Informational17 min read · verified 2026-09-19

Google Ads Manager Account (MCC): Everything You Need to Know

A practical guide to Google Ads manager accounts, formerly called MCC (My Client Center): how to create one, link client accounts, structure the hierarchy, name accounts, manage permissions and run it as an agency.

Yehor Dementiev · Updated September 19, 2026

A Google Ads manager account is a single account that lets you manage multiple Google Ads accounts from one login. You may know it as Google Ads MCC (My Client Center), its original name, and it is what "AdWords account management" meant back when Google Ads was still called AdWords. If you run an agency, manage ads for several businesses, or handle several accounts for the same company, a manager account is how you stay organized.

This guide covers everything from creating your first manager account to structuring, naming and permissioning an agency setup with dozens or hundreds of client accounts. For the hard numbers (how many accounts, managers and levels Google allows), see the MCC limits reference.

Manager Account vs. Individual Account

A standard Google Ads account is tied to a single advertiser. It has its own campaigns, billing, and settings. An individual account is what most businesses create when they start advertising on Google.

A manager account does not run ads itself. Instead, it sits above individual accounts and provides access to all of them through a single login. Think of it as a control panel for multiple advertising accounts.

Feature	Individual Account	Manager Account
Runs campaigns	Yes	No (manages accounts that run campaigns)
Has its own billing	Yes	Can manage billing for linked accounts
Can link other accounts	No	Yes
Designed for	Single advertiser	Agencies, consultants, multi-brand companies
Access to multiple accounts	No (one account per login)	Yes (all linked accounts from one dashboard)

Google Ads MCC vs. Manager Account

There is a persistent source of confusion in the Google Ads world: what is the difference between a manager account and an MCC?

The answer: they are the same thing.

MCC stands for "My Client Center," the name Google originally used for manager accounts in the AdWords days. Google renamed it "manager account" years ago, and AdWords itself became Google Ads in 2018, but the industry never fully adopted the new terminology. You will hear both terms used interchangeably by agencies, Google support, and in documentation.

"MCC" = "manager account"
"MCC account" = "manager account"
"MCC dashboard" = "manager account dashboard"
"AdWords management account" = "Google Ads manager account"

If someone asks about your MCC, they are asking about your manager account. There is no hidden distinction. This guide uses "manager account" since that is Google's current term, but everything applies equally to what you may know as MCC.

What a Manager Account Gives You

Single login -- access all linked client accounts from one interface.
Cross-account reporting -- view performance data across multiple accounts in one place.
Consolidated billing -- manage payment methods and invoicing centrally (optional).
Cross-account tools -- shared negative keyword lists and cross-account portfolio bid strategies.
User management -- control who on your team can access which accounts.
Account-level actions -- create new accounts, link existing accounts, and manage account settings.

How to Create a Google Ads Manager Account

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Go to the manager account creation page.

Visit ads.google.com/home/tools/manager-accounts and click "Create a manager account."

Step 2: Sign in with a Google account.

Use a Google Workspace email on your agency's domain rather than a personal Gmail address. If the person who created the manager account leaves, you can still recover access through your domain's admin console.

Step 3: Enter your account name.

Choose a name that identifies your agency or business. This name appears in notifications and is visible to linked accounts. Examples:

"Your Agency Name"
"Your Agency Name - Manager"

Step 4: Select how you will use the account.

Google asks whether you want to manage your own accounts or other people's accounts. For agencies, select "Manage other people's accounts." This does not change functionality but helps Google provide relevant recommendations.

Step 5: Choose your country and time zone.

Select your agency's primary country and time zone. These affect reporting defaults and some administrative features but can be overridden at the individual account level.

Step 6: Complete setup.

Your manager account is created immediately. You will see an empty dashboard ready for linking accounts.

What You Get After Creation

Your new manager account has:

A unique 10-digit Customer ID in the format XXX-XXX-XXXX.
An empty sub-accounts section where linked accounts will appear.
Access to manager-level tools and settings.
The ability to invite team members and set permissions.

Can You Have More Than One Manager Account?

Yes. You can create a second or third top-level manager account, and you can create sub-manager accounts inside an existing one. Sub-managers are usually the better option: users, labels and cross-account reporting stay in one place. A separate top-level manager makes sense when you run two unrelated businesses, white-label for a partner who should own their own structure, or want a sandbox that never sits next to client accounts.

