How to Grant Access to Google My Business

Collaborating on your Google Business Profile doesn't have to mean sharing your personal login details. This guide walks you through exactly how to grant secure access to team members, marketing agencies, or partners, so you can delegate tasks without giving away the keys to your entire Google account. We’ll cover how to add and remove users, explain the different permission levels, and share some best practices to keep your profile secure.

Why You Need to Grant Access to Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB) is a powerful tool for attracting local customers. It’s often the first impression someone has of your business. But managing it effectively - responding to reviews, updating hours, posting updates and photos - takes time. Giving access to others lets you share the workload safely and efficiently.

Common scenarios for granting access include:

• Hiring a Marketing Agency: An agency can manage your profile for you, optimizing it for local search and keeping it updated with fresh content.
• Onboarding a New Employee: A new social media manager or local marketing coordinator will need access to respond to customer inquiries and post updates.
• Working with a Freelancer: You might hire a photographer to upload professional photos or a copywriter to create compelling Google Posts.
• Adding a Business Partner: If you co-own the business, it’s smart for multiple trusted individuals to have high-level access in case one person becomes unavailable.

Instead of passing around your password (a major security risk!), Google’s user management system lets you assign specific roles to different people, giving them just the permissions they need to do their jobs.

Understanding the User Roles in Google Business Profile

Before you start inviting people, it’s important to understand the different levels of access you can grant. Choosing the right role prevents people from accidentally making changes they shouldn't.

There are three main roles you’ll work with:

Primary Owner

There can only be one Primary Owner per profile. This role has the highest level of permissions and is the only role that cannot be removed by another user unless they transfer primary ownership first.

• Can do everything an Owner can do.
• Has ultimate control and cannot be removed by others.
• Should only be the actual business owner or a deeply trusted C-level executive.

Heads Up: Never grant a third-party agency "Primary Owner" status. This would give them the power to remove the Primary Owner from your own profile, effectively hijacking your listing. Legitimate agencies will almost always request "Owner" or "Manager" access.

Owner

You can have multiple Owners. They have almost the same capabilities as the Primary Owner, just without the ultimate final say. This role is ideal for business partners or trusted senior managers.

• What they CAN do: Add and remove other users, edit all business information, respond to reviews, use messaging, post content, view insights, and even delete the business profile.
• What they CAN’T do: They cannot remove the Primary Owner without the Primary Owner first transferring their status.

Manager

This is the most common role you will assign. It’s perfect for employees, agency partners, or freelancers who need to perform daily management tasks but shouldn't have the ability to make major structural changes to the account.

• What they CAN do: Edit business information (like hours or address), respond to reviews, manage photos and videos, create Google Posts, and view insights.
• What they CAN’T do: Add or remove other users, edit core business details like the business name (often requires re-verification), or delete the profile.

For most day-to-day marketing tasks, the Manager role provides all the necessary permissions without unnecessary risk.

How to Add a New User to Your Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to invite your first team member? The process is straightforward. To get started, you’ll need to be signed into the Google account that is either an Owner or Primary Owner of the profile you want to share.

Follow these steps:

1. Find Your Business Profile on Google Search

The easiest way to access your profile manager is to open a Google search page and type “my business” into the search bar. This will bring up a management dashboard visible only to you.

2. Access the Profile Settings

In the management panel, look for the three vertical dots icon (the menu). Click it, and then select “Business Profile settings” from the dropdown list.

3. Navigate to "People and access"

In the settings menu that appears, click on “People and access.” This section is where you manage all users who have permission to edit your profile.

4. Invite the New User

In the top left of the “People and access” screen, you will see a blue icon with a person and a plus sign. Click this “Add” button to invite a new user.

5. Enter Their Email Address and Choose a Role

A pop-up will appear. In the "Email address" field, type the Google account email of the person you want to invite. Below the email field, you will see the permission options: Owner or Manager. Select the appropriate role based on what you learned in the section above.

6. Send the Invitation

Once you’ve entered the email and selected a role, click the “Invite” button. The recipient will receive an email notifying them of the invitation. They must accept it before they can access and manage your profile.

On your “People and access” screen, you will see their name listed as "Invited" until they accept.

How to Remove a User from Your Google Business Profile

Circumstances change. An employee may leave, or your contract with an agency might end. It’s a critical security practice to remove access for anyone who no longer needs it. The process is just as simple as adding someone.

1. Go Back to "People and access"

Follow steps 1-3 from the section above to navigate back to the user management screen (Search for "my business" >, Click menu icon >, Business Profile settings >, People and access).

2. Select the User to Remove

You’ll see a list of everyone who currently has access to your profile. Find the person you want to remove and click on their name or email address.

3. Remove Their Access

This will open a screen showing their current role. You’ll see a button that says “Remove person.” Click it.

4. Confirm the Removal

A confirmation window will appear to make sure you didn’t click by accident. Click “Remove” to finalize the action. The user's access will be revoked immediately, and they’ll get an email notification about the change.

Best Practices for Managing Your Profile Access Securely

Managing who can edit your public business profile deserves a bit of care. Here are a few tips to keep your profile secure and running smoothly.

• The Principle of Least Privilege: Always grant the lowest level of access required for someone to do their job. If someone only needs to upload photos and respond to reviews, make them a Manager, not an Owner.
• Use Professional Email Addresses: When working with an agency or company, ask them to request access using a company email address (e.g., `sara@marketingagency.com`) rather than a personal Gmail account. This keeps the access tied to the organization, not an individual who might leave.
• Conduct Regular Audits: Every few months, go to the “People and access” section and review who has access. If you see names of former employees or agencies you no longer work with, remove them right away.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Say No to "Primary Owner" Requests: Any legitimate marketer understands that they do not need primary ownership to manage your profile. If someone demands it, it’s a big red flag. Politely decline and offer Owner or Manager access instead.

What If You Need to Request Access?

If you're an agency or new employee, you might be the one needing to gain access. You can proactively request it. Search for the business name on Google Maps. On their profile, click the "Own this business? / Claim this business" link. This will either let you claim an unmanaged profile, or if it is already managed, it will give you an option to request access from the current owner. They will receive an email with your request, which they can either approve or deny.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to properly manage user access to your Google Business Profile is a foundational skill for any business owner or marketer today. By using roles like "Owner" and "Manager" correctly, you can securely delegate tasks, collaborate with a team, and maintain control over one of your most valuable local digital assets.

Once your team is in place, the challenge shifts to keeping your online presence cohesive across all platforms. For all the social media marketing connected to your local strategy, we know how time-consuming it is to create unique content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook. We actually built Postbase to solve this exact headache for ourselves. It provides one simple visual calendar to plan, schedule, and analyze your content across all your social channels, helping you create a unified brand voice that attracts and engages your local community without the chaos of switching between a dozen apps.