Google Business Profile location-group intake template

1. Record the source state. Copy the location name as shown in Business Profile Manager, the exact public profile URL, the API-style location resource when available, the current owner, the current role, and the observed verification state. Google’s API documentation shows the location resource, storeCode, and metadata.place_id as separate fields.¹
2. Record the destination separately. Write the human-readable business group name and its group ID in the same cell or in separate columns in your working copy. Google directs operators to Businesses → [business group] → Group settings to find the business group ID.²
3. Check access before choosing a decision. Google says a profile can be transferred only to a business group that the operator owns or manages. For locations 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.^3,2
4. Use the matching Google menu path. In the general business-group view, the documented path is select locations → Actions → Transfer businesses → receiving group → Transfer. In the agency and organization view, Google uses Businesses → group → select locations → Actions → Transfer Location → destination group → Transfer.^3,2
5. Complete the post-transfer check. Reopen the recorded profile URL, confirm the destination group and intended access, record the verification state again, and date the check. Google’s metrics reference defines metrics as data points about a resource and notes that the ALL set varies by resource.⁴ If you record metrics, include the requested period and check date, and treat the snapshot as an observation rather than proof that the transfer caused a change.

An existing location can also be added to more than one business group through the location’s Users flow. Mark that choice as a separate access decision because adding a group is not the same operation as transferring the location out of its current group.²

For a wider profile review, use the Google Business Profile audit checklist. For people, assets, open edits, and final sign-in confirmation, use the Google Business Profile handover record.

• Do not delete a business group to fix a transfer mistake. Google requires every location to be removed or transferred first, and says business-group deletion cannot be undone.^3,2
• Do not treat identifiers as interchangeable. Google documents the location resource, storeCode, and metadata.place_id as separate fields.¹ Keep the location ID, store or Business code, Place ID, profile URL, and group ID in their own fields.
• Validate each Business code before using a bulk-upload sheet. Google says a Business code is required for each business, must be different for each business, must be no longer than 64 characters, and must not have surrounding spaces, special characters such as < or >, or a URL.⁵
• Do not leave headed upload columns blank unless deletion is intended. Google warns that a column with a heading but no information can delete existing information for that column. This intake sheet is a record for checking decisions; it is not a replacement for Google’s upload instructions.⁵
• Do not treat verification as a transfer result. Google’s API documentation says verification is needed for a location to be eligible to appear on Search and Maps.¹ Record what the interface shows before and after the move. Do not promise visibility.

What should I do when access is missing?

Mark the row Needs access correction and resolve the current-owner or organization condition before selecting Transfer. Google’s agency guidance says the group-add control may be unavailable when the location owner has not granted the appropriate access, and the organization-account conditions apply to the manager-access transfer branch.²

Do not replace a missing permission with a guessed role. Record the account that must grant access, the destination group, the intended role, and the next check date in the row.

What should I record if I am adding a location to another group?