Google Business Profile owner vs manager: who should be what
Who owns your Google Business Profile matters more than most owners realise. Get it wrong, and a former employee or an old agency can hold your profile hostage. Get it right, and you can give people the access they need without ever risking control.
The three roles
Primary owner
The primary owner has full control. They can edit everything, add and remove other users, transfer ownership and remove the profile from Google. There is only one primary owner, and it should be the business owner.
Owner
Owners have almost the same power as the primary owner, including adding and removing managers. Because they can do so much, keep this role for business partners or directors.
Manager
Managers can run the profile day to day: edit business information, add photos, post updates, reply to reviews and see performance. They cannot add or remove users, change anyone's role, remove owners or remove the profile. Google used to call this role site manager; it is now simply manager. This is the right role for staff and for any agency you hire.
Who should have which role
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| You, the business owner | Primary owner |
| Your business partner | Owner |
| Office manager or staff who post and reply to reviews | Manager |
| Your marketing agency | Manager |
| Your web designer, for a one off job | Manager, removed afterwards |
How to add someone
- Open your Business Profile while signed in as an owner.
- Go to the menu for business profile settings, then people and access (Google sometimes renames this).
- Choose add, enter the person's email address and pick their role.
- They receive an invitation and must accept it.
How to remove someone
In the same people and access screen, choose the person and remove their access. Do this the day an employee leaves or an agency relationship ends.
The primary owner cannot remove themselves until they have transferred primary ownership to someone else. And for their first 7 days, a new owner or manager cannot delete the profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership. Google added that delay to make takeovers harder.
Use a business account for ownership
Own your profile with a Google account that belongs to the business, ideally on your business email domain, protected with two step verification. Personal accounts of staff members are the most common reason businesses lose access to their own profile.
If you have already lost control
If someone else owns your profile, or you were removed without agreeing to it, see what to do when someone else owns your Google Business Profile and what to do if your profile was hacked.
When we work with a business, we ask to be added as a manager and the business always stays the owner. That is how it should be with any agency.
Questions owners ask
Should my marketing agency be an owner?
No. Give agencies manager access. Managers can do everything an agency needs to do day to day, and you keep the power to remove them at any time.
Can a profile have more than one owner?
Yes. A profile has one primary owner and can have additional owners. Keep the number of owners small, ideally just you and perhaps a business partner.
What happens if the primary owner leaves the business?
Before they go, they should transfer primary ownership to someone who is staying. If they have already left, you can request ownership through Google.
Find out who is getting your calls
The free Maps audit shows where you rank across your service area, which competitors are taking the calls you are missing, and exactly what it would take to become the first call. The findings are yours to keep.
Get your free Maps audit