Third-Party Management Issues: When Your Agency Gets You Suspended

You trusted an agency or consultant to manage your Google Business Profile. Now you're suspended, and you're not even sure why. The frustrating part? You didn't do anything wrong—someone else did. While third-party management suspensions are less common than business owners fear, when they do happen, they create unique complications that require a different approach to resolve.

Here's what you need to know about third-party management suspensions and how to protect your business.

Why Third-Party Management Can Lead to Suspension

Third-party management issues represent a smaller percentage of suspensions than most business owners expect—the fear is often bigger than the reality. However, when these suspensions do occur, they typically fall into several distinct patterns.

The Agency Account Restriction Cascade

The most serious third-party issue occurs when an agency's Google account gets flagged or restricted. When Google identifies violations at the agency level, they may suspend or delete the agency's account. If that agency owned or managed multiple client profiles, those profiles can get suspended as collateral damage.

This guilt-by-association suspension isn't extremely common, but it does happen. If your agency is managing hundreds of profiles and gets caught violating Google's guidelines (even for a different client), your profile could be affected simply by association.

The Deleted Account Problem

A more common scenario: an agency deletes a Google account that was used to create or manage client profiles. When that account disappears, the profiles associated with it can be deleted or suspended as well.

This often happens when:

• An agency goes out of business and closes accounts
• An agency restructures and consolidates accounts without proper planning
• An employee at the agency leaves and their personal Google account (which was used for client management) gets closed

The Disappeared Email Dilemma

One of the trickiest situations we encounter: a profile was created using an email address that no longer exists. Perhaps the agency used email hosting that's separate from the client's domain, or an employee used their work email which was deactivated when they left.

Now nobody can access the profile, or worse—the profile is suspended and there's no way to verify ownership because the original email no longer exists.

Guideline Violations from Ignorance

Sometimes agencies simply don't know what they're doing. They're generalists who handle "everything digital marketing" but don't specialize in Google Business Profile management. They make changes that violate Google's guidelines because they don't understand the rules:

• Adding keywords to business names
• Creating duplicate listings for different service areas
• Posting content that violates guidelines
• Using prohibited categories or attributes

The business owner has no idea these violations are happening until Google sends a suspension notice.

How to Identify Third-Party Management Issues

Most business owners discover they have a third-party management problem when they receive a notice from Google. The suspension email may reference guideline violations you didn't make or changes you didn't authorize.

Warning signs that your suspension involves third-party issues:

• Profile changes you didn't make or approve
• You can't access your profile because someone else is the owner
• Your agency isn't responding to your requests for access
• Multiple people had access to your profile but you're not sure who
• You changed agencies and the previous one may still have access
• Former employees may still have profile access

Understanding Access Control and Ownership

A critical distinction: there's a difference between owning a profile and managing it.

Owner/Primary Owner has complete control, including the ability to remove other users and delete the profile. Manager can make most changes but can't remove the owner or delete the profile.

The biggest mistake we see: business owners giving agencies Owner access instead of Manager access. This creates several problems:

1. The agency has ultimate control, not you
2. If the agency refuses to relinquish control (rare but it happens), you have limited recourse
3. If the agency's account gets suspended, your profile may be affected
4. If the agency employee leaves and you don't know their account details, you lose access

Documentation and Proving Ownership

When your suspension involves third-party management issues, proving ownership becomes crucial. Google needs to verify that you are the legitimate business owner and have the right to control the profile.

Essential documentation:

• Business verification documents - LLC/DBA registration, business license, utility bills in the business name
• Access history - Screenshots showing who has had access to your profile
• Agency agreements - Contracts showing the agency was hired to manage (not own) your profile
• Communication records - Emails showing you've attempted to resolve the issue with the agency
• Proof of business operations - Evidence that you're the actual business operator

The challenge: it can be tough to prove whose fault the violation was. Google often doesn't care whether it was your agency or you who made the prohibited change—the profile violated guidelines either way.

