YouTube continuity checklist for creators

Most channels are one bad day away from a lockout or a messy handover — not because the creator didn't care, but because the right things were never written down. This checklist covers the four areas that matter: who owns the channel, who can operate it, what happens if someone disappears, and whether recovery is actually possible.

What this checklist covers

Ownership and account structure

• Confirm whether the channel lives on a personal Google Account or a Brand Account
• If it's a Brand Account, open myaccount.google.com/brandaccounts and confirm the primary owner is the right person
• Ensure at least one additional owner (not just a manager) exists on the Brand Account — so the channel is never one account away from being unreachable
• If the channel is still on a personal account and you work with a team, consider moving it to a Brand Account so access can be managed without sharing a login
• Record who the primary owner is and which Google Account they use

Day-to-day access and roles

• Open YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions and list every person with a role
• Confirm each person's role matches what they actually do — editors need Editor or Editor (limited), not Manager
• Remove anyone whose work has ended
• Confirm no role was granted via a shared Google Account (every collaborator should use their own login)
• Check that pending invites are not sitting unaccepted — they expire after around 30 days
• Make sure no one with routine editing access also holds Owner on the Brand Account unless that's intentional

Backup access and recovery readiness

• Add a backup owner to the Brand Account — someone you trust who can act if the primary owner's account is lost or unavailable
• Confirm the primary owner's Google Account has a recovery email and recovery phone set up at myaccount.google.com/security
• Enable 2-Step Verification on the Google Account that owns the channel
• Store backup codes for 2FA somewhere separate from the account itself (not in the same email inbox)
• Confirm that if the owning Google Account were fully lost tomorrow, there is at least one path to recover it via myaccounts.google.com/signin/recovery
• Record what would happen to the channel if the primary owner became unavailable — and whether anyone else could act

Connected tools and third-party access

• Review third-party tools and apps with access to the channel at myaccount.google.com/permissions
• Revoke access for any app you no longer use
• Confirm that agency tools were removed after an agency relationship ended
• If a tool requires Owner-level access, understand why and whether a lower role would work instead

Documentation and handover readiness

• Write down who has each role and when it was granted
• Note the next date you'll review access — quarterly is a reasonable cadence
• If the channel is part of a business or organisation, confirm someone other than the current primary owner knows how access is structured
• If you work with an agency, confirm there is a written record of what access they have and a plan for removing it when the relationship ends

After the checklist

A checklist you reviewed once won't stay accurate

Access changes every time someone joins, leaves, or changes role. Without a live record, the next audit starts from scratch. Delvia keeps a clear, dated picture of who has what — so you're never guessing.