YouTube Roles Explained (Owner, Manager, Editor, Viewer)
YouTube gives each collaborator a role, and each role carries its own fixed set of things it can and cannot do.
Is this your situation?
You are adding people to a channel and the role names alone do not tell you what each person can actually do. You want to know what Owner, Manager, Editor, and Viewer each allow before you assign one.
What it is
Channel permissions let people be granted access to channel data, tools, and features in YouTube and YouTube Studio without needing access to the Google Account. Channel permissions support five different levels of permissions that multiple people can be granted to manage a channel. The Owner role can do everything on all platforms, including deleting the channel. The Manager role can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. The Editor role can edit everything.
How YouTube handles this
- Owner: can manage permissions.
- Manager: can manage permissions in YouTube Studio.
- Editor: can edit everything.
- Viewer: can view but not edit all channel details.
- Granting channel permissions is safer than sharing a password or other sensitive sign-in details.
Side by side
| Role | Can do | Cannot do |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Can manage permissions and link Google Ads accounts. | Cannot transfer ownership to other users. |
| Manager | Create, upload, publish, and delete content, including drafts. | Cannot delete the channel. |
| Editor | Can edit everything. | Cannot manage permissions. |
| Viewer | View revenue data, including chat revenue and viewer activity tab. | Cannot manage live streams. |
| Subtitle Editor | Add, edit, publish and delete subtitles on eligible videos. | Cannot manage live streams. |
| Editor (Limited) | Can edit everything. | Cannot access revenue data, including chat revenue and viewer activity tab. |
Common mistakes
- Assuming Editor can manage access The Editor role cannot manage permissions.Why it happens: You see the Editor making broad changes and assume access control is included.Already happened: Can a Manager remove other users? Someone removed me from my YouTube channel
- Expecting a Manager to delete the channel The Manager role cannot delete the channel.Why it happens: You see the Manager handling day-to-day tasks and assume this extends to deleting the channel.
- Treating Owner as transferable by request The Owner role cannot transfer ownership to other users.Why it happens: You see the Owner handle every other task and expect a transfer request to work the same way.
If this changes who is in control
Granting channel permissions is safer than sharing a password, since it lets you set a specific access level for each person. Check the channel access audit before conflicts arise over who holds each role.
Quick reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Owner | Can manage permissions and link Google Ads accounts. |
| Owner cannot | Cannot transfer ownership to other users. |
| Manager | Can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. |
| Manager cannot | Cannot delete the channel. |
| Editor | Can edit everything. |
| Editor cannot | Cannot manage permissions. |
| Viewer | Can view revenue data, including chat revenue and viewer activity tab. |
| Viewer cannot | Cannot manage live streams. |
Frequently asked questions
Can an Editor delete videos?
The Editor role can delete drafts but cannot delete the channel or published content.
What is the difference between Manager and Editor?
A Manager can manage permissions in YouTube Studio, while an Editor cannot manage permissions.
Can a Viewer see revenue?
The Viewer role can view revenue data, including chat revenue and viewer activity tab.
Can a Manager remove other users?
The Manager role can manage permissions in YouTube Studio.
Keeping track of who has access
Confusion about who holds which role builds as a channel adds more collaborators over time. Delvia keeps a record of who holds each role so the channel's access stays clear.
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