How to remove an old editor from YouTube
When a freelance editor, past collaborator, or agency finishes their work, remove their access from YouTube Studio so they can no longer touch your channel.
Removing an old editor takes about a minute in YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions. This works on every channel — personal Google Account or Brand Account — so the steps here apply either way.
If your situation is actually …
- You're not sure whether your channel is on a Brand Account → Personal Channel vs Brand Account →
- You need to remove an agency rather than a single editor → How to Remove Someone From Your Channel →
Before you start
Before you start, confirm all three of these.
You are signed into the right Google Account
You need to be signed in as an Owner or Manager on the channel. Editors cannot remove other people.
Verify: Open YouTube Studio. If you see Settings > Permissions in the left menu, you have sufficient access.
You can open Settings > Permissions in YouTube Studio
The Permissions panel works on every channel — personal Google Account or Brand Account — so this flow works either way. A Brand Account only matters if you also want a second or backup owner.
Verify: Open YouTube Studio > Settings > Permissions. The list of people with access is there on both personal-account and Brand Account channels.
You know the editor's Google Account email
You'll recognise them by email address in the Permissions list. Having the email handy helps confirm you're removing the right person.
Verify: Check your original invitation email or any contract that lists their Google Account.
Remove the editor
These steps work for removing anyone with an Editor or Editor (limited) role.
Open YouTube Studio
Go to studio.youtube.com and make sure the correct channel is selected in the top-left channel switcher. If you manage more than one channel, picking the wrong one here means you'll be looking at the wrong Permissions list.
Where: studio.youtube.com
Confirm: The channel name and icon in the top-left match the channel you want to edit.
Go to Settings, then Permissions
In the left sidebar click Settings. In the Settings panel, choose Permissions. You'll see a list of everyone who currently has a role on the channel — owners, managers, and editors.
Where: YouTube Studio > Settings > Permissions
Confirm: A table of users with their roles appears.
Find the editor and open their options
Locate the editor you want to remove by their email address. Click the three-dot menu or the pencil icon next to their name — the exact control depends on the current Studio layout, but there will be a way to edit or remove that row.
Where: YouTube Studio > Settings > Permissions
If this fails: Permissions not showing in Studio
Select Remove access
Choose the option to remove them. YouTube will ask you to confirm. Confirm the removal.
Where: YouTube Studio > Settings > Permissions
Confirm: The editor's row disappears from the Permissions list immediately.
Confirm they no longer appear
Refresh the Permissions page. The editor's email should be gone. If you see a "Pending" row with their email, that was an unaccepted invite — you can remove pending invites the same way.
Where: YouTube Studio > Settings > Permissions
What goes wrong
Removing the wrong person
Permissions lists show email addresses that can look similar — especially if someone has multiple Google Accounts. Always check the full email before confirming.
Why it happens: Rushing through a list of unfamiliar email addresses.
Already happened: Removed the wrong person
The editor can still access via a connected app
Removing someone from Permissions only revokes their Studio role. If they authenticated a third-party tool (scheduling app, analytics dashboard) with their own Google Account and your channel's Brand Account authorised it, that connection is separate. Check myaccount.google.com/permissions for connected applications.
Why it happens: Studio Permissions and OAuth app authorisations are two different access layers.
Not checking for pending invites
If the editor's invite was never accepted, they won't appear as an active user — they'll appear as "Pending". Pending rows can also be removed from the same Permissions screen.
Why it happens: Only looking at active users and missing the pending invite row.
Common questions
After the removal
Offboarding one editor is a good moment to review who else still has access
Channels accumulate old editors, past agencies, and forgotten accounts over time. A quick access audit after any offboarding catches roles that have drifted from what's actually needed.