Google generally allows one Business Profile per eligible business location. Eligible departments, individual practitioners and distinct businesses sharing an address can qualify separately. First confirm that both listings represent the same business. A profile Google treats as a duplicate won't show on Google Search or Maps.
For a true duplicate, request a merge through Google Maps if reviews need combining. Removing profile content and managers is a separate, permanent account-cleanup action; it may leave the public listing visible. If you don't control the duplicate, you can still report it on Google Maps.
Before you act, work out which situation you're in. Removing profile content and managers permanently deletes owner-added content and review replies. Confirm the correct profile before proceeding.
How duplicates usually appear
Common causes include:
- A former agency, staff member or business partner created a profile under their own Google account.
- A second profile was created after a move or an eligible minor rebrand, instead of updating the original.
- Separate profiles were made for different services offered by the same business.
- An unverified listing already existed on Maps (for example, added by a customer) and someone created a new profile rather than claiming it.
Google's own guidance is clear on the last three: when a business relocates, don't create a new profile for the new location; update the existing one. And don't create separate profiles per service; list the services on one profile.
Step 1: Find every listing
Search Google Maps and Google Search for:
- your business name, including old names and common misspellings
- your phone number
- your current and previous addresses
Then sign in to each Google account your business has used and check which profiles it manages. Note for each listing: who controls it, whether it is verified, how many reviews it has, and whether its details are accurate.
Step 2: Decide which listing to keep
Identify the existing verified profile that accurately represents your business. Record both Maps links, ownership and review counts before taking action. If the correct profile is controlled by someone else, use the ownership-request route.
If the duplicate holds reviews, don't remove its content and managers before checking the merge route. Removing profile content and managers leaves customer reviews on that listing; it does not combine them with another profile (see Step 3).
Step 3: Fix it, depending on your situation
If you control both listings and the duplicate has no reviews
If you accidentally created the duplicate, you can remove its content and managers from your Google account. This does not guarantee that the listing will disappear from Search and Maps. Google's steps are: open the profile, go to More > Business Profile settings > Remove Business Profile, then choose Remove profile content and managers (source).
Know what this does before you click:
- It is permanent and affects all owners and managers.
- Posts, photos, videos and your replies to reviews are deleted. Customer reviews remain on the listing.
- Only the primary owner can do it, and new owners or managers must wait 7 days first.
- The listing may still appear on Search and Maps afterwards. Removing ownership doesn't guarantee it disappears.
Google says that if you created a duplicate by mistake, you can remove it without affecting your verified listing. Double-check you have the right one selected.
If the duplicate still appears on Maps after removal, report it as described below.
If reviews are split between listings
Ask Google to merge them by suggesting an edit on Google Maps. Google says that when two profiles are merged, their reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost. For the merge to succeed, both profiles must represent the same business and should have the same information. Correct inaccurate details using the business's real-world information. Do not change accurate details merely to make different businesses look identical. Google reviews merge requests and does not give an approval deadline in its duplicate-profile guidance.
If you accidentally created and verified a new profile after a move or ownership change, contact Google support about transferring the reviews.
If someone else controls the duplicate
You have two routes:
- Request ownership. The current owner has 3 days to respond. If they don't, you may get the option to claim the profile, although Google notes this isn't always available. For a service-area business without a physical shop or office, Google directs ownership requests through support. Once you control it, follow the steps above. Our guide to who controls your Google Business Profile covers this process in detail.
- Report it on Google Maps. Open the duplicate, choose Suggest an edit > Place closed or not here > Duplicate of another place, then follow the prompts and submit. These steps are documented in Google Maps Help. Do not choose Permanently closed for a business that remains open.
If the duplicate is an unverified listing on Maps
If an unverified listing for your business is the only one, claim and verify it rather than creating a new profile. If you already have a verified profile, report the unverified one as a duplicate on Maps.
If Google has flagged your profile as a duplicate by mistake
This happens when two genuinely separate businesses share an address, such as two practices in one clinic. You can contact Google support to appeal. Both businesses must be eligible and distinct, and if both serve customers at the same location, Google says you'll be asked for evidence of permanent signage showing both businesses.
What not to do
- Don't create another new profile to "start fresh". It adds another duplicate.
- Don't remove the listing with your reviews unless you've accepted that those reviews stay with a listing you no longer manage.
- Don't submit repeated merge or removal requests for the same listing while one is under review. Keep a note of what you submitted and when.
After it's fixed
Reviews from a completed merge may take a few days to appear. Check again in a few weeks by searching your name and phone number on Maps. Keep your business name, address, phone number and hours accurate and consistent across relevant listings, and make sure at least two people in your business have access to the profile.
If you move, update the existing profile. Before renaming it, check Google's rebranding criteria: some changes require closing the old profile and creating a new one. Our guide to moving or renaming your business on Google explains how.