That said, demonstrating that you've severed ties with the problematic agency and taken steps to prevent future violations can strengthen your appeal.

The Reinstatement Process

Third-party management suspensions vary in complexity depending on the specific situation and the agency involved.

In our experience, most agencies want to help resolve the problem rather than create obstacles. When we work with agencies on their clients' suspensions, they typically cooperate because they recognize it affects their reputation and client relationships.

However, reinstatement complexity increases when:

• The agency is unresponsive or no longer in business
• The original account owner can't be identified or contacted
• Multiple violations occurred under agency management
• Access control is disputed

The reinstatement strategy typically involves:

1. Securing primary ownership - Ensure you (the business owner) have Owner access, not just Manager access
2. Removing all unauthorized users - Clean up access list to only current, authorized personnel
3. Correcting guideline violations - Fix whatever the agency did that triggered suspension
4. Documenting the situation - Explain the third-party management issue in your appeal
5. Demonstrating prevention measures - Show Google you've taken steps to prevent future issues

Prevention: Protecting Your Profile from Third-Party Issues

The best approach is avoiding these problems in the first place. Here's how to work safely with agencies and consultants:

Choose Specialists, Not Generalists

Work with someone who specializes in Google Business Profile management, not a generalist who does "everything digital marketing." Specialists understand the nuances of Google's guidelines and are less likely to make violations out of ignorance.

A specialist knows the rules around business names, service areas, categories, and content. A generalist might optimize your profile the way they'd optimize a website—adding keywords everywhere—which violates Google's guidelines.

Never Give Owner or Primary Owner Access

This is our #1 recommendation: only grant Manager access to agencies, never Owner or Primary Owner access.

You should be the Owner. Your agency should be a Manager. This ensures:

• You maintain ultimate control
• The agency can do their work but can't lock you out
• If you part ways with the agency, you can remove their access
• If their account has issues, your ownership is separate

Maintain a Clean Access List

Remove people who are not actively paid to manage or monitor your profile. Every person with access is a potential security risk and a point of failure.

Regularly audit your access list:

• Remove former employees immediately upon departure
• Remove former agencies or consultants
• Remove anyone who no longer needs access
• Know who every person with access is and why they have it

Use Business Email Addresses

Never create or manage your profile using personal email addresses. Use your business domain email so that:

• Access isn't dependent on any individual person
• You maintain control even if someone leaves
• Email addresses can be reassigned to new personnel if needed

Document Everything

Keep records of:

• Who has access to your profile and why
• What changes are made and by whom
• Contracts with agencies specifying their role and responsibilities
• Communication about profile management decisions

If something goes wrong, this documentation is invaluable for reinstatement appeals.

Establish Change Approval Processes

Require agencies to get your approval before making significant changes to your profile, especially:

• Business name changes
• Category changes
• Address or service area changes
• Adding or removing attributes

Most suspension-causing violations could be prevented if the business owner reviewed changes before they went live.

When Your Profile is Already Suspended

If you're reading this because you're already suspended due to third-party management issues:

1. Secure account access - Determine who has access and whether you can control the account
2. Contact the agency - Most will cooperate to resolve the issue
3. Gather documentation - Collect proof of business ownership and the agency relationship
4. Identify the violation - Determine what guideline was violated under their management
5. Prepare a comprehensive appeal - Explain the situation and your prevention measures

Remember: while third-party management adds complexity, these suspensions are often resolvable. The key is demonstrating to Google that you're the legitimate business owner and you've taken control of profile management going forward.

Moving Forward

Third-party management suspensions are more feared than experienced—they represent a smaller percentage of actual suspension cases. However, when they do occur, the complexity comes from questions of access, ownership, and responsibility.

The solution is straightforward: maintain ownership, grant only necessary manager access, and work with specialists who understand Google Business Profile guidelines. With proper access control and partner selection, you can benefit from professional management without the suspension risk.