How to invite someone without sharing your password

When a trusted colleague or service provider needs access, invite their own Google Account instead of sending them your login details. Google supports separate accounts for each user.

An existing owner can open People and access, select Add, enter the person's email address, choose Owner or Manager, and select Invite. The recipient must accept the invitation. Pending invitations can be reviewed or cancelled in that same access area.

Use Manager when the person mainly needs to update details, publish posts, add photos or answer reviews. Reserve Owner access for people who genuinely need the ability to control who else can access the profile. Managers still have broad editing rights, so invite only trusted people.

Ask: “Must this person manage the profile, or manage the people who manage it?”

A business owner may be able to reply to customer reviews, update opening hours and add photos without controlling who can access the Google Business Profile. The difference becomes clear when an employee leaves or an agency changes.

For a South African small business, ask not just “Can I edit the profile?” but “Who controls access?” You can check without sharing passwords or creating another listing.

What does “owning” a Google Business Profile mean?

Google uses primary owner, owner and manager as access roles. These describe permission levels within the platform. They are not the same thing as legal ownership of a business or its trademarks.

A profile can have several owners, but only one primary owner. Owners can add or remove users. Managers handle most everyday editing, posts and review replies but cannot add or remove users or remove the profile.

Only the primary owner can transfer primary ownership to another person. Identify that control before any handover. An agency can handle daily work as a manager without being primary owner.

· Primary owner — Practical access: Owner permissions, plus the ability to transfer primary ownership. Important limit: Must transfer primary ownership before removing themselves.

· Owner — Practical access: Manage content, invite or remove users, change other users' access. Important limit: Only the primary owner can transfer primary ownership.

· Manager — Practical access: Edit most profile information, manage posts and respond to reviews. Important limit: Cannot add or remove users or remove the profile.

These are Google's profile-level roles, not the separate permissions used for Facebook Pages or Google business groups. Menu names and available features can change, so follow the current prompts on your own profile.

First, check who has access

Before paying somebody to “take over” the listing or trying to create another one, carry out a simple access review:

1. Sign in to the Google Account you believe manages the business.

2. Open your Business Profile through Google Search or Google Maps.

3. Look for More → Business Profile settings → People and access. The wording or route may differ slightly as Google updates the interface.

4. Review the people with active access, their roles and any pending invitations.

5. Identify the primary owner and ask whether that person is the appropriate long-term business controller.

If controls are missing, check which Google Account is signed in. Seeing the public listing does not prove you have access. If someone else controls it, use Google’s ownership-request process rather than creating a second profile.

Keep a private record of which business-controlled account has access, which trusted people have been invited and who will manage changes when staff or providers change. Never put account passwords in that record.

When an agency helps, the business should retain control

Suppose a fictional local repair company asks a digital agency to manage its Google Business Profile. A sensible starting arrangement is for the business's authorised representative to retain primary ownership, while the agency receives the appropriate management access. If the agency's responsibilities genuinely require more, discuss and document that before granting an owner role.

The distinction matters beyond convenience. Google's rules for third-party Business Profile managers say that clients must retain ownership or co-ownership of their profiles. They also require third parties to help clients separate their accounts from the service and regain exclusive control within seven working days of notice when the relationship ends.

Before an agency starts, agree in writing on who controls the profile, what the provider can edit, who approves significant changes and how access will be removed at the end. Remember that the Google Business Profile itself is available without a Google platform fee; an agency may charge separately for its work.

For the broader initial setup and optimisation process, read our Google Business Profile setup guide. This article stays focused on control and permissions.

How a primary ownership transfer works

A transfer may be appropriate after a business sale, a change in the authorised business representative or an earlier setup under the wrong long-term account. Adding a manager is not the same as transferring primary ownership.

Google's current instructions are:

1. The current primary owner opens the Business Profile and goes to People and access.

2. If the intended recipient is not yet listed, an owner first invites that person's Google Account with the appropriate role and the recipient accepts.

3. The current primary owner selects the intended recipient, edits their access and chooses Primary owner, then saves.

4. Both parties check the role displayed afterwards and confirm which access the former primary owner should retain, if any.

