Google Business Profile verification: how it works and what to do if it fails

How does Google Business Profile verification work?

Google checks you’re the real business before it lets you edit your profile or deal with customers on it. It decides which method you get, based on things like your business type, public information, region and opening hours. You can’t choose, and you may be asked for more than one.

Say a plumber in Ipswich has just created a profile and sees a “Get verified” button. What happens next depends on which options Google gives her. Here’s what each one needs.

The methods Google uses

• Phone or text. Google sends a code to your business number. You have to be able to answer the call or get the text.
• Email. You follow the steps in an email sent to the address, so you need to be able to open it.
• Live video call. A support person starts with a text chat, then helps you join a video call.
• Video recording. You film your business and upload it from your phone.
• Postcard. Google posts a five-digit code to your postal address.
• Your website. Google says verifying your website in Search Console, or using bulk verification, can verify a profile straight away.

You’ll see only the ones Google offers you, and the list can differ from the business down the road. Google’s own verification help page has the current steps.

If you get a phone call or text

Make sure a person can answer the business number. Google says automated menus (IVR) won’t receive the code. If your business line goes to a menu, point it at your mobile for a few minutes, or use another method.

If you get a video check

Google has two kinds. A live video call is only available during your opening hours, and not for every business. You need a device that does video calls and you need to be at the business. You’ll be asked to show proof of where you are, proof you operate, and proof you manage it.

The recorded version is the other option. Google’s rules for it:

• Record it live from your phone through your Business Profile. You can’t record it earlier and upload it later.
• It has to be one unedited, complete recording with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long.
• Don’t show bank, tax or ID numbers, private information, or other people’s faces.

What to show depends on your business. For a service-area business like most tradies, Google asks for:

• Where you operate. Street signs and landmarks at your business address. If you work from home, you can film nearby landmarks and signs. Don’t add the address if customers don’t visit you there.
• That the business exists. Professional tools, equipment, products, your workspace, business cards or branded clothing.
• That you run it. Do something only you can, like unlocking a branded van. You can also show a business permit, invoice or utility bill that matches your profile name.

If you have a shopfront or workshop that customers visit, the rules are different. Your business name has to be on a permanent sign that matches your profile, and you show something only staff can reach, like the till.

Google says a review can take up to five working days. If it fails, you’ll get the reasons. On your phone, open your profile, tap Review issues, and record a new video with everything from the first one plus what was missing.

If you get a postcard

• Google says most codes arrive within 14 days, and they expire after 30 days.
• Don’t change your business name, address or category while you wait. The code won’t work.
• Don’t ask for a new code. That cancels the one in the mail and slows things down.
• Check the postal address first. If you work from home, make sure the mail will reach you.

If you’re stuck

• No code arrives. Check the phone number or email you gave. For a postcard, wait the full 14 days before you ask for another.
• “Get verified” comes back. Google says this means it couldn’t fully verify you. Try again or use another method.
• Asked to verify again. This usually follows a recent change to your business details. Select Get verified and go through it again.
• Postcard or live video isn’t offered. Google says to contact support.

It also helps to have the basics right before you start. Use your real name, an address Google can find, and a category that fits. Our Business Profile guide for tradies covers those. If Google has suspended the profile instead, see what to do when your Business Profile is suspended.

Don’t pay anyone to verify you

Google says it doesn’t charge for verification, and that it will never try to convince you to pay to maintain your profile. Be wary of anyone offering to verify you or fix your profile for money, including people who say they’re from Google. The code Google sends you goes into your own Business Profile and nowhere else.

Questions people ask

Can I choose how to verify my Google Business Profile?

No. Google decides which methods you get, based on things like your business type, region and opening hours.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

It depends on the method. Google says most postcards arrive within 14 days, and video reviews take up to five working days, occasionally longer.

Why didn’t my verification code arrive?

For a postcard, give it the full 14 days and don’t request another, because that cancels the first. For a call or text, check a person can answer the number. For email, check you can open the address.

Do I have to verify my profile?

To edit your business information, like your name or opening hours, and to deal with customers on the profile, yes. Verifying also gives you ownership of it.

Stuck on verification, or not sure your profile is set up properly? Ask us for a free website check and we’ll tell you what we can see. If you’d like us to look after your profile, have a look at our SEO and Google Maps services.