Why Should My Business Have Two Admins on Every Account?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

Every important business account, starting with your Google Business Profile, domain, website, and email, should have at least two trusted people inside the business with full admin or owner access. Each person signs in with their own account, not a shared password. That way, if one person leaves, gets locked out, or gets hacked, the business can still get in and fix things.

What this means

The outline asks you to assign at least two trusted, business-controlled administrators (8.4.6).

“Business-controlled” means these are people who answer to the business, like owners, partners, or long-term trusted staff, using business accounts. Outside vendors can get access, but they shouldn’t be the only owners.

Google Business Profile shows how roles work on one important account:

Primary owner. Each profile has exactly one. The primary owner can’t remove themselves until they transfer primary ownership.
Owner. Full control, including adding and removing users and removing the profile. A profile can have several owners.
Manager. Can edit almost everything, including hours, posts, photos, and review replies, but can’t add or remove users or remove the profile.

Google also says new owners and managers can’t remove other users or transfer primary ownership during their first 7 days. Plan for that delay. For the full details, see 14.8.2 Owners and Managers.

Example: a roofing company owner is the only owner on the Google Business Profile. (Made up for this page.) She adds her business partner as a second owner and gives the marketing agency a manager role. When the agency relationship ends, she removes them in a minute. When she’s on vacation, her partner can update holiday hours.

Why it matters

People leave or get sick. One admin means one point of failure.
Lockouts happen. Lost phones and expired recovery details can block a single admin.
Vendors hold accounts hostage. If a web designer or agency is the only owner, getting control back can be slow or impossible.
Google Business Profile problems need fast action. Wrong edits, fake reviews, and suspensions all go better when someone can act right away.

Who this applies to

Every business with accounts that matter. A solo owner should still add a second trusted person, such as a spouse, partner, or trusted adviser, as a backup on the most important accounts, or document an emergency access plan (see 11.7.8 Emergency Account Access).

How to do it

List your key accounts: Google Business Profile, domain registrar, website host, email, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, social media, analytics, ads, payment processor, and bookkeeping.
For each one, pick two trusted business people to hold full access.
Use each platform’s own roles. Invite the second person to their own account. Don’t share passwords.
On Google Business Profile, go to the profile’s settings, then People and access, and invite the second person as an Owner. Give vendors the Manager role.
Make sure both admins use two-step sign-in (see 11.7.3 Multi-Factor Authentication).
Record each account, its admins, and their roles in your access inventory (see 11.7.5 Access Inventory).
Review access every quarter. Remove people who no longer need it (see 11.7.7 Removing Access When People Leave).

What proof to keep

An access inventory listing each account, both admins, roles, and the date added
Screenshots of each platform’s users or roles page

Common mistakes

Making the agency the primary owner. Keep primary ownership in the business. Give vendors manager access.
Adding a second admin who is also outside the business. Two vendors isn’t the same as two business admins.
Sharing one login. You can’t tell who did what, and you can’t remove one person.
Waiting until there’s an emergency. Google’s 7-day limit on new owners means a last-minute add may not help right away.
Never reviewing access. Old employees and past vendors often keep access for years.

When to get help from a pro

You usually don’t need a pro. If a past vendor won’t give up ownership of an account, an attorney can review your contract, and each platform has an official ownership request process. Ask:

Does my contract say who owns the accounts the vendor created?
What written records should I keep to prove the business owns them?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or opinion. For example, a client who couldn’t change their Google Business Profile because a former agency was the only owner, and how it got resolved.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty manages Google Business Profiles as a manager while your business stays the owner.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: the accounts I listed and who the second admin is on each]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the People and access page on the SiteSmarty Google Business Profile]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

Should I add a second owner to my Google Business Profile? Yes. Add a trusted person in the business as an Owner so the profile can still be managed if you’re unavailable.

What’s the difference between an owner and a manager on Google Business Profile? Owners can add and remove users and remove the profile. Managers can edit the profile, post, and reply to reviews, but can’t manage users.

Should my web designer be an admin? Give them the access they need, like manager or a limited role, but keep full ownership with two people inside the business.

What happens if the only admin leaves? You may need to go through each platform’s recovery or ownership request process, which can take time. A second admin avoids that.

Audit check

Question: Does every key business account have at least two business-controlled people with full access, each using their own sign-in?
Pass looks like: Two business owners or admins on every key account, vendors on limited roles, two-step sign-in on, and an access inventory reviewed in the last quarter.
Fail looks like: One admin. A vendor as the only owner. Shared passwords. Former staff still listed.
Evidence to collect: The access inventory and screenshots of each account’s users or roles page.

Where this fits

Do this first: 8.4.4 Business-Owned Social Accounts

Do this next: 8.4.7 Brand Consistency

Sources

Google Business Profile Help, "Manage your Business Profile owners & managers" (checked October 16, 2026)
Google Business Profile Help, "Transfer primary ownership of a Business Profile" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.