Transferring your ad account from one Business Manager to another is a common request among Facebook advertisers. There are a few reasons you may want to do this:
- You want to consolidate ad accounts into a single Business Manager for easier management
- You’re switching advertising agencies and need to give them access to your ad accounts
- You’re moving ad accounts to a new business entity (like an LLC)
The process itself is straightforward, but there are some key requirements and limitations to be aware of. In this guide, we’ll walk through the full steps for transferring a Facebook ad account to a new Business Manager.
Overview of Transferring an Ad Account
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s involved in moving a Facebook ad account between Business Managers:
- You must have admin access to both the source and destination Business Managers
- All ad accounts can be transferred, except for those running on a credit card
- Ad account history, assets, and campaigns will be preserved after the transfer
- The transfer process can take up to 24 hours to complete
Now let’s look at the detailed steps for initiating and completing the ad account transfer process.
Step 1: Meet the Prerequisites
Before you can transfer a Facebook ad account, there are a couple requirements that must be met:
- You need admin access to both the source and destination Business Managers. If you don’t have admin access to the destination, you’ll need to be added as an admin first.
- The ad account you want to transfer cannot be running on a credit card. Ad accounts on credit cards are tied to a personal Facebook profile and cannot be moved.
If you meet both prerequisites, you’re ready to move forward with initiating the transfer.
Step 2: Navigate to Ad Account Transfers
Next, you’ll need to access the Ad Account Transfers page in Business Manager:
- Login to Business Manager and select the Business Manager you want to transfer from.
- Click the dropdown arrow next to Business Settings and choose Ad Account Transfers.
This will bring up the Ad Account Transfer page. From here, you can initiate new transfers or monitor pending ones.
Step 3: Initiate the Ad Account Transfer
On the Ad Account Transfers page, click the Initiate New Transfer button. This will launch a popup where you can select the ad account and destination Business Manager.
Follow these steps to set up the transfer:
- Use the Ad Account dropdown to choose the ad account you want to move.
- In the Destination Business Manager field, enter the name of the Business Manager you want to transfer the ad account to.
- Click Initiate Transfer to start the process.
Once initiated, the transfer will show as Pending under Ongoing Transfers. It may take up to 24 hours to fully complete.
Step 4: Monitor the Transfer Status
After you’ve initiated the ad account transfer, the main thing left to do is monitor its status. Here’s how to check on the progress:
- Go back to Business Settings > Ad Account Transfers
- Locate the transfer under Ongoing Transfers and view its status
- The transfer will move through these statuses:
- Pending
- In Progress
- Completed
Most transfers will take less than 24 hours to complete. If it goes longer than that, you may need to cancel the transfer and retry.
Step 5: Confirm the Transfer
Once the Ad Account Transfer shows Completed, login to the destination Business Manager to confirm everything transferred properly:
- Verify the ad account is now visible in the destination Business Manager
- Check that the ad account’s campaigns, ads, and assets are present
- Review reporting data to ensure performance history carried over
If everything looks good, the ad account transfer is complete! You can now manage the ad account through the new Business Manager going forward.
Troubleshooting Ad Account Transfers
In most cases, transferring a Facebook ad account will go smoothly. But occasionally issues come up. Here are some common problems and fixes:
Transfer Stuck in Pending Status
If a transfer stays stuck in Pending for more than 24 hours, it’s likely failed and will need to be canceled and retried.
To cancel a stuck transfer:
- Go to Ad Account Transfers in Business Settings
- Locate the stuck transfer and click Cancel Transfer
- Initiate a new transfer for the ad account
Missing Campaigns or Assets After Transfer
Sometimes an ad account will successfully transfer, but some data doesn’t carry over. This is rare but can happen.
If you notice missing assets, wait 24 hours and check again. Data is still syncing during that window. If items are still missing after 24 hours, you’ll need to recreate lost campaigns, ads, etc in the new Business Manager.
No Performance Data in Ads Reporting
Campaigns and ads will transfer with their performance history. However, it can take up to 3 days for all reporting data to populate in the new Business Manager. Be patient and allow time for analytics to fully sync up.
Best Practices for Ad Account Transfers
To ensure a smooth and successful ad account transfer, keep these best practices in mind:
- Transfer only 1 ad account at a time
- Temporarily pause campaigns before initiating transfer
- Double check admin access to both Business Managers
- Allow up to 48 hours for full data sync
- Monitor analytics to confirm history carried over
Following these tips will help avoid headaches and ensure no data is lost whenever you need to transfer Facebook ad accounts.
Conclusion
Transferring your Facebook ad accounts between Business Managers is straightforward, but does require careful attention. Be sure to:
- Meet all prerequisites before initiating transfer
- Monitor ongoing transfers until completion
- Confirm campaigns, ads, and data after transfer finishes
- Troubleshoot any issues such as stuck transfers
If done properly, transferring ad accounts can be a seamless process enabling you to easily manage your ad accounts under any Business Manager. Just be patient, avoid transferring multiple accounts simultaneously, and verify everything after the transfer completes.
This will ensure your campaigns, creatives, and performance data move safely to the new Business Manager with no interruptions. Follow the steps in this guide, and you’ll be adept at transferring Facebook ad accounts in no time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer an ad account from personal to Business Manager?
No, ad accounts on personal profiles cannot be transferred. You’ll need to create a new ad account in Business Manager and recreate your campaigns there.
Do ad campaigns stop running during a transfer?
Campaigns will remain active during the transfer process. However, we recommend pausing them temporarily to avoid any issues.
Will I lose ad performance data when I transfer accounts?
No, your historical analytics should carry over after the transfer. However, it may take up to 3 days for reporting to fully populate.
Can I transfer ad accounts from multiple Business Managers?
Yes, you can consolidate ad accounts from multiple Business Managers into a single destination Business Manager. Just be sure to transfer one account at a time.
How long does an ad account transfer take?
Most transfers complete within 24 hours or less. If it goes longer than that, you may need to cancel and retry the transfer.
Summary of Steps for Transferring an Ad Account
- Confirm you have admin access to both Business Managers
- Navigate to Ad Account Transfers in Business Settings
- Initiate the ad account transfer
- Monitor the transfer status until completion
- Verify campaigns, ads, and data synced properly
- Troubleshoot any issues with incomplete transfers
Conclusion
Moving your Facebook ad accounts between Business Managers is a straightforward process. Just ensure you complete all prerequisites, follow the steps to initiate the transfer, and then monitor the status until fully completed. Within 24 hours or less, your ad account should be safely transferred and ready to manage under the new Business Manager.