What is the difference between Viewer and Viewer (Limited)?

Both are read-only. Viewer includes revenue data (estimated earnings, RPM, ad revenue). Viewer (Limited) hides all of that. Use Viewer (Limited) for anyone who does not need to know what the channel earns — social media managers, growth analysts, contractors tracking campaign performance.

Can I give analytics access without a Brand Account?

Yes. The Permissions panel in YouTube Studio — and all of its roles — work on every channel, personal Google Account or Brand Account. A Brand Account is only needed if you want a second or backup owner, or to transfer the channel later.

The invite expired before they accepted. What now?

Invites expire after roughly 30 days if not accepted. Remove the pending entry from the Permissions list and send a fresh invite. There is no way to extend an existing invite.

Can a Viewer (Limited) download the analytics data?

Within YouTube Studio they can view and interact with the analytics dashboards. YouTube Studio does allow some data exports from within the interface, and a Viewer (Limited) can use those — but they cannot take any action on the channel itself.

Can I change them from Viewer (Limited) to Viewer later?

Yes. In YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions, click their name and update the role. The change applies immediately without a new invite.

Action

How to give analytics-only access to a YouTube channel

Share your YouTube analytics with a team member or agency without letting them touch your content, settings, or revenue figures.

YouTube has two read-only roles: Viewer and Viewer (Limited). Both sit in YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions on any channel — personal Google Account or Brand Account. Viewer (Limited) is the analytics-only grant — it shows performance data but hides revenue figures. Use it when someone needs to track growth without seeing what the channel earns.

If your situation is actually …

You also want them to see revenue numbers → Give Viewer access on YouTube →
The invite arrived but they still cannot see the channel → Accepted invite but still no access →

Before you start

Before opening Permissions:

You can find Settings → Permissions in YouTube Studio
The Permissions panel works on every channel — personal Google Account or Brand Account — so analytics-only access works either way. A Brand Account is only needed if you want a second or backup owner, or to transfer the channel.
Verify: YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions. The Invite button is there on both personal-account and Brand Account channels.
You have Manager or Owner access on the channel
Editors and Viewers cannot invite new people. You need Manager-level access or higher to send an invite.
You have the recipient's exact Google Account email
YouTube sends the invite to a specific Google Account address. Aliases (such as you+work@gmail.com) do not resolve correctly — use the address the person actually signs in with.

Grant analytics-only access

The entire flow happens in YouTube Studio. The role to choose is Viewer (Limited) — not Viewer.

Sign in to YouTube Studio
Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in with the Google Account that has Manager or Owner access on the channel.
Where: studio.youtube.com
Open Settings → Permissions
Click the Settings gear in the bottom-left of YouTube Studio, then select the Permissions tab. You will see the current list of people with access.
Where: Studio → Settings (gear icon) → Permissions
Click Invite
Click the Invite button near the top-right of the Permissions panel. A dialog opens where you enter the email address and choose a role.
Enter their Google Account email
Type the exact Google Account email address for the person who needs analytics access. Do not use an alias.
Confirm: The email field validates that the address is a known Google Account.
Choose the Viewer (Limited) role
From the role dropdown, select Viewer (Limited). This role shows performance analytics but hides revenue data — it is the narrowest read-only grant YouTube offers. If you need revenue visible, choose Viewer instead.
Confirm: The role selector shows "Viewer (Limited)" with a short description of what it covers.
Send the invite
Click Send invite. YouTube sends an email to the address you entered. The recipient must click the accept link within 30 days, or the invite expires silently.
Confirm: The Permissions list shows the person with a "Pending" badge until they accept.
If this fails: Invite not received
Confirm access after they accept
Once they accept, the "Pending" badge disappears and their role shows as Viewer (Limited). Ask them to open YouTube Studio and confirm they can see analytics — this is the fastest way to catch a wrong-account accept.
If this fails: Accepted invite but still no access

The two read-only roles compared

Viewer (Limited) and Viewer sit next to each other in the role picker. The only meaningful difference is revenue visibility.

Role	Where it lives	Can do	Cannot do
Owner Can delegate to others	`Google Account / Brand Account owners list` Entire channel and its Google account	Full control of the channel Manage Brand Account ownership Delete the channel	— ⚠ Only assign to long-term, trusted principals. Removing an owner requires Brand Account governance.
Manager Can delegate to others	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Channel-wide	Manage channel permissions and invite users Edit channel details, monetization, and settings Access all analytics including revenue Manage community	— ⚠ Managers can invite new users — equivalent to delegating delegation.
Editor	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Channel content	Upload, edit, and delete videos Edit titles, descriptions, thumbnails, playlists View revenue data Reply to comments	Invite or remove users Change channel ownership
Editor (Limited)	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Channel content excluding revenue	Upload, edit, and delete videos Edit titles, descriptions, thumbnails, playlists Reply to comments	See revenue data Invite users
Viewer	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Read-only	View all channel data including revenue	Edit any content Invite users
Viewer (Limited)	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Read-only, no revenue	View analytics excluding revenue	See revenue data
Subtitle Editor	`YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions` Subtitles and captions only	Add and edit subtitles	Edit video content or settings

If the person ever needs to see revenue alongside analytics, you can update the role later without removing and re-inviting them.

Common questions

They can see channel analytics — views, watch time, subscriber counts, traffic sources, and audience data — inside YouTube Studio. They cannot see revenue figures, upload or edit videos, change settings, or invite other people.

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.

Delvia is free on iPhone and Android. Keep a clear record of who has access to your accounts — and what to do when that changes — wherever you are.

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How to give analytics-only access to a YouTube channel

Before you start

Grant analytics-only access

Sign in to YouTube Studio

Open Settings → Permissions

Click Invite

Enter their Google Account email

Choose the Viewer (Limited) role

Send the invite

Confirm access after they accept

The two read-only roles compared

Common questions

Access issues are easier to prevent when roles, owners, and responsibilities are recorded clearly