Why does my clinic have two listings on Google Maps?
If patients searching for your clinic find two listings, or your own listing has vanished from Search and Maps, the cause may be a duplicate. This page explains what Google means by that and the steps for each situation.
What Google means by a duplicate
Google's rule is one Business Profile for each business. It says multiple profiles for the same business may mislead customers and are against its policies. If a profile is treated as a duplicate, it will not show on Google Search or Maps.
Google gives three reasons a profile may be marked as a duplicate:
- A verified profile already exists for the same business.
- Multiple profiles have the same address.
- Multiple profiles exist for the same business offering different services.
Find your situation
Someone else owns a verified profile for your clinic
If you are authorised to manage the clinic, you can request ownership from the current owner. Google's steps for a clinic with a shop or office:
- Go to business.google.com/add and enter the name and address of your clinic.
- Choose your clinic from the list. You will see the message "Someone else may manage this Business Profile."
- Select Request Access, fill out the form and submit it.
The current owner has 3 days to respond. If they approve, you can manage the profile. If they deny, you can appeal, and you can still suggest an edit on Google Maps. If nobody responds after 3 days, you may have the option to claim the profile, but Google says that option is not always available.
If your clinic is a service-area business with no shop or office, Google says to contact its support instead and enter "Transfer ownership of listing" in the "Tell us what we can help with" field.
The clinic is on Maps but nobody has verified it
You can claim and verify the profile. Once verification is complete you own it and can manage the information on it.
You created a second profile by mistake
Google says you can remove the duplicate without affecting your verified listing. Only a primary owner can do this. Removal is permanent, it removes all content and linked managers from that profile, and Google says it does not guarantee the business will stop showing on Maps and Search. Check you are removing the right one.
Two listings exist and you do not manage either
To ask Google to merge them, report a suggestion on Google Maps:
- Sign in to your Google Account, open Google Maps and search for the place.
- Choose Suggest an edit, then Place closed or not here.
- Choose Duplicate of another place and submit.
Google says every merge request is reviewed. The profiles must represent the same business and should have the same information. When two profiles are merged their reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost. Google's help pages give no time for a decision, so we will not either.
Your clinic moved
Do not create a new profile for the new address. Update the address on the existing one.
Your clinic offers several services
Do not create a separate profile for each service. List the services on one profile.
Two clinics share a building
Google says distinct, eligible businesses at the same address can each have a profile if they have different names and clearly visible differences in signage. It lists individual practitioners at a shared location among these. If a profile was marked as a duplicate by mistake, you can contact Google support to appeal. If both businesses are at the same location, you will be asked for evidence of permanent signage that clearly shows both.
Before you act
Work out which listing is the real one, and which account manages it. Removing, merging and appealing all depend on that.
If your listing shows as closed rather than duplicated, see https://www.practicemaps.co.uk/guides/clinic-shows-closed-on-google-maps
Last checked against Google's help pages: 6 October 2026.
Practice Maps helps independent clinics in the UK get their Google Maps listing right. If you would rather have this checked and corrected for you, see https://www.practicemaps.co.uk