To add a user to your Google Business Profile, you invite them by email from the People and access settings and choose whether they’re an Owner or a Manager. Each person uses their own Google Account, so nobody ever needs to share a password. The add user to Google Business Profile option only appears for owners. This is also the page I send new clients to when I need access to their profile.
How to add a user to your Google Business Profile
Open your Business Profile
Sign in with an owner account and go to your Business Profile at business.google.com.
Go to People and access
Select More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access.
Select Add
At the top left, select Add.
Enter their email address
Type the email address of the Google Account the person will use.
Choose Owner or Manager
Under Access, choose Owner or Manager. For an employee, agency or SEO, choose Manager.
Select Invite
Select Invite. They can accept straight away, and you’ll get an email when they do.
You can see everyone with access, and any pending invites, on the same People and access page. To cancel an invite, find the person under Pending and select Cancel invitation.
Owner or manager: which should you choose?
Google says managers have mostly the same access as owners. The differences:
| Can they… | Owner | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Edit business info, hours, phone, services and photos | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to reviews and publish posts | Yes | Yes |
| Download insights | Yes | Yes |
| Add and remove users | Yes | No |
| Remove the Business Profile | Yes | No |
A profile can have several owners but only one primary owner.
My rule of thumb: give Owner only to people who should control the business itself, like a co-owner or business partner. Staff, agencies and SEOs should be managers. They can do everything the job needs, and you stay in control of who has access.
Asking someone to add you
If you’re an agency, SEO or staff member who needs access, send the owner a short message with the steps. Here’s the one I use:
Access request message
Hi {name}, to work on your Google Business Profile I’ll need manager access. It takes about a minute:
- Go to business.google.com and open your profile.
- Select More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access.
- Select Add, enter {your email} and choose Manager.
- Select Invite.
You stay the owner, and you can remove my access at any time. Thanks!
Things to know
- Everyone needs their own Google Account. It doesn’t have to be Gmail. You can’t add a Google Group as an owner or manager.
- New users have a 7-day wait before they can delete the profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership.
- Only owners can change roles. To promote a manager, open People and access, select the person, edit their access and save.
- Removing someone keeps their work. Google says replies, posts and other actions they made stay on the profile.
- The primary owner can’t leave first. Transfer primary ownership to someone else before removing yourself.
Not verified yet?
If your profile isn’t verified, start there. My guide to Google Business Profile verification covers every method. Once people have access, my guide on how to edit your Business Profile explains why some changes go into review.
If you’d like me to look after your profile, add me as a manager and I’ll take it from there as part of my local SEO service.
