What to Inventory When Taking Over a Client's Advertising Account

Start with the platform names, account identifiers, campaign identifiers, and asset references present in the materials your client has chosen to share through the agreed process. Record where each item came from and when the source was created or reviewed. If the export is dated, say that the status was listed in that export as of that date rather than presenting it as a live view.

Keep a source reference for every inventory row. A file name or client-provided report can support that an item appears in the material. It may not prove that an account is currently active, that a campaign is still running, or that the person who supplied it has authority over the account. Mark those points unconfirmed until the client verifies them.

Use one row for each account and separate rows for the campaigns and materials linked to it. Campaign names can be similar, so retain the platform identifier from the supplied source when available. For each creative item, record its file reference, the campaign it appears to relate to, and whether the inventory has confirmed that relationship or only inferred it from a label.

Avoid copying full ad text, audience details, private customer lists, or billing information unless your approved work process specifically requires them. This inventory is for identifying the work surface and known materials, not for collecting a second copy of campaign data. If a file cannot be opened through the approved process, record that it was not inspected rather than guessing from its name.

A fictional agency records items visible in a client-provided export and marks uncertainty.

• Platform and account reference: Google Ads, ADS-071; Campaign reference: CAMP-118; Observed source state: Listed as active in export dated 2026-10-17; Asset reference: creative-04.png in supplied folder; Unresolved question: Client to confirm current account contact and whether the export is current
• Platform and account reference: Google Ads, ADS-071; Campaign reference: CAMP-121; Observed source state: Listed as paused in export dated 2026-10-17; Asset reference: No matching asset identified in supplied folder; Unresolved question: Ask whether a separate creative reference exists
• Platform and account reference: Social platform, account reference pending; Campaign reference: Campaign reference pending; Observed source state: No source inspected; Asset reference: Two files have no campaign reference; Unresolved question: Client to identify which project records connect these items

A campaign export can describe visible identifiers without establishing who owns an account, who may transfer it, or what a contract permits. If the client asks you to document those questions, record the question and the person who will confirm it. Do not convert an agency's email, a dashboard label, or a legacy asset into a conclusion about legal rights or account control.

If the client asks about preserving or transferring an account, record the question separately from what the current records show. Ask the appropriate client contact to confirm who can decide the next step.

Do not record passwords, recovery codes, API tokens, private keys, or payment credentials in the inventory. If the client has an approved secure process for access administration, follow that process separately. This guide does not explain how to request, change, grant, revoke, or transfer access.

The inventory can still identify a safe next step, such as asking the client to confirm the account reference or name the person responsible for an ownership question. Store only the minimum business reference needed to locate the source in the system your team already uses. If that source is not available, mark the row not verified.

Ask a client contact to confirm the account and campaign references, explain any missing assets, and resolve which source reflects the current work. Record the date and the evidence for each confirmation. Keep the original observation if a later source changes it, so the team can see why the inventory was updated.

Use the resulting list to scope questions for the next project conversation. It can show that an asset or campaign was visible in a dated source, but it cannot prove performance, spend, ownership, or access rights. Those claims require separate evidence and appropriate authority.

The CSV says that two campaign references appeared in an export dated October 17, 2026. It does not say those campaigns are still active today. The third row has no account reference and therefore remains unverified. That is a useful result: it tells the agency which client question must be answered before the team can describe the account inventory as complete.

Ask Areinum Assistant to organise the client-approved account and creative references you provide into a dated inventory with open questions. The client and agency resolve ownership and access through their existing process.