A Google Business Profile is an important digital asset for a business. It controls how the business appears across Google Search and Google Maps and can contain important information such as the business name, address, telephone number, website, business hours, photographs, services, posts, customer reviews, and other details.

Business owners often need assistance managing their profile. For example, you may want an employee, office administrator, digital marketing professional, SEO consultant, family member, or IT support person to:

• Update business information
• Upload photographs
• Publish posts
• Respond to customer reviews
• Maintain opening hours
• Update services
• Monitor customer interactions
• Maintain the profile while you are unavailable

Fortunately, you do not need to give that person your Google Account password.

Google Business Profile provides a user-access system that allows additional people to manage a Business Profile through their own Google Accounts. Google currently provides two main access levels for individual Business Profiles: Owner and Manager. A Business Profile can have multiple owners, but only one Primary Owner.

For most businesses where another person simply needs to help with daily management, Manager is normally the safer role to assign while the actual business owner remains Primary Owner.

1. Understanding Google Business Profile Access

Google Business Profile allows multiple people to work on the same profile without sharing login credentials.

For example:

Business Owner

Google Account:

owner@example.com

Role:

Primary Owner

Assistant or Marketing Person:

marketing@example.com

Role:

Manager

Both people use their own Google Accounts.

There is therefore no reason for the business owner to disclose the password, recovery telephone number, two-step verification code, Google Authenticator code, or recovery email of the Primary Owner account.

Google specifically recommends giving each user access through their own Google Account rather than sharing sign-in information.

2. Google Business Profile Roles

For an individual Google Business Profile, the important roles are:

Primary Owner

This is the most important account associated with the Business Profile.

A Business Profile can have several owners, but there can only be one Primary Owner.

Owner

An additional Owner has extensive administrative authority over the Business Profile.

Owners can manage profile information and can also add or remove other users.

Manager

A Manager can perform most routine Business Profile management activities but cannot add or remove users and cannot remove the Business Profile.

3. Primary Owner vs Owner vs Manager

A practical way to understand the roles is:

Capability	Primary Owner	Owner	Manager
Manage Business Profile	Yes	Yes	Yes
Edit business information	Yes	Yes	Yes
Edit URLs	Yes	Yes	Yes
Update location information	Yes	Yes	Yes
Respond to reviews	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage posts/content	Yes	Yes	Yes
Accept Google updates	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage booking-related settings	Yes	Yes	Yes
Add/remove profile users	Yes	Yes	No
Remove Business Profile	Yes	Yes	No
Transfer Primary Ownership	Yes	No	No
Highest level of control	Yes	High	Operational

Google's current documentation confirms that Managers have mostly the same profile-management capabilities as Owners, with important administrative restrictions: Managers cannot add/remove users or remove the profile.

4. Which Role Should You Give to Someone Helping You?

For most normal situations, assign:

Manager

This is generally the best choice when someone is helping you operate the profile but does not own the business.

Examples include:

• Employee
• Receptionist
• Office administrator
• Digital marketing executive
• SEO professional
• Social media manager
• IT support professional
• Marketing agency staff member
• Trusted family member helping with online activities

The business owner should normally remain:

Primary Owner

This arrangement provides a useful separation between business ownership and day-to-day profile management.

5. When Should You Give Someone Owner Access?

Owner access should be given more cautiously.

An Owner can add and remove users and has substantially more administrative authority than a Manager.

Owner access might be appropriate for:

• Business partner
• Co-owner
• Director
• Senior administrator responsible for the profile
• Long-term trusted person responsible for business administration

Do not give Owner access simply because someone needs to:

• Reply to reviews
• Upload photographs
• Change opening hours
• Create posts
• Update services
• Perform routine marketing work

Manager access is generally sufficient for those activities.

6. Recommended Access Structure

For many small and medium businesses, a sensible configuration is:

Person	Recommended Role
Actual business owner	Primary Owner
Business partner/co-owner	Owner, if necessary
Senior trusted administrator	Owner or Manager depending on requirements
Marketing employee	Manager
SEO professional	Manager
Social media employee	Manager
IT support person	Manager
External consultant	Manager
Temporary marketing agency	Manager

This helps reduce unnecessary administrative access.

7. How to Add a Manager to Google Business Profile

Google's current procedure is straightforward.

Step 1 – Sign in

Sign in using the Google Account that owns the Business Profile.

