My Agency Won't Give Me Access to My Google Ads Account. Is That Normal?
Common, yes. In your interest, no.
Your marketing agency won't give you admin access to your own Google Ads account. Here is why they do it, what it really means, and how practices get out of it.
Artem S.
CEO, Doctor Rank
The Short Answer
It is common, but it is a lock-in tactic, not a favor. Big agencies build your ad account inside their own master account and keep your website in their name until the term is up, because it makes you hard to lose. There is almost always a way out, and with AI tools today you may need less help getting there than you think.
A dental practice on r/DigitalMarketing was told by their marketing company that the dentist would not get admin access to the Google Ads account, and asked if that was normal and what their options were. I own an agency with plenty of dental clients, and I have to tell you, most of them came to us struggling to get released from their previous company.
Why This Happens
The big names that work specifically with dentists and medical practices tend to own the access. The website is theirs in the contract until you fulfill the full term. And they create the ad account for you inside their own major ad account, the one where they manage all of their clients, so they genuinely cannot hand you that access.
That is just the reality. The bigger the agency and the tighter the contract, the harder it is for them to retain a client, so they build these obstacles in. They will also tell you it protects them, that you are not going to run away with your stuff.
There Is Always a Way Around It
I have dealt with multiple clients in your exact situation. Some of them did not only lose the ad account, they could not take their website with them either. It is a sad reality, but there is always a way around it.
If you are planning to hire a freelancer to help you move, be careful and do not just select the cheapest one. Although, to be honest, with AI today, depending on your level, you may not even need one. The bigger point is this: before you sign your next contract, read who owns the ad account and the website, because that clause is exactly where the pain lives.
Common Questions
Is it normal for a marketing agency to deny me access to my own Google Ads account?+
It is common, but it is not something you should accept without understanding it. The bigger agencies that work with dental and medical practices often create your ad account inside their own master account, where they run all their clients, so they genuinely cannot hand you clean access. Common does not mean it is in your interest.
Why do agencies lock down the ad account and website?+
The tighter the contract, the harder it is for them to lose you, so they build the obstacle in on purpose. Many contracts also keep the website in the agency's name until you finish the full term. They will frame it as protecting themselves so you do not run off with your assets, but the practical effect is that leaving becomes painful.
What are my options if I want to leave that agency?+
There is almost always a way out, and plenty of practices have done it, though some lost the ad account or even the website in the process. If you are hiring a freelancer to help you move, do not just pick the cheapest one. And honestly, depending on your comfort level, AI tools today mean you may not even need one to get started.
This started as an answer I gave on r/DigitalMarketing. I run Doctor Rank, an AI search and local SEO agency for medical and legal practices.
Written by
Artem S.
Artem is the CEO and founder of Doctor Rank, a digital marketing agency specializing in local SEO and AI search optimization for healthcare providers and legal professionals. Based in New York, Doctor Rank manages SEO for over 20 accounts including personal injury attorneys, family lawyers, criminal defense attorneys, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and dental practices.
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