How do I hand a Google Business Profile to a new owner?

What access should each person have before the handoff?

Google says the business decides whether a partner receives Co-Owner, Manager, or no access. The customer must retain ownership or co-ownership at all times. For an existing client profile, Google tells a third party to receive Manager, not Owner, access.¹

Keep the business owner's access in place while adding a third party. Google recommends limiting access to essential owners and managers, removing former employees, and using an email alias for a manager.⁴

What should I do before transferring primary ownership?

First identify the current primary owner. Use the matching branch before removing any agency access:

Use this order so the outgoing agency does not leave the business without control:

1. Open More → Business Profile settings → People and access and confirm that the business owner is still an owner or co-owner.²
2. Invite the incoming person's own Google Account with Owner access.¹²
3. Have the incoming person accept the invitation. Confirm that account appears as a current user in People and access before transferring primary ownership.²
4. Complete the applicable branch above. If the business is primary owner, keep the agency as Manager until the incoming owner confirms access and primary ownership has moved. If the agency is primary owner, transfer primary ownership to the business before removing the agency account.¹²³
5. Do the final People and access audit described below after the transfer.

Keep the relevant users in place through the transfer. Removing an account from a profile is separate from removing profile content and managers.⁵

How long does a new owner have to wait?

A new Google Business Profile owner or manager must wait 7 days before managing all features. During those 7 days, Google says the new user gets an error if they try to delete or undelete a profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership.²

This restriction applies to the new user's first seven days. It is not a blanket instruction for the current primary owner to wait before starting the handoff. If the current primary owner is an owner or manager in their own first seven days, Google says transferring primary ownership gets an error.²³

If the new owner or manager leaves the business during the first 7 days, Google removes that user from the profile. If they change their mind, they need to be added again. Google also says an existing owner or manager who tries to transfer primary ownership in their own first 7 days gets an error.²³

How do I transfer primary ownership?

Only the current primary owner can transfer primary ownership. If the profile has only one user, add another owner or manager before starting.³

1. Open the Business Profile.
2. Select More → Business Profile settings → People and access.³
3. Select the user who should receive primary ownership.³
4. Next to Access, select Edit.³
5. Select Primary owner, then select Save.³

Google says this transfer maintains business information, including reviews.³ Keep the outgoing owner or agency available until the incoming primary owner can sign in and confirm the profile.

How does the former primary owner leave after the transfer?

After primary ownership moves to someone else, the former primary owner can remove their own access. Open More → Business Profile settings → People and access, select that account, choose Stop managing, then select Confirm. A former owner or manager can no longer change business information after leaving, but their previous replies, posts, comments, and other actions remain on the profile.²

What if the current owner will not transfer?

Request ownership through Google if the current owner does not transfer the Business Profile. For a storefront or hybrid business:⁶

1. Go to business.google.com/add.
2. Enter the business name and address.
3. Choose the business from the list.
4. When Google shows Someone else may manage this Business Profile, select Request Access.⁶
5. Fill out the form and select Submit.⁶

For a service-area business that serves customers at their locations and does not have a physical shop or office, contact Google Business Profile support. Enter Transfer ownership of listing in the Tell us what we can help with field, then select Transfer ownership of listing as the issue description when you submit the request.⁶

The current profile owner receives an email and has 3 days to respond. If the request is approved, Google sends an approval email and the requester can manage the Business Profile. If the request is denied, Google sends a rejection email, but the requester can still suggest an edit and may appeal. If the owner does not respond after 3 days, Google may offer the option to claim the profile. The claim option is not always available.⁶

How do I remove an agency user without deleting the profile?

Within 7 business days of notice from the business that the third-party service is ending, the agency must provide a way for the business to disassociate the Google Account used to manage the profile from the agency's service and regain exclusive control. If the agency has permission to manage or otherwise change the account, it must also relinquish and remove those permissions accordingly.¹

After primary ownership has moved, an owner can remove the agency account:

1. Open the Business Profile.
2. Select More → Business Profile settings → People and access.²
3. Select the agency user.
4. Select Remove person.²

Only owners can remove other owners and managers. If the agency account cannot be selected, the account in use may have manager-level access, so use an owner account. Google emails the removed user. The removed user can no longer change business information or perform admin tasks, but that user's previous replies, posts, comments, and other actions remain on the profile.²

Should I remove the Business Profile to end an agency relationship?

No. Removing an account from a Business Profile is separate from removing the profile's content and managers. Removing an account does not remove other owners or managers or affect current profile content. Removing content and managers is permanent and affects all owners and managers.⁵

End the agency's access with Remove person and the access check above. Do not use profile-content removal as an offboarding step. If all content and ownership are removed, the business must reverify the profile before managing it again. Removing all ownership and content also does not guarantee that the business disappears from Google Maps or Search.⁵

How do I check that the handoff is complete?

Finish with one People and access audit. Google says this view lists all current users and pending invitations.² Check each group:

• Owners: The incoming business owner appears as the Primary owner, and the business retains the ownership access it intends to keep.
• Managers: The agency account no longer appears unless the business deliberately kept it, and every remaining manager is expected.
• Pending invitations: No unwanted invitation remains under PENDING. Select Cancel invitation if necessary.²
• The incoming owner can open and manage the Business Profile.
• The business has regained exclusive control of the Google Account used for the profile, and the third party has relinquished and removed its permissions.¹

Keep a dated note of the notice date, the primary-ownership transfer, the Remove person action, and the final user list.²