How to Give Agency Access to Your Google Business Profile
Meta Description: Learn how to grant agency access to your Google Business Profile step by step. Add managers safely to help optimise your local SEO and manage your business listing.
Introduction
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is one of the most important assets for local visibility. It determines how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps, influencing whether potential customers find you, trust you, and ultimately choose to visit or contact you.
Many businesses partner with marketing agencies to optimise their Google Business Profile, manage reviews, post updates, and ensure their information remains accurate and engaging. To enable this collaboration, you need to grant your agency appropriate access to your profile.
This guide walks you through the complete process of adding an agency or individual manager to your Google Business Profile, explaining the different access levels and helping you troubleshoot common issues.
Prerequisites
Before granting agency access to your Google Business Profile, ensure the following requirements are met:
1. Ownership or Management Rights
You must be an Owner or Manager of the Google Business Profile to add new users. Primary Owners have the most control and can add other Owners. Managers can add other Managers but not Owners.
2. A Verified Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile should be verified. Unverified profiles have limited functionality, and you may encounter restrictions when trying to add users.
3. The Agency's Google Account Email
Your agency will provide a Gmail address or Google Workspace email address that they use to manage client accounts. This is the email you will use to grant access.
4. Access to Your Google Account
You need to be logged into the Google account that owns or manages the Business Profile. Ensure you know which Google account is associated with your profile.
5. Updated Recovery Information
Before making changes to access permissions, confirm that your Google account has current recovery email and phone information for security purposes.
Understanding Google Business Profile Roles
Google Business Profile offers three access levels, each with different capabilities:
Primary Owner
There can be only one Primary Owner per profile. This role has complete control, including the ability to remove other Owners, delete the profile, and transfer primary ownership. The Primary Owner is typically the business owner themselves.
Owner
Owners have extensive control over the profile. They can edit business information, manage photos and posts, respond to reviews, view insights, and add or remove other users (except the Primary Owner). Most business owners grant themselves or trusted partners this role.
Manager
Managers can perform day-to-day tasks such as editing business information, responding to reviews, adding photos, creating posts, and viewing insights. They cannot remove Owners or other Managers added by Owners, and they cannot delete the profile. This is the most appropriate role for marketing agencies.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Adding Agency Access
Step 1: Access Your Google Business Profile
Open your web browser and navigate to business.google.com or search for your business name in Google while logged into your Google account. If you see your Business Profile, click Manage Your Business Profile or look for the option to Edit Profile.
Alternatively, you can search for "my business" in Google Search while logged in, which often displays management options for your profile directly.
Step 2: Navigate to Business Profile Settings
Once you are viewing your Business Profile, look for the three-dot menu or the More button (depending on your interface). Click on this and select Business Profile Settings from the dropdown menu.
On some interfaces, you may need to click on Edit Profile first, then look for a settings gear icon.
Step 3: Select Managers
In the Business Profile Settings, look for the Managers or People and Access option. Click on this to view current users who have access to your profile.
You will see a list of all Owners and Managers currently associated with the profile, along with their email addresses and access levels.
Step 4: Add a New Manager
Click the Add button, often represented by a plus sign or the text Add Managers. A dialog box will appear requesting an email address.
Enter the email address provided by your agency. This must be a Google account (Gmail or Google Workspace). Non-Google email addresses cannot be added.
Step 5: Select the Access Level
After entering the email address, you will be prompted to select the access level for the new user. The options are:
- Owner – Full control excluding Primary Owner removal
- Manager – Day-to-day management capabilities
For most agency relationships, select Manager. This provides sufficient access for profile optimisation, review management, and content creation without granting the ability to remove other users or delete the profile.
Step 6: Send the Invitation
Click Invite or Add to send the invitation. The agency will receive an email notification at the address you provided, containing a link to accept the invitation.
The invitation will show as pending in your Managers list until the agency accepts it.
Step 7: Confirm Agency Acceptance
Contact your agency to notify them of the pending invitation. They must click the link in the invitation email and accept access within 30 days, or the invitation will expire.
