🔍 Overview
As a Search Atlas agency user, you may notice a difference between user seats and client project access. These are two separate concepts, and understanding how they work together will help you manage dozens of client sites without needing to purchase a seat for every client.
👤 What Is a User Seat?
A user seat is a login credential that allows a person to sign into your Search Atlas account. User seats are designed for the internal members of your team — for example, your SEO managers, account managers, or strategists who actively work inside the platform day-to-day.
- Each team member who needs to log in and use the platform requires one user seat.
- The number of available user seats depends on your subscription plan.
- User seats are not required for your clients to view their own project data.
📁 What Is Client Project Access?
Client project access lets you share a specific project's data with a client without giving them a full platform login. This means your clients can view their own SEO stats, reports, and progress without consuming one of your user seats.
- You can grant client-facing access to as many projects as your plan allows.
- Each client only sees the data belonging to their own project — they cannot access other clients' data or your agency-wide settings.
- Client access is read-only and scoped to their project, keeping your account secure.
🚀 How to Manage 24 Client Sites with Only 5 User Seats
If your plan includes 5 user seats, those seats cover your internal team. Your clients do not each need a seat. Here is how to set things up efficiently:
- Add your internal team members (up to 5) via the Account Menu (avatar) → Settings → Team Members page in your account.
- Create a separate project for each of your 24 client sites inside Search Atlas.
- For each project, use the client sharing or report sharing feature to generate a shareable link or grant client-level access to that specific project.
- Send each client their unique access link or login so they can view only their own project's stats and reports.
This approach means your 5 internal team members can manage all 24 client projects, while each client gets a tailored view of their own data — no extra seats needed.
📊 Sharing Reports with Clients
Search Atlas also lets you share polished, branded reports directly with clients. To access this feature, navigate to the Left sidebar → Reports (URL: /report-builder/projects-list). From here you can:
- Build a custom report for a specific client project.
- Generate a shareable link that the client can open without a platform login.
- Schedule automated report delivery so clients receive updates on a regular cadence.
Shared reports are a great way to demonstrate value to clients while keeping your internal account secure and organised.
💡 Quick Reference: Seats vs Access
- User Seats: For your internal agency team members who log in and work inside the platform.
- Client Project Access: For your clients to view their own project data — does not use a seat.
- Shareable Report Links: For sending read-only, branded reports to clients with no login required.
🛠️ Frequently Asked Questions
Do my clients need their own Search Atlas account? No. Clients can view their project data through a shared link or client-level access that you generate from within your agency account.
Can a client accidentally see another client's data? No. Client-level access is scoped strictly to the project you share with them. No cross-client data is visible.
What happens if I exceed my project limit? Project limits are separate from user seat limits and depend on your plan. If you need to add more projects, consider upgrading your subscription.
Can I revoke client access at any time? Yes. You can remove or update client access for any project at any time from within your account settings or the project's sharing options.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.