Directory Access Should Be Included in Every Marketing Handover

When a staff member leaves or an agency relationship ends, website and social media access usually receive attention. Business directory accounts are easier to forget, even though they may control important public information.

Build an Inventory Before the Handover

List the platforms, profile URLs, account emails, verification methods, and current owners.

Working checklist

• This makes it possible to transfer access deliberately instead of discovering missing credentials months later.
• Where platforms allow multiple administrators, add the new responsible person before removing the old one.
• Critical listings should not depend permanently on an individual's personal email address.
• Use organisational accounts and a secure password management process wherever the platform permits it.

Access transfers should be part of offboarding

When an employee or agency relationship ends, citation accounts should move with the rest of the business assets. Update owner emails, shared inbox access, recovery methods, and password manager entries before the old access disappears. Keep a list of critical directories so transfer work is not dependent on someone's memory. Ownership continuity prevents avoidable lockouts later.

Move Control to Business-Owned Accounts

After transfer, test that edits can actually be made and recovery options point to the correct contact. A clean handover protects continuity. The business should be able to update a phone number or address tomorrow without having to locate someone who managed the listing years ago.