Agency Accounts: Access, Ownership and Data Terms to Agree in Writing

Editorial team Spend Ledger

Why the arrangement needs to be clear before spend starts

An agency-provided advertising account can make campaign work easier to organise, but it also creates questions about control, records, data and responsibility. Those questions are easiest to address before campaigns are funded or audiences and tracking assets are created. If the parties wait until a disagreement or termination, they may find that their understanding of the arrangement differs precisely where access and continuity matter most.

A written agreement does not change the advertising platform’s terms or guarantee that an account, campaign or asset will remain available. The platform controls its own services, permissions, review processes and records. The agreement between an agency and a client should instead describe what each party is responsible for, what the client can access, and what the parties will do if the working relationship changes.

Start by describing the arrangement in ordinary language. Is the agency providing access to an account it controls, managing an account controlled by the client, or helping establish a business structure in which both parties have defined roles? Avoid relying on labels such as “agency account” or “client account” without explaining what they mean in practice. A label alone does not settle who has administrative control, who pays for advertising, or who can retrieve campaign information.

The written terms should also distinguish between what the parties can agree among themselves and what remains subject to platform rules. The agency cannot promise that the platform will preserve access, transfer an asset, accept a change in control or retain historical information. Nor should either party treat an arrangement as permission to bypass platform requirements. If a platform’s rules limit a proposed structure, the parties should address that constraint directly rather than write terms that assume it does not exist.

Account control and ownership

The agreement should identify who controls the account and who is entitled to use it for the work. Those are related questions, but they are not always the same. An agency may hold administrative access while a client has continuing rights to review activity, receive reports and approve spending. Alternatively, the client may control the account while the agency receives permission to manage campaigns. The document should state which arrangement applies.

Describe the relevant account and business structure in a way the parties can recognise, without treating a login credential as proof of ownership. Specify which party is responsible for maintaining administrative access, managing permissions and keeping account information current. If the account sits within a broader business-level structure, clarify which parts of that structure are included in the service and which are outside it. Do not assume that control of one account automatically means control of every related asset.

The agreement should explain what happens if the platform’s records, permissions or rules do not match the parties’ expectations. The parties may need to pause a change, seek guidance through official support channels or revise the arrangement. They should not make an unapproved transfer or alter account information in a way that misrepresents who operates the account.

It is also useful to state what the agency may do without separate approval and what requires the client’s consent. This can cover creating campaigns, changing account settings, inviting or removing staff, connecting assets and adjusting spending. Clear approval boundaries reduce the chance that routine work is confused with a decision that materially changes the client’s account or financial exposure.

Audiences, creative work and other assets

The parties should describe how they will treat audiences and other assets created, supplied or used during the engagement. “Audience” can refer to different things: information supplied by the client, a platform-created audience, a saved configuration, or a group defined through campaign activity. These may have different access and portability constraints. The agreement should not simply state that all audiences belong to one party without considering what the asset is and what the platform permits.

For each relevant asset, record who supplied it, who is permitted to use it, and whether its use is limited to the client’s work. Address customer or prospect information separately from platform-generated audience settings. Where the client supplies data, describe the permitted purpose and the parties’ responsibilities for handling it. Where an asset is created through the platform, state that access and continued availability may depend on platform rules and technical features.

Creative materials also need clear treatment. The client may supply brand materials, product information or approved copy, while the agency may develop campaign concepts, layouts or other work. The agreement should say which materials the client may continue to use after the engagement and whether any conditions apply. It should distinguish client-provided materials from agency methods, reusable templates and general know-how, rather than treating every item used in a campaign as the same kind of property.

A practical asset schedule can name the categories that matter without making claims about platform ownership that the parties cannot enforce. It can record the source, intended use, responsible party and exit treatment for each category. If a platform does not allow an asset to be transferred or exported, the agreement should say that the parties will use the platform’s available processes and document what remains inaccessible.

Access the client keeps during the engagement

The client should know what access remains available while the agency is managing the work. Access can mean viewing campaigns, reviewing billing information, seeing performance records, approving changes or administering permissions. The parties should specify which of these are included, who grants them, and how access is protected and maintained.

The client’s access should be sufficient for the agreed oversight without creating confusion about responsibility. If the agency is responsible for day-to-day campaign management, the agreement can define how the client requests changes and how approvals are recorded. It can also clarify whether the client may make direct changes and how those changes are coordinated with the agency. Uncoordinated edits can complicate troubleshooting, so a process is preferable to an informal assumption.

Document the agency’s own access as well. Identify the roles or functions it needs for the work and the people or teams permitted to act on its behalf. Avoid sharing credentials as a substitute for platform permissions where the platform provides an authorised access method. The agreement should assign responsibility for promptly updating access when staff roles change or the service ends.

Access is not the same as ownership, and viewing access is not necessarily a right to take an asset elsewhere. The document should say what the client can inspect, what it may download, and what requires a request or a particular platform permission. If some records are available only through the agency, specify how and when they will be provided, subject to applicable platform capabilities and data-handling obligations.

Tracking assets, reporting and records

Tracking arrangements should be documented before campaigns rely on them. Identify which party creates, configures and maintains tracking assets, and who is responsible for checking that they are connected to the intended campaigns. Depending on the platform and setup, relevant items may include measurement settings, event configurations, tags, product feeds or integrations. The agreement should use descriptions that match the actual work rather than imply that every item can be moved independently.

Clarify who can change tracking settings and how material changes are approved. A change can affect what is measured or how results are interpreted. The parties should agree who investigates discrepancies, what information each party must provide, and how limitations are recorded. Neither party should represent that tracking captures every relevant action or that reports are a complete record of business outcomes.

