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How to give a social media manager or freelancer access to Instagram
Give a social media manager access without handing over your password.
Is this your situation?
You want a social media manager or freelancer to post, boost or respond to messages on your Instagram account, similar to how you'd give employees access. You want to grant that without giving up your password or your ownership.
The short answer
There are three ways to give someone appropriate permissions to boost an Instagram business account. Adding someone to your ad account does not give them permission to log in as you.
Before you start
- Confirm you own the connected Page. You need to own the Page connected to your business's Instagram account.Verify: Check that your name appears as the Page owner.
- Decide which of the three ways to use. There are three ways to give appropriate permissions to boost an Instagram business account.Verify: Check whether you manage Page roles, Business Manager, or the ad account.
- Check if shared access applies. Shared access lets you invite trusted people to access your account.Verify: Check your account for the option to invite someone.
How Instagram handles this
- Editing Page roles is one way to give someone permission to post or boost your account.
- Adding people to your Business Manager assigns roles for managing Page roles.
- Adding people to your ad account does not give them permission to log in as you.
- Shared access allows inviting trusted people to access your account.
Step by step
- Choose a permission method. There are three ways to give someone appropriate permissions to boost an Instagram business account.Confirm: Check the Permissions list for the name you entered.
- Confirm Page ownership. Make sure you own the Page connected to the Instagram account before assigning roles.Confirm: Check that your account is listed as the Page's owner.
- Edit Page roles. Add the manager through Page roles to give permission to post or boost.Confirm: Check the Page Roles list for the manager's name.
- Or assign roles in Business Manager. If Business Manager manages Page roles, assign roles there instead.Confirm: Check the People list in Business Settings for the manager.
- Or add to your ad account. Add the manager to your ad account to give permissions related to boosting.Confirm: Check the Ad Account People list for the manager.
- Consider shared access instead. Shared access lets you invite a trusted person to access your account directly.Where: Settings → Shared AccessConfirm: Check the Shared Access screen for an invite option.
- Check availability. Shared access may not be available to everyone.Where: Settings → Shared AccessConfirm: Check whether the Shared Access option is present.
Common mistakes
- Assuming ad account access means login access. Adding someone to your ad account does not give them permission to log in as you.Why it happens: The ad account and login credentials are separate permissions.
- Assuming ad account access reveals private content. Adding someone to your ad account doesn't let them see things on your profile you haven't shared with them.Why it happens: Ad account permissions are limited to advertising, not profile content.
- Expecting shared access on every account. Shared access may not be available to everyone.Why it happens: Eligibility for shared access varies by account.Already happened: If you do not see shared access, look at how to give employees access instead.
Roles at a glance
| Method | Who grants it | What it gives | What it does not give |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page roles | The Page owner | Permission to post or boost the account. | Not stated by Instagram |
| Business Manager | Business Manager admin | Roles for managing Page roles. | Not stated by Instagram |
| Ad account | The ad account owner | Permissions related to boosting. | Login as you. |
| Shared access | The account owner | Invited trusted access to the account. | Access to the content itself, such as pictures or videos. |
| Professional account setup | The account holder | Access to Account type and tools for switching. | Not stated by Instagram |
Keeping track of who has access
After setting up manager access, keep a record of who holds each permission. Delvia helps you track that access across Page roles, Business Manager and ad accounts in one place.
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