LinkedIn Business Manager: Complete Setup & User Guide 2026

LinkedIn Business Manager is a centralized platform for managing your company's LinkedIn assets—ad accounts, company pages, and team permissions—all in one place. It's essential for marketing teams, agencies, and enterprises running complex campaigns or managing multiple brands.

This guide covers everything about LinkedIn Business Manager: setup, roles and permissions, best practices, and how to maximize its features for your business.

Key Takeaways

• Centralized control: Manage all LinkedIn assets from one dashboard
• Granular permissions: Assign specific roles to team members and contractors
• Agency-friendly: Share access with partners without sharing login credentials
• Revenue attribution: Track how LinkedIn ads impact sales (Admin feature)
• Free to use: Business Manager is included with LinkedIn at no extra cost

What is LinkedIn Business Manager?

According to LinkedIn's official documentation, Business Manager provides a single hub to:

• Manage multiple ad accounts and company pages
• Control team access with specific permissions
• Partner with agencies and vendors securely
• Track campaign performance across all assets
• Share audiences between ad accounts

Who Should Use Business Manager?

User Type	Why Business Manager Helps
Marketing Teams	Centralized control over campaigns and pages
Agencies	Manage multiple client accounts efficiently
Enterprises	Coordinate across departments and brands
Multi-brand Companies	Organize showcase pages and regional accounts
Contractors	Provide limited access without security risks

Setting Up LinkedIn Business Manager

Follow these steps to create and configure your Business Manager account. According to Leadsie's Business Manager guide, setup takes about 15-20 minutes.

Step 1: Access Business Manager

1. Log into your LinkedIn account
2. Go to business.linkedin.com
3. Click on "Business Manager" in the navigation
4. Select "Get Started" or "Create a Business Manager"

Step 2: Enter Business Details

Provide your organization's information:

• Business name: Your company or organization name
• Primary LinkedIn Page: Connect your main company page
• Business email: Company domain email preferred

Step 3: Link Your Assets

Connect existing LinkedIn assets:

• LinkedIn Pages: Claim pages you own or request access to others
• Ad Accounts: Link existing Campaign Manager accounts
• Matched Audiences: Connect audience segments for targeting

Step 4: Invite Team Members

Add your team with appropriate permissions:

1. Click "People" in the left navigation
2. Select "Invite people"
3. Enter email addresses
4. Assign roles (Admin, Employee, or Contractor)
5. Send invitations

Business Manager Roles and Permissions

Understanding roles is critical for security and efficiency. According to LinkedIn's roles documentation:

Business Manager-Level Roles

Role	Capabilities
Admin	Full control—invite people, manage assets, form partnerships, share audiences
Employee	View-only access to Business Manager and assigned assets
Contractor	Limited view-only access to specifically assigned assets

Ad Account Roles

Role	What They Can Do
Full Access	Manage campaigns, billing, users, and settings
Edit Access	Create and manage ads, but no billing or user control
View Access	See performance reports only—no changes allowed

Page Roles

Role	What They Can Do
Admin	Full page control including settings and user management
Content Manager	Create posts and manage content—no settings access
Viewer	Access analytics and insights only

Best Practices for Role Assignment

1. Limit Admin access: Only senior team members need full control
2. Use Edit Access for day-to-day: Most team members don't need billing access
3. Contractors get minimal access: Assign only what's necessary for their work
4. Review quarterly: Remove access for departed team members immediately

Adding and Managing Assets

Adding LinkedIn Pages

According to LinkedIn's page management guide:

1. Go to "Pages" in Business Manager
2. Click "Add a page"
3. Choose "Claim a page" (you own it) or "Request access" (someone else owns it)
4. Follow the verification process
5. Assign team members to manage the page

Important: Each LinkedIn Page can only be claimed by one Business Manager.