One thing you cannot do is link the same client account twice inside one hierarchy. How many manager accounts one email can hold and how many managers a client account can have are listed in the MCC limits reference.

Linking Client Accounts

Linking an Existing Account

Most agencies work with clients who already have Google Ads accounts. Here is how to link them:

From your manager account:

Navigate to Accounts > Sub-accounts.
Click the "+" button.
Select "Link existing account."
Enter the client's 10-digit Customer ID.
Click "Send request."

The client receives a link request notification in their Google Ads account. They must log in and approve the request for the link to be established.

From the client's account:

Alternatively, the client can initiate the link:

Client logs into their Google Ads account.
Goes to Admin > Access and Security.
Clicks the "+" button in the Managers tab.
Enters your manager account's Customer ID.
You accept the incoming request in your manager account.

Creating a New Account Under Your Manager

For new clients who do not have an existing Google Ads account:

In your manager account, go to Accounts > Sub-accounts.
Click "+" and select "Create new account."
Fill in the account name (the client's business name), time zone (the client's local time zone), currency (the client's billing currency) and billing information.
The account is created and automatically linked to your manager account.

Ownership note: The manager that creates an account becomes its owner. Linking an existing account does not give you ownership. If the client later moves to another agency or goes in-house, ownership has to be transferred. Plan for this upfront in your client agreements.

Linking Multiple Accounts

Many clients have more than one Google Ads account (e.g., separate accounts for different brands, regions, or business units). You can link all of them to your manager account, up to Google's active-account limit, which depends on the hierarchy's spend. The tiers are in the MCC limits reference.

Manager Account Hierarchy and Structure

Manager accounts can contain other manager accounts, creating a hierarchy. These child manager accounts are called sub-managers.

Flat vs. Nested Structures

Flat structure:

Agency Manager Account
  |-- Client A Account
  |-- Client B Account
  |-- Client C Account
  |-- Client D Account

Nested structure:

Agency Manager Account (Top-level)
  |-- Sub-Manager: Enterprise Clients
  |     |-- Client A Account
  |     |-- Client B Account
  |-- Sub-Manager: SMB Clients
  |     |-- Client C Account
  |     |-- Client D Account
  |-- Sub-Manager: E-commerce Vertical
        |-- Client E Account
        |-- Client F Account

A flat structure is fine for a small book of clients. Once you pass roughly 30-40 accounts, or once different people should see different accounts, nested is easier to run.

When to Use Sub-Managers

Separate teams -- each team manages a different set of clients. A sub-manager per team provides clear boundaries and scoped access.
Different verticals -- grouping clients by industry (e-commerce, SaaS, healthcare) enables vertical-specific reporting and benchmarking.
Regional offices -- agencies with multiple offices can use sub-managers per region.
Different billing structures -- sub-managers can have their own billing settings.
Multi-account clients -- a retailer with separate accounts per country stays in one place for reporting.
White-label partnerships -- if you provide white-label PPC services to other agencies, each partner can have their own sub-manager.
Test and internal accounts -- keep them in their own sub-manager so they stay out of client reporting and are safe from accidental changes.

When Not to Use Sub-Managers

Small agencies (under 20 accounts) -- the overhead is not justified.
Everyone needs access to every account -- sub-managers add complexity without an access benefit.
You are the only person managing accounts -- there is nothing to segment.

Creating a Sub-Manager

In your top-level manager account, go to Accounts > Sub-accounts.
Click "+" and select "Create new manager account."
Name it descriptively (e.g., "Enterprise Team" or "E-commerce Vertical").
The sub-manager is created and linked to your top-level account.
Move or link the relevant client accounts under the sub-manager.

A sub-manager can only have one direct parent, so plan the tree before you link dozens of accounts into it.

Hierarchy Limits

Google allows a hierarchy up to six levels deep (a manager managing a manager managing a manager, etc.). The MCC limits reference lists this and every other manager account limit. In practice, most agencies use two levels of managers at most: one top-level manager and sub-managers for teams or verticals. Going deeper adds complexity without proportional benefit.

Naming Conventions

As your manager account grows, consistent naming becomes critical. Without it, finding the right account takes longer and cross-account reporting is meaningless.

