Google Business Profile error library
When connecting your Google Business Profile to Buffer or publishing posts, there will be instances when Google refuses the request and replies with an error message. Find your error below and follow the troubleshooting steps to get back on track.
💡 Tip: Use Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to search for your exact error message.
In this article:
- Sign in with a Google account with permissions for this profile
- Can't publish posts to this Google Business Profile
- Background information of the image is causing issues
Sign in with a Google account with permissions for this profile
Error message: "Make sure you're signing in with a Google account with permissions for the profile you're looking to connect."
Why this happens: The Google account you used to connect doesn't have the right permissions for the Google Business Profile you're trying to add to Buffer. This usually means you're signed into the wrong Google account.
What to do:
- Head to Google.com and sign into the Google account that owns the Business Profile you're trying to connect.
- Head back to your Buffer.com dashboard and click Manage Channels.
- Select Add Channel and walk through the steps to connect your Google Business Profile.
Can't publish posts to this Google Business Profile
Error message: "It looks like we can't publish posts to this Google Business Profile."
Why this happens: There may be an issue with your Google Business Profile that is preventing Buffer from posting.
What to do:
- Try creating a post natively on your Google Business Profile to see if it publishes successfully, or if Google returns an error with more information.
- If you can publish directly on your Google Business Profile but not through Buffer, get in touch with our team and we'll help investigate.
Background information of the image is causing issues
Error message: "Sorry about this, but it looks like the background information of the image is causing issues for the Google Business Profile. Reach out and we can help walk you through removing that data."
Why this happens: The image contains EXIF data that Google Business Profile doesn't support. EXIF data is background information embedded in image files — things like rotation, orientation, or whether it's a multi-frame image.
What to do: Remove the EXIF data from your image before uploading it to Buffer. You can use a free tool like Verexif to view and remove EXIF data, then retry your post.
📝 Seeing a different error? Get in touch at hello@buffer.com and let us know the error message you see — we'll be happy to help!