Use the account that currently has Owner or Primary Owner access.

Step 2 – Open Your Business Profile

Search Google for your business while signed in.

You can also search:

my business

Google should display the Business Profile management interface for profiles associated with your account.

Step 3 – Open Business Profile Settings

From the Business Profile management interface, select:

More

Then:

Business Profile settings

Then:

People and access

Depending on Google's interface changes, wording or menu positioning may occasionally vary.

Step 4 – Add a User

Inside People and access, select the option to add/invite a user.

Step 5 – Enter Their Email Address

Enter the Google Account email address of the person who will manage the Business Profile.

For example:

marketing@example.com

The person should use their own Google Account.

Do not give them your Google username or password.

Step 6 – Select the Role

Google will ask you to select the level of access.

Choose:

Manager

if the person only needs to help manage your Business Profile.

Choose:

Owner

only when the person genuinely requires owner-level administrative authority.

Step 7 – Send Invitation

Select:

Invite

Google will send an invitation to the person's Google Account.

After the invitation is accepted, that person will be able to access the Business Profile using their own account.

8. What Happens After the Invitation Is Accepted?

Once the invited person accepts the invitation, they become a user of the Business Profile.

You can see active users and pending invitations under:

Business Profile settings → People and access

Google also allows you to cancel a pending invitation before it is accepted.

9. Important 7-Day Restriction for New Users

Google applies additional restrictions to newly added Owners and Managers.

According to Google's current documentation, a newly added Owner or Manager generally has to wait 7 days before certain sensitive management functions become available.

During this period, restrictions can apply to actions such as:

• Deleting or undeleting a profile
• Removing other Owners or Managers
• Transferring Primary Ownership

This restriction helps protect profiles against sudden unauthorized ownership or administrative changes.

10. How to Check Who Currently Has Access

Business owners should periodically audit their Business Profile access.

Go to:

Business Profile → More → Business Profile settings → People and access

Review everyone listed there.

You should recognize every account.

Pay particular attention to:

• Primary Owner
• Other Owners
• Managers
• Pending invitations
• Former employees
• Old agencies
• Previous IT providers
• Former marketing professionals

Remove access that is no longer required.

11. How to Change Someone's Role

An Owner can change another user's access level.

Go to:

Business Profile → More → Business Profile settings → People and access

Select the user.

Next to their access level, choose Edit.

Select the appropriate new role and save the change.

Google states that only Owners can change access roles for other Owners and Managers.

12. How to Remove a Manager

Suppose you hired a marketing professional for six months and the contract has now ended.

You do not need to change your Google Account password simply because that Manager no longer requires access.

Instead, go to:

Business Profile → More → Business Profile settings → People and access

Select the person and choose:

Remove person

After removal, that user can no longer change the Business Profile or perform administrative tasks. However, actions they previously performed—such as review replies or posts—may remain visible on the profile.

13. Why You Should Remain the Primary Owner

The actual business owner should generally maintain Primary Owner status.

Primary Ownership is especially important because only the Primary Owner can transfer Primary Ownership to another eligible user.

Therefore, if you simply need assistance managing the profile, there is normally no reason to transfer Primary Ownership.

Keep:

Your Account → Primary Owner

and assign:

Helper → Manager

14. Do Not Share Your Google Password

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is giving a marketing company or employee the login credentials of the main Google Account.

For example:

Unsafe arrangement

Business owner gives an agency:

• Gmail address
• Password
• OTP
• Google Authenticator code
• Recovery access

This can expose far more than the Business Profile.

Depending on the Google Account, the same credentials may potentially provide access to other Google services associated with that account.

The correct arrangement is:

Owner's Google Account → Primary Owner

Agency's Google Account → Manager

Each person signs in independently.

15. Enable Two-Step Verification on the Primary Owner Account

Because the Primary Owner account controls an important business asset, protect it with strong account security.

Recommended protections include:

• Strong unique password
• Two-Step Verification
• Google Prompt
• Authenticator application
• Passkey where appropriate
• Updated recovery email
• Updated recovery telephone number
• Review of signed-in devices
• Regular Google Account security checks

Also protect the Google Accounts used by other Owners and Managers.

Access security is only as strong as the accounts holding that access.

16. Be Careful When Giving Owner Access to an Agency

Suppose an SEO agency says:

"Make us Owner so that we can manage your Google listing."

Before doing this, determine whether Owner access is actually required.