Account Naming

Use one format for every account:

[Client Name] - [Market/Region] - [Account Type]

Examples:

"Acme Corp - US - Search"
"Acme Corp - US - Shopping"
"Acme Corp - UK - Search"
"Beta Inc - Global - Display"

Campaign Naming Across Accounts

Campaign names live inside each account, but agencies benefit from one convention across all of them:

[Network] - [Goal] - [Targeting] - [Additional Detail]

Examples:

"Search - Lead Gen - Brand - Exact"
"Search - Lead Gen - Non-Brand - Broad"
"Shopping - Revenue - All Products"
"Display - Remarketing - Cart Abandoners"

Consistent names let team members navigate unfamiliar accounts quickly and make filtered, cross-account reports actually comparable.

Managing Access and Permissions

User Access Levels

Google Ads has five user access levels. They work the same way in a manager account and in a client account:

Level	What It Can Do	Typical user
Admin	Full control: manage users, link/unlink accounts, manage billing, make all changes	Agency principals, operations leads
Standard	Manage campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads and settings; no user management	Account managers
Read only	View all data, no changes	Clients who want visibility, reporting specialists, executives
Billing	Manage payment information and billing reports	Finance
Email only	Receive notification emails and reports, no login	Stakeholders who want updates only

Adding Users to Your Manager Account

Go to Admin > Access and Security.
Click "+" to add a new user.
Enter their email address.
Select the access level.
Click "Send invitation."

The user receives an email invitation and must accept it to gain access.

Access Inheritance

When you grant someone access to your manager account, they get access to all accounts beneath it. This is convenient but means you need to be thoughtful about who gets manager-level access.

If you need to give someone access to only specific accounts, you have two options:

Grant access at the individual account level -- add them directly to the specific accounts they should manage, not to the manager account.
Use sub-manager accounts -- create a sub-manager that contains only the relevant accounts, and grant access to that sub-manager.

Access Best Practices

Least privilege -- account managers get Standard, executives get Read only, new hires start on Read only until trained. Keep Admin to 2-3 people.
Grant access at manager level where you can -- access on a manager or sub-manager follows accounts as they are added or removed, so you are not maintaining users account by account.
Require 2-step verification -- for everyone with Admin or Standard access.
Agency emails only -- team members use their agency email, not personal Gmail, so you can revoke access centrally when they leave.
Audit quarterly -- remove departed employees immediately and review the full user list every quarter.

Cross-Account Features in Manager Accounts

Cross-Account Reporting

The Accounts view in a manager account shows aggregated performance data across all linked accounts:

Total spend, clicks, conversions, CPA and other key metrics.
Per-account breakdowns for quick comparison.
Filterable by date range, account labels, and other dimensions.

For more detailed cross-account analysis, use the Report Editor within the manager account to build custom reports spanning multiple accounts.

Shared Negative Keyword Lists

Create negative keyword lists at the manager level and apply them across campaigns in multiple accounts. This keeps exclusions consistent across your portfolio.

Go to Tools > Shared Library > Negative keyword lists.
Create a new list and add keywords.
Apply the list to selected campaigns across linked accounts.

Use cases:

Agency-standard negatives (free, jobs, careers, salary, DIY, tutorial).
Industry-specific negatives shared across clients in the same vertical.
Client-specific negatives that apply across multiple accounts for the same client.
Competitor terms that should be excluded.

Cross-Account Bid Strategies

Portfolio bid strategies can span campaigns across different accounts within the same manager. This is useful when:

A single client has multiple regional accounts with shared CPA targets.
You want to pool conversion data across accounts for better algorithmic performance.

Account Labels

Label accounts in your manager for easy organization and filtering, especially for anything that cuts across the hierarchy. Common labeling approaches:

By team: "Team-Alpha," "Team-Beta."
By status: "Active," "Onboarding," "Paused."
By vertical: "SaaS," "E-commerce," "Local Services."
By spend tier: "Tier-1 ($50k+)," "Tier-2 ($10-50k)," "Tier-3 (Under $10k)."

Labels help you filter the account list, run segmented reports, and prioritize attention.

Account-Level Alerts

Manager accounts surface basic account-level notifications -- billing problems, disapproved ads, policy issues. They are useful but limited in scope and cannot be customized.