Define what reporting the agency will provide and the basis on which it will be prepared. State whether reports are drawn from platform data, agency analysis, client-supplied information or a combination. Explain how corrections, delayed information or changes in platform reporting will be handled. The agreement can also distinguish a report prepared for the client from internal working notes, reusable analytical methods and underlying platform records.

Records matter when a campaign is reviewed, an invoice is questioned or the relationship ends. Decide what documentation the agency will retain for the work, what the client can request, and what limitations apply. Avoid promising permanent access to platform history or files if that depends on the platform or third-party systems. Where relevant, agree how confidential information and personal data will be handled, retained and removed, in line with applicable obligations.

Exporting data and preserving useful records

The agreement should set out a workable data-export process. Identify the kinds of information the client may request, the format or level of detail the agency can reasonably provide, and the channel for making the request. It should say whether exports are provided routinely, at the client’s request, or as part of the exit process. These terms should match what the agency can actually retrieve and what the platform makes available.

Separate data the client supplied from records generated by campaign activity and analysis produced by the agency. The client may need its own materials returned or made accessible, while agency work product may be treated differently under the agreement. Platform records may be available only through the account or through platform tools. Clear categories prevent a broad phrase such as “all data” from creating expectations that cannot be met.

The parties should also address the limits of an export. A file may not preserve an audience’s functionality, account permissions, tracking connections or the context needed to interpret a report. An export is not necessarily a transferable copy of the platform asset. Where continuity matters, identify which assets should remain accessible in place and who will take steps to preserve access, subject to platform rules.

Set expectations for requests, cooperation and any applicable costs in plain terms. If a request requires substantial work outside the agreed service, say how the parties will agree on that work before it is undertaken. Do not imply that a particular export is available unless it has been checked against the platform’s current capabilities. Current platform rules, help materials and available options should be checked when the work is performed.

Termination and handover

Termination terms should describe what happens to accounts, permissions, assets, records and outstanding work when the engagement ends. State how either party gives notice, how active campaigns are managed during the transition, and who is responsible for approving any pause or change. The document should not leave the agency to guess whether it should continue spending, stop campaigns or wait for instructions.

Explain how access changes at the end of the service. The agency may need to remove its own users or assist with a permissions change, while the client may need to confirm that it has retained appropriate access. Identify which party will make each request and what cooperation is expected. Any change remains subject to platform procedures; the agreement cannot guarantee that the platform will approve or complete it.

List what the agency will hand over, such as available reports, client-supplied materials, agreed campaign documentation and accessible records. Also identify what is not included, such as internal methods or information the agency is not permitted to disclose. If an asset cannot be transferred, the parties can agree to document its status and discuss any permitted alternative. They should not assume that a departing party can recreate a restricted asset or carry it into another account.

Address outstanding balances, billing questions and obligations that continue after termination, including confidentiality and appropriate data handling. Include a process for confirming that access has been updated and that any agreed handover has been completed. If the parties disagree about an item, the agreement should say how that issue will be raised and handled without making the handover dependent on an informal promise.

Disputes, responsibility and changes in circumstances

A useful dispute process tells each party where to raise a concern, what information to provide and how the parties will attempt to resolve it. Begin with a designated contact for operational issues and identify a route for escalating matters that cannot be resolved through ordinary communication. The agreement may set a reasonable response process, but it should not promise a particular outcome or imply that a platform dispute will be resolved in the parties’ favour.

Clarify responsibility for decisions and information. The client is generally best placed to confirm its business instructions, provide accurate materials and approve matters assigned to it. The agency should describe its agreed services and report known limitations relevant to its work. The written terms should identify how the parties handle suspected errors, unauthorised changes, access problems or platform notices. Each party should preserve relevant records and use official platform appeal or support channels when the issue falls within the platform’s control.

The agreement should also explain how it can be changed. Changes to ownership arrangements, access, spending authority or data use should be recorded and approved by the parties, rather than inferred from a conversation or a change in working practice. If circumstances make the original structure impractical, the parties should review it openly and ensure any revised arrangement remains consistent with platform requirements.

Plain-language term-sheet outline

The following outline is a starting point for discussion, not a substitute for a complete agreement. The parties should adapt it to the actual account structure, services, data and applicable obligations.

• Parties and purpose: Identify the client, the agency and the work covered. Describe whether the agency is managing a client-controlled account or providing access to an agency-controlled arrangement.
• Account and structure: Describe the relevant accounts and business-level structure. State who administers them and what each party may do.
• Ownership and permitted use: Address the account, client-supplied materials, audiences, creative work, tracking assets and other relevant items separately. Note any platform limitations.
• Access and approvals: Specify the access each party keeps, the agency’s authority, approval responsibilities and the process for changing permissions.
• Billing and spending authority: Explain who funds advertising, who can approve or alter spend, how charges are documented and how billing concerns are raised.
• Tracking and reports: Identify who configures tracking, what reporting is included, how limitations are described and what records are available.
• Data handling and exports: Define relevant data categories, permitted uses, export procedures, confidentiality, retention and any limits imposed by the platform.
• Termination and handover: Set out notice, campaign management, access changes, deliverables, outstanding obligations and treatment of assets that cannot be transferred.
• Disputes and changes: Name the escalation process, how platform issues are handled through official channels, and how amendments to the arrangement are approved.

Before signing, check that the outline matches actual permissions and platform capabilities. Revisit it if the account structure, service scope or data use changes. This article provides general information, not legal advice. The appropriate terms can depend on the agreement, the platform’s current rules and the laws that apply to the parties, so obtain qualified legal advice where needed.