibilities are recorded clearly
Most access problems trace back to the same gap — no clear record of who has access, what role they hold, and what should happen when that changes. Delvia helps you keep that record so problems are visible before they become incidents.