How do I delete or close a Google Business Profile?

What is the difference between closing and deleting a profile?

Google gives you two different actions. Choose the one that matches your situation.

• Mark the business closed. The profile stays on Google. Customers see that you are closed. Google’s help pages say you can mark a business closed from the profile hours and edit tools.
• Remove the profile. The listing is taken off Google Search and Maps. Use this only when the listing should not exist at all.

Which one should I choose?

Mark the business closed if you shut down, are moving, or are taking a long break. A closed listing stops customers from driving to a locked door. It also keeps your reviews and your history in case you reopen.

Remove the profile if you opened it by mistake, if it is a duplicate, or if the business never existed in that form. Removal is harder to undo, so check first.

Many Ontario owners have a seasonal business, such as a cottage service or a shop that serves tourists. For a seasonal break, set special hours or mark the profile closed. Do not remove it.

How do I close or remove my profile?

You must sign in to the Google Account that is linked to the profile. Google’s help pages state this rule for editing, and it applies here too.

1. Sign in to the correct Google Account.
2. Search for your business name and city on Google, or search for “my business”.
3. Open your Business Profile.
4. Open the Business Profile settings.
5. Choose the option to mark the business closed, or the option to remove the profile.
6. Read the confirmation message. Confirm the action.

Google changes menu names often, and the options differ between Search and the Google Maps app. If you cannot find the exact words above, look for the same ideas under settings or the three-dot menu.

What if I cannot find the option?

The most common cause is that you are signed in to the wrong account. Many businesses were set up years ago by a web designer, a former employee, or a family member. Check every Google Account you use.

If the profile is verified and another person owns it, you cannot remove it yourself. Google’s help pages say you can request ownership from the current owner. If the owner does not answer, the profile may stay live. In that case, contact Google support through the Business Profile help pages.

If the profile was never verified, you may first need to claim it and verify it. Verification can use a phone call, a text, an email, a video call, or a postcard. Google picks the options, and you cannot change them.

What happens to my reviews and my listing after I remove it?

Customers can no longer find the profile on Search and Maps. Reviews are tied to the profile, so you should expect to lose them with it. This is another reason to mark a business closed when you may reopen.

Your website, your other directory listings, and your social media pages stay online. Update or remove those pages too. A customer who finds an old listing on another site can still think you are open.

What if the profile is a duplicate?

Do not remove the good profile by accident. Check the address, the phone number, and the name on each listing. Keep the one with the reviews and the correct details. Then remove or merge the other one through Google’s duplicate and ownership help pages.

How do I avoid scams when I do this?

Google will never ask for payment, credit card information, or account passwords. If a caller says you must pay to keep your business on Google, the caller is not from Google. Do not respond to the call. Do not click links in suspicious texts.

Google may also use automated calls or texts to confirm your hours or details. If you do not want these calls, you can say so during the call, or change your profile settings.

What should I do after I close the profile?

Tell your customers in other places. Update your website, your social media pages, and your email signature. If you collect customer contact details, remember that CASL, Canada’s anti-spam law, still applies to any commercial message you send after closing.