Once accepted, the agency will appear in your Managers list with their designated role, and they can begin working on your profile.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Adding Access via Google Business Profile Manager Dashboard
If you manage multiple locations, you may use the Google Business Profile Manager dashboard:
Step 1: Go to Business Profile Manager
Navigate to business.google.com/locations and log in with your Google account.
Step 2: Select Your Business
If you manage multiple businesses, select the specific location you want to share access for. Click on the business name to enter its management interface.
Step 3: Access User Management
Click on Users in the left-hand navigation menu or look for a people icon. This displays current users and their access levels.
Step 4: Add User
Click Add User or the plus icon. Enter the agency's Google account email address and select the appropriate access level (Owner or Manager).
Step 5: Complete the Invitation
Click Invite to send the invitation. The process proceeds the same as described above—the agency receives an email and must accept to gain access.
Managing Multiple Locations
If your business has multiple locations and you want to grant agency access to all of them:
Step 1: Create a Location Group
In the Business Profile Manager, you can create location groups to manage multiple profiles together. Navigate to Businesses and look for options to group locations.
Step 2: Add the Agency to the Group
Instead of adding the agency to each location individually, add them as a Manager or Owner of the entire location group. This grants access to all profiles within the group.
Step 3: Verify Access
Ask your agency to confirm they can see all relevant locations in their Business Profile Manager dashboard.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Issue: Cannot Find the Option to Add Managers
You may not have Owner-level access to the profile. Only Owners can add other Owners, and Owners or Managers can add Managers. Check your access level and request an upgrade if needed.
Issue: Email Address Not Accepted
The email must be associated with a Google account. If your agency uses a non-Gmail address, they need to either use a Google Workspace email or create a Google account using their work email.
Issue: Invitation Not Received
Ask the agency to check their spam folder. Google invitations sometimes get filtered. If not found, try resending the invitation after verifying the email address spelling.
Issue: Invitation Expired
Invitations expire after 30 days. If the agency did not accept in time, you will need to send a new invitation.
Issue: Profile Shows as Unverified
Some features are limited for unverified profiles. Complete the verification process (postcard, phone, or email verification) before adding managers.
Issue: Wrong Profile Accessed
If you have multiple Google accounts, you may be logged into the wrong one. Sign out and sign in with the account that owns the correct profile.
Issue: Cannot Remove a Previous Agency
Only Owners can remove other users. If you are a Manager, you cannot remove someone who was added by an Owner. Contact your Primary Owner to make the change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my agency access my Google account?
No. Granting Business Profile access does not give the agency access to your Google account, Gmail, Drive, or any other Google services. They can only manage the specific Business Profile you shared.
Can the agency change my business name or address?
Yes, Managers can edit business information including name, address, hours, and categories. Google may require verification for significant changes to prevent abuse.
Can I remove agency access at any time?
Yes. Return to the Managers section and click the remove icon next to the agency's email. Removal is immediate.
How many people can I add to my profile?
There is no strict limit on the number of Owners and Managers you can add. However, Google may flag unusual patterns for security review.
Can the agency respond to reviews as my business?
Yes, Managers can respond to reviews on behalf of the business. Responses appear as coming from the business, not from the individual's personal account.
What is the difference between Owner and Primary Owner?
The Primary Owner is the original verifier of the profile or the person ownership was transferred to. There can only be one Primary Owner, and they cannot be removed by other Owners. Owners have nearly identical permissions but can be removed by the Primary Owner.
Can the agency see my profile analytics?
Yes. Both Owners and Managers can view performance insights including search queries, views, clicks, and customer actions.
Conclusion
Adding agency access to your Google Business Profile enables professional management of your local presence while maintaining ownership and control. By granting Manager-level access, your agency can optimise your listing, respond to reviews, and keep your information current—all without compromising your account security.
Review your profile's user list periodically to ensure that only current partners have access, and remove former agencies promptly when relationships end.
If you are looking for expert assistance with your Google Business Profile, Core Operative AI specialises in local SEO and business profile optimisation. We help businesses improve their visibility in local search results, generate more reviews, and convert searchers into customers.
Ready to dominate local search? Contact Core Operative AI today to learn how we can optimise your Google Business Profile for maximum visibility and engagement.
Last updated: February 2026