How to give your editor access to your YouTube channel
YouTube has seven separate channel permission roles, not just "editor," and picking the wrong one either locks your editor out of what they need or hands over more than the job requires. Here's what each role actually does, the exact steps to invite someone, what's still not covered, and why most editing relationships don't need channel access at all.
Does your editor actually need channel access?
Most editing relationships don't need it. If you're the one who uploads the finished video, all your editor needs is the raw footage, brand assets like a logo or intro, and a way to send back the finished file — a Drive folder or a Frame.io review link covers that, with no YouTube access involved at all. Channel access only becomes useful when you specifically want the editor to upload and publish for you, or to help manage the channel day to day.
Before setting anything up, it's worth being clear with your editor about what they're actually responsible for once they do have access — see what to agree on with a YouTube editor before the first invite goes out, and how to brief your video editor so access isn't standing in for a brief you never wrote.
The channel permission roles, explained
YouTube's own help page, Add or remove access to your YouTube channel with channel permissions, lists seven roles. From most to least access:
- Owner — full control, including deleting the channel. Ownership can't be transferred to someone else.
- Manager — can manage other people's permissions, edit channel details, upload and publish, and link Google Ads accounts. Can't delete the channel itself.
- Editor — can upload, publish, manage livestreams and create posts. Can't delete already-published content or manage anyone's permissions.
- Editor (limited) — the same as Editor, except it "can't access revenue data." This is the role that fits most editors who upload on your behalf.
- Subtitle editor — can only add, edit, publish and delete subtitles. No access to anything else on the channel.
- Viewer — read-only access to channel details, including revenue data.
- Viewer (limited) — the same read-only access, minus revenue data.
For an editor who's only ever handing you a finished file, none of these are necessary. For one who uploads for you, Editor (limited) covers the job — upload, publish, manage livestreams and posts — without putting your revenue numbers in front of them.
How to add an editor on desktop
From YouTube's help page, the steps on a computer are:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Click Settings in the left sidebar.
- Click Permissions.
- Click Invite.
- Enter the person's email address.
- Choose their role from the access dropdown (Manager, Editor, Editor limited, Subtitle editor, Viewer or Viewer limited).
- Click Done to send the invite.
YouTube's help page notes that "once an invite is sent, it expires after 30 days," so if your editor hasn't accepted within that window, you'll need to send it again. If your channel still runs on a Brand Account, YouTube's guidance is to "switch to channel permissions to add or remove access to your YouTube channel instead" before you can invite anyone this way.
What channel permissions don't cover yet
Channel permissions don't reach every corner of YouTube. Per YouTube's help page: "Channel permissions don't support some parts of YouTube just yet. Even though the owner can access these features, invited users can't access: YouTube Music, YouTube Kids app, YouTube APIs." If your editor needs any of those specifically, permissions alone won't get them there.
Keeping access safe
A few habits matter more than which role you pick:
- Never share your Google account password. Channel permissions exist specifically so nobody needs your login.
- Remove access when the work ends. YouTube Studio's Permissions page lets you remove a person the same way you added them; an editor you no longer work with shouldn't still show up on that list.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification on the Google account that owns the channel, so access to your channel doesn't rest on a password alone.
If you're still deciding whether to hand off editing at all, where to hire a YouTube editor and a YouTube editor's first 30 days cover the steps before and after this one.
FAQ
Does my editor actually need access to my YouTube channel?
Usually not. Most editors just need the raw footage and any brand assets, which you can send over a Drive or Frame.io link; you stay the one who uploads and publishes. Channel access is only worth setting up if you specifically want the editor to upload the finished video for you.
Which YouTube role should I give an editor who uploads for me?
Editor (limited) is usually enough: it can upload, publish and manage everything an Editor can, minus access to your revenue data. Only use the full Editor role if you specifically want that person to see your revenue numbers, and reserve Manager or Owner for people who need to manage permissions or account-level settings.
Can an editor with channel access delete my channel or my videos?
No. Only the Owner role can delete the channel. Editor and Editor (limited) can upload, edit and publish, but according to YouTube's own help page they can't delete published content or manage other people's permissions.
How long does a YouTube channel permission invite last?
30 days. If the person you invited hasn't accepted within that window, the invite expires and you'd need to send a new one from YouTube Studio's Permissions page.