What access level is unsafe to give a YouTube agency?
The risk is not the agency; it is which role you hand them and what that role can do alone.
Is this your situation?
You are about to give an agency access to your channel and want to know which channel role is too much. You want a role that lets the agency work without putting your ownership of the channel at risk.
What it is
Channel permissions let you give someone access to channel data, tools, and features in YouTube and YouTube Studio without giving them access to your Google Account. Channel permissions support five different levels of permissions that multiple people can be granted to manage a channel. The Manager role can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. The Manager role cannot delete the channel. Giving an agency Manager access means they can manage permissions in YouTube Studio.
How YouTube handles this
- Manager role: can manage permissions in YouTube Studio.
- Manager role: can view all channel data.
- Manager role: cannot delete the channel.
- Editor role: cannot manage permissions for the channel.
- Owner role: can manage permissions and can do everything on all platforms, including deleting the channel.
Side by side
| Role | Can manage permissions | Can delete the channel |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Can manage permissions. | Can do everything on all platforms, including deleting the channel. |
| Manager | Can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. | Cannot delete the channel. |
| Editor | Cannot manage permissions. | Cannot delete the channel or published content. |
| Viewer | Not stated by YouTube | Not stated by YouTube |
| Manager (live streams) | Can manage live streams. | Not stated by YouTube |
| Editor (content) | Can edit everything. | Cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams. |
Common mistakes
- Giving an agency Manager access by default Manager access lets the agency manage permissions in YouTube Studio.Why it happens: Manager looks like the role for day-to-day work, so it is handed out without checking what it controls.Already happened: If access may already be lost — Someone removed me from my YouTube channel
- Assuming Editor is safe but limited enough Editor cannot manage permissions.Why it happens: Editor still carries broad content control, so the role is chosen without comparing it to Manager.
- Letting a Manager change permissions without review A Manager can manage permissions in YouTube Studio.Why it happens: The role is granted for content work and this capability is overlooked.
If this changes who is in control
An agency with Manager access can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. Review the roles given to agencies against the channel roles before granting access.
Quick reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Owner | Can manage permissions. |
| Manager | Can manage permissions in YouTube Studio. |
| Manager limit | Cannot delete the channel. |
| Editor | Cannot manage permissions. |
| Editor limit | Cannot delete the channel or published content. |
| 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. |
| Manager (live streams) | Can manage live streams. |
| Editor (content) | Can edit everything. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Manager access safe to give an agency?
Manager access lets an agency manage permissions in YouTube Studio.
What can a Manager not do that an Owner can?
A Manager cannot delete the channel, while the Owner can do everything on all platforms, including deleting it.
Is Editor access safer than Manager for an agency?
Editor access cannot manage permissions for the channel.
Can a Manager also manage live streams for a channel?
The Manager role can manage live streams.
Keeping track of who has access
Confusion about who holds which role on a channel builds as more agencies and collaborators are added over time. Delvia keeps a record of what access each person was given so a review does not start from scratch.
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