How to add a manager to Google Business Profile, step by step 2026

You have a Google Business Profile that works well, but everything goes through you. Adding a manager to Google Business is one of those tasks that seems minor until the day you can't reply to a review, update your hours or post a photo because you're traveling or simply don't have time.

The problem isn't the tool. It's that many businesses work with a single account linked to the profile and, when someone on the team needs access, they don't know where to start.

In this article I explain how to add managers to your profile, what each role can do and how to avoid the mistakes I see most often when businesses manage access in Google Business Profile.

Why you need more than one manager on your Google Business Profile

Having one person manage a Google Business Profile is a single point of failure. If that person goes on vacation, gets sick or leaves the company, nobody else can do anything with the profile.

Think about Clínica Dental Sonrisa, a dental clinic. The owner created the profile with his personal email. One day they hire a receptionist to handle reviews and update the summer hours. Without access, the receptionist can't do anything. The owner has to do it himself or give her his personal password, which is an obvious security risk.

There are three situations where having more than one manager is essential:

• You have a marketing or social media team that handles the business's online presence.
• You work with an outside agency that needs access to optimize the profile.
• You have several locations and each location manager needs to manage their own.

On top of that, Google recommends having at least two owners per profile. If the main account runs into a problem or access is lost, you need a second person with owner permissions to regain control.

The practical takeaway is clear: add at least one trusted second owner today, even if you don't need one right away.

How to add a manager to Google Business Profile step by step

The process is straightforward. The person you're adding needs a Google account (a Gmail address or a Google Workspace account). Without one, you can't add them.

1. Open your profile: Go to business.google.com and sign in with the account that has the owner role.
2. Select the right profile: If you manage more than one, make sure you're on the profile you want to give access to.
3. Go to Business Profile settings: In the left-hand menu, look for "Business Profile settings", or get there from the three-dot icon at the top.
4. Open Managers: You'll see a section called "Managers" with all the users who already have access to that profile.
5. Click "Add": Enter the person's email address. It has to be exactly the email linked to their Google account.
6. Choose the role: Select Owner, Manager or Site manager. I'll explain what each one can do further down.
7. Confirm: The person will receive an invitation by email. Until they accept it, they'll show up as "Pending" in your list of managers.

Keep in mind that the invitation expires after 30 days if it isn't accepted. If the new manager can't find it, have them check their spam folder.

What permissions each role has: owner, manager and site manager

This is the detail that causes the most confusion. Google Business Profile has three different roles, and they can't all do the same things.

The Site manager role is the most limited. It can handle day-to-day tasks, but it can't touch the structure of the profile or manage other users. It's the ideal role for a front-desk employee or someone who will only reply to reviews.

The Manager role has almost the same permissions as the owner, except removing the profile or adding more managers. It's the role you should give your marketing lead or your agency.

The Owner role has full control. Remember that there can only be one primary owner (the one who created the profile), but you can have several additional owners.

Common mistakes when adding managers and how to avoid them

Let's look at the mistakes that happen most often so they don't happen to you.

1. Adding the wrong email. If the person has several Google accounts, you have to use exactly the one linked to their Google Business Profile. Ask them to confirm the email before you send it.

2. Giving owner permissions to the agency. This is the most serious mistake. If you give an outside agency the owner role and later end the relationship, they can remove the profile or transfer ownership. Always give them the manager role.

3. Not following up on the invitation. The invitation expires after 30 days. If it isn't accepted, you'll have to send it again. Always confirm the process has been completed.

4. Forgetting to revoke access when someone leaves. Cerrajería López, a locksmith, had exactly this problem: an employee who had been given manager access left the company and nobody removed their permissions. Months later, that employee still had access to the profile. Review who has access regularly.

5. Using the owner's personal email as the only owner. If that email runs into a security problem or access is lost, recovering the profile is a long, complicated process. Always have at least two owners.

How to remove a manager or change their role when you no longer need them

Removing a manager or changing their role is just as simple as adding one.

1. Go to Business Profile settings: Visit business.google.com and open the "Managers" section of the relevant profile.
2. Find the user: You'll see the list of everyone with access and their current role.
3. Click the three dots next to their name: There you'll find the options to change their role or remove their access completely.
4. Confirm the change: The change is immediate. The person loses access the moment you confirm.

Keep in mind that the primary owner can't be removed by anyone but themselves. If you want to transfer primary ownership to someone else, you first have to promote them to owner, and then the original owner can lower their own role or leave the profile.

That said, if you're the only owner, you can't remove your own access. You need to add another owner first.

When to delegate access to an agency or your marketing team

There are situations where delegating access is the right call. And there are situations where you need to be careful about it.

When to give access to an agency: Always with the manager role, never the owner role. The agency needs to be able to edit the profile, publish content, reply to reviews and see the stats. The manager role gives it all of that. What it doesn't need is the ability to remove the profile or add more users without your knowledge.

When to give access to your in-house team: If you have a marketing lead or someone who handles social media, the manager role is also the right one. If you'll only let someone reply to reviews or update the hours now and then, the site manager role is enough.

Restaurante La Brasa works with an agency that handles its digital marketing. They gave the agency's Google account manager access. That way the agency can update the menu, upload photos of the dishes and reply to reviews, but the owner is still the only owner and keeps full control.

If you manage your profile's reviews with local brain's ReviewSense, you can coordinate replies with your team without everyone needing direct access to Google Business Profile. And if you lose access to your profile, here's how to get it back through Google support.

Manage access to your profiles without losing control with local brain

Adding managers to Google Business is a one-off task, but day-to-day profile management never stops. Updating hours, replying to reviews, posting photos, checking stats… all of that takes time and organization.

With local brain you can manage all your Google Business Profiles from a single dashboard, without signing in and out of different Google accounts. If you have several locations or work with a team, the local brain Dashboard lets you centralize everything without losing track of who does what. And if you don't have a profile yet, start by creating your Google Business Profile.

Quick checklist

• ☐ You have at least two owners on every profile
• ☐ You've assigned the right role to each person (agency → manager, basic employee → site manager)
• ☐ You've confirmed that all managers have accepted their invitation
• ☐ You've reviewed the list of managers and removed access that's no longer needed
• ☐ No outside vendor has the owner role on your profile

Managing access to your Google Business Profile well is part of local SEO work. It's not just a technical matter: it's a matter of security and operational efficiency.

The first thing you should do today is check who has access to your profile right now. There may be people with permissions who shouldn't have them anymore. And if you're the only owner, add a second one before you need it.

If you want to take your profile management to the next level, try local brain and start managing everything from one place.