Why sending a password in Telegram is a bad idea
When a company starts running ads or SEO, the contractor needs numbers fast. The quickest route is to paste a Yandex login and password into Telegram. Many businesses do exactly that, and it is where trouble begins. A Yandex account is more than Metrica: the same login can sit behind email, cloud storage, Webmaster and an ad account.
The password stays in the chat history, several people start using it, and later nobody can say who changed a goal or a filter. When the contractor leaves, you have to change the password and redistribute it to everyone who relied on it. Guest access removes both problems.
How guest access works in Yandex Metrica
The counter owner adds another Yandex account by its login. The guest sees the counter in their own list and works under their own login, not yours. Access applies to one specific counter, not to the owner’s whole account, so email and other services stay closed.
The permission level is chosen when you add the person and can be changed later, so you can start with the minimum and widen it if there is a reason.
View or edit: who needs what
The guiding rule is least privilege. An accidentally deleted goal or a changed filter can distort months of data, and rebuilding the picture is hard.
- View only: the guest sees reports, builds segments and exports data, but cannot touch settings or goals. Right for an SEO specialist, a manager or an analyst who only builds reports.
- Edit: the guest can change counter settings, goals and filters. Give it to the person responsible for analytics, ideally for the duration of the setup.
- A developer installing the tracking code usually needs no Metrica access at all. Sending the counter code is enough.
- A media buyer optimizing Instagram and Google campaigns can often work with view-only rights.
How to give a contractor access, step by step
Menu names shift between interface versions, but access management always lives in the settings of the specific counter.
- 1. Ask the contractor for the login of their own Yandex account.
- 2. Open the settings of the right counter and find the access section.
- 3. Add the user by login.
- 4. Choose the permission level: view or edit.
- 5. Save, then ask the contractor to confirm the counter appears in their list.
Who should own the counter
A common story: an online shop in Tashkent runs its counter for years on a marketer’s personal email, then that person leaves. Or an agency creates the counter under its own account, and when the contract ends, the company loses its visit and goal history.
The right setup is the opposite: the counter belongs to a corporate company account, and contractors get guest access. If an agency already created it, ask them to transfer ownership to your corporate account. It also helps if at least two people in the company can log in to the owner account.
If you have several sites, such as a main site, branch sites and promo landing pages, access is granted per counter. Keep a simple table: counter, site, owner, who has which rights. When a contractor changes, that table lets you revoke everything in minutes.
Public statistics and neighboring services
Metrica can make statistics public through a link, with no login needed. Traffic and source data is commercial information, and competitors have no reason to see it. If public access is on and you do not know why, turn it off.
Another trap: guest access to Metrica does not open Webmaster or Direct. Those are configured separately, each under its own rules. If a contractor needs all three, check and grant rights in each one.
What to do when the engagement ends
On the day cooperation ends, remove the user in the same access section. Then review the goals, filters and segments they left behind and document them, so the new team knows what they are and why they exist. At least once a quarter, review the access lists across your analytics and advertising systems, because employees leave while permissions stay open for years.
If a manager only needs numbers rather than interface access, skip guest access and set up a regular report by email or Telegram. markdev builds such reports from Metrica, CRM and ad account data as part of end-to-end analytics. If you want to tidy up your access and data setup, get in touch and we will discuss your task.
FAQ
Does the guest need their own Yandex account?
Yes. The contractor needs a personal Yandex account. You add it by login, and the counter then appears in their list.
Which access level should I choose by default?
View only. Give edit rights only to someone who actually configures goals, filters or integrations, and preferably only while that work is going on.
Can a guest see my email or other services?
No. Access is granted to one counter, not the account. But it also does not open Webmaster or Direct, which need separate permissions.
What if an agency created the counter under its own account?
Ask them to transfer ownership to your corporate account and keep guest access for the agency. It is best to agree on this before work starts.
Let’s look at your task for free
Leave your contact — in a 15-minute call we’ll show where leads get lost and what to fix first.