Governance
How to Secure a YouTube Channel After Removing an Agency
Removing an agency ends their work, but access they held can outlast the relationship unless you close it deliberately.
Is this your situation?
You removed an agency from your channel and want to confirm no access or control remains with them. You want to check whether the same roles the agency held are still open to other collaborators.
Where teams go wrong
- Leaving Owner access unexamined Owners on a Brand Account can take the most actions and control who manages the account.Why it happens: You assume removing the agency's role covers Owner grants too.
- Assuming password sharing stopped Migrating to channel permissions helps prevent security risks such as password sharing.Why it happens: Shared credentials can outlive a removed role.
- Not reviewing collaborators You still see tools the agency connected while it held access.Why it happens: You overlook tools the agency connected while it held access.
- Skipping the permissions list check Channel permissions allow you to give other users access to your channel via specific roles.Why it happens: You assume removal is complete without checking the list again.
What good practice looks like
| Practice | What it looks like | Why it holds up |
|---|---|---|
| Use channel permissions | Manage access through specific roles rather than shared credentials. | Channel permissions allow access via specific roles. |
| Migrate away from passwords | Move agency and collaborator access to permissions instead of a shared login. | Migrating to channel permissions helps prevent security risks such as password sharing. |
| Restrict Manager actions | Know that Managers cannot delete the channel outright. | The Manager role can't delete the channel. |
| Control invites | New users are added only by entering an email through Invite new users. | To invite new people, choose Invite new users and enter their email addresses. |
How YouTube handles this
- Channel permissions allow you to give other users access to your channel via specific roles.
- A channel owner's responsibility is to know their Brand Account's ownership details.
- Migrating to channel permissions helps prevent security risks such as password sharing.
Before you start
- Check the Permissions list for the agency's nameVerify: Review the Permissions list to confirm no entry for the agency remains.
- Review any Manager role grants Under Brand Account roles, the Manager role can't delete the channel.Verify: Confirm each remaining Manager is a current, intended collaborator.
- Review connected third-party tools YouTube uses phone numbers to verify identity to protect the community and combat abuse.Verify: Check which tools still have a connection to the channel.
- Confirm no shared password remains in use Migrating to channel permissions helps prevent security risks such as password sharing.Verify: Check whether channel permissions, not a shared login, govern access.
Which scenario is yours?
- Did the agency use channel permissions roles rather than a shared password? Channel permissions let you give other users access to your channel via specific roles.
- Was the agency given Manager access? Confirm removal, noting that under Brand Account roles the Manager role can't make a purchase.
- Did the agency connect a third-party tool? Review that tool's connection (third-party tools access).
- Was the agency set up as an Owner on the account? Owners on a Brand Account can take the most actions and control who manages the account, so confirm the role no longer appears on the list.
Keeping this working over time
- Review the Permissions list on a schedule, not only after a removal.
- Keep roles granted through channel permissions rather than shared passwords, since migrating to channel permissions helps prevent security risks such as password sharing.
- Audit who has access on a recurring basis (audit channel access).
- Owners can take the most actions and control who manages the account, so confirm that role list after any removal.
If control is already lost — What to Do if Your YouTube Channel Was Stolen
Keeping track of who has access
Delvia exists to make access across people and time visible in one place, not scattered across settings pages. When an agency leaves, what matters is seeing every role, invite, and connection tied to them at once. That visibility turns a one-time removal into an ongoing, reviewable arrangement. Clear records across people make the next transition less uncertain than the last one.
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