For normal profile management, Manager access is usually sufficient.

Because Owners can add or remove users, Owner access provides substantially more administrative authority than Manager access.

Therefore:

Marketing/SEO requirement → Manager

should normally be the starting point.

Upgrade access only if there is a legitimate operational reason.

17. Can a Manager Take Ownership of My Business Profile?

A Manager cannot simply transfer Primary Ownership to themselves.

Google states that only the Primary Owner can transfer Primary Ownership.

Additionally, Managers cannot add or remove users.

This is one of the major reasons Manager is an appropriate role for routine assistance.

18. Can There Be Multiple Owners?

Yes.

A Google Business Profile can have multiple Owners.

However:

Only one person/account can be the Primary Owner.

For example:

Account	Role
Business founder	Primary Owner
Business partner	Owner
Senior administrator	Manager
Marketing executive	Manager
SEO consultant	Manager

19. What If I Have Multiple Business Locations?

Organizations managing multiple Business Profiles can also use Business Groups.

Google describes Business Groups as a way for multiple administrators to manage sets of Business Profiles, particularly where multiple users or locations are involved.

Business Groups have their own Owner and Manager concepts.

For a small company with one or a few profiles, individual profile access may be sufficient.

For organizations managing many branches, brands, locations, or administrative teams, Business Groups may provide a more structured approach.

20. Individual Profile vs Business Group

Individual Business Profile

Suitable when:

• You have one business location
• A small number of people manage it
• Access requirements are simple

Business Group

Useful when:

• You manage many locations
• Different administrators manage multiple profiles
• You operate several branches
• A marketing team manages several locations
• Access needs to be organized across multiple Business Profiles

Google notes that Business Groups provide a safer collaborative structure than sharing account usernames and passwords.

21. Recommended Security Policy for Businesses

A simple Google Business Profile access policy can be:

Primary Owner

Keep with the actual business owner or authorized senior management.

Additional Owner

Only for genuine co-owners, partners, directors, or highly trusted administrators who need user-management authority.

Manager

Use for employees, marketing professionals, SEO consultants, agencies, IT personnel, and other people responsible for routine profile management.

22. Periodic Access Audit

Review Business Profile users periodically—for example, every three to six months.

Check:

1. Who is the Primary Owner?
2. Who has Owner access?
3. Who has Manager access?
4. Are there former employees?
5. Are there old agencies?
6. Are any invitations still pending?
7. Does every Owner actually require Owner access?
8. Are all accounts protected by strong authentication?
9. Are recovery details current?
10. Does anyone still have access after leaving the organization?

Removing obsolete access is an important part of Business Profile security.

23. Employee Leaves the Company – What Should You Do?

If an employee who had Manager access leaves the organization:

Go to:

Business Profile settings → People and access

Select the employee.

Choose:

Remove person

Their access will be revoked.

Because they were using their own Google Account, you do not need to give your Primary Owner password to a replacement employee.

Simply invite the replacement person's Google Account separately.

24. Marketing Agency Contract Ends – What Should You Do?

The same principle applies to agencies.

When the engagement ends:

1. Review People and access.
2. Identify the agency's account.
3. Remove its access.
4. Review other Owners and Managers.
5. Cancel unnecessary pending invitations.
6. Verify that you remain Primary Owner.
7. Review critical Business Profile information.
8. Check your Google Account security.

25. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Sharing the owner's Google password

Use Google's Owner/Manager access system instead.

Mistake 2: Making every employee an Owner

Most employees only need Manager access.

Mistake 3: Making a marketing agency Primary Owner

Routine marketing work generally does not require Primary Ownership.

Mistake 4: Forgetting old Managers

Periodically audit access.

Mistake 5: Giving Owner access unnecessarily

Owners have the ability to manage users. Managers do not.

Mistake 6: Using one shared Google Account

Give each authorized person access through their own account.

Mistake 7: Ignoring account security

Protect Owner and Manager accounts with appropriate authentication and recovery options.

26. Recommended Setup for Most Small Businesses

For a typical business owner who wants someone else to manage Google Business Profile:

Business Owner

→ Primary Owner

Trusted Business Partner

→ Owner, only if genuinely necessary

Marketing / SEO / Employee / IT Person

→ Manager

This gives operational flexibility without unnecessarily distributing ownership-level administrative control.

