Manage Google Business Profile access while keeping ownership

Understand the two main working roles

Google permits multiple owners but one primary owner. Managers can handle most everyday profile work but cannot add or remove users or remove the profile. Users should use separate Google Accounts rather than a shared password. The People and access screen is under Business Profile settings.

Getting Found Local recommends keeping primary ownership with the business and assigning the narrowest practical working role to a helper. “Can edit the profile” is a meaningful permission: a manager can change customer-facing information, so invite only someone with an agreed responsibility.

Write down the account associated with ownership in your private business records. Do not place passwords or recovery codes in a marketing document circulated to vendors. The record should tell the owner where to manage access, not expose credentials.

A simple agency handover example

Imagine a fictional flooring installer hiring a marketing agency for profile maintenance. Before the invitation, the owner and agency agree which work is included: correcting services, publishing approved updates, and reporting changes. They also agree how urgent errors and customer complaints will be handled.

Google's third-party policy requires clients to retain ownership or co-ownership and requires consent for profile changes. It recommends agency manager access when a business already has a profile. Management fees should be distinguished from the profile service Google provides without an extra charge.

Our recommendation is to include a short handover note: business owner contact, profile link, current priorities, permission scope, and the process for ending access. This avoids treating a routine marketing contract as a transfer of the business's identity. Ask the agency to document meaningful changes so another person can continue the work later.

Invite carefully and confirm the right account

Before sending an invitation, verify the exact email address with the intended person through an existing trusted channel. Check the role before submitting, then confirm that the invitation was accepted by the expected account. Review pending invitations as well as active users during a cleanup.

Google imposes a seven-day restriction on some actions for newly added owners and managers, including removing other users and transferring primary ownership. Plan a legitimate handover in advance rather than discovering the restriction on the final day of a contract.

Getting Found Local recommends testing continuity while the current helper is still available. Can the owner open the profile? Can the replacement see the agreed controls? Is the current service list documented? A verified handover is stronger than an email saying everything has been transferred.

Remove stale access as part of offboarding

When a person leaves or a contract ends, review their access promptly. Coordinate the timing so necessary business work can continue and the owner retains control. Keep a dated record of the change and any outstanding tasks.

Do not wait for a dispute to discover who owns the profile. If an unexpected account appears or an owner cannot access the business, use the official ownership and support processes linked from Google's access documentation. Avoid creating a duplicate profile as an improvised substitute for recovering control of the existing one.