September 24, 2026
Google Business Profile Access: Owner or Manager?
Guidance checked on 24 September 2026.
Delegating review replies or opening-hour updates should start with a clear access decision. Before inviting a colleague or agency to your Google Business Profile, agree who will do the work, who can approve changes and who keeps responsibility when the arrangement ends.
Understand the two roles
Google says owners can control the profile and add or remove users. Managers can handle everyday work, including profile edits, posts and review replies, but cannot add or remove other users or remove the profile. Each person can use their own Google Account, so sharing a password is unnecessary. [1]
A manager role still allows meaningful public changes. Treat the invitation as a working responsibility, not simply permission to view a dashboard. Match access to the actual job.
Agree the work before sending an invitation
Our suggested handoff is a short written record naming the location, the person doing the work and the business contact who approves sensitive changes. Separate routine corrections from decisions that need discussion.
Use this internal template and replace the placeholders:
Profile: [location]. Responsible person: [name]. Agreed tasks: [list]. Changes needing approval: [list]. Business approver: [name]. Access review date: [date].
For review replies, agree how the person will check disputed facts, protect customer information and pass unresolved complaints to the right colleague. Access alone does not tell someone what they are authorized to say.
Keep the business in control when using an agency
Google’s third-party policies require the client to retain ownership or co-ownership. Their account-management guidance recommends manager access for an agency helping with an existing profile. Agencies must have explicit approval to answer reviews; verbal consent is insufficient. Changes also require the business owner’s consent. [2]
Invite the intended person and verify access
An owner can open Business Profile settings, then People and access, choose Add, enter the email address, select the role and send the invitation. That page also shows pending invitations. New owners and managers face a seven-day restriction on certain actions, including removing other users and transferring primary ownership. [1]
Check the recipient through a contact channel you already trust. Google advises limiting access to essential people, removing former employees’ access and declining unexpected access requests from people you do not know. It also recommends two-step verification for the Google Account. [3]
Use a simple handoff checklist
- Confirm the exact location and intended Google Account before inviting anyone.
- Record the agreed tasks and approval contact somewhere the business can retrieve them.
- After acceptance, check the person’s role in People and access; do not assume a sent invitation was accepted.
- Set a review date for access, and include an access check when staff or agency arrangements change.
Before a handoff ends, collect outstanding work and identify who will handle the next customer response. Have an authorized owner review access changes. A clear record helps the next person continue service without guessing what was agreed.
Read our guide to responding to a negative Google review