Google restricts some actions during the first seven days after a person becomes a new owner or manager, including removing users and transferring primary ownership. A transfer attempted too early may fail. Plan the handover rather than promising it can happen instantly.

Do not delete or recreate a listing just to change the person managing it. Google's transfer guidance is designed to preserve existing business information, including reviews, when ownership of a business changes. If screens differ, consult current Google guidance.

What if somebody else controls the profile?

An old employee, previous owner or agency might be the only person with effective access. Start by asking the current primary owner to invite the correct business representative or arrange a proper transfer. Keep the request clear and in writing.

If cooperation is not possible, Google has a formal Request ownership process for verified profiles already managed by somebody else. For a storefront or hybrid business, the help page describes finding the existing profile through business.google.com/add, selecting it and requesting access. For a service-area business without a customer-facing premises, Google directs owners to contact support for a listing ownership transfer.

After an ownership request, Google says the current owner has three days to respond. If there is no response, an option to claim the profile may appear, but Google explicitly says that option is not always available. Rejection, verification requirements or restrictions can also affect the next steps. None of this guarantees immediate ownership.

If your separate problem is that the business does not appear on Maps, use our Google Maps visibility troubleshooting guide rather than treating every visibility issue as an ownership dispute. Suspected duplicate listings require their own assessment and are outside this access guide.

Review and remove access when circumstances change

An access review should happen when someone leaves the business, an agency contract ends, an authorised representative changes or an invitation looks unfamiliar. An owner can use People and access to select a person and remove them. Managers cannot remove other users, although they can stop managing a profile themselves.

Before ending a provider relationship, confirm the business retains a working owner account. Check the primary owner, settle any agreed handover of work, and only then remove permissions that are no longer required. If the current primary owner needs to leave, transfer primary ownership first; Google does not let that person simply remove themselves while still primary owner.

Removing a user's access stops future management through that account, but Google says the person's previous replies, posts and other actions can remain on the profile. Access removal is therefore not a general undo button for past edits.

Protect the Google Account behind the profile

Separate roles help, but account security still matters. Use a strong, unique Google Account password, enable 2-Step Verification and keep recovery options current. Never share a password, one-time code or verification PIN with an agency, a caller claiming to be Google or a new employee.

Treat unexpected owner invitations as security decisions, not administrative paperwork. Verify who requested access and why before accepting. Google warns that owners have powerful permissions and recommends limiting profile access to the people who actually need it.

Also remember that a person can edit many customer-facing fields without being an owner. Give management access deliberately and review it periodically. If you are uncertain whether the profile has been compromised, follow Google's official protection and recovery guidance instead of reacting to unsolicited messages.

A practical handover checklist

Before you consider the account arrangements settled, check the following:

· Business control: The correct authorised business representative can sign in with their own Google Account and is listed with the intended owner role.

· Primary ownership: The primary owner is identified, and any necessary transfer has been completed and checked—not merely requested.

· Team and agency access: Every listed owner and manager still needs access. Pending invitations are recognised and appropriate.

· Security: The controlling account has strong authentication and updated recovery methods. No shared passwords are being used.

· Responsibilities: The business and its service provider know who may edit information, respond to reviews, approve changes and end the arrangement.

· Evidence: Keep a private record of agreed permissions and handover confirmation, without recording passwords or one-time codes.

Common questions

Can my marketing agency manage the profile without being its owner?

Yes. Google allows a manager to carry out most routine profile work. It is often the more appropriate role when the agency does not need authority to invite or remove other people.

Can I have more than one owner?

Yes. Google allows multiple owners but just one primary owner. Review every owner carefully because owners have broader control than managers.

Will transferring primary ownership remove my Google reviews?

Google's transfer instructions say transferring primary ownership helps maintain business information, including reviews. Follow its transfer workflow rather than creating a replacement listing, but do not interpret that as a guarantee about every unrelated policy or listing problem.

The sensible next step

You do not need to become a Google Business Profile expert to protect your business's access. Identify the primary owner, give each helper the right individual access, agree on a proper handover process and review permissions when people change.

If your business wants help understanding its Google Business Profile access arrangements or managing its online presence, contact WebWise Management. Keep the final control of your business presence visible and deliberate.

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