Need to connect a Google data source but don't have direct access to the Google account? Auth Links allow you to send an authorization request to the source owner — such as a client or colleague — so they can authenticate on your behalf, without ever sharing their login credentials with you.

What Are Auth Links?

Auth Links is a feature in the Power My Analytics hub that enables you to request data source access from a source owner when you do not have direct login credentials to the account you need to connect. Instead of signing in to the source platform yourself, you generate a secure authorization link and send it to the person who owns or manages the account. They complete the authentication process on their end, and the data source is connected to your hub.

This is especially useful for marketing agencies and consultants who manage reporting on behalf of clients. With Auth Links, your clients can grant Power My Analytics access to their data without needing to share their Google passwords or grant you login access to their accounts.

• Each Auth Link is single-use and expires 24 hours after it is generated.
• Once a source owner completes the authorization using an Auth Link, or once the link expires, it can no longer be used. If an Auth Link expires before the source owner completes the authorization, you will need to generate a new one.
• Additionally, organizations are limited to generating 10 Auth Links per hour, so plan your connection requests accordingly.

Supported Connectors

Auth Links currently supports Google data source connectors only. The following connectors can be connected using an Auth Link:

• Google Ads
• Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Google Business Profile
• Google Merchant Center
• Google Search Console
• YouTube Analytics

Auth Links is not available for non-Google connectors at this time. For non-Google data sources, the person with direct access to the account must sign in to the PMA hub and connect the data source themselves using the standard connection process described in Connect to a Data Source.

When to Use Auth Links

Auth Links are ideal in scenarios where:

• You manage reports on behalf of a client and need to connect their Google account as a data source, but they have not granted you login access to their Google account.
• A colleague or team member owns the Google account that contains the data you need, and you want them to authorize the connection without logging in to your PMA hub themselves.
• Your organization's security policies prevent sharing login credentials between team members or with external partners.

If you have direct access to the Google account you want to connect, you do not need to use Auth Links. You can connect the data source yourself using the standard process. See Connect to a Data Source for instructions.

How Auth Links Work

The Auth Links process involves two people:

The source owner does not need a Power My Analytics account or access to your PMA hub. They only need access to the Google account that owns the data you want to connect.

Step-by-Step: Generating an Auth Link (Hub User)

Follow these steps to generate an Auth Link and request access from a source owner:

1. Visit hub.powermyanalytics.com and log in to your Power My Analytics hub.
2. Click on Sources in the left navigation panel, then click the orange "+ Add new source" button located above the main sources table.
3. In the Connect a data source gallery, enable the "Request access from source owner" toggle in the upper-right area of the gallery, next to the search bar.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the Google connector you need from the gallery (e.g., Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, Google Business Profile, Google Merchant Center, Google Search Console, or YouTube Analytics).
5. PMA will generate a unique Auth Link for the selected connector. Copy this link.
6. Send the Auth Link to the source owner via email, messaging, or any other communication method.

When sending the Auth Link to a source owner, be sure to include clear instructions about what you are asking them to do. Let them know they will be asked to sign in to their Google account and grant Power My Analytics permission to access their data for reporting purposes. You may also want to share the article Why Does PMA Request Permission to Access My Account? with them if they have questions about the permissions being requested.

Step-by-Step: Completing an Auth Link (Source Owner)

If you are a source owner who has received an Auth Link from a Power My Analytics hub user, follow these steps to authorize access to your Google account:

1. Log out of all Google accounts in your browser other than the Google account you want to connect. This prevents authentication conflicts with multiple signed-in accounts.
2. Open the Auth Link you received from the PMA hub user. The link will open a Google sign-in and permissions page in your browser.
3. Sign in to your Google account when prompted, using the account that has access to the data the hub user needs (e.g., your Google Ads account, GA4 property, or Google Business Profile).
4. Review the permissions that Power My Analytics is requesting. (These permissions are required for PMA's connector to read data from your account. Power My Analytics will never edit, create, or delete anything in your Google account.)
5. Grant the requested permissions by clicking Allow or Continue when prompted.
6. Once you have granted permissions, the authorization is complete. The PMA hub user's data source will be connected and will begin syncing your data automatically.

You do not need to create a Power My Analytics account or log in to the PMA hub. The Auth Link process only requires you to sign in to your Google account and authorize the requested permissions.

Google Account Permissions

When the source owner completes the Auth Link authorization, they will be asked to grant the same permissions that would be requested during the standard data source connection process. The specific permissions depend on the Google connector being used:

Power My Analytics' connectors will never edit, create, or delete anything in your Google account. Google does not provide a read-only option for most of these permissions. For more information, see Why Does PMA Request Permission to Access My Account?

After the Source Owner Completes Authorization

Once the source owner has completed the Auth Link authorization, the connected data source will appear in the Sources table in your PMA hub. From there, you can manage the data source just like any other connection.

The data source will begin collecting historical data automatically once connected. Most connectors start collecting up to 13 months of historical data as soon as the source is connected, and daily data refreshes will occur at midnight in the configured time zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the source owner revoke access after authorizing?

Yes. The source owner can revoke Power My Analytics' access to their Google account at any time by visiting their Google Account third-party connections page and removing the Power My Analytics connection. Note that revoking access will cause the data source to become disconnected in the PMA hub, which will affect reports that use that data source.

Will I be billed for data sources connected through Auth Links?

Yes. Data sources connected through Auth Links are billed the same as data sources connected through the standard connection process. Each account within a connected data source counts toward your plan's account limits. For more information, see Billing Basics and Best Practices.

Can multiple source owners authorize the same connector?

Each Auth Link generates a connection for a single Google account. If you need to connect data from multiple Google accounts for the same connector type (e.g., two different clients' Google Ads accounts), you will need to generate separate Auth Links and send each one to the respective source owner. Each completed authorization will create a separate data source in your hub.

Learn More

• Connect to a Data Source
  
• How Data Sources Work with Power My Analytics
• Manage and Configure Data Sources
• Add and Remove Accounts from Data Sources
• Why Does PMA Request Permission to Access My Account?
• Disconnect and Reconnect a Source from Your Hub