If the person who manages the ads disappears tomorrow, through illness, departure or conflict, can the company carry on? In many, the answer is no: access sits in personal accounts, payments on someone else’s card and nobody knows how the account is set up. Continuity and security are management issues, not just technical ones.
The essentials in a definition
The continuity of an ad operation cannot depend on one person. If the manager disappears tomorrow (illness, departure, dispute), the company must be able to access the accounts, understand the structure and resume without losing history. This requires account ownership, managed access, documentation and backups of configurations, including Google Tag Manager containers, GA4 properties and API access (Google Ads API).
The risks of dependence
Ad accounts created with personal emails, sole administrators, third-party payment methods, tracking set up by someone who left, shared passwords, absence of documentation. An incident or departure can paralyse campaigns or cause loss of access.
The company should own its assets.
Security measures
Account ownership in the company, with at least two trusted administrators. Two-step authentication. Individual access with minimum permissions, never shared passwords. A password manager. Periodic review of users and immediate removal of leavers. Alerts for changes and payments.
Security and convenience are balanced with processes.
Continuity and security of ad accounts
- Company ownership and two administrators
- Two-step authentication and individual access
- Up-to-date account documentation
- Absence plan and drill
Continuity documentation
Keep an up-to-date document with: accounts and IDs, structure, objectives, budgets, tracking, integrations, suppliers, contacts, payment methods, routines and decision history. Store it somewhere accessible to the company. Record optimisation criteria and acceptable spending limits.
A good record lets someone else pick up the work.
If only one person knows how the account works, the company has a risk, not an asset.
Plan and drill
Define a plan for prolonged absence: who takes over, with what access, what decisions they may take, what budget limits. Do a simple drill: someone reads the documentation and tries to understand the account. Fix the gaps. Review the plan each quarter or when changes occur.
Continuity is planned before it is needed.
Decision table
| Risk | Measure | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts in the manager’s name | Accounts in the company’s name, manager with delegated access | Management |
| Single access | At least two administrators | Management and manager |
| Knowledge only in someone’s head | Documentation of structure, goals and processes | Manager |
| Loss of configuration | Periodic copies of containers and exports | Manager |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Personal accounts for the company. If the person leaves, access is lost.
- Credentials shared by message. Insecure and hard to revoke.
- No documentation. Whoever arrives later has to rebuild everything.
How to measure the result
Track the number of administrators per account, the date of the last documentation and the result of the annual drill.
Limits and exceptions
Continuity measures cost time and require discipline to stay current. Access management must respect security and privacy. Adapt the level of protection to the size and risk of the business.
Illustrative example
Illustrative example: a company finds that the ad manager is the only administrator. It transfers account ownership to the company, adds two administrators, documents the structure and goals in a shared document and schedules quarterly exports of configurations. It runs a drill: someone resumes a campaign using only the documentation.
In practice: checkpoints
Hold a yearly drill: ask someone to take over using only the documentation and note what is missing. Keep recovery contacts updated, enable two-factor authentication and store critical credentials in a secure manager owned by the company.
Frequently asked questions
Who should own the accounts?
The company, with more than one administrator.
Should I share passwords?
No. Use individual access and a password manager.
What should I document?
Accounts, structure, tracking, payments, suppliers and routines.
Who should own the accounts?
The company, with permissions delegated to managers and agencies.
What documentation is essential?
Account structure, goals, budgets, measurement, access and routines.
Ensure the company owns the accounts, several administrators, up-to-date documentation and configuration backups, and test continuity with a drill.
Sources and recommended reading
Last editorial review: October 2026. Informational content; always confirm current conditions in the official sources before deciding.