- Adding a manager to your YouTube channel in Studio
- What a YouTube channel manager can and can't do
- Choosing the right YouTube channel role instead of manager
- How a YouTube channel manager works on your channel
- If you have a YouTube Brand Account
- Removing a manager from your YouTube channel
- Who can see who has access to your YouTube channel
- If your YouTube manager invitation isn't working
- Frequently asked questions
To add a manager to a YouTube channel, open YouTube Studio, click Settings, then Permissions, then Invite. Enter their email, choose Manager in the Access drop-down and click Done. The invitation expires after 30 days, and managers can do almost everything except delete the channel.
Sooner or later, most channels outgrow one person. Maybe you've hired a freelance editor, a virtual assistant handles your comments, or a colleague needs to schedule uploads while you're away. The worst way to handle that is to share your Google password. The right way is channel permissions, and YouTube built them for exactly this.
Below is how to give someone manager access, how the other roles differ, and what to check if the invitation doesn't work. I've followed YouTube's own help page throughout, so nothing here is guesswork.
Adding a manager to your YouTube channel in Studio
These are YouTube's steps for a computer:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio with the account that owns the channel.
- Click Settings in the left-hand menu.
- Click Permissions, then click Invite.
- Type the email address of the person you're inviting.
- Open the Access drop-down and choose Manager.
- Click Done.
The person then receives an invitation. YouTube says invitations expire after 30 days, so if you've sent one and nothing happens, it may simply have timed out. Send a fresh one.
YouTube's help page also describes the same job in the Studio app: tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Permissions, then Invite, enter the email, choose a role and send the invitation. Menu wording can vary between app versions.
What a YouTube channel manager can and can't do
Manager is the most powerful role you can hand out, so it's worth understanding before you click Done. YouTube's help page says a manager can do nearly everything the owner can, including managing permissions, live streams, content and comments. What a manager can't do is delete the channel. Only the owner can.
That second point is the reassuring one. You can trust a manager to run the channel day to day without worrying they'll wipe it out.
Choosing the right YouTube channel role instead of manager
Many people give manager access by default, when a smaller role would do. Here is how YouTube describes each one:
| Role | What YouTube says it covers |
|---|---|
| Owner | Full control, including deleting the channel and managing permissions |
| Manager | Nearly everything the owner can do, but can't delete the channel |
| Editor | Can view all channel data and edit nearly everything, but can't manage permissions or delete published content |
| Editor (Limited) | Same as Editor, with limits on what financial data is visible |
| Subtitle Editor | Can add, edit, publish and delete subtitles on eligible videos only |
| Viewer | Can view channel details and monitor streams, but can't edit |
| Viewer (Limited) | Same as Viewer, with limits on financial data |
My rule of thumb: a freelance video editor needs Editor, a transcriber needs Subtitle Editor, and a business partner who needs to see reports can be a Viewer. Reserve Manager for someone you'd trust with your whole channel.
If what you want is to hand the whole channel to someone else, that's a different job, and my guide to transferring a YouTube channel to another email covers it.
How a YouTube channel manager works on your channel
YouTube's help page says invited people can work on your channel without needing your Google Account password. They use their own account, and what they can do depends on the role you chose.
There's a detail worth knowing about what shows publicly. When someone acts as a delegate, public actions such as commenting or uploading are credited to the channel. Private actions such as searching and watching use their own account. YouTube also says some actions may not be available to delegates at all.
The page adds that invited users can't access YouTube Music, the YouTube Kids app or YouTube APIs. So a manager can run your channel, but you'd need to handle anything that lives in those places yourself.
If you have a YouTube Brand Account
YouTube's help page says that if you have a Brand Account, you must first migrate to channel permissions before you can use the steps above. If your channel runs through a Brand Account and you don't see the Permissions page the way I've described it, that is the reason to check first. The page doesn't give the migration steps within this article, so look for the prompt inside Studio or YouTube's separate help article on it.
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Related: if you manage more than one login, my guide to switching accounts on YouTube shows how to move between them without confusion.
Removing a manager from your YouTube channel
People change roles, freelancers finish projects, and sometimes a working relationship ends. When it does, take access away promptly. YouTube's steps are to open Settings, then Permissions in Studio, select the person and choose Remove.
Do it the same day. It takes seconds, and it's the kind of housekeeping that protects your channel far better than any password.
Who can see who has access to your YouTube channel
YouTube says only owners and managers can see the names and email addresses of people with access. That means a lower-level role, such as Editor, can't see the full list. If you have a team, tell them that up front so nobody is surprised.
There is one more safeguard in the help page. If you give access to a teenager, YouTube says their supervising guardian can see a dashboard showing public information about your channel. Worth knowing before you invite a younger family member to help.
If your YouTube manager invitation isn't working
- Check the email address is spelt correctly and is the one the person uses to sign in to Google.
- Ask them to check their spam folder and the account they use for YouTube.
- If it's been a month, the invitation has expired. Send a new one.
- Make sure you're signed in as the owner or a manager. Lower roles can't invite people.
- If you can't find the Permissions page, check whether a Brand Account is involved.
If all of that checks out and it still fails, use the help and feedback option inside YouTube Studio to contact YouTube.
I keep every related walkthrough in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a manager to my YouTube channel?
In YouTube Studio on a computer, click Settings, then Permissions, then Invite. Enter the person's email, choose Manager in the Access drop-down and click Done.
Can a YouTube channel manager delete my channel?
No. YouTube's help page says managers can do nearly everything the owner can, but only the owner can delete the channel.
How long does a YouTube channel invitation last?
YouTube says invitations expire after 30 days, so send a new one if the person hasn't accepted in time.
Do I need to share my password with a manager?
No. YouTube says invited people can work on your channel without needing your Google Account password.
How do I remove a manager from my YouTube channel?
Open Settings, then Permissions in YouTube Studio, select the person and choose Remove.
