If you need to update business information, respond to reviews, add photos, or manage other available features, you first need to sign in with a Google account that has access to the Business Profile.
Google Business Profile access can become confusing when a business has multiple Google accounts, several team members, a previous employee or agency involved, or an existing profile that does not appear when the expected account is used.
Quick Answer: To access your Google Business Profile, sign in to a Google account that has access to the profile and find the business on Google Search or Maps. If you cannot manage it, confirm that you are using the correct account and check whether that account has owner or manager access. If another person controls the profile, you may need to request access.
How Do You Access Your Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profiles can be managed through Google Search and Google Maps when you are signed in to a Google account that has access to the profile.
A practical way to start is:
- Sign in to a Google account that has access to the Business Profile.
- Open Google Search.
- Search for your business name or search for “my business.”
- Look for the Business Profile management options shown to the signed-in account.
- Select the appropriate option for the information or feature you need to manage.
The management actions available to you can depend on whether you have owner or manager access.
If you are working with a newly created profile that still needs to complete Google’s verification process, see Traffisite’s guide to Google Business Profile verification.
Are You Using the Correct Google Account?
If you can find the business publicly but do not see management controls, check the Google account you are currently using before assuming that the profile is missing.
This is especially important when you have separate personal and work accounts or when several people have previously managed the business online.
Check which Google account is signed in, then consider whether another account may already have owner or manager access to the profile.
Keeping a record of which business-controlled accounts have access can also make future handoffs easier when employees, contractors, or agencies change.
Understand Owner and Manager Access
Google Business Profile supports owner and manager access so more than one person can help manage a profile without sharing the same Google account.
Owners and managers have different levels of control. Owners can add and remove users, while managers cannot. Before adding someone, consider which level of access they need for the work they are expected to perform.
This is useful when a business owner wants an employee, marketing manager, or outside provider to help manage the profile while retaining appropriate business control.
Access is separate from the profile’s public-facing business information. Managing who can access the profile is an administrative task rather than simply editing the information customers see.
What If Someone Else Manages the Business Profile?
You may encounter an existing Business Profile that represents your business but is already managed through another Google account.
In that situation, do not immediately create another profile for the same business simply because you cannot access the existing one. First determine whether you can request access to the existing profile.
If a verified Business Profile for your business is owned by someone else, Google provides a process for requesting ownership from the current profile owner.
If you are dealing with an existing profile and are unsure how it relates to your business, Traffisite’s overview of Google Business Profile provides broader context on profile management.
Why Can’t You Access Your Google Business Profile?
Several situations can look like an access problem, so identify what you are actually seeing before trying to fix it.
Common scenarios to investigate include:
- you are signed in to a different Google account;
- another owner or manager controls the profile;
- your account no longer has access to the profile;
- the profile still requires a verification-related step;
- the profile has a separate policy or status issue; or
- you are looking for management controls in the wrong place.
If the issue is specifically a suspended or disabled profile rather than a normal access problem, use the appropriate recovery process instead of treating it as an account-access issue. Traffisite’s guide to a suspended Google Business Profile covers that separate scenario.
Giving an Agency or Team Member Access
If another person needs to work on your Business Profile, use Google’s available profile access controls rather than sharing the login credentials for the Google account you use to manage the business.
Choose the role based on the access the person needs. Managers can perform many profile-management tasks, while owners retain additional administrative controls such as adding and removing users.
For businesses working with an SEO provider, clarify who will manage the profile, who approves important changes, and who is responsible for maintaining business-controlled access if the relationship ends.
Google Business Profile Access and Security Considerations
Access should be managed with the same care as other business accounts. Avoid unnecessary credential sharing and periodically review who still needs permission to manage the profile.
If you add a third party to manage the profile, make sure the business still retains access.
When responsibilities change, review existing access and remove people who no longer need it while making sure the business retains the administrative control it needs.
If you need to make changes to the public information on the profile after access is confirmed, Traffisite’s guide to editing a Google Business Profile covers that next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I access my Google Business Profile?
Sign in to a Google account that has access to the profile, then find your business through Google Search or Maps. If your account has the appropriate access, profile management options should be available.
Why can’t I access my Google Business Profile?
First confirm that you are signed in to the correct Google account. If the business appears publicly but you cannot manage it, investigate whether another account owns or manages the profile, whether your access changed, or whether the profile has a separate verification or status issue.
Can multiple people access a Google Business Profile?
Google provides owner and manager access so multiple people can help manage a Business Profile. Their permissions differ depending on the role assigned.
Should I give my SEO agency my Google password?
Use Google’s available profile access controls when another person or organization needs to manage the Business Profile rather than sharing the login credentials for your Google account.
What if a former employee or agency has access to the profile?
Review the profile’s current owners and managers and remove people who no longer need access. Before changing permissions, make sure the business retains the level of control needed to continue managing the profile.
What if someone else already owns my Business Profile?
If a verified Business Profile for your business is owned by someone else, Google provides a process for requesting ownership from the current profile owner. Use that ownership-request process rather than creating another profile solely because the existing profile is managed through another account.
Keep Business Profile Access Under Business Control
Accessing a Google Business Profile is usually straightforward when you know which Google account has permission to manage it. Problems become harder to diagnose when ownership, management permissions, verification, and profile status are treated as the same issue.
Start by confirming the account you are using and whether it has access to the existing profile. From there, determine whether you need normal profile management, a permission change, an ownership request, verification, or a separate recovery process.