Adding Ad Accounts

1. Navigate to "Ad Accounts"
2. Click "Add an ad account"
3. Choose "Create new" or "Link existing"
4. For existing accounts, enter the Account ID from Campaign Manager
5. Complete the linking process

Managing Matched Audiences

Matched Audiences let you target users familiar with your brand:

• Website retargeting: Target visitors from your site
• Customer lists: Upload email lists for targeting
• Lookalike audiences: Find similar prospects to your best customers

To share audiences between accounts:

1. Go to "Audiences"
2. Select the audience to share
3. Choose destination accounts
4. Confirm sharing

Partnerships and Agency Access

Business Manager enables secure collaboration with external partners.

Creating Partnerships

According to LinkedIn Business Manager best practices:

1. Go to "Partners" in Business Manager
2. Click "Add partner"
3. Enter the partner's Business Manager ID
4. Select which assets to share
5. Choose permission levels
6. Send the partnership request

Partnership Benefits

• No credential sharing: Partners access assets through their own logins
• Granular control: Share specific accounts or pages, not everything
• Easy revocation: Remove access instantly when partnerships end
• Audit trail: Track partner activity and changes

Agency Best Practices

If you're an agency managing client accounts:

1. Create one Business Manager for your agency
2. Request partnership access to client Business Managers
3. Never ask clients for their login credentials
4. Use View Access for reporting, Edit for campaign management
5. Document all access in client agreements

Revenue Attribution Report

One of Business Manager's most powerful features is the Revenue Attribution Report—exclusive to Admin users.

What It Does

The Revenue Attribution Report connects your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) to LinkedIn ads, allowing you to track:

• How campaigns impact sales and revenue
• Pipeline growth attributed to LinkedIn
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Which ads drive actual conversions

Setting Up Revenue Attribution

1. Be a Business Manager Admin
2. Go to "Reporting" → "Revenue Attribution"
3. Connect your CRM integration
4. Configure attribution windows
5. Map CRM fields to LinkedIn data

Using Attribution Data

Revenue attribution helps you:

• Justify LinkedIn ad spend to leadership
• Optimize campaigns based on actual revenue impact
• Identify high-performing content and targeting
• Allocate budget to best-performing initiatives

Business Manager Best Practices

Security Recommendations

According to Social Media Examiner's guide:

1. Multiple Admins: Always have at least two admins to prevent lockout
2. Work emails only: Use company domain emails, not personal
3. Regular audits: Review access quarterly, remove inactive users
4. Document procedures: Create handoff processes for role changes

Organization Tips

1. Naming conventions: Use consistent names for ad accounts and audiences
2. Folder structure: Organize campaigns by brand, region, or objective
3. Asset tagging: Label assets for easy filtering and search
4. Documentation: Maintain a guide for your Business Manager setup

Team Management

1. Onboarding checklist: Standard process for new team members
2. Role definitions: Clear documentation of who does what
3. Training: Ensure team understands permissions and processes
4. Offboarding: Immediate access removal when people leave

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Page Already Claimed" Error

If another Business Manager claimed your page:

1. Identify which Business Manager has the claim
2. Contact that organization's admin
3. Request they release the page
4. Alternatively, contact LinkedIn support with proof of ownership

Can't Access Ad Account

If an ad account isn't showing:

1. Verify the account ID is correct
2. Check if you have proper permissions
3. Ensure the account wasn't deleted or restricted
4. Contact the account's primary admin

Partnership Request Pending

If a partnership request is stuck:

1. Confirm the partner received the request
2. Check spam/notification settings
3. Have the partner check their Business Manager
4. Cancel and resend if necessary

LinkedIn Business Manager vs Meta Business Suite

Many marketers manage both LinkedIn and Meta platforms, making it important to understand the differences between LinkedIn Business Manager and Meta Business Suite.

