Google Business Profile verification: methods, status and delays
Google needs to confirm you run a business before you can manage its profile. This guide explains the verification methods, what a video must show, how long reviews take and what to do when verification fails or someone else owns the profile, using what Business Profile Help states.
This guide is built from Google Business Profile Help, mainly Verify your business on Google, Verify your business with a video recording, Request ownership of a Business Profile and Fix suspended or disabled profiles. Setting up a profile, categories, reviews and posts are in our Google Business Profile guide; this page goes deeper on verification only.
- What verification does
- Before you start: account, claim and eligibility
- The verification methods
- Video recording: what to film
- Postcard rules
- Waiting for review, and instant verification
- When verification fails or comes back
- When someone else already owns the profile
- Bulk verification for 10 or more locations
- Verification vs suspension
- Our view: agencies and verification
- Frequently asked questions
What verification does
Google says that to edit your business info, such as your name or hours, "and interact with customers, you need to verify your business." Verifying gives you ownership of the Business Profile. Google's local ranking tips also list verification first, because it tells Google you are authorised to represent the business, "so it's more likely to show up in search results."
Verification is not a one-off. Changing key details later can trigger a new check, and Google can remove ownership from people who stop managing a profile. Both cases are covered below.
Before you start: account, claim and eligibility
- A Google Account. You need one to sign up. It can use a Gmail address or any other email address, and Google suggests linking a company email if you have one. Sign in with the account tied to the profile, or you will not find it.
- Add or claim. If the business is not on Google yet, add it. If it is on Maps but unverified, claim it. Our main guide walks through both.
- Eligibility. Google's eligibility guidelines say a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours. Online-only businesses, lead generation companies, rental or for-sale properties and P.O. box addresses are among the examples that are not eligible. On the video page Google is blunt: an online-only business "can't be verified."
- Storefront or service area. If you don't serve customers at your address, Google says not to add the address to the profile, and to set it up as a service-area business. Our service-area guide covers how that affects your website.
The verification methods
You don't pick the method. Google states that methods "are automatically determined by Google and can't be changed". They depend on your business type, public information, region and business hours, and some businesses have to verify with more than one method. Every method starts from your profile at business.google.com with Get verified.
| Method | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or text | Get verified > Phone or SMS, then enter the code from the call or message | Interactive voice response (IVR) systems "won't get the code"; someone must answer the business line or read the text |
| Get verified > Email, then follow the steps in the message | You must be able to use the address shown on the verification screen | |
| Video recording | Record and upload a continuous video from your phone through the profile | Google recommends this when you are eligible; see the requirements below |
| Live video call | Get verified > Live video call, choose a language, start a chat, then show the business on camera with a support representative | Not offered to every business, and only within the business hours of your location |
| Postcard | Request a code by mail and enter the 5-digit code on the profile | Not offered to every business; strict rules while you wait |
If none of the options you see work, Google's advice is to try every method available to you before contacting support, because that "makes it easier for us to provide assistance."
Video recording: what to film
Google's video verification page says it works for storefront, service-area and hybrid businesses. Plan the video first, because it must be captured live: "pre-recorded videos aren't allowed", and you can't record offline and upload later. The video must be:
- An unedited, unique and complete recording with no breaks.
- At least 30 seconds long.
- Recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through your Business Profile.
It must not show sensitive numbers such as bank, tax or ID numbers, private information, or other people's faces. What you need to show depends on the business type:
| Show | Storefront or hybrid | Service-area business |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Street signs, building numbers, nearby businesses or familiar places | Street signs or landmarks at the business address; from home, signs in the immediate neighbourhood. Avoid empty land with no markers |
| That the business exists | Storefront, showroom or signage, with the name on a permanent fixture that matches the profile name | Tools, equipment, products, workspace, business cards or branded clothing |
| That you manage it | Things only staff can access, such as opening the till, the kitchen, a storage room or the point-of-sale system | Doing the work or opening business-only assets, such as a branded van, or documents like a permit, invoice or utility bill |
The flow on the phone is Get verified > Business video > Next, allow camera, microphone and location access, record, review, then Upload video. A failed upload is usually fixed by uploading again. You can delete the video later under Business Profile settings > Advanced settings > Video uploads; if you don't, Google deletes it later.
Postcard rules
Mail confirms that the business is at the listed address. Request the code with Get verified > Postcard after checking the mailing address. Google says most codes arrive within 14 days. While you wait:
- Don't edit the business name, address or category, or "the code we sent you won't work."
- Don't request a new code. That cancels the one in the mail and makes the process longer.
- Use the code within 30 days; codes expire after that.
- Keep it private. Google "will never ask for your verification code", and says not to share it even with people who manage the profile.
