How to Add an Owner to Google My Business

Adding a new owner or manager to your Google Business Profile is one of those tasks that sounds simple but can feel a bit daunting. Who gets what permissions? How do you make sure you don’t accidentally give away the keys to your entire business listing? This guide clears up all the confusion. We’ll walk through the exact steps to add a new owner, explain the difference between roles, and show you how to securely transfer primary ownership when the time is right.

Why Add a New Owner to Your Google Business Profile?

Managing a business listing effectively often requires a team. While you might be the sole captain of the ship right now, you’ll likely need to give someone else high-level access eventually. There are a few common scenarios where this becomes necessary:

• Selling Your Business: If you're handing over the business to a new person, you’ll need to transfer primary ownership of the Business Profile to them.
• Bringing on a Partner: A new business partner will probably need equal access to manage the business's online presence, respond to reviews, and view analytics.
• Granting Agency Access: A marketing or SEO agency you’ve hired may need owner-level permissions to fully manage your listing, connect it to other tools like Google Ads, or troubleshoot problems.
• Delegating Responsibilities: You might want to give a trusted employee, like a general manager or marketing lead, owner access so they can manage everything without needing your login.
• Creating a Failsafe: Having a second trusted owner on the account acts as a backup. If you ever lose access to your primary Google account, the second owner can still manage the profile and help you regain access.

Whatever your reason, understanding the process is the first step toward delegating with confidence.

Before You Begin: Understanding User Roles (Owner vs. Manager)

Before you send that invitation, it’s vital to know what you’re giving away. Google Business Profile has simplified its user roles into two main categories, plus the special designation of "Primary Owner." Choosing the right one prevents accidental deletions or unauthorized changes.

Primary Owner

This is the big one. There can only be one Primary Owner per profile. This person has ultimate control. In addition to all the regular owner capabilities, a Primary Owner is the only user who can transfer ownership to someone else or delete themselves from the profile. You can’t be removed by another user, you have to choose to hand over power.

Owner

An Owner can do almost everything a Primary Owner can do. They can:

• Edit all business information (address, hours, phone number, etc.).
• Create posts, upload photos and videos, and answer Q&As.
• Respond to reviews.
• View all insights and analytics.
• Add and remove other users (except the Primary Owner).
• Delete the business profile.

The key difference is that an Owner can be removed from the profile by the Primary Owner. You should only grant this role to someone you completely trust, like a business partner, the owner of your agency, or a top executive.

Manager

A Manager is the role for day-to-day operations. It's the perfect permission level for a social media manager, a trusted employee, or an agency team member who handles updates and customer interactions. A Manager can:

• Update most business details like hours and photos (but not "critical" information like the business name or address).
• Create Google Posts, add photos, and set up booking features.
• Respond to customer reviews.
• View analytics and insights.

A Manager cannot add or remove other users, edit primary business details, or delete the business profile. This is the safest option for anyone who doesn't need full administrative control.

How to Add an Owner to Your Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

You no longer use a separate "Google My Business" dashboard. All management happens directly within Google Search or Google Maps. The process is very straightforward.

First, make sure you are logged into the Google account that is the Primary Owner or an Owner of the profile you wish to edit.

Method 1: Using Google Search (The Easiest Way)

1. Open Google and Search for Your Business: Go to google.com and type your exact business name into the search bar. Alternatively, you can just search for the phrase "my business."
2. Find Your Management Panel: If you're logged in correctly, a management panel will appear at the top of the search results showing your business info and several tools like "Edit profile," "Read reviews," and "Messages."
3. Open Business Profile Settings: Click the three vertical dots menu icon on the right side of the tool panel. A dropdown menu will appear. Select “Business Profile settings.”
4. Go to "People and access": A new window will pop up. In the menu on the left, click on “People and access.”
5. Add a New User: Click the blue icon near the top left that shows a person with a plus sign next to them. This will open the "Add user" window.
6. Enter Their Email and Role: Type in the email address of the person you want to invite. Crucially, this must be associated with a Google account. Below their email, you'll see "Access." Click on it and select “Owner.”
7. Send the Invitation: Click the blue "Invite” button. And that’s it! An invitation has been sent to their email.

The person you invited must accept the email invitation before they can access the profile. Until they do, their status will show as "Pending" in your "People and access" panel.

Method 2: Using the Google Maps App

Many business owners manage their profiles from their phones. If you prefer using the Google Maps app, the steps are nearly identical.

1. Open Google Maps: Open the app and ensure you are logged into the correct account.
2. Access Your Business Profiles: Tap your profile picture or initial in the top-right corner. From the menu, select "Your Business Profiles."
3. Select the Correct Profile: If you manage multiple businesses, choose the one you want to edit from the list.
4. Find the Settings: Look through the available tools and tap the three-dot menu, then select “Business Profile settings.”
5. Go to "People and access" and Invite: Just like on desktop, tap “People and access” and then the “Add user” icon. Enter their email address, select "Owner" as the role, and tap "Invite."

How to Transfer Primary Ownership

If you're selling your business or handing off control completely, you'll need to transfer a key designation: Primary Ownership. Before you can do this, two conditions must be met:

• You must be the current Primary Owner.
• The person you are transferring ownership to must already be an "Owner" on the profile for at least 7 days. You cannot transfer primary ownership to a manager or someone with a pending invitation.

If those conditions are met, here are the steps:

1. Follow steps 1-4 from the guide above to get to the “People and access” panel.
2. In the list of users, find the person you want to anoint as the new Primary Owner. Click on their name.
3. Their user details will open. You’ll see an option to change their role. Select “Primary owner” from the dropdown.
4. Google will ask you to confirm this action, as it is a major - and irreversible - step. Read the warning carefully and click “Done” to confirm.

Once you transfer primary ownership, you will be demoted to a regular "Owner." This means the new Primary Owner now has the power to remove you from the profile if they wish.

Best Practices for Managing Google Business Profile Users

Granting access to your profile is built on trust, but following a few simple rules can protect you from future headaches.

• Apply the Principle of Least Privilege: Always grant the lowest level of permission necessary for someone to do their job. If an employee only needs to create posts and respond to reviews, make them a Manager, not an Owner.
• Use Company Email Addresses: Whenever possible, send invitations to a person's work email address (e.g., jane@yourbusiness.com) instead of a personal one (e.g., C00lJane@gmail.com). If that team member ever leaves the company, you can simply deactivate their work email, which helps manage access.
• Perform Regular Audits: Once every few months, visit the "People and access" panel and review who has permission. Remove anyone who is an outdated agency, a former employee, or anyone else who no longer needs access.
• Be Clear with Agencies: Communication is key when working with a third-party marketing or SEO agency. Ask them what level of access they need and why. For most tasks, Manager access is sufficient. They might request Owner access for a short time to connect your profile to proprietary tools or diagnostic software, which is fine, as long as you remain the Primary Owner.

Final Thoughts

Adding an owner is a straightforward process, but knowing the different roles is what helps turn delegation from a worry into a strategic advantage. By carefully choosing between Owner and Manager roles and performing regular audits, you can securely collaborate with partners, employees, and agencies to keep your Google Business Profile optimized and engaging for customers.

We know how much work goes into managing all the different sides of your brand’s online presence - from your Business Profile to your social media channels. It can feel like a dozen full-time jobs. That’s why we built Postbase. To give you back your time, we've brought all your social media scheduling, engagement, and analytics into one simple, frustration-free platform. While we handle making your social media management feel easy, you'll have more time to focus on other vital areas of your business, like connecting with customers through Google.