How to Create a Facebook Business Manager Account

Ready to finally get all your Facebook pages, ad accounts, and team members organized in one central place? Setting up what's now called Meta Business Suite (but what everyone still calls Facebook Business Manager) is the first and most important step to managing your business assets like a professional. This guide will walk you through exactly how to create your account, connect your assets, and set your team up for success.

First, What Exactly is Facebook Business Manager?

Think of Facebook Business Manager (or your Business Portfolio, as Meta is rebranding it) as the central command center for all your business activities on Facebook and Instagram. It's a tool that lets you manage everything - your Business Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts, pixels, and product catalogs - from a single, secure dashboard. More importantly, it separates your business assets from your personal Facebook profile, adding a much-needed layer of security and professionalism.

Why you absolutely need a Business Manager account:

• Centralized Control: Stop logging in and out of different accounts. Manage multiple Pages, ad accounts, and other assets from one convenient dashboard. If you're managing social media for clients, this isn't just nice - it's essential.
• Secure Team Collaboration: You can add team members, freelancers, or marketing agencies and give them specific permissions for the assets they need. No more sharing your personal Facebook password, which is a massive security risk.
• Clear Asset Ownership: The Business Manager, not an individual's personal profile, owns the pages and ad accounts. This means if an employee leaves your company, you can simply remove their access without worrying about losing control of your business page.
• Enhanced Security Features: It offers better security options, including requiring two-factor authentication for all users, which helps keep your valuable business assets safe from unauthorized access.
• Access to Advanced Tools: To use more powerful tools like business-level insights, Facebook Pixel, product catalogs for dynamic ads, and custom audience creation, you need to be operating out of a Business Manager.

Even though Meta has started calling it other names like "Meta Business Suite" or your "Business Portfolio," the core tool and its function remain the same. So don't be confused by the shifting terminology, if you're looking to manage business assets, this is the tool you need.

What You'll Need Before You Begin

Getting organized before you start will make the setup process smooth and fast. Make sure you have the following ready to go:

• Your Personal Facebook Profile: You need a personal profile to create a Business Manager account. Facebook uses your profile to verify your identity. Don't worry - your colleagues and clients won't see your personal profile information.
• Your Primary Business Page: While you can create a new page during the setup process, it's much easier if your primary business page already exists and you are an admin.
• Basic Business Details: Have your legal business name, physical address, business phone number, and website URL handy.
• A Business E-mail Address: This is where Facebook will send important notifications and confirmation links. It should be a professional email you check regularly.

Step-by-Step: How to Create Your Facebook Business Manager Account

Setting up the account itself only takes a few minutes. Follow these simple steps to get your foundation built.

Step 1: Navigate to business.facebook.com/overview

Open your web browser and go directly to business.facebook.com/overview. You'll be greeted by a page explaining the benefits of the platform. In the top right corner, you should see a blue button that says "Create an account." That's your starting point.

Step 2: Click 'Create Account' and Enter Your Business Details

Once you click the button, a pop-up window will appear asking for some basic information. You'll need to fill in three fields:

1. Your business and account name: Use your official business name here. This will be the name everyone in your organization sees inside the dashboard.
2. Your name: This automatically populates from the name on your personal Facebook profile.
3. Your business email address: Enter the business email that you want to be associated with the account.

After filling this out, click "Submit." You're almost there!

Step 3: Confirm Your Business Email

Head over to your inbox. You should find an email from Facebook with the subject line "Confirm your business email." Open it and click the "Confirm Now" button inside. This simple step verifies your ownership of the email address and officially activates your Business Manager account.

Now What? Your First Three Moves Inside Business Manager

Your account is created, but it's just an empty shell. Now it's time to populate it with your assets: your pages, ad accounts, and team members. Think of these as the three pillars of a properly configured Business Manager.

Task 1: Add Your Facebook Page

The first thing to do is connect your existing Facebook Business Page. Inside the Business Manager, navigate to the "Business Settings" area. On the left side, you'll find a section called "Accounts." Click on "Pages." You'll see a blue "+ Add" button, which gives you three options:

• Add a Page: Choose this option if your business already owns the page. When you add it, the page permanently moves into your Business Manager. This is the most common choice for business owners. A quick heads up: Once you move a page into a Business Manager, you can't undo it.
• Request Access to a Page: Select this if you're an agency or social media manager needing to work on a client's page. The owner of the page will retain ownership but grant you permission to manage it.
• Create a New Page: If your business doesn't have a Facebook Page yet, you can create one from scratch right here.

For most users, you'll choose "Add a Page," type in the name or URL of your page, and confirm. Since you're already an admin of the page, it will be added instantly.

Task 2: Connect Your Ad Account

Next, you'll connect an ad account. The process is very similar to adding a page. In "Business Settings," select "Ad Accounts" under the "Accounts" section. Click the "+ Add" button, and you'll see three familiar-looking options:

• Add an Ad Account: This is for an ad account that your business already owns. Just like with pages, moving an ad account into Business Manager is a permanent action. You'll need your Ad Account ID, which you can find in your Ads Manager.
• Request Access to an Ad Account: For agencies and freelancers who need to run ads on behalf of a client. You'll request access using the client's Ad Account ID, and they will need to approve your request.
• Create a New Ad Account: If you've never advertised on Facebook before, you can set a brand new ad account up from here. Follow the prompts to add your currency, time zone, and payment information.

Choose the option that fits your situation and follow the on-screen instructions. Adding an existing ad account is usually instantaneous if you are already the owner.

Task 3: Invite Your Team Members

This is where the magic of Business Manager really shines. You can safely and securely grant access to your team. In "Business Settings," navigate to "People" under the "Users" section and click "+ Add."

You'll be prompted to enter the work email addresses of the people you want to invite. Next, you must assign them an access level:

• Employee Access: This is the standard, recommended role. Users with employee access can only work on the specific pages and ad accounts you assign to them. They cannot change any of the core business settings.
• Admin Access: Give this out carefully. Admins have full control over the Business Manager. They can add or remove people, change settings, delete the business, and access all billing details. This role is typically reserved for business owners or top-level managers.

After you assign the role, the next screen allows you to assign them to specific assets. You can grant someone access to manage Page A and Ad Account A, but not Page B or the company credit card. This granular control is what makes Business Manager so powerful for teams.

Getting Started: Best Practices for Your New Business Manager

With everything set up, a few final housekeeping steps will protect your account and set you up for long-term success.

Set Up Business Verification

Under "Security Center," you'll find an option for business verification. This process confirms your business's legal identity with Facebook. It adds a layer of trust and may be required to unlock certain features or increase your ad spending limits.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Also within the "Security Center," you can require everyone with access to your Business Manager to use two-factor authentication (2FA). This is one of the most effective ways to protect your business assets from hackers. Make it mandatory for your team - it's non-negotiable for security today.

Always Have a Backup Admin

What happens if your personal account gets flagged or disabled? If you are the only admin, you could lose access to your entire Business Manager. Add at least one other trusted person (like a business partner) as a backup admin to prevent ever being locked out.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your Facebook Business Manager is a critical foundational step. It takes you from a casual user to a professional business owner on the platform, providing the structure, security, and collaborative tools you need to manage your brand's presence effectively across Facebook and Instagram.

With all your assets protected and organized, the next challenge is managing the constant demand for content. We built Postbase because we knew there had to be a more straightforward way to handle the day-to-day grind. Once you have complete back-end control with Business Manager, we help you plan all your content on a visual calendar, schedule posts reliably across every major platform (especially video), and keep up with all comments and DMs in one unified inbox. It's the simple, modern workflow your organized social strategy deserves.