Feature	LinkedIn Business Manager	Meta Business Suite
Primary Purpose	B2B advertising and professional networking	B2C advertising across Facebook/Instagram
Ad Platform Access	LinkedIn Campaign Manager	Meta Ads Manager
Asset Management	LinkedIn Pages, ad accounts, audiences	Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts
Audience Targeting	Professional data (job titles, companies, skills)	Demographics, interests, behaviors
Partnership Model	Business Manager to Business Manager	Business Manager to Business Manager
Attribution Reporting	CRM-integrated revenue attribution	Conversions API and pixel tracking
User Roles	Admin, Employee, Contractor	Admin, Employee, Advertiser, Analyst
Cost	Free (ad spend separate)	Free (ad spend separate)
Best For	B2B lead generation, professional services	E-commerce, B2C brands, direct response

When to Use Each Platform

Use LinkedIn Business Manager when:

• Your target audience is professionals and decision-makers
• You're selling B2B products or services
• You need professional targeting (job titles, seniority, industries)
• Your average customer value justifies higher CPCs

Use Meta Business Suite when:

• You're targeting consumers directly
• You have visual products or services
• You need lower-cost reach and awareness
• You're running e-commerce campaigns

Both platforms can coexist in your marketing strategy—many B2B companies use LinkedIn for lead generation and Meta for brand awareness and recruitment.

LinkedIn Business Manager API Access

For developers and advanced users, LinkedIn Business Manager provides API access for programmatic advertising and automation.

LinkedIn Marketing API Overview

The LinkedIn Marketing API enables you to:

• Create and manage ad campaigns programmatically
• Automate bid adjustments and budget optimization
• Pull performance reports via API endpoints
• Manage audiences and targeting criteria
• Integrate LinkedIn ads with your marketing stack

Requirements for API Access

To access the LinkedIn Marketing API:

1. Business Manager account: You must be an Admin in Business Manager
2. LinkedIn Page: Your organization needs a LinkedIn company page
3. Developer application: Create an app in the LinkedIn Developer Portal
4. Marketing Developer Platform access: Apply for Marketing API permissions
5. OAuth 2.0 authentication: Implement secure authorization flow

Common API Use Cases

Use Case	API Capability	Benefit
Campaign Automation	Campaign Management API	Scale campaigns across multiple accounts
Custom Dashboards	Analytics API	Build unified reporting across platforms
Dynamic Budgets	Budget Optimization API	Adjust spend based on performance triggers
Audience Sync	Matched Audiences API	Auto-sync CRM segments to LinkedIn
Lead Management	Lead Gen Forms API	Pull leads directly into your CRM

API Limitations and Best Practices

According to LinkedIn's API documentation:

• Rate limits: 100 API calls per day for most endpoints (higher limits for partners)
• Data freshness: Analytics data has a 2-3 hour delay
• Access levels: Different permissions for campaign creation vs. reporting
• Partnership tiers: LinkedIn Marketing Partners get higher limits

Important: Most businesses don't need direct API access. LinkedIn partners like ConnectSafely provide automation without requiring you to build API integrations.

Getting Started with API Development

If you're building custom integrations:

1. Review the Marketing API documentation
2. Create a test ad account for development
3. Use LinkedIn's API sandbox environment
4. Implement proper error handling and rate limiting
5. Monitor API usage to avoid hitting limits
6. Consider using LinkedIn Marketing Partners for production-grade solutions

Business Manager for Small Businesses

Small business owners often wonder whether LinkedIn Business Manager is necessary or if they should stick with Campaign Manager directly. Here's what you need to know.

Do Small Businesses Need Business Manager?

The answer depends on your situation:

You NEED Business Manager if:

• You have multiple people managing LinkedIn ads or pages
• You work with an agency or freelancer on LinkedIn marketing
• You manage more than one company page or brand
• You want to share audiences between ad accounts
• You need to track revenue attribution from LinkedIn ads

You DON'T need Business Manager if:

• You're the only person managing LinkedIn for your business
• You have a single company page and one ad account
• You're not running paid ads (organic only)
• You're just testing LinkedIn advertising

Setting Up as a Small Business

If you decide Business Manager is right for you:

