Knowledge base · Account ownership
Marketing account handover checklist: when an employee leaves or you change agency
A step-by-step checklist for handing over marketing accounts safely. Follow the order, and the company keeps control of its accounts, logins and data.
Quick answer
Order matters: first add a new owner or admin, then remove the person or agency, then change the shared passwords. Do it on the last working day, and write down who owns what afterwards.
When an employee leaves
1. List every account the person touches
Use your ownership list or the Vault to see which accounts the person owns or administers: social media, ad accounts, analytics, website, domain, email and tools.
2. Add a second owner first
For every account where the person is the only owner or admin, add a colleague as an admin before doing anything else.
3. Move ownership to the company
Move Pages, ad accounts and channels from personal profiles into the company's business portfolio, workspace or brand account.
4. Remove their access
Remove the person from Pages, ad accounts, analytics, Search Console, the website and shared tools on their last working day.
5. Change the shared passwords
Change every shared login the person knew, and send the new ones with one-time links instead of email or chat.
6. Check the recovery details
Make sure recovery emails and phone numbers do not point to the person's own address or phone.
7. Review automations and billing
Check connected apps, scheduled posts, payment methods and invoices that were tied to the person.
8. Record what changed
Write down who now owns what, with dates, so the next handover is simple.
When you change agency
1. Agree the handover date and scope
Agree in writing when the handover happens and what the old agency must hand over.
2. Ask for the account list
Ask for a written list of every account, tool and login the agency manages for you, including who owns each one.
3. Check ownership first
Confirm that Pages, ad accounts, analytics and the domain are owned by your company, not by the agency. If they are not, transfer them before the contract ends.
4. Add the new agency with the right role
Give the new agency partner or employee access, not owner access.
5. Keep the old agency until the transfer is confirmed
Do not remove the old agency before you have tested that everything works with your own and the new access.
6. Remove the old agency and change the passwords
Remove the agency from every account and change the shared passwords it knew.
7. Collect data and creative files
Ask for content calendars, creative files, audience lists and reports in an open format.
8. Update billing and contracts
Move ad billing to your own payment method and end the old contract in writing.
What to check on each platform
Who owns your company's marketing accounts?
Check who can log in to each platform, the website and the domain, and what to do when nobody has access.
How to See Who the Admins of a Facebook Page Are
Find out who has full control of your Facebook Page and add a second admin.
Meta Business Suite and Business Manager: Who Has Access to Your Accounts?
Check admins, assets and partners in your business portfolio.
How to Find Out Who Owns a Domain Name
Find the registrar, holder and DNS provider of your domain.
How to Find Your Website's Login and Admin Page
Find the login to your website and recover access.
Keep this knowledge in the company, not in one person's head
Next time the checklist is much shorter if the answers are already written down. The Vault in Target keeps every login, its owner and who has access in one place, so a handover takes minutes instead of days.
Owner and access recorded
Note whose name each account is in and who has been given access, such as agencies, freelancers and colleagues.
A checklist of what to keep
See which essential services the company has no record of yet, and which accounts are not in the company's name or are about to renew.
Knowledge stays when people change
Access follows roles, every reveal is logged, and a new colleague sees the full picture on day one.
Frequently asked questions
What should we do with marketing accounts when an employee leaves?
First add another owner or admin, then remove the departing person, then change shared passwords. Check that recovery emails and phone numbers do not point to the person who left.
How long does a handover take?
A small company can finish it in about an hour when the account list is up to date. Without a list, finding the accounts is the slow part.
Should we change every password when someone leaves?
Change every shared password the person knew. Their own personal logins do not need rotating, but they must be removed from the company accounts.
Who should own the marketing accounts?
The company. Individuals and agencies should get roles on accounts the company owns, so that access can be removed without losing the account.
Is the checklist free?
Yes. Download it without signing up and use it in Excel or Google Sheets.
Keep your marketing accounts and access details in one place
Store logins in the Vault, share them with one-time links and keep your marketing plan next to them in Target.
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