What to Check Before Switching Marketing Agencies

The accounts, data and settings to secure before you change agencies, so your leads keep coming in while the new team takes over.

Switching agencies should not mean starting over. The biggest risks are losing access to accounts you paid to build, losing the history that shows what worked, and a gap in tracking while the new team gets set up. Work through this list before you give notice.

Who Owns Your Accounts?

Many businesses find out during a switch that their ad account, analytics or even their domain was set up under the agency’s name. Confirm that you are an owner or administrator, not just a viewer, on each one.

  • Domain registration, with the login and renewal date
  • Website administrator login and hosting account
  • Google Business Profile, with you listed as primary owner
  • Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console
  • Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising and Meta ad accounts, including the billing method
  • Google Tag Manager container
  • Email marketing and text messaging platforms, including your subscriber lists
  • Call tracking numbers, and whether they can move with you
  • Social media pages and the business manager that controls them

What Does Your Contract Say?

  • The notice period and the date your last payment covers
  • Who owns the website design, content, photos and ad creative
  • Whether any setup or licensing fees apply when you leave
  • What the agency will hand over, and how quickly

What Should You Save Before You Leave?

Your current results are the baseline the next agency will be measured against. Export them while you still have easy access.

  • Twelve months of leads, calls and form submissions, by source if available
  • Ad spend, cost per lead and the campaigns that performed best
  • Search Console data for your top pages and searches
  • Your email and SMS subscriber lists, with consent records
  • Copies of landing pages, ad copy and any brand files

How Do You Avoid a Gap in Leads?

Keep your current campaigns running until the new team has access and has checked your tracking. Turning ads off for a few weeks can cost more than overlapping for a month. Ask the new agency to confirm that calls and form submissions are still being recorded before anything is changed.

Questions to Ask the New Agency

  • Who will actually do the work on my account?
  • What will you look at in the first month, and when will I see a plan?
  • Which numbers will you report, and how will you count a lead?
  • Are the accounts you set up owned by me?
  • What happens if I want to leave?

If you want to know what you are walking into before you switch, our free SEO and AI visibility audit reviews your website, search presence and tracking. You can also read what your agency should report every month and see how we work with clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my Google Ads account if I change agencies?

Yes, if the account is yours. If the agency created it under their manager account, ask them to transfer ownership or add you as an administrator before you leave. Your campaign history stays with the account.

Changing agencies does not affect rankings by itself. Rankings can drop if the website changes, pages are removed or tracking and listings are not maintained during the switch.

Check your contract for the notice period. Plan the switch so the new agency has access and has reviewed your tracking before the old agency stops work.

Know What You Are Starting With