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How to Regain Control of a Google Business Profile Someone Else Owns

By Sam · Last updated · 6 minute read

If someone else owns your Google Business Profile, ask them first to add you as an owner or transfer ownership in writing. If they cannot or will not, use Google’s ownership request process, with proof that you run the business, such as registration documents, utility bills and photos of your premises. Never create a second listing while you wait.

Key passing between two hands over a business profile card

Contents

Why this happens

It is common for a listing to be created by a previous owner, an employee or a marketing agency. Specialists report this as a frequent reason a business cannot claim or verify its own profile. The listing then sits under someone else’s Google account.

Step by step

  1. Find out who has access. In search or on Maps, open your listing and look for the option to claim or manage it. If you already manage it, open the users list to see owners and managers.
  2. Ask in writing. Email the person or agency and ask them to add you as an owner or to transfer primary ownership. Keep copies.
  3. Use Google’s ownership request if they cannot or will not help, following the current steps in Google’s help pages.
  4. Provide evidence you run the business: registration documents, a recent utility bill or lease in the business name, photos of the premises and signage, and a way for Google to contact you.
  5. Do not create a second listing. A duplicate can cause problems for both profiles. See how to find and remove a duplicate.
  6. Secure the profile once you have control: see the list below.
Four-step path from asking to proof to approval to unlocked profile

Want a second pair of eyes? Clariti Digital can review your setup and show you what to fix first.

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If they do not reply

Keep your written request, then follow Google’s ownership request process and submit your evidence. Google gives the current owner 3 days to respond, after which you may be able to claim the profile. Be patient, and avoid repeated requests that might confuse the process. If the profile also fails verification, see verification failed: causes and fixes.

Secure the profile afterwards

  • Make sure you hold a primary owner role with a business email address you control.
  • Add a second trusted owner as a backup.
  • Give agencies manager access, not primary ownership, and remove access when the work ends.
  • Check the users list every few months.
  • Keep the login details and recovery options in a safe place.
Profile card with padlock, two keys and limited-access team icons

How to avoid this with a new agency

Before you hire anyone, ask who will own your Google Business Profile, your website, your domain and your content. UK guides advise that everything created for you should belong to you. See our guide to how to choose a local SEO agency for what to ask on price and results, and our Google Business Profile setup checklist for how a profile should be set up.

If the profile is suspended, see what to do first.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take back a profile my old agency created?

Often yes. Ask them in writing to transfer ownership, and if they do not, use Google’s ownership request with proof that you run the business.

What proof will Google want?

Google’s request form asks you to confirm you are authorised to manage the business and does not list specific documents. If you are asked for evidence, typical examples are registration documents, a utility bill or lease in the business name, photos of the premises and signage, and contact details.

Should I create a new profile instead?

No. A second listing for the same business can be treated as a duplicate and make things worse.

How long does an ownership request take?

Google says the current owner is notified by email and has 3 days to respond. If they do not, you may be offered the option to claim the profile, although that option is not always available. Keep your evidence ready and check the email linked to the profile.

Who should own my profile?

You, the business owner, through a business email you control. Agencies should be managers, not owners.

Sources

Sam, Editor at Clariti Digital

Sam, Editor at Clariti Digital.

Need help with this?

Clariti Digital is a UK digital growth agency for established local businesses. We start with a diagnostic, then fix what holds back visibility, enquiries and trust. Call +44 7435 063827 or email sam@claritidigital.com.

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