How to Give and Request Access to Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)

Whether you’re working with a marketing agency, freelancer, or internal team, you’ll likely need to share access to your Google Business Profile. Doing this correctly ensures the right people can manage your profile without unnecessary back-and-forth or permission issues.

And this matters more than you might think. 

76% of people who search for a local business visit within a day, and and 80% of local searches result in a conversion, so your Google Business Profile plays a key role in how customers find and choose your business.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to give and request access to a Google Business Profile safely, so you can collaborate without risking control of your account.

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TL;DR

Jump to the section you need:

• Part 1 (for business owners): How to give access to your Google Business Profile (no passwords needed)
• Part 2 (for agencies & freelancers): How to request access from clients
• Part 3 (Fastest way to get access): Use Leadsie to skip manual steps and get access from clients in minutes

🔗 Bonus: If you also need to manage access for other Google tools like Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics, we’ve got guides for that too.

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What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a free tool for local businesses that serve customers face-to-face to manage their online presence on Google Maps and Google Search results. Formerly known as Google My Business, it was streamlined and renamed in 2021. 

With a profile, your business will appear on Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping. A Google Business Profile shows up alongside search results and looks like this:

What can you do with a Google Business Profile?

‍Beyond just appearing in search, a Google Business Profile lets you manage how your business is presented. You can:

• Add essential details like operating hours, phone number, website, and location
• Upload photos, logos, and videos
• Highlight attributes (e.g., “wheelchair accessible” or “free Wi-Fi”)
• Share updates, offers, and events through posts
• Respond to reviews and answer customer questions
• Add action buttons for orders, bookings, or quote requests

It also provides insights into how customers find and interact with your business. You can see which keywords people use to discover you and track actions like calls, bookings, reviews, and clicks.

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Roles & permissions in Google Business Profile

❌ You should never share your Google login details to give someone access to your Business Profile. Doing so puts your entire account at risk, including access to other Google services like Gmail, Google Ads, or Analytics.

Instead, Google Business Profile has a built-in user permissions system that lets you safely grant access without sharing passwords.

There are two types of user roles: owners and managers.

Owners (full control)

Owners have complete control over the profile. They can:

• Add or remove users
• Update all business information (hours, contact details, website, etc.)
• Respond to reviews and manage posts
• Manage integrations like bookings or ads
• Delete the Business Profile

A profile can have multiple owners, but only one primary owner at a time.

Managers (day-to-day access)

Managers can handle most day-to-day tasks, including:

• Editing business information
• Responding to reviews and questions
• Creating posts and uploading photos
• Managing services, products, and updates

However, managers can’t:

• Add or remove users
• Delete the profile
• Transfer ownership

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Part 1: How to give access to a Google Business Profile

There are two ways to share access to your Google Business Profile, depending on whether the person you're inviting has a personal Google account or a Business Organization Account.

💡Important (for organization accounts): You cannot invite these users with an email address alone. You must use their full name as it is listed in their directory.

The steps for both options are listed below.

📝 Before you start:

• You must be an owner to add users
• The person you’re inviting must have a Google account
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i) Invite an individual with their email address

Step 1: Go to https://www.google.com/business/ and click ‘Sign in’ or ‘Manage now.’

Step 2: This is your Business Profile Manager dashboard. Click 'See your profile' for the business you want to add someone to.

Step 3: Click on the 3 dots (⠇) in the top right, then select 'Business Profile settings.'

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Step 4: On the popup, select 'People and access.'

Step 5: Click 'Add.'

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Step 6: Enter the email address of the person you want to add. Choose whether you want them to be an owner or a manager. We recommend giving agencies and freelancers 'manager access.'
💡 If you’re inviting an organization account, skip to the next section (section 1b).

Step 7: The invited person will receive a confirmation email. After they click 'Accept', they will have access to your Business Profile.

⚠️ Important: Newly added users may have limited access for the first 7 days. During this time, they won’t be able to:

• Remove other users
• Transfer ownership
• Delete the profile

This is a standard security measure.

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ii) How to invite an organization (Business Profile Group)

If you’re working with a larger company or agency, they may use a Business Profile Group (also known as a location group) to manage multiple listings.

In this case, you won’t invite an individual by email; instead, you’ll invite their organization.

Step 1: Follow the steps in the previous section up to Step 6.

Instead of entering an email address, start typing the name of the organization (Business Profile Group) or their ID.

If the organization exists and is accessible, it should appear in a dropdown

Step 2: Select the Business Profile group you want to invite. 

Step 3: Click 'Invite.'

The organization will receive the invitation in their Manage Invitations section. Once accepted, users within that organization will be able to access your profile based on the permissions granted.

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Edit or remove access to your Google Business Profile

If someone no longer needs access (for example, an agency you’ve stopped working with) or their role needs to change, you can update or remove their access at any time.

⚠️ Note: Only owners can change permissions or remove users.

1. Go to your Google Business Profile
2. Click More > Business Profile settings > People and access
3. Select the user you want to update or remove

To change a user’s permissions

• Next to Access, click “Edit”
• Choose the new role (Owner or Manager)
• Save your changes

To remove a user

• Click “Remove person”

Once removed the user will lose access immediately and they’ll be notified by email.

To remove yourself

You can also remove your own access if you no longer need to manage the profile:

• Select your name
• Click Stop managing > Confirm

⚠️ Important: If you’re the primary owner, you must transfer ownership of your Business Profile first.

Once removed, you’ll lose access immediately and you’ll need to be invited again if you want access in the future.

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Part 2: How to request access to a Google Business Profile (manual method)

If you’re an agency or freelancer who needs access to a client’s Google Business Profile, there are two main ways to do it.

💡 Note: You can also use this process if you’re a business owner trying to regain access to a profile that’s already owned by someone else.