27. Quick Procedure

To appoint someone to help manage your Google Business Profile:

Google Business Profile → More → Business Profile settings → People and access → Add user → Enter email → Select Manager → Invite

The invited person accepts the invitation using their own Google Account.

Your account remains Primary Owner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Can I appoint someone to manage my Google Business Profile?

Yes. You can invite another Google Account as an Owner or Manager.

Q2. Which role should I give my employee?

For normal day-to-day management, Manager is generally the appropriate role.

Q3. Will I remain the owner if I add a Manager?

Yes. Adding a Manager does not automatically change your Primary Ownership.

Q4. Can a Manager remove me?

Managers cannot add or remove Business Profile users.

Q5. Can a Manager make themselves Primary Owner?

No. Only the Primary Owner can transfer Primary Ownership.

Q6. Can there be more than one Owner?

Yes. There can be multiple Owners, but only one Primary Owner.

Q7. Should I give my SEO agency Owner access?

Usually not for routine SEO/profile management. Start with Manager access unless there is a genuine requirement for Owner-level administrative capabilities.

Q8. Can a Manager reply to reviews?

Yes. Managers can perform routine profile-management functions, including responding to reviews.

Q9. Can a Manager update business information?

Yes. Managers can edit Business Profile information within the capabilities Google provides.

Q10. Should I give my Google password to my Manager?

No. Invite their own Google Account instead.

Q11. Can I remove a Manager later?

Yes. Owners can remove Managers through People and access.

Q12. Will the Manager receive an invitation?

Yes. Google sends an invitation, and once accepted the person becomes an authorized profile user.

Q13. Can I cancel an invitation?

Yes. Pending invitations can be reviewed and cancelled from People and access.

Q14. What happens when I remove a Manager?

They lose the ability to edit the profile or perform administrative actions. Their previous contributions, such as replies to reviews or posts, may remain.

Q15. What is the safest role for an external consultant?

Usually Manager, provided Manager permissions are sufficient for the work being performed.

Q16. What is the difference between Owner and Manager?

Owners can add/remove users and have additional administrative capabilities. Managers can perform most routine profile-management activities but cannot manage users or remove the profile.

Q17. Can I change a Manager into an Owner later?

Yes. An Owner can change another user's access level through People and access.

Q18. Is there a waiting period for newly added users?

Google currently applies a seven-day restriction to certain sensitive functions for new Owners and Managers.

Q19. Should my accountant or IT consultant be an Owner?

Not automatically. If they only need routine profile-management capabilities, Manager access is preferable.

Q20. What should I do when an employee leaves?

Remove their Google Account from People and access as soon as their access is no longer required.

Conclusion

Google Business Profile is designed so that business owners can delegate management responsibilities without sharing passwords or surrendering ownership.

For most businesses, the recommended arrangement is simple:

You → Primary Owner

Person helping you → Manager

Give Owner access only to people who genuinely require administrative control over users and the profile.

Regularly review People and access, remove former employees and agencies, protect the Primary Owner Google Account with strong authentication, and never share your main Google Account password simply to allow another person to manage your Business Profile.

For Google's current instructions, refer to the official Google Business Profile Help — Manage Owners & Managers.

 

#GoogleBusinessProfile #GoogleBusiness #GoogleBusinessManager #GoogleBusinessProfileManager #GoogleMapsBusiness #GoogleMaps #BusinessProfile #GoogleBusinessListing #GoogleBusinessOwner #GoogleBusinessManagerAccess #GoogleBusinessSecurity #GoogleBusinessAccess #GoogleBusinessRoles #PrimaryOwner #BusinessOwner #BusinessManager #GoogleProfileManager #GoogleProfileSecurity #GoogleAccountSecurity #GoogleBusinessPermissions #GoogleBusinessTips #GoogleBusinessHelp #GoogleBusinessGuide #GoogleBusinessSEO #LocalSEO #GoogleMapsSEO #LocalBusiness #BusinessSecurity #AccountSecurity #AccessControl #UserManagement #BusinessManagement #DigitalMarketing #SEO #GoogleMarketing #BusinessListing #GoogleListing #GoogleProfile #GoogleBusinessSupport #BusinessProfileSecurity #GoogleTwoStepVerification #TwoFactorAuthentication #Google2FA #GoogleSecurity #OnlineBusiness #SmallBusiness #BusinessTechnology #ITSecurity #DigitalSecurity #KnowledgeBase