How to accept a YouTube channel permission invite

Is this your situation?

The short answer

Before you start

• Confirm the invite email address Check the email the invite was sent to.Verify: Match it to the Google Account you plan to sign in with.
• Check invite age An invite expires after 30 days.Verify: Check the date the invite email was sent.
• Know what you're accepting Channel permissions support five different access levels.Verify: Ask who invited you which role you were given.
• Know what stays out of reach Channel permissions do not cover YouTube APIs.Verify: Ask the owner if you need API-connected tools.

How YouTube handles this

• Channel permissions let people access channel data, tools, and features in YouTube and YouTube Studio without needing access to the Google Account.
• Once sent, a channel permissions invite expires after 30 days.
• Channel permissions do not support some parts of YouTube: invited users cannot access YouTube Music and the YouTube Kids app.
• Only managers and the owner can view the names and emails of people who have access to a channel.

Step by step

1. Open the invite email Find the email sent to invite you to manage the channel.Where: Email inboxConfirm: Check the sender and the email address it was sent to.
2. Sign in to the right account You want to sign in with the Google Account matching the invite's email address.Where: Google sign-in screenConfirm: Check the account name shown in the top right after signing in.
3. Accept the invitation Anyone invited to a Brand Account will get an email where they can accept the invitation.Where: Invite emailConfirm: Check the invite email for an accept link or button.
4. Go to YouTube Studio Open YouTube Studio to see the channel you now have access to.Where: Settings → studio.youtube.comConfirm: Check the channel name shown in the top left.
5. Check your role Review which role was granted to you.Where: YouTube Studio → Settings → PermissionsConfirm: Check the Role column next to your name.
6. Review what you cannot reach Channel permissions do not support some parts of YouTube; invited users cannot access YouTube Music and the YouTube Kids app.Where: YouTube Studio → Settings → PermissionsConfirm: Check which tools appear in your account menu.
7. Ask about visibility of others Only managers and the owner can view names and emails of people who have access to the channel.Where: Direct contact with owner or managerConfirm: Check their response for the names and emails listed.If this fails: Ask the owner to check YouTube Studio Permissions directly.
8. Review the access level shown Match the role shown in Studio to the access level you expected.Where: YouTube Studio → Settings → PermissionsConfirm: Check the Access column next to your name.
9. Check the role definition Review what your role allows before you start working on the channel.Where: YouTube Studio → Settings → PermissionsConfirm: Check the role name next to your name in the list.

Common mistakes

• Accepting with the wrong Google Account You accept the invite but do not see the channel appear.Why it happens: You have more than one Google Account signed in and are not sure which one is active.Already happened: See wrong account accepted the invite.
• Letting the invite expire Once a channel permissions invite is sent, it expires after 30 days.Why it happens: Invite emails can sit unread for weeks.Already happened: See invite expired.
• Expecting access to all of YouTube Channel permissions do not support some parts of YouTube, including YouTube Music and the Kids app.Why it happens: You check the invite email and see no mention of what it does not cover.Already happened: See YouTube Third-Party Tool Cannot Connect.

Roles at a glance

Keeping track of who has access