Google Business Profile

How to merge or remove a duplicate Google listing

There's no merge button. Report the extra listing on Google Maps as a duplicate, and Google reviews it. If both describe the same business with the same details, reviews are combined, though replies may be lost.

6 steps

  1. Step 1: Make both listings match first: same name, address, phone and category as your business, wherever you control them.
    15 min
  2. Step 2: Sign in to Google, open the extra listing on Maps or Search, and select Suggest an edit.
    1 min
  3. Step 3: Choose Place closed or not here, then Duplicate of another place, and select Submit.
    2 min
  4. Step 4: Review your suggestion and select Submit. Adding a photo of your storefront can help Google check it.
    2 min
  5. Step 5: If the extra listing is a profile you own and manage, remove it instead under Business Profile settings, Remove Business Profile.
    3 min
  6. Step 6: Save copies of your best review replies on the duplicate, since Google says they may not survive a merge.
    10 min
  7. Arrived: If Google accepts it, one listing remains and the reviews from both appear on it. Google doesn't publish how long merge reviews take.

Checked 13 Nov 2026 · source: support.google.com

Merging is a request, not a button

Owners often look for a “merge” option in their Business Profile. There isn’t one. Google handles merges as a suggested edit on Maps: you flag the extra listing as a duplicate of the main one, and Google reviews it. Its duplicate help page sends owners to that reporting route for listings sitting on Maps, and says every merge request is checked by Google.

Merge or remove?

These are different tools with different results.

Merge folds the copy into your main listing. Google says the reviews from both are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost. Use this when the duplicate has picked up customer reviews you’d hate to lose, or when you don’t own the duplicate at all.

Remove deletes a profile you own from your account. Everything you added to it goes for good: posts, photos, videos, replies. Google’s guidance for an owner who accidentally made a second copy of their verified business is to remove that copy; the verified one isn’t affected. Use this when the duplicate is yours and empty or nearly so.

Why matching details matter

Google merges only when the two listings represent the same business and have the same information. Before reporting, line them up:

  • Same business name, as it appears on your sign.
  • Same street address, including suite.
  • Same main phone number.
  • Same primary category.

If one listing still has your old phone or a slightly different name, Google may reasonably think it’s a different place. If you control one of them, edit it to match first. If you control neither, suggest edits to correct the copy, then report it as a duplicate.

What the reviewer is looking at

Your suggestion goes into the same queue as other Maps edits. A photo of your storefront or sign, added with the suggestion, helps show the two listings are one place. Google warns that photos added to suggestions are public under your name, so use a plain exterior shot.

When two listings should stay

Not every pair of similar listings is a duplicate. A clinic and a doctor practicing there, or a store and a separate public-facing department with its own entrance, can each be allowed their own profile under Google’s guidelines. Reporting those as duplicates can take down a listing that was fine. Check the rules for practitioners and departments first.

If the duplicate is still there

Google doesn’t publish a time frame for merges. If nothing has changed after a few weeks, your next stops are the Business Profile Help Community and the support contact page linked from Google’s duplicate help article.

If it doesn't work

  • Merge refused: Google only merges listings for the same business with the same info. Fix name, address or phone differences and try again.
  • You removed the wrong profile: removal deletes its content and managers, and it can't be undone. Re-verify the right one if needed.
  • The two listings are for different practitioners or departments: they may both be allowed. Check the guidelines before reporting.
  • Nothing changes after weeks: Google says all edits are reviewed and may take time. Post in the Business Profile Help Community or contact support.

Questions owners ask

Do I keep my reviews when listings are merged?

Google says reviews are combined in a successful merge, but replies to reviews may be lost. If you remove a duplicate profile yourself instead, everything on it goes, including its content. A merge is the better route when the copy holds reviews you want.

Why did Google refuse my merge?

Merges only go through when the profiles represent the same business and carry the same information. A different suite number, an old phone line or a variant of the name can be enough to make them look like separate places.

Can I merge two profiles that I own and verified?

Google's duplicate guidance points owners who accidentally made a second profile to remove it, leaving the verified one untouched. If the duplicate holds reviews you want to keep, report it as a duplicate from Maps rather than deleting it.

How long does a merge take?

Google doesn't give a time. Its help pages say all suggested edits are reviewed and it may take some time for results to update.

Sources

Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.

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Written by Ellis Marr (a pen name) · Checked 13 Nov 2026 · How we check