How to Delete, Close or Mark Your Google Business Profile as Closed (Without Losing Reviews by Mistake)

Quick answer: If you're pausing for a while (renovation, illness, season), mark the profile Temporarily closed — your reviews and ranking history stay. If the business has shut down for good, mark it Permanently closed so customers aren't misled. If you've moved, don't close — update the address. Removing the profile from your account only removes your management access; the public listing usually stays on Maps. Deleting and recreating a profile to "start fresh" loses all reviews and is almost never a good idea.

Owners often search "delete Google listing" when what they really need is one of four different actions. Choosing the wrong one can wipe out years of reviews.

The four options compared

Situation	Best action	Reviews kept?	Shows on Maps?
Shop shut for weeks/months	Temporarily closed	Yes	Yes, labelled "Temporarily closed"
Business shut forever	Permanently closed	Yes (visible on the closed listing)	Yes, labelled "Permanently closed"
Moved to a new address	Edit the address	Yes	Yes, at the new place
You no longer want to manage it	Remove profile from your account	Listing stays public	Yes

Mark as temporarily closed

Phone: open your profile in Google Maps or Search → Edit profile → Business information → Hours (or Open status) → Temporarily closed → Save.

Computer: search your business name while signed in → Edit profile → open status → Temporarily closed.

Reopening is just as easy: set it back to Open with your hours. Post an update when you reopen ("We're back from Monday!").

Use special hours instead if you're only closed for a few days (festival, holiday).

Mark as permanently closed

Same path, choose Permanently closed. Do this only if the business has truly ended — customers will stop finding you, and reopening later should be done promptly by switching the status back.

If you moved

Change the address and move the pin. Your reviews stay with the business. If the new location is far away or the business changed significantly, Google may ask you to verify again. Don't mark the old listing closed and create a new one — that splits your reviews. See fixing your address and pin.

Remove the profile from your account

This removes your management access; Google may keep the public listing because businesses exist independently of who manages them. Primary owners must transfer ownership before leaving, and only the primary owner can remove the profile.

Can I delete my business from Google Maps completely?

Generally, Google keeps listings of real businesses (even closed ones) as public information. You can request removal for listings that are fake, duplicate, or break policy through Suggest an edit → Remove this place. If you're worried about privacy — for example, a home address — hide the address and set service areas instead.

Selling your business

Transfer ownership to the buyer instead of closing: add them as an owner, wait the required period, then make them primary owner and remove yourself. If the new owner changes the name, it should be updated to match the new signboard.

Frequently asked questions

Will marking "temporarily closed" hurt my ranking?

While closed, you'll show less often for searches. When you reopen, visibility normally returns; post updates and fresh photos to signal you're active.

Can I delete bad reviews by deleting my profile?

No. And a new profile starts with zero reviews. Handle bad reviews with replies instead.

Someone marked my shop as closed. What do I do?

Open your profile and set it back to Open. Check your hours are correct, then check the managers list for unknown users.

How do I close one branch of a chain?

Mark only that branch's profile as permanently closed. Other branches are unaffected.