How Do I Regain Access to My Google Analytics Account?

If there comes a time when you need to access a Google Analytics account you do not have access to, there are a few solutions to try.

You will find the following steps available at https://support.google.com/analytics/troubleshooter/7264014?hl=en or you can search for them at support.google.com

Note: Recovery for Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics for Firebase or other Analytics Suite Products is currently not available.

First, if you are taking over an account to which you do not personally have access, perhaps for your company, you will need to follow the steps below to have the access reassigned to an email account you do have access to.

Let’s take a quick, closer look at each of these steps.

STEP 1: Gather the necessary information

You will be required to prove to Google that you do, in fact, have the right to act on behalf of the website to which the analytics account is associated.

This step may seem complicated, but it’s really quite simple.

First, you will need to gather your Analytics and Ads ID numbers. 

If you do not know your UA-ID you can find it using Google Tag Assistant:

If you do not know your tracking code number, you can also find it easily using a free Chrome extension called “Tag Assistant” which shows all available tags on the site.

After installing the extension, simply visit your site, click on the extension, click “Enable” and then refresh the page. When you click on the extension again you will see it displays every tag installed on the site, like in the example to the right.

You will also need your Google Ads ID to complete the form. Even if you do not use Google Ads you will need the Ads ID. You can easily set one up at ads.google.com.

STEP 2: Prove Ownership of the Site

Next, you need to create a file that will be added to your domain to prove ownership. The file should be named analytics.txt, and should be formatted as follows:

GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 – pls add {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} to GA account {INSERT UA-ID} with ‘Manage Users and Edit’ permissions – date {INSERT DATE}

Note that you will need to use the correct information which is unique to you or your company, in the bold portions of the code.

• {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} – the email you want to give “Manage Users and Edit” permissions
• {INSERT DATE} – the date you create the file
• {INSERT UA-ID} – your tracking code number, should look like this: UA-000000

If you do not know your UA-ID don’t forget that you can find it using Google Tag Assistant.

Once you have created the analytics.txt file, you will need to add it to your site on the top level with “read” permissions. You want it to be accessible through yoursite.com/analytics.txt Your website hosting provider may be able to assist if you’re unsure how to do this.

It is important to know that if you also have a Google Ads  or AdSense account linked to your analytics account, you will also need to prove ownership of those accounts.

After uploading, you can test that the file is available by visiting yoursite.com/analytics.txt.

STEP 3: Fill in the “Troubleshooter contact form” and request permissions

After your file is created and uploaded, you then need to request access using the contact form Google provides. You will most likely select the last option which says:

1. I can’t find an Analytics administrator
2. The Analytics administrator left the company
3. I lost administrative access
4. I want to upgrade my access

Once you get to the next page, you will find a number of options.

• Contact Name: your name, or the name of the new Admin contact you wish to set up.
• Contact email: your email, or the email of the new Admin contact you wish to set up.
• Google Ads Customer ID: Enter N/A or AdWords ID. This field is required if you are recovering your AdWords account.
• Analytics account ID: Enter the UA number you gathered earlier.
• Analytics login email: Enter the email address that was associated with the account if you know it, otherwise, enter the new email address that will be the managing email account.
• Analytics Property ID: If you know this you can enter it here, it not, enter NA.
• Issue Type: choose the most accurate option from the dropdown list.
• Full Description: Enter as detailed information as possible, such as “I need assistance recovering my Analytics account. I have provided proof of ownership for the site in yoursite.com/analytics.txt”

On the next page, select “Email” then click on the bubble next to “Analytics Standard” to reveal the entire form. Here is what the form will look like

STEP 4: Wait for the response from Google and provide additional information if necessary

At this point you will have to patiently wait for Google to see your request and reply. They should be able to assign new admin access to the email address you requested in the form.

Once they contact you, they will let you know if they were able to reset admin access to the new email address requested.

If so, you’ll now be good to proceed using Analytics as you originally intended.