Someone needs to post for your business, answer messages or run your ads, and you do not want to hand over your Facebook password to make it happen. The right move is to give that person their own access, limited to the pieces of the business they actually work on. In a Meta business portfolio, that takes two steps that people often mix up: inviting the person, then assigning each Page, Instagram account or ad account they need. If you are an agency client instead, there is a third route, partner access, that spares you from adding every agency employee one by one. Related steps for Facebook access live in two other posts: adding someone to your Facebook Page and transferring Facebook Page ownership. Below, you will learn how to add people to a Meta business portfolio, what each access level allows, and how to remove access later.
Key Takeaways
A new person gets basic access by default, which limits them to the assets you assign. Pick the Page, Instagram account or ad account and its tasks as a separate step.
Enter the agency's Business ID under Partners and choose the assets to share, so the agency manages its own staff and you never add each employee.
Require two-factor authentication for everyone and keep at least two trusted people with full control, so one departure never locks you out.
Do you need a business portfolio at all?
Start here, because it decides which steps you follow. A business portfolio is Meta's container for the business's Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts and data sources such as a pixel. It was formerly called Business Manager, and older guides still use that name.
If you manage a single Facebook Page and never run ads from a separate ad account, you can give someone access straight from the Page. Meta's own Page access help describes that route, and the steps are laid out in our post on adding someone to your Facebook Page. You do not need to create a portfolio just to add one helper.
A portfolio earns its place when you have several assets to manage, an ad account, an Instagram account to control in one spot, task-level permissions, or an agency to give access. If that describes you, keep reading.
How do you invite someone and keep control?
You need full control of the portfolio to add people. Full control is the top level, the one formerly called admin. Everyone else starts with basic access, formerly called employee, which Meta's permissions help describes as the default that limits a person to the assets assigned to them.
The invite sequence below follows Meta's add people guide:
- Open Meta Business Suite and select the correct business portfolio.
- Go to Settings, then People.
- Select Invite people.
- Enter the email address the person uses for their Facebook account. It must match that account. If you are adding someone with a managed Meta account through your organization, you can search for and select the account instead.
- Keep the portfolio-level permission at basic access unless the person must manage the portfolio itself.
The person has to accept the invitation before anything else works. Meta renames menus often, so if a label above looks different on your screen, look for the section named People in your portfolio settings.
How do you give them only the access their job needs?
This is the step that most often goes missing. Portfolio-level access does not open every Page, Instagram account, ad account or pixel. Each asset is assigned on its own, with its own permission level, as the same Meta guide explains.
In the invite window, after you choose the person, you pick the business assets and then the permission for each. Meta describes asset access as either full control or partial access, and partial access is task-based, covering things such as content, messages, ads or reporting.
Give the narrowest access that lets the work happen:
- A social media helper: the Page and Instagram account, with content and messages tasks.
- An ad buyer: the ad account, and the Page the ads run from.
- A reporting contractor: reporting access only.
Finance permissions are separate again, so a person who runs ads does not automatically see billing.
| Access type | Where it applies | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| Full control (portfolio) | The whole portfolio | Manage settings, people, tools and assets, and delete the portfolio |
| Basic access (portfolio) | The portfolio, by default | Work only on assets assigned to the person |
| Full control (asset) | One Page, Instagram account or ad account | Everything for that asset, including who else has access |
| Partial access (asset) | One asset | Specific tasks such as content, messages, ads or reporting |
| Partner access | Assets you share with another business | The partner manages its own staff on those assets |
How do you give an agency access without adding every employee?
Add the agency as a partner, not as individual people. Adding an agency employee by personal email ties the access to one person, and when that person leaves the agency, you are left with a stale account. Partner access works through the agency's Business ID, so the agency decides which of its employees work on your assets. Meta documents the steps in its partner guide:
- Ask the agency for its Business ID.
- In your Meta Business Suite settings, open Partners and choose Add.
- Select Give a partner access to your assets.
- Enter the Business ID.
- Choose the Page, Instagram account, ad account, pixel or other assets to share, set the permissions and save.
An agency does not need ownership of the Page or ad account to do ordinary management work. Share the assets the job requires and keep full control yourself.
How do you remove access when someone leaves?
