Google asking you to
verify your business
again? Here’s what to do.

You open your Google Business Profile and, instead of the usual dashboard, you see “Get verified” or a message saying Google needs more information. That on its own is not a penalty, and it doesn’t mean your profile has been taken down. Below is the short answer first, then everything in the order you’ll actually do it on your phone.

A note before you start: we work mostly with businesses in Serbia. Everything below follows Google’s global help pages, but which verification methods you see depends on your country, business type and other factors, so treat the steps as a guide, not a guarantee.

01What it means when Google asks you to verify again

Verification is how Google checks three things: that the business really exists, that it is where the profile says it is (or serves the area you listed), and that the person managing the profile actually represents it. Only once the profile is verified can you edit all of its information and use it to interact with customers.

A request to verify again is not the same as a suspension. Google suspends profiles that, in its view, don’t follow its guidelines, and that is a separate situation handled through an appeal, covered further down. When Google simply asks for verification, your job is to show it what it’s asking for. Nothing more.

If your business doesn’t show up on the map at all and you’re not sure verification is the cause, start with the checks we run first, listed on our Google Business Profile page under “Why doesn’t my business show up on Google Maps?”.

02Why again, if the profile was already verified?

Google describes three situations where verification comes back:

• “Get verified” has reappeared on your profile. Google couldn’t fully verify you. You can try again, or use another method from the list.
• You got a “Review issues” notice after a video. Your video wasn’t accepted.
• Google asks for more information. According to Google, this usually follows recent changes to your business details.

Google doesn’t publish a list of edits that always trigger a new check. For categories it states that if you add or change one, you might be asked to verify again. So it’s a possibility, not a rule. Name, address and category are exactly the details Google checks, so a request after changing them shouldn’t come as a surprise. An edit itself is usually reviewed within 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days.

Our advice: while a verification is in progress, don’t change your name, address and category one after another. For postcards Google explicitly says not to, because the code stops working after such an edit. For the other methods it’s our recommendation: details that stay put are easier to prove.

03Which verification methods exist

Google chooses the methods automatically, and you can’t change them. They depend on your business type, publicly available information, region and business hours, and sometimes you’ll need more than one. If an option isn’t shown, there is no setting that turns it on.

• Phone or text. A code arrives by call or SMS on the business number. An automated phone menu (“press 1 for sales”) can’t receive the code.
• Email. A message goes to the address you select on the verification screen.
• Video recording. You film live on your phone and upload through the profile. Google recommends this method when you’re eligible.
• Live video call. A Google support representative guides you while you show your location, the business and proof that you manage it. Only available during the location’s business hours, and not for every business.
• Postcard. A code is mailed to the business address. Most arrive within 14 days and the code expires after 30 days. While you wait, don’t edit the name, address or category and don’t request a new code: a new one cancels the first.
• Instant. Sometimes Google verifies a profile straight away, for example when you’ve already verified your website in Google Search Console.

One more rule worth knowing: Google says it will never ask you for your verification code, and that you shouldn’t share it, not even with people who help manage your profile. If someone calls asking for the code “on behalf of Google”, it isn’t Google.

04Video verification, step by step

Button names depend on your phone’s language. We use the labels from Google’s English help pages.

Why a pre-recorded or edited video won’t work

Google asks for footage that is captured live, unedited, unique and complete, with no breaks, and at least 30 seconds long. Pre-recorded videos aren’t allowed. The reason is simple: the video has to prove that it’s you, now, at that place, moving in a single shot from the street to something only staff can reach. Editing can’t prove that, however good it looks.

05What to film: two examples

A storefront customers visit (shop, salon, workshop, practice)

• Where you are: street signs, the building number or neighbouring businesses.
• That the business exists: the storefront, entrance or signage with your business name on a permanent fixture. The name on the sign must match the name on your profile.
• That you manage it: something only an employee can access, such as the cash register, kitchen, storeroom or card terminal.

A sample route (our suggestion): street corner with the street sign → building and number → sign with your name above the entrance → unlock the door with your own key → inside: products and equipment → behind the counter: till or storeroom.

A business that goes to customers (trades, mobile services, transport, cleaning)

• Where you operate: street signs, a recognisable landmark or another identifier near your business address. Avoid empty land with no markers. If you work from home, Google allows you to film nearby landmarks.
• That the business exists: professional tools, equipment, products, a workspace or branded workwear.
• That you manage it: film yourself doing the work or unlocking something that belongs to the business, such as a branded van. Google also accepts a business document showing the same name as your profile: a permit, an invoice or a utility bill.

You send the verification video through the verification step, separately from the photos and videos you add to your profile for customers. Google’s help pages don’t say it is shown on your profile. Google deletes it after a while, and you can delete it yourself: “More” → “Business Profile settings” → “Advanced settings” → under “Video uploads”, tap “Delete videos”.

Don’t film ID documents, bank account numbers, tax or other identification numbers, private information or other people’s faces. If you show a document, make sure the business name is visible and keep the numbers out of the shot.

06If Google rejects your video

1. On your profile, tap “Review issues” and read exactly what’s missing. Google gives examples such as: the business name isn’t visible on the storefront, the surrounding area isn’t shown, there’s no proof you’re authorised to manage the business.
2. Record a new video that includes everything from the first one, plus what was missing. That’s what Google asks for.
3. Don’t send the same shots again. If the same reason keeps coming back, the problem is often not the filming but the details: the name on the profile doesn’t match the sign, or a business without a sign is listed as a storefront. Fix the profile first, then film. (This is our assessment, not Google’s wording.)
4. If another method is offered, try it as well. Google asks you to try the available methods before contacting support.

07If your profile still isn’t verified

Five situations look alike, but each has its own path.

• Verification didn’t go through. “Get verified” is back on your profile. Try again or use another available method (Google: verify your business).
• Additional check. Google asks for more information, usually after edits. Tap “Get verified” and go through the check again.
• An edit is waiting for approval. The edit shows as “Pending” or “Not approved”. Reviews usually take up to 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days. You may be able to appeal an edit that wasn’t approved (Google: what happens to your edits).
• Suspension. Google can suspend or remove a profile that doesn’t follow its guidelines. A removed profile can’t be seen by the public, and its owners and managers can’t manage it. If your whole Google Account is restricted, every profile it manages is suspended and the account can’t create or claim new ones; account restrictions are appealed separately on the account restrictions page. For a decision about the profile, use Google’s appeals tool. You can appeal only once, with documents showing the same name and address as the profile (for example business registration, a licence, a utility bill). Don’t create a new profile for the same business.
• Someone else already manages the profile. At business.google.com/add, find your business and select “Request access”. The current owner has 3 days to respond. If they don’t, you may get the option to claim the profile, but Google notes that option isn’t always available (Google: request ownership).

Official support: support.google.com/business/gethelp. You can also ask in Google’s community forum.

And one thing, plainly: there is no setting, shortcut or “contact at Google” that skips verification. Anyone offering you one is offering a risk to your profile.

Once the profile is verified, the next step is to look at it through a customer’s eyes: what customers see on your Google profile. If you’d like help with your name, category and address before you record, that’s part of our Google Business Profile service; even then, only Google decides on verification.

08Before you tap “Start recording”

09Frequently asked questions