Ever wanted to share your google analytics information with someone else? (skip below to see how or read…)
Background on the Dark Ages of sharing Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools Access
Maybe you want to share stats with a business partner or a contractor or consultant or maybe you want to share Google Webmaster Tools access with an employee so they can dig around and clean up issues with your site. In the old days if you wanted to give someone access to your Google Analytics information, you had to give them your google account email address and password. Eventually Google Analytics fixed that up, but they were a lot slower to fix Google Webmaster tools as well. Fortunately both now provide you with the option to add other users to your account with either view access or total admin control of the account. This is a huge security improvement. If you can avoid it (and please try!) never give someone your google account password! Every now and then I still receive a request from a client offering to give me their Google information. No thanks! I do not want it. I do not want your social security number and I do not want your credit card numbers either! Keep that information private and thanks to these upgrades to Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools that is now possible.
Here’s how you can share access to your Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools account without having to throw the baby out with the bath water…..
Here’s some quick instructions for adding users to Google Analytics
Here’s some instructions for adding a view only google analytics user:
1. Login to Google Analytics
2. Select your site in Google analytics
3. Click on the admin button in upper right hand corner
4. Profiles should be the default tab selected
5. Select the Users sub tab
6. Click +New User
7. Enter the email address of the person to be added, (it helps if this email address is that users preferred Google email account already, so ask them first!) with a Role of User (admin is not necessary)
How to add a user to Google Webmaster Tools
1. The process is similar for Google Webmaster tools, although it requires that after a user gains access that this new, additional user must accept and add the site as well.
2. Here are the quick instructions for adding a user to a Google Webmaster tools account – http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=44227
Updates
If you notice changes to this process, please drop me a comment or send me a message on twitter @brettbum. Google does update and streamline both system from time to time. Sometimes the updates are not always user friendly, so things that once can be found not might be obscure. Please know that it is there somewhere, if these instructions no longer help you find it, I’d be happy to help try and figure out the new process and then update this article!