What is a child seat / partner account in DV360?

What is a DV360 partner account?

A partner is the top level of DV360. Everything else, including advertisers, campaigns and line items, sits under it.

The partner controls users, billing setup and shared settings. Large agencies, holding groups, resellers and very large brands usually have their own partner, often through a direct contract with Google.

The full structure looks like this: Partner > Advertiser > Campaign > Insertion Order > Line Item.

What is a DV360 child seat account?

'Child seat' is a term resellers use for a dedicated space they create for you under their own partner. You get your own advertisers and users, and you run campaigns yourself.

Think of it like renting a fully furnished office in a building. You have your own room and keys. The building owner handles the lease with the landlord.

Child seats are popular with agencies that want to run DV360 for several clients without signing a direct contract with Google.

What is a DV360 advertiser account?

An advertiser account is one brand set up inside a partner. It holds that brand's creatives, audiences, conversion tags and campaigns.

Single brands often start here. A reseller creates the advertiser under its partner and gives the brand's team access.

How do these account types compare?

Here is a quick comparison.

Who owns the data in a child seat?

This is the most important question to ask. Ownership depends on your contract with the reseller, not on the platform alone.

Before you sign, get clear answers in writing:

• Who owns the advertisers, audiences and conversion data?
• Can you export reports and audience lists?
• If you leave, can your advertisers move to another partner?
• Who can see your campaign data at the reseller?

A good reseller will be open about this. If answers are vague, treat that as a warning sign.

How does billing work for each type?

With a child seat or advertiser account, the reseller usually bills you. In India, many resellers bill in INR with GST invoices, which keeps accounting simple.

With a direct partner account, you sign and settle billing with Google under the terms of your contract. This usually comes with a committed spend.

When should you choose a child seat?

Choose a child seat when you need to run several brands and want control, but a direct contract is too big a step. It is a common route for growing agencies.

Signs a child seat fits:

• You manage two or more advertisers
• You have trained DV360 traders, or plan to
• You want your own users and naming rules
• You are not ready for a direct Google commitment

See how we set this up on our DV360 child seat account page.

When should you choose a partner account?

Choose a full partner account when your spend and team size justify a direct relationship. This is typical for large agencies and big advertisers with many brands.

You get the most control, including partner-level settings and user management. You also take on more responsibility for contracts, billing and compliance.

Can you move from one type to another?

Yes. Many agencies start with a child seat and later move to their own partner as spend grows. Brands often start with an advertiser account and add more as they expand.

Plan the move early. Ask how advertisers, audiences and history would transfer, and agree on a timeline with your provider.

Next step

Not sure which account type fits your business? Tell our team about your setup through the form on our contact page. We will look at your brands, spend and team, and suggest the simplest setup that works.