‍Want to skip these steps altogether? If you’re onboarding clients regularly, you can use a tool like Leadsie to send a single access request link and get access in minutes (see Part 3).
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i) Request access using an individual Google account

Step 1: Go to https://business.google.com/create and sign in.

Step 2: Enter the name of the business you want to manage, then select the correct business from the dropdown and click ‘Request access.’

🔎 Seeing a screen that looks like you’re creating a new business? That’s normal. Just search for the business name, and you’ll be able to request access if it already exists.

or

‍💡 Pro tip: Can't find the business from the list? You'll have to ask the profile owner to add you manually with the steps in Part 1, or you can request access with Leadsie (Part 3) instead.

Step 3: Google will confirm that someone else may be managing this business profile. Click 'Request Access.'

Step 4: Fill out the request form and click ‘Submit.’

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‍The current owner will receive your request via email and they can approve or deny your access. Once approved, you’ll be added with the selected permissions.

⏳ This can take a few hours (or several days) depending on how quickly they respond.

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ii) How to request access using an Organization (Business Profile Manager)

If you manage multiple clients (e.g. as an agency), you can request access through an Organization Business Profile Manager. This helps centralize access requests and manage multiple listings in one place.

⚙️ Don’t have a Business Profile Manager? Go to https://business.google.com/agencysignup and set up your organization account. You’ll need to enter your agency website and connect it to your Google account.

Then follow these steps to request access:

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Organization Business Profile Manager

Step 2: Go to ‘Manage invitations.’

This is where you can view incoming invites from clients and track requests you’ve sent.

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Step 3: Click ‘Request access’ (top right).

Step 4: Select the appropriate Organization or Business Profile Group (if applicable).

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Step 5: Enter the name of the business you want access to and select the correct listing from the dropdown.

Step 6: Google will confirm this business is already claimed and ask you to enter your agency details.

Step 7: Click ‘Request Access.’

You can see all your pending requests in your Organization dashboard under Manage Invitations and Requests Sent.

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Once approved, you’ll receive a confirmation email and gain access.

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Part 3: A faster way to request Google Business Profile access with Leadsie

If you’re an agency managing multiple clients, the manual methods above can quickly become time-consuming, especially when you need to repeat the same process for every new client.

Leadsie is a client onboarding software that simplifies this by letting you send a single access request link to your clients and get access to their Google Business Profile in minutes.

Here’s how it works:

1. Your client logs in securely (no passwords shared)
2. They grant access in just a few clicks
3. You get instant access to their accounts

Leadsie supports Google Business Profile (including Organization accounts) as well as 31+ other marketing platforms, so you can request everything you need in one place using a single link.

What about removing access?

Leadsie also makes offboarding simple.

When a project ends, you can easily track and remove access so you’re not left with lingering permissions or chasing clients again later.

🔗 Want to automate more time-consuming parts of client onboarding? Learn the best ways to automate your onboarding process.

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🛠️ Troubleshooting Google Business Profile access issues

Even if you follow the steps correctly, you might still run into a few issues. Here are some less obvious problems and how to fix them.

I don’t see the business when trying to request access

This usually happens when:

• The business name is slightly different from what you’re searching
• The listing hasn’t been claimed or fully set up yet
• You’re logged into the wrong Google account

To fix this, try searching for the business directly on Google or Maps first, then access it from there. It also helps to try different variations of the business name and double-check that you’re logged into the correct Google account.

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I accidentally requested access to the wrong business

This can happen if there are multiple listings with similar names.

In this case, the best thing to do is simply ignore the request or let the owner know so they can decline it. Then go back and submit a new request, making sure the business name and location match exactly.

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I see duplicate listings for the same business

Duplicate listings can make it unclear which profile you should request access to.

The safest approach is to identify the main listing (usually the one with reviews and recent activity) and use that one. 

If duplicates are causing confusion, the business owner may need to remove or merge them before moving forward.

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The business has multiple locations, who do I request access from?

For multi-location businesses, access might be managed through a group rather than individual listings.

If you’re unsure, it’s worth asking your client whether they use a Business Profile Group. If they do, you’ll need access at that level. Otherwise, the easiest option is to ask them to add you manually.

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I have access, but I don’t see the profile

This is often an account issue rather than an access issue.

To resolve it:

• Make sure you’re logged into the same Google account that received access
• Check your Business Profile dashboard or search the business on Google while logged in
• Try switching accounts if you manage multiple

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I requested access, but I need it urgently

Manual requests can be slow since they rely on the owner responding.

If access is time-sensitive, it’s usually faster to ask the client to add you directly instead of waiting for approval. A quick follow-up message can also help move things along.

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⚡ Agency hack: Get access to all your clients’ marketing accounts with one Leadsie link 

Are you an agency that needs access to multiple marketing or social media accounts?

With Leadsie, you can request and receive access to all your clients’ accounts in just a few clicks. 

Leadsie is a client onboarding software that simplifies requesting and giving access to marketing assets, social media, and ad accounts with one secure link. Get access to your clients' X, Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, Shopify, LinkedIn, and other platform accounts without sharing passwords. 🔒

Leadsie automates account access management to deliver a fast, secure, and seamless client onboarding experience, helping you impress clients and showcase professionalism from day one.

✅ Minimize frustrating chaser emails and calls for access

✅ Reduces your agency's turnaround time by over 50%

✅ Scales with your agency as you grow beyond onboarding 5-10 new clients a week

✅ Makes it possible to get access to 23+ social, marketing, and analytics platforms at once

✅ Start billable work and billing cycles for your new clients without delays

🎁 Try a free 14-day trial on us—no credit card needed!‍

P.S. It's risk-free, and you get to keep your account connections after the trial ends. 🙌