1. Start simple: Link your main page and ad account only
2. Add one admin: Invite your business partner or marketing manager
3. Delay partnerships: Don't add agency access until you need it
4. Use free features: Revenue attribution and audience sharing are included
5. Plan for growth: Better to set up now than migrate assets later

Small Business vs Enterprise Setup

Aspect	Small Business Approach	Enterprise Approach
Admin users	1-2 trusted people	Multiple admins per department
Assets	1 page, 1-2 ad accounts	Dozens of pages and accounts
Partnerships	1 agency or none	Multiple agency and vendor partnerships
Roles	Mostly Admins	Granular Employee and Contractor roles
Setup time	15-30 minutes	Several hours with IT review

Cost-Benefit for Small Businesses

Benefits you get immediately:

• Secure agency collaboration without sharing passwords
• Team member access management
• Protection if someone leaves your business
• Professional structure as you grow

Time investment:

• Initial setup: 15-30 minutes
• Monthly management: 5-10 minutes
• Learning curve: 1-2 hours to understand features

Bottom line: If you plan to grow your LinkedIn presence, spend on ads, or work with contractors, set up Business Manager now. It's free and takes less time than reorganizing later.

Transitioning from Campaign Manager to Business Manager

If you've been managing ads directly in Campaign Manager:

1. Nothing breaks: Campaign Manager still works—Business Manager adds a layer
2. Claim your assets: Link your existing ad account and page to Business Manager
3. Invite your team: Add collaborators with appropriate permissions
4. Update workflows: Train team to access through Business Manager instead
5. Document access: Keep records of who has what permissions

Most small businesses complete this transition in under an hour and immediately benefit from better access control.

Scaling Business Manager as You Grow

As your organization grows, your Business Manager setup needs to evolve:

Stage 1: Startup (1-5 people)

• 1 Business Manager with 1-2 Admins
• 1 Company Page and 1 Ad Account
• Direct management, minimal delegation

Stage 2: Growth (5-25 people)

• Add Employee roles for team members
• Create separate ad accounts by campaign type or region
• Begin using Matched Audiences sharing
• Consider agency partnership for specialized campaigns

Stage 3: Scale (25-100+ people)

• Implement strict role hierarchy (Admin → Employee → Contractor)
• Separate ad accounts by department (Marketing, Sales, HR/Recruiting)
• Use partnerships for agency and vendor access
• Enable Revenue Attribution for ROI tracking
• Quarterly access audits become mandatory
• Document all processes for onboarding

Common Scaling Mistakes

Mistake	Consequence	Prevention
Too many Admins	Security risk, accidental changes	Limit to 2-3 trusted people
No naming conventions	Confusion as accounts multiply	Establish naming from day one
Skipping offboarding	Former employees retain access	Immediate removal process
Single Admin	Lockout risk if admin leaves	Always have backup Admins

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LinkedIn Business Manager used for?

LinkedIn Business Manager is a centralized platform for managing your company's LinkedIn assets—ad accounts, company pages, matched audiences, and team permissions. It's ideal for marketing teams, agencies, and enterprises who need to coordinate multiple assets and team members efficiently.

Is LinkedIn Business Manager free?

Yes, LinkedIn Business Manager is free to use. It's included with your LinkedIn account at no extra cost. However, running LinkedIn ads through Campaign Manager (which you manage via Business Manager) requires an advertising budget.

How do I add someone to LinkedIn Business Manager?

To add team members: Go to "People" in Business Manager, click "Invite people," enter their email address, select their role (Admin, Employee, or Contractor), and send the invitation. They must have a LinkedIn profile to accept, though the email doesn't need to match their profile.

What's the difference between Business Manager Admin and Employee?

Admins have full control—they can invite people, manage all assets, form partnerships, share audiences, and access revenue attribution reports. Employees have view-only access to the Business Manager and specific assets they're assigned to.

Can I manage multiple company pages in Business Manager?

Yes, you can manage multiple LinkedIn company pages within one Business Manager. You can claim pages your business owns or request access to pages owned by others. This is ideal for companies with multiple brands, showcase pages, or regional pages.

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