The profile was set up years ago by a web designer, an employee who has since left, or a mate who helped out, and the login went with them. Google has a set process for this: check who controls the profile, request access, and claim it if the owner doesn’t respond. Then add anyone who helps as a manager, so the business stays the owner.
The steps come from Google’s help pages, linked as each one comes up. The decisions sit with Google and the current owner, so nobody outside Google can promise you get the profile back.
Check whether you already own it
Google’s page on requesting ownership says that if you look up your profile and there is no Claim this business or Own this business button, you might already be the owner. Google’s verification page adds that you have to be signed in to the Google Account associated with a profile to find it, so try each account the business has used.
| What you see | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Claim this business on the Google Maps About tab | The profile hasn't been claimed yet | Claim it and verify |
| Own this business? leads to a screen saying Manage this business to reply to reviews, update info and more | The profile hasn't been claimed yet | Claim it and verify |
| Own this business? leads to a screen saying Someone else may manage this Business Profile | Someone has claimed it | Request access |
| No claim or own button at all | You might already be the owner | Sign in to each Google Account the business has used |
| You can't sign in to the account that verified it | The login has been lost | Use Google's Accounts troubleshooter |
The screens to look for come from Google’s page on protecting your profile. For a forgotten username or password, Google’s page on duplicate profiles and ownership issues points to the Accounts troubleshooter.
If nobody has claimed it
An unverified profile can be claimed directly. Google’s page on adding or claiming a profile gives the steps: open Google Maps on a computer, search for the business name and city, select Claim this business, then Manage now, then pick a verification option and follow the instructions. In the Google Maps app, Claim this business sits under the About tab. Google says you can add or claim a business at no charge.
Verification comes next. The methods Google offers, and the mistakes that slow it down, are in Google Business Profile verification.
If someone else owns it: request access
For a shopfront or hybrid business, Google’s ownership page sets out the request.
- Go to business.google.com/addUse a Google Account the business controls. It is the account that can manage the profile if the request is approved.
- Find the businessEnter the business name and address, then choose the business from the list.
- Select Request accessGoogle shows a message saying someone else may manage this Business Profile. Select Request access.
- Fill in the form and submitGoogle emails you a confirmation. You can check the status from your Business Profile or the link in that email.
Google then notifies the current owner by email, and the owner has three days to respond.
| Outcome | What happens | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| Approved | You get an approval email | Manage the profile. New owners wait seven days before some changes |
| Denied | You get a rejection email | Suggest an edit to the profile, or try to appeal the decision |
| No response after three days | You may have the option to claim the profile | Open the confirmation email, select View request, then Verify, and follow the steps |
Google says the option to claim a profile isn’t always available. If none of this works, contact Business Profile support through the Contact us link on Google’s help pages.
Service-area businesses use a different route
The request above is for shopfront and hybrid businesses. For a service-area business, one that works at the customer’s location and has no physical shop or office, Google’s ownership page says to contact its support team instead. In the Tell us what we can help with field, enter Transfer ownership of listing, and choose Transfer ownership of listing as the issue when you submit.
When an old agency, web designer or employee has it
Who has the profile changes the route. This is what Google’s pages cover for each case.
- An agency or other third party. Google’s third-party policies apply to an authorised agency that manages a profile for a business it doesn’t own, with examples such as a digital marketing agency or an SEO company. They say the business must keep ownership or co-ownership of its profile at all times, and that within seven working days of the client’s notice, the agency must let the client regain exclusive control and give up its own permissions. Keeping a profile hostage in exchange for money is listed as a prohibited practice. A breach can be reported through Google’s third-party complaint form. Google’s third-party tips say it might not respond personally, but it investigates and takes action if necessary.
- A former employee, family member or friend. The same routes apply: the access request and its three-day window, the service-area contact route, or Business Profile support.
- Someone who will cooperate. Ask them to add your Google Account as an owner and then transfer primary ownership to you, using the steps further down. The profile and its reviews stay in place.
Whichever applies, don’t start a new profile to get around it (the duplicates section below explains why), and keep a written record of what you asked for and when.
Owners and managers
Google’s page on owners and managers sets out the two roles:
- Owners have full control. They can add or remove users, manage the profile’s information and delete the profile. A profile can have several owners but only one primary owner.
- Managers have mostly the same access, including editing details, replying to reviews and publishing posts. They can’t add or remove users or remove the profile.
