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How do I create a Google Business Profile business group and transfer locations into it?

Create the business group in Business Profile Manager, then select the locations and use Actions → Transfer businesses to move them into it. Google documents a separate Actions → Transfer Location label in the agency and business-group view.12 The destination group must be one you own or manage.1 For a location with manager access moving between organization groups, Google requires the source and destination groups to be primarily owned by the same organization and the signed-in user to be an owner or member of that organization.2

By Sergey Sulimko, Founder · · 5 Google help pages, read Oct 18, 2026

Use this decision table before you move anything:

Your situation Transfer decision What to check
The destination group is owned or managed by your account Proceed with the standard transfer path You must be able to manage the receiving group.12
The location has manager access and both groups are inside organization accounts Proceed only when the same organization primarily owns both groups The signed-in user must be an owner or member of that organization.2
You are an organization owner The capability table gives this role the transfer-locations capability Confirm the correct organization before selecting locations.2
You are an organization member Ask an organization owner to perform the transfer The capability table does not give the member role the transfer-locations capability.2
You are a user-group owner The capability table gives this role the transfer-locations capability Confirm that the destination group is one you own or manage.2
You are a user-group member Ask the group owner to perform the transfer The capability table does not give the member role the transfer-locations capability.2
Someone else owns the profile Request access or ownership before moving it Google documents an ownership request for an authorized business owner and a verified profile owned by someone else.3
Show all 7 rows

When should I create a Google Business Profile business group?

Create a business group when several people need shared access to multiple Google Business Profiles. Google recommends a group for a new Business Profile user who needs to manage multiple businesses; its chart reserves a Google Account for the case where only one person needs access to represent a business.1

Google describes a business group as a shared way to manage and share access with co-workers. A person added as a group owner or manager can access the profiles already in the group and profiles added later.1 For the broader rules on one profile per eligible location and shared access across a portfolio, see the multi-location Google Business Profile guidance.

How do I create a business group?

In Business Profile Manager, select Create group, name the group, and select Create. Google places this documented control behind the condition that the account has 2 or more profiles.1

Open your Business Profile
  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
  2. If you have 2 or more profiles, select Create group at the top right.
  3. Enter the business group name.
  4. Select Create.

The 2-profile condition belongs to Google's documented menu path. Do not treat Create group as an unconditional control for every account.1

How do I transfer profiles into the business group?

Use the general Business Profile Manager path when the profiles and destination group are available in the same manager view: select the profiles, choose Actions → Transfer businesses, select the receiving group, and select Transfer.1

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
  2. Select one or more profiles to move.
  3. Select Actions, then Transfer businesses.
  4. Select the business group that should receive the profiles.
  5. Select Transfer.

Google says the receiving business group must be one you own or manage. A group owner or manager can access profiles already in the group and profiles added later.1

Which transfer path should I use in the agency or organization view?

Use the agency and business-group path when Business Profile Manager shows the Businesses tab and an organization selector: choose the organization, choose the group, select the locations, then use Actions → Transfer Location.2

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
  2. At the top left, select the Businesses tab. If you belong to more than one organization, choose the correct organization first.
  3. Use the drop-down menu to choose the business group.
  4. Select the checkbox beside each location to transfer.
  5. From the Actions drop-down menu, select Transfer Location.
  6. Select the destination business group.
  7. Select Transfer.

Google uses Transfer businesses in the general business-group guidance and Transfer Location in the agency guidance. Keep the label that matches the view you are using.12

What if I want one location in two groups instead of transferring it?

Add the existing location to the additional group through Users → Invite new users → Add one of your groups. That shares management access with another group; it is not the same operation as transferring the location.2

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
  2. At the top left, select the Businesses tab.
  3. Use the drop-down menu to choose the current business group.
  4. Select the location.
  5. Select Users.
  6. In the top right, select Invite new users, then choose Add one of your groups.
  7. Choose the additional group and its role, then select Add.

Google says an existing location can belong to multiple business groups. The location owner must grant the appropriate access before the invitation control is available.2

How do organization roles affect a location transfer?