Removal has two parts, because people and assets are separate layers. For a person, open Settings, then People, select them and remove them from the portfolio. Then review their asset assignments so nothing is left behind. For a partner, go back to Partners, select the partner and remove the partner or only its assigned assets, as the partner guide describes.
If a Page was shared at the Page level, that access is managed on the Page itself, and Meta's help on how to give, edit or remove Page access covers it. Do not change permissions in the middle of a live ad campaign unless you have written down the current setup first, so you can restore it if something stops running.
If the only person with full control has left and you cannot reach them, ownership gets more complicated. Our post on transferring Facebook Page ownership covers moving a Page between owners.
How do you set up a portfolio that stays safe?
Meta's security best practices point to requiring two-factor authentication. The portfolio security setting can require it for everyone, for administrators only or for nobody, and requiring it for everyone is the strongest baseline. The U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA also recommends multifactor authentication as a layer beyond passwords.
Add these habits:
- Keep at least two trusted people with full control, so one lost login or one departure does not lock the business out.
- Use individual accounts. Never share a personal password to speed up setup.
- Review People and Partners on a schedule, and remove former staff promptly.
- Confirm that you, the owner, hold full control, not only an agency or a former employee.
These habits take minutes, and they are what keeps a departure or a lost login from becoming an emergency.
What can you check in ten minutes?
Open Meta Business Suite, select the portfolio and open Settings. Under People, list each person, their portfolio-level access and their assigned assets. Under Partners, list each agency or outside business. For each one, check access to the Page, Instagram account, ad account, pixel or other data source. Then confirm two people hold full control, two-factor is required for everyone, and former staff and unneeded partners are removed.
If a person says they cannot see the Page, the usual cause is that they were invited but no asset was assigned. Open their access record, select the correct asset and assign the tasks. Other common causes are the wrong Page or ad account selected, an invitation sent to the wrong email, an agency added as an individual, and an Instagram account that is not correctly connected.
Do you know how portfolio access works?
Pick an answer to begin.
1. You invite an employee to your business portfolio with the default settings. What can they open?
2. A marketing agency needs to work on your ads. What is the better route?
3. Which setup keeps the business from being locked out?
Frequently Asked Questions About add people to meta business portfolio
Do I need a Meta business portfolio to add someone to one Facebook Page?
No. You can manage Page access directly from the Page. A portfolio helps when you have several assets, an ad account, task permissions or partner access.
Does adding someone to the portfolio give them Page access?
No. Assign the Page separately and choose its permission level.
Should I add my agency as a person?
Usually not. Add the agency as a partner with its Business ID so it manages its own staff.
What is the difference between full control and basic access?
Full control manages the portfolio broadly, including settings and who has access. Basic access is the default and limits a person to the assets assigned to them.
How do I remove an employee or an agency?
Remove the person under People or the partner under Partners, then review the asset assignments separately.
Should everyone use two-factor authentication?
Yes. Require it for everyone with portfolio access, since it adds protection beyond a password.
Moving Forward
Adding someone to your Meta business portfolio comes down to a clear order. Check whether you need a portfolio at all, invite the person with basic access, assign only the assets and tasks the work needs, and use partner access for an agency. Each of those layers is separate, which is why an invitation alone never opens a Page.
Afterward, keep control where it belongs. Require two-factor for everyone, keep two trusted people with full control, and review People and Partners from time to time. If your setup is already clean, you may need nothing more than that check. Owners with one Page can also stay on the simpler Page-level route.
If you want a hand mapping who owns each asset and setting up access cleanly, Web Leveling can do that with you. Our social media marketing work includes tidying up Page, Instagram and ad account access so you keep full control, and you can contact Web Leveling about your account setup to get started. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas.
Terms
Meta access words in this post
Tap a term to see what it means.
Business portfolio. Meta's container for a business's Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts and data sources, formerly called Business Manager.
Full control. The highest access level, formerly called admin, which manages settings, people and assets.
Basic access. The default portfolio access, formerly called employee, limited to assigned assets.
Partial access. Task-based access to one asset, such as content, messages, ads or reporting.
Partner access. Access shared with another business through its Business ID.
Business ID. The number that identifies a business in Meta, used to add a partner.
Two-factor authentication. A second proof of identity at login, beyond the password.
