Google Analytics Account Permissions – What Does Each One Mean?

What do the different account permission levels in Google Analytics (GA) actually mean? Where you can assign them in the GA interface? We’ve got the answers.

Google offers four permission levels that you can assign to users individually or as a combination.  These four permission levels are:

1) Read & Analyze

Users can see report data and change their data view with filters, segments, and secondary dimensions.  Users with this permission can also create and share personal assets (e.g. segments and custom reports).  They also see assets shared with them, but can’t collaborate on them.

This access level is good to assign to individuals who just need to see data and don’t need to worry about setting up goals or accessing the tracking code.

2) Collaborate

Includes all Read & Analyze capabilities, plus the user is able to create and share personal assets and can collaborate/edit assets shared with them. Some of these featured shared assets include 

• Multi-Channel Funnel Settings
• Conversion Segments
• Custom Reports
• Dashboards
• Segments
• Un-sampled Reports

This access level is good to grant to a team of people assigned to analyzing your data since it allows them to share things more easily within the interface, while still preventing them from interfering with goal and filter settings or accessing the tracking code.

3) Edit

Includes all Collaborate and Read & Analyze capabilities plus the user can conduct certain administrative tasks and additional report functions such as adding, editing, and deleting accounts, filters, and goals. However, this level does not allow for the addition or removal of users. 

When we request access to a Google Analytics account this is the permission we prefer to receive as it allows us to conduct more of the complex reporting, conversion tracking setup, and other account maintenance we do to help clients better measure and understand their ROI.

4) Manage Users

This level of permission can be applied independently of the other three.  Users with this permission can determine who should be added or deleted as users for a Google Analytics account and assign permission levels.

This access level only needs to be provided to individuals that are in charge of granting people access to the Google Analytics account and assigning permission levels.

How To Assign Permission Levels

To assign permission levels to people with access to your Google Analytics account (assuming you have Manage User permission) do the following:

1) Log in to Google Analytics and select the appropriate website profile.

2) Select “Admin” from the lower left corner menu.

3) You may assign permissions to users at the Account, Property, or View level of the Analytics account. Under the appropriate column, select “User Management”

4) On the screen you’ll see a list of email addresses.  Find the one you want to edit and then select the appropriate permission level from the drop-down on the right.  Done!

*Bonus tidbit – this is also where you go to add users to your GA account.  Below the list of email addresses with permissions, there’s a box where you can enter someone’s email.