Agency Use Cases for Manager Accounts

Client Onboarding

A standardized onboarding process for manager accounts:

Create or link the client's Google Ads account.
Set up appropriate user permissions (client gets Read only or Standard access based on agreement).
Apply standard naming conventions to the account and campaigns.
Set up conversion tracking.
Apply shared negative keyword lists relevant to the client's industry.
Configure alerting and monitoring.

Client Offboarding

When a client relationship ends:

Remove your team's access from the client's account (or unlink from your manager).
If your manager owns the account, transfer ownership or work with the client to establish independent billing and admin access.
Provide the client with a data export or transition document.
Remove the account from any shared bid strategies or negative keyword lists.
Update your internal documentation.

Team Member Transitions

When an account manager leaves or changes roles:

Reassign their accounts to another team member.
Remove the departing member's access from the manager account.
Update internal documentation and client contacts.
Review any scripts or automations the departing member maintained.

Performance Reviews

Manager accounts enable cross-account performance reviews:

Compare client accounts against each other (within the same vertical, when appropriate).
Identify accounts that are underperforming relative to benchmarks.
Spot trends across your portfolio (rising CPCs in a vertical, declining conversion rates after a Google update).

Document Your Structure

Keep a living document that maps your manager account: which accounts sit under which sub-managers, who manages each account, and each account's primary KPIs. It becomes the operating manual for your team and makes the annual structure review much faster.

Common Manager Account Mistakes

1. Using a Personal Gmail for the Root Account

If the agency founder creates the manager account with their personal Gmail and later leaves or loses access, recovering the account is difficult. Always use a company-owned Google Workspace email.

2. Giving Everyone Admin Access

Account managers need Standard access, not Admin. Over-provisioning access increases the risk of accidental account unlinking, permission changes, or billing issues.

3. Flat Structure at Scale

A flat manager account with 100+ accounts becomes unmanageable. If you have grown past 30-40 accounts and are still using a flat structure, it is time to introduce sub-managers.

4. Inconsistent Naming

When every account and campaign is named differently, cross-account reporting is meaningless and navigating accounts is slow. Establish naming conventions early and enforce them.

5. Not Cleaning Up

Departed employees, former freelancers, old client contacts and churned client accounts accumulate over time. Audit access quarterly, unlink churned clients, and review the sub-manager structure once a year as the agency changes.

What a Manager Account Does Not Do

A manager account gives you centralized access, basic cross-account tools, and user management. It is the operational foundation for any agency managing multiple accounts. But it has real gaps that show up as you scale:

No cross-account automation -- you cannot natively set a rule like "alert me when any account's conversion rate drops more than 20% week over week." You check accounts one by one, write manager-level scripts, or use an external tool.
Limited reporting flexibility -- the cross-account views cover basic metrics, not custom dashboards, trend analysis or benchmarking.
No task management -- spotting an issue means switching to a project management tool to assign it, then switching back.
No severity or priority -- one disapproved ad in a low-spend campaign looks the same in the account list as broken conversion tracking on your biggest account.
Attention does not scale -- the number of potential issues grows with every account you add; your team's attention does not.

AdsCockpit connects to your manager account and adds the operational layer on top. It watches your accounts for the conditions you define -- performance anomalies, budget issues, tracking problems -- and surfaces only the issues that need your attention, with context and severity, so your team knows what to fix and how urgently.

Your manager account is where you access your accounts. AdsCockpit is where you make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

See how AdsCockpit works with your manager account.

FAQ

Is a Google Ads MCC the same as a manager account?

Yes. MCC stands for My Client Center, the original name for what Google now calls a manager account. The features, setup and limits are identical; only the name changed.

Can I have more than one manager account in Google Ads?

Yes. You can create several top-level manager accounts, and you can also create sub-manager accounts inside one manager. For most agencies, sub-managers inside a single top-level manager are the better choice, because users, labels and reporting stay in one place. The exact caps are in the MCC limits reference.

Do I need a manager account to manage someone else's Google Ads account?

No, the client can add you as a user directly. But once you manage more than a couple of accounts, a manager account is the standard way to handle Google Ads account management: one login, one user list and cross-account reporting for every client.

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