Each person needs their own Google Account, so nobody has to share a password. Google Groups can’t be added as owners or managers. A new owner or manager has to wait seven days before they can delete or undelete the profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership.
Add a manager safely
- Check the business is the ownerIn your Business Profile, select More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access. The page lists current users and pending invites.
- Invite the person as a managerOn People and access, select Add, enter their email address, choose Manager under Access and select Invite. They need their own Google Account.
- Keep ownership with the businessGoogle's protection page says owners can edit and transfer ownership, so add owners with extra care, and keep your own access if a third party manages the profile.
- Never hand over a codeGoogle says it will never ask for a one-time password or PIN, and that a verification code shouldn't be shared with anyone, even people who manage the profile.
- Remove people who leaveOn People and access, select the person, then Remove person. Only owners can remove users. Their past replies and posts stay on the profile.
- Ignore requests from strangersGoogle says not to approve owner or manager requests unless you know the person asking.
The safety points come from Google’s pages on protecting your profile and verifying your business. Google’s third-party policies also tell agencies to ask a client with an existing profile to invite them as a manager, not as an owner. Its third-party tips add: get an official copy of any agreement that sets out the services and their costs.
Handing over: transfer primary ownership
Only the primary owner can transfer primary ownership, and the person receiving it has to be an owner or manager already. Google’s transfer page gives the steps: in your Business Profile, select More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access, select the person, select Edit next to Access, choose Primary owner and save.
A primary owner can’t remove themselves from a profile until they have transferred primary ownership. If the business itself is being sold, Google says to transfer primary ownership to the new owner so the business information and reviews are kept, and its page on moving reviews says not to create a new profile because of a change in ownership.
Duplicates: one business, one profile
Google’s page on duplicate profiles says each business can have only one profile, and that a profile treated as a duplicate won’t show on Google Search or Maps. The reasons it gives are that a verified profile already exists for the business, several profiles share an address, or there are separate profiles for different services of the same business.
- Made a duplicate by mistake? Google says you can remove it without affecting your verified profile, but removing it also removes all its content and linked managers, so check you are removing the right one. The steps are on its page about removing a profile from your account.
- Two profiles for the same business on Maps? Request a merge by marking the place as a duplicate on Google Maps: Suggest an edit, then Place closed or not here, then Duplicate of another place. Google reviews every merge request, combines the reviews when profiles merge, and says replies to reviews may be lost.
- Moved, or added a service? Update the existing profile. Google says not to create a new profile for a new location or a separate profile for each service.
Where Kovus stands
Kovus works on a client’s profile as a manager, using the steps above. The business adds Josh as a manager and stays the verified owner, so the profile remains the business’s. Google Business Profile management is part of the Kovus SEO plan, from A$197 a month. Kovus cannot take a profile from its current owner or decide an access request. Those decisions belong to the owner and to Google.
Setting the profile up once you have it is covered in the Google Business Profile guide. If the profile has been suspended, see Google Business Profile suspended, and for reviews that break Google’s rules, see how to get a fake Google review removed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I claim my business on Google if someone else already has it?
Go to business.google.com/add, find the business and select Request access when Google says someone else may manage the profile. The current owner is emailed and has three days to respond. If they don't, you may be able to claim it from the link in your confirmation email, though Google says that option isn't always available.
What happens if the current owner denies my request?
Google says you can still suggest an edit to the profile and can try to appeal the decision.
My business works at customers' places. Is the process different?
Yes. For a service-area business with no physical shop or office, Google says to contact its support team and enter Transfer ownership of listing as the issue.
What is the difference between an owner and a manager?
Owners have full control, including adding and removing users and deleting the profile. Managers have mostly the same access but can't add or remove users or remove the profile. A profile can have several owners but only one primary owner.
Should I give my agency owner access?
Google's third-party policies tell agencies to ask a client with an existing profile to invite them as a manager, not as an owner, and say clients must keep ownership or co-ownership of their profile at all times.
My old agency still has the profile. What can I do?
Google's third-party policies say that within seven working days of a client's notice, an agency must let the client regain exclusive control of the profile, and they list keeping a profile hostage for money as a prohibited practice. A breach can be reported through Google's third-party complaint form. For a former employee or friend, the routes are the access request and Business Profile support.
Can I just make a new profile instead?
No. Google allows one profile per business, and a profile it treats as a duplicate won't show on Google Search or Maps. Request access to the existing one.