You can delete your Google Business Profile in just a few steps through your Business Profile settings. The process takes less than five minutes, but the outcome depends on whether you remove the profile from your account, mark it as permanently closed, or delete it entirely. Each option has different consequences for your reviews, photos, and visibility on Google Search and Maps.
Understand Your Options Before You Delete
Google offers three distinct actions, and they do very different things:
- Remove the profile from your account. This disconnects you as the owner or manager. The listing stays visible on Google Search and Maps, and user-generated content like customer reviews remains. However, any content you added as the owner, such as review replies, posts, and photos, gets removed. Someone else can later claim the profile.
- Mark the business as permanently closed. The profile stays on Search and Maps but displays a “permanently closed” label. Reviews and other content remain intact. For broad searches, closed businesses tend to rank below open ones.
- Delete the profile entirely. This removes the listing and all associated content from Google, including reviews. The business no longer appears on Search or Maps once Google processes the removal.
If your business has shut down and you want a clean slate, full deletion is the route. If you’re transferring ownership or simply stepping away from managing the listing, removing it from your account is the better choice.
How to Delete a Single Business Profile
Sign in to the Google account associated with your Business Profile. You can access your profile by searching your business name on Google while logged in, or by going directly to your Business Profile dashboard.
Once you’re on your profile:
- Select More, then Business Profile settings.
- Select Remove Business Profile, then Remove profile content and managers.
- Select Continue, then Remove, then Done.
That sequence removes the profile entirely, not just your access to it. If you only want to disconnect yourself as a manager without deleting the listing, look for the option to remove yourself rather than removing the profile content.
How to Delete Multiple Profiles at Once
If you manage several locations and need to delete more than one, Google’s Business Profile Manager lets you handle them in bulk. Sign in to the account associated with all the profiles you want to remove, then:
- Open the Business Profile Manager.
- Select the checkboxes next to each profile you want to delete.
- Click Actions (the dropdown arrow at the top right), then Remove businesses, then Remove.
This is especially useful for agencies or franchise owners cleaning up listings for locations that have closed.
What Happens to Reviews and Photos
This is the part most people worry about. When you remove a profile from your account (disconnecting yourself as owner), customer reviews stay visible on Google. The listing itself persists on Maps and Search, just without an active owner managing it. Your owner-added content, like review replies and business posts, gets stripped away.
When you delete the profile entirely, reviews are permanently removed along with everything else. There’s no way to recover them once the deletion is processed. If you’re deleting because you sold the business or rebranded, consider whether those reviews have value to a new owner before you pull the trigger. Transferring ownership of the profile instead of deleting it preserves the review history.
Removing a Listing You Don’t Own
Sometimes the profile you want gone isn’t yours. Maybe it’s a duplicate listing, a business that never existed at a location, or a fraudulent entry. Google lets anyone request removal of a listing through Google Maps, even without owner access.
Here’s the process:
- Open Google Maps (web or app) and find the business listing.
- Click on the business, then select Suggest an edit.
- Choose Place is closed or not here.
- Select the reason that fits, such as “Doesn’t exist here” or “Offensive, harmful, or misleading.”
- Click Submit.
After submitting, Google may email you follow-up questions. If your request is approved, the business gets removed from both Search and Maps. For cases involving fraudulent activity tied to a business name, phone number, or website, Google provides a separate business redressal complaint form you can fill out.
Keep in mind that Google reviews these requests manually, so approval isn’t instant or guaranteed. Requests with clear evidence (like a business that physically doesn’t exist at the listed address) tend to get resolved faster.
When Marking as Closed Makes More Sense
Deleting a profile is permanent. If your business is closing but you want customers to still find information about it (your old phone number, a note about where to go instead), marking it as permanently closed keeps the listing visible with a clear “closed” label. This can be helpful for businesses winding down that still need to honor warranties, gift cards, or ongoing customer relationships.
To mark a business as permanently closed, go to your Business Profile, select Edit profile, and update your business status. The listing will continue to appear when someone searches for it directly, but it won’t compete with open businesses in broader search results.
If you’re only closing temporarily for renovations or a seasonal break, Google also offers a “temporarily closed” status that avoids any permanent changes to your profile.