Waiting for review, and instant verification
Finishing the steps is not the end. Google reviews what you sent, and says reviews take up to 5 business days, "On rare occasions" longer. Video uploads have the same up to 5 business days. When it's done you get a confirmation email.
Some profiles are verified instantly. Google names two cases: the website is already verified in Google Search Console, or the business uses bulk verification. Our Search Console basics guide covers the first.
New owners and managers also face a short limit. Google's owners and managers page says that for the first 7 days you can't delete or undelete the profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership.
When verification fails or comes back
Google describes three signs on the main verification page:
- "Get verified" shows again. Google couldn't fully verify the business. Try again, and if several methods are listed, try another one.
- "Review issues" after a video. The video wasn't accepted. Select Review issues to see the reasons. Google's examples: business name not visible on the storefront, no nearby area shown, missing proof of authorisation. Record a new video with everything from the first one plus what was missing.
- A request for more information. This is likely because business details were recently changed. Select Get verified and go through it again.
Ownership can also be revoked. The eligibility page lists reasons including not signing in recently, the business confirming that you or your agency is no longer authorised, Google failing to reach you by email after several attempts, and the profile being deleted. In that case you can re-verify or request ownership.
When someone else already owns the profile
If the profile is verified by someone else, such as a former employee or an old agency, Google's ownership process for storefront and hybrid businesses is: go to business.google.com/add, enter the name and address, pick the business, and when you see "Someone else may manage this Business Profile" select Request access and fill in the form. For a service-area business without a shop, Google says to contact support and choose "Transfer ownership of listing".
The current owner is emailed and has 3 days to respond. If they approve, you can manage the profile. If they deny it, you can appeal or suggest an edit on Maps. If there is no answer after 3 days, you may be able to claim and verify the profile from the link in your confirmation email, although Google notes the option "isn't always available."
Don't create a second profile to get around this. Google's duplicates page says a profile treated as a duplicate "won't show on Google Search or Maps", and that a business that moves should update its address rather than open a new profile.
Bulk verification for 10 or more locations
Chains can verify many locations at once. Google's bulk verification page requires 10 or more profiles of the same business, and duplicate, suspended or disabled profiles don't count towards that. The spreadsheet has to include every location you manage, and the profiles must reflect the real size of the business. Service-area businesses can't use bulk verification, and agencies with more than one business in one account can't bulk verify either.
To apply, sign in to Business Profile Manager and choose Verifications > Chain > Start, then submit the form. Uploading a spreadsheet alone does not send a request, and you may still be asked for video verification. Google may de-verify accounts that don't actively manage their profiles.
Verification vs suspension
A profile that never got verified and a profile that Google suspended are different problems. Suspension is for guideline breaches, and you fix it with an appeal, not a new verification. Google's suspended profiles page says to check the profile against the guidelines first, then use the appeals tool, where you can attach evidence such as a business registration, licence, tax certificate or utility bill with a name and address that match the profile. Each appeal can only be submitted once, and Google says not to create a new profile for the same business.
In Business Profile Manager, the status column helps tell these apart: "Pending verification" means the process started but isn't finished, "Unverified" means edits may not appear yet, "Access needed" means another verified owner exists, and "Disabled" means quality violations.
Our view: agencies and verification
This part is our own practice, not Google's guidance. Google's rules for authorised representatives say an agency must never claim a profile without the owner's express consent, should work directly with the owner to complete verification, and must transfer ownership immediately when asked. So when we help a client, the business owner's own Google Account verifies and stays primary owner, and we are added as a manager afterwards. We check the name, address, category and hours before requesting verification, so no edit lands mid-process, and we have the owner ready at the business during opening hours in case video is offered. When a project ends, our ownership handover checklist includes the Business Profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose how to verify my Google Business Profile?
No. Google decides which methods you see based on your business type, public information, region and hours, and they can't be changed. If several are offered, you can try another one when the first fails.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
After you complete the steps, Google says the review takes up to 5 business days, occasionally longer. Postcards usually arrive within 14 days and their codes expire after 30 days.
Why was my verification video rejected?
The video didn't meet a requirement. Google's examples include the business name not visible on the storefront, no nearby area shown and no proof of authorisation. Select Review issues on the profile for the reasons, then record a new continuous video of at least 30 seconds.
Why is Google asking me to verify again?
Usually because business details were recently changed, and Google wants to confirm they are accurate. Select Get verified and follow the steps for the method shown.
Can an online-only business get verified?
No. Google says a business that operates online-only and offers no in-person service is not eligible for a Business Profile and can't be verified.
For more on local search, see our guides to Google Business Profile, service-area pages, Apple Business Connect and Bing Places and Google Local Services Ads.