How to delete a Google Business Profile.
“Delete” means different things depending on what you're actually trying to do. Here's the right method for closing a business, removing a duplicate, or handing off a listing — and what happens to your reviews in each case.
Last updated: July 2026
Decide what you actually want to do
Four different actions get called “delete,” and choosing the wrong one can wipe reviews you wanted to keep, leave a listing live that you wanted gone, or lock you out of a listing you still need. Match your goal to the method below before you touch anything.
Case 1 — You want to stop managing it (not remove it)
If the business still operates and you just want off the account, remove your own access rather than deleting anything. From the profile open Business Profile settings → Managers, and remove yourself, or transfer primary ownership to someone else first if you’re the sole Owner. The public listing, reviews, and photos all stay live untouched. This is the right move when you sell the business or hand it to an agency — never delete a listing you’re handing over, because you’d destroy its entire review history in the process. See managing owners and managers.
Case 2 — The business has permanently closed
Don’t delete the profile — mark it closed. In Edit profile, set the business status to Permanently closed (or Temporarily closedif you’ll reopen). This is what customers and Google expect to see, it preserves the listing’s history, and it prevents a new auto-generated duplicate from appearing at the same address later. If you truly want the profile removed after closing, you can still request removal afterward, but a “permanently closed” status is the cleaner outcome for most businesses and reversible if you reopen.
Case 3 — Remove your business from Google entirely
If you want to remove the profile itself, sign in as an Owner(managers can’t do this), open Business Profile settings → Remove business profile, and choose to remove the profile and its content. Removing your profile removes your management and the content you added — but note that Google may still keep a basic listing for a real business that the public can find and review, since Maps entries can exist independent of an owner. Removal is not always a guarantee the pin disappears entirely from Maps.
Case 4 — Kill a duplicate listing
Duplicates are the most common reason people search how to delete a profile. Two listings for one business split your reviews and confuse Google’s ranking. Don’t just delete one at random — first identify which listing has your real verification and reviews, keep that one, and report the other. From the duplicate’s Maps entry choose Suggest an edit → Close or remove → Duplicate, or use Business Profile support to request a merge. Merging preserves reviews from both listings where possible; simply deleting the duplicate does not.
What happens to your reviews in each case
Reviews belong to the listing itself, not to any individual account. Remove your own management and they stay attached to the listing. Mark the business closed and they stay, untouched. Delete or fully remove the profile and you can lose that review history for good — which is exactly why a hard delete is almost never the right move for a business with real reviews attached to it.
If your actual reason for wanting to delete is a bad review, or a listing you’ve lost control of, deleting usually isn’t the fix. For lost access, use the request-access flow described in managing your profile. For a listing that’s been suspended rather than one you’re trying to close, see how to fix a suspended Google Business Profile instead — a suspension and a voluntary delete are different situations with different fixes. Run the free audit before you do anything irreversible.
Frequently asked questions
How do I permanently delete my Google Business Profile?
Sign in as the Owner, go to Business Profile settings, and select “Remove business profile.” This removes your management and added content, though Google may retain a basic public listing for a real business independent of your account.
Will deleting my Google Business Profile delete my reviews?
Yes, if you fully remove the profile you typically lose the review history. If you only want to stop managing the listing or the business is closing, use “remove my access” or “mark permanently closed” instead — both preserve your reviews.
How do I remove a duplicate Google Business listing?
Identify which listing has your verification and reviews, then report the other one as a duplicate via “Suggest an edit” on its Maps entry, or contact Business Profile support to request a merge rather than a straight deletion.
My business closed — should I delete the listing or mark it closed?
Mark it “Permanently closed” rather than deleting it. This preserves the review history, gives customers accurate information, and prevents a new duplicate listing from being auto-generated at the same address later.
Can a manager delete a Google Business Profile?
No — only an Owner can remove a business profile entirely. A manager can edit the profile and respond to reviews but cannot delete the listing or remove other users.
Keeping the listing? Make it work.
If the profile is staying, run the free audit to see exactly what to fix so it ranks instead of just existing.