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Quick answer: If you need to know how to add a user to Google Business Profile, open the correct profile in Google Search, select the three-dot menu, choose Business Profile settings, open People and access, select Add, enter the person’s Google-associated email, choose Manager or Owner, and send the invitation.
Manager is usually the right role for an agency, employee, or contractor; the business should retain primary ownership. Never share the controlling Google Account password. Follow Google’s official instructions for managing profile owners and managers alongside the five current screenshots below.
Google Business Profile access should always be granted through Google’s user controls. Do not send an employee, freelancer, or agency the password to the account that owns your listing. Individual access is safer, easier to remove, and creates clear accountability when your team changes.
Elite Web Professionals Client Access
If Elite Web Professionals is helping manage your profile, enter the Google-associated email provided in your onboarding instructions and select Manager. Keep your company-controlled account as the Primary owner. If you are unsure which address to use, contact us before sending the invitation.
Before You Add Anyone
- Sign into the Google Account that currently controls the profile.
- Confirm the correct profile is claimed and verified.
- Confirm you have Owner permission if you need to add or remove users.
- Confirm the invited person has a Google Account or Google-associated email.
- Confirm you are opening the correct business and location.
- Never share your Google password, backup codes, or two-factor authentication codes.
Owner vs. Manager: Choose the Right Role
The Primary owner should be a company-controlled account. A profile has only one Primary owner. Additional Owners can manage users and remove the profile, so reserve that role for trusted business leadership.
| Capability | Owner | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Edit business information, hours, photos, services, posts, and responses | Yes | Yes |
| Respond to reviews and manage day-to-day profile activity | Yes | Yes |
| Add or remove users and change their roles | Yes | No |
| Remove the Business Profile | Yes | No |
| Best use | Trusted business leadership that must control access | Employees, contractors, and agencies doing routine work |
For most outside partners, Manager is the appropriate role. It allows normal profile work without giving the partner authority to manage other users. Google explains the current role differences and restrictions in its official owner and manager documentation.
How to Add a User or Manager to Google Business Profile
Step 1 of 5
Step 1: Select the Correct Business Profile
Sign in to the Google Account that currently owns the listing. Search Google for your exact business name or search for my business. If you manage more than one location, select View profile beside the correct business. Pause and verify the business name, city, and website before changing access.
This first check prevents a common mistake: inviting a user to the wrong location while looking at a similar listing.
Step 2 of 5
Step 2: Open Business Profile Settings
From the business management panel in Google Search, select the three-dot menu. After opening the menu, select Business Profile settings. Google’s current interface manages access from Search and Maps rather than the older Google My Business dashboard.
If the controls do not appear, confirm that you are signed into an Owner account and that the management panel is open for the correct profile.
Step 3 of 5
Step 3: Select People and Access
Select People and access. This screen lists everyone who can manage the profile, their role, and any pending invitations. Review the list before adding anyone. An unfamiliar user, former employee, or previous agency should be investigated before you create another invitation.
Google formerly used the term site manager. In the current system, the day-to-day role is Manager.
Step 4 of 5
Step 4: Add the New User
Select Add near the top of the People and access screen. Use a named individual’s Google-associated email whenever possible, not a shared password. For Elite Web Professionals, enter the Google-associated email provided in your onboarding instructions.
The invitation gives the recipient access through their own Google Account. It does not reveal your password or transfer primary ownership.
Step 5 of 5
Step 5: Choose Manager and Send the Invitation
Enter the email carefully and choose Manager for most employees, contractors, and marketing agencies. Select Invite. Choose Owner only when that person must manage users or ownership and your business has approved that authority.
The recipient must accept the invitation with the same Google Account. Until then, the status may remain pending. New owners and managers can also face Google’s temporary seven-day limits on some sensitive actions.
What Happens After You Send the Invitation?
Google emails the invitation to the address you entered. The invited person must open it while signed into the matching Google Account and accept. After acceptance, confirm the person’s role on the People and access screen. If the invitation remains pending, verify the spelling and confirm which Google Account the recipient is using.
Security note: Google may limit certain actions for a newly added owner or manager for seven days. Do not transfer primary ownership simply to bypass a temporary restriction.
Troubleshooting Common Access Problems
- People and access is missing: sign into an Owner account; Managers cannot add or remove users.
- The Add option is missing: confirm your role is Owner and reload the correct management panel.
- You are signed into the wrong account: switch to the Google Account listed as an Owner.
- Someone else owns the profile: use Google’s ownership-request process; do not create a duplicate listing.
- The invite went to the wrong address: cancel it and send a new invitation rather than asking someone to forward it.
- The invitation is pending: ask the recipient to accept it using the exact Google Account invited.
- The profile is unverified: complete verification before relying on the profile for ongoing management.
- The wrong location or a duplicate appears: return to the managed-profile list and select the correct listing. For profile-quality problems, use our Business Profile accuracy guide.
- Google’s interface looks different: labels and positions can change; use the current Google access documentation as the source of truth. If the profile is suspended, follow our suspension guide.
How to Remove a Former Employee or Agency
An Owner can open Business Profile settings, select People and access, choose the former user, and select Remove person. Review access whenever an employee leaves, an agency engagement ends, or responsibilities change. If a new provider needs help improving local visibility, review our local SEO services before assigning the role.
Google Business Profile Security Checklist
- Keep the Primary owner account under company control.
- Turn on two-step verification for every account with access.
- Give agencies and routine staff the Manager role.
- Do not share passwords or verification codes.
- Review owners, managers, and pending invitations every quarter.
- Remove access promptly when work ends.
- Document who approved each Owner-level account.
- If you have not claimed the listing, start with our Google Business Profile claiming guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I give someone access to my Google Business Profile?
Open the correct profile, select the three-dot menu, choose Business Profile settings, open People and access, select Add, enter the person’s Google-associated email address, choose a role, and select Invite.
Should I add my marketing agency as an Owner or Manager?
Manager is the right role for most agencies because it supports normal profile work without allowing the agency to add users, remove users, or remove the profile.
Can I give access without sharing my Google password?
Yes. Invite each person through People and access so they use their own Google Account. Never share the password for the business-controlled account.
Why can’t I see People and access?
You may be signed into the wrong Google Account, managing the wrong location, or using a Manager account. Only an Owner can add, remove, or change other users.
Does the invited user need a Gmail address?
No. The person needs a Google Account, but a non-Gmail email address can be associated with a Google Account and used for the invitation.
Can a Manager add or remove other users?
No. Google limits user management to Owners. Managers can handle most day-to-day profile tasks but cannot add or remove users.
How do I remove a former employee or agency?
As an Owner, open Business Profile settings, select People and access, choose the person, and select Remove person.
What should I do if someone else owns my Business Profile?
Ask the current Owner to add your business-controlled Google Account. If that is not possible, use Google’s official ownership-request and recovery process.
Why is the Google Business Profile invitation still pending?
Access remains pending until the invited person opens the invitation with the correct Google Account and accepts it. Confirm the email address and resend or cancel the invitation if needed.
Can Elite Web Professionals manage my profile without becoming the Primary owner?
Yes. Elite Web Professionals can perform normal profile-management work as a Manager while your company-controlled Google Account remains the Primary owner.
Need Help Managing Your Google Business Profile?
Elite Web Professionals can help you organize access, correct profile information, and turn the listing into a dependable source of local leads while your company retains ownership. Contact Elite Web Professionals to discuss your profile and the safest next step.
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