An organization account can manage a location only after the location grants permission, and only an organization owner can add or remove organization owners and members.4 An organization account is a Business Profile account for a third party that manages locations for business owners. The organization does not receive automatic control over a location.

To add an organization owner or member:

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
  2. Select the organization from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select Users.
  4. Select Invite new users, enter the person's email address, and choose Owner or Member.

Google also says the invited user's account must not already directly own or manage locations or location groups before the user is added to an organization.4 For individual profile roles and the separate People and access path, see the guide to adding owners and managers to a Google Business Profile.

Do I need bulk verification after transferring locations?

A business-group transfer and bulk verification are separate Google workflows. Google documents group creation and transfer on their own pages, while its bulk-verification page applies the 10-profile threshold to that verification workflow.125

Google's bulk-verification guidance says duplicate, suspended, and disabled profiles do not count toward the 10-profile minimum. Google also requires the spreadsheet to include all profiles the account manages, the business not to be a service-area business, no existing verified account, and no account errors. An agency managing more than one business in one account cannot use this bulk-verification path.5

For an eligible bulk-verification account:

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager on a computer.
  2. On the left, select Verifications, then Chain, then Start.
  3. Complete the form.
  4. Select Submit.
Read the full section

Google reviews the account details, may request more information, and sends an email confirmation after successful bulk verification. If Verifications is missing, Google says the account might not have enough eligible profiles and directs the operator to verify profiles individually.5

When a business group's main owner is verified, Google says all eligible profiles in the group are verified as well, but profiles owned by someone else are excluded. Keep the ownership check separate from the group transfer.5

What should I record in a business-group transfer handoff log?

Record the source, destination, access roles, selected locations, transfer result, verification state, and post-transfer checks in one handoff log. This log is your audit trail, not an additional Google form.

Handoff field What to record
Source group Group name, organization if applicable, and the person who started the transfer
Destination group Group name, organization if applicable, and the owner's or manager's access
Role and ownership Signed-in user's role, profile owner or manager state, and any location permission granted to an organization
Selected locations Each location selected, including the location identifier used in your own records
Transfer result The menu path used, submission date, and whether each location appears in the destination group
Verification Whether the location was already verified, bulk-verification eligibility, the submission path, and the confirmation email
Post-transfer review Account errors, profile ownership exceptions, missing locations, and updates still needed

For bulk-managed accounts, Google says to review the account for errors and keep profiles updated to stay bulk verified. Google may de-verify inactive accounts and can revoke bulk verification for abuse or guideline violations.5 Keep those maintenance checks separate from the transfer result.

What if someone else owns the Business Profile?

If you are the authorized business owner, request access or ownership from the current profile owner before trying to move a storefront or hybrid profile into a group. For a service-area business without a physical shop or office, Google directs the requester to Contact us instead. The current owner has 3 days to respond, and the option to claim the profile after that is not always available.3

For a storefront or hybrid business, use this request path:

  1. Go to business.google.com/add.
  2. Enter the business name and address.
  3. Choose the business from the list.
  4. Select Request Access.
  5. Complete the form.
  6. Select Submit.
Read the full section

Google emails the requester and notifies the current profile owner. If the owner does not respond after 3 days, the requester may see an option to claim the profile, but Google says that option is conditional.3 For a service-area business that serves customers at their location without a physical shop or office, use Google's Contact us path and enter Transfer ownership of listing in the help request.3

Common questions

No. Google's documented creation path says If you have 2 or more profiles before Create group. Its bulk-verification page uses 10 or more profiles from the same business for that verification workflow. Google documents group creation and transfer separately from bulk verification.

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Sources

All read Oct 18, 2026

  1. 1
    Create & manage business groupsGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle's business-group guidance
  2. 2
    Manage agency business groupsGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle's agency business-group guidance
  3. 3
    Request ownership of a Business ProfileGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle's ownership-request guidance
  4. 4
    Manage agency organizationsGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle's organization guidance
  5. 5
    Verify Business Profiles in bulkGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle's bulk-verification guidance
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