HOW-TO
How to verify your business on Google
Verifying your Business Profile is what unlocks the ability to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps: hours, photos, reviews, posts. Google decides which verification methods you're eligible for and you can't switch between them. For most businesses today the recommended method is a short video recorded on your phone at your location.
6 MIN READ
6 STEPS
UPDATED AUG 17, 2026
STEP BY STEP
How to do it
01
Start or claim your profile
Sign in with the business Google account and go to google.com/business, then click Manage now. If your business already shows on Google Maps, open it there instead and click Claim this business, then Manage now.
google.com/business → Manage now
02
Fill in the basics
Follow the prompts: business name, category, whether customers visit a storefront or you serve them at their location, address or service area, phone, and website. Be accurate here. A category or address that doesn't match reality is the fastest way to a suspension.
Careful.
Verify with an account your business owns. If a former employee or an outside agency verifies under their own account, getting control back later means going through Google's ownership transfer process.
03
Click Get verified
Google shows the methods you're eligible for. If Business video is offered, use it. Google recommends it when available.
04
Record the video
On your phone tap Business video, Next, then Start recording. Record at least 30 seconds in one continuous take showing three things: your location (street signs, building number, neighboring businesses), your business (storefront, signage, or for service businesses your tools, equipment, or branded vehicle), and proof you run it (unlocking the door, opening the register, entering a staff only area, or showing business documents). Do not film other people's faces or anything sensitive like bank or ID numbers.
Tip.
The most common rejection is a video shot entirely indoors with no exterior context, or one that skips the proof you manage the business. All three parts need to be in one shot.
05
Other methods if offered
A live video call works only during your listed hours, and you need to be on site with the same things ready to show. Phone or text sends you a code to enter. Email sends a link. A postcard arrives in about 14 days with a 5 digit code that expires after 30 days.
06
Wait for review
Review can take up to 5 business days. You'll get an email when you're verified. If a video is rejected, Google asks you to record again.
HOW TO KNOW IT WORKED
You get Google's confirmation email, and when you search your business name while signed in, you see the management panel with editing options and no Get verified prompt.
Steps reflect the platform as of August 17, 2026. Menus change; if something looks different, tell us and we will update this guide.
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BEFORE YOU START
A Google account your business controls long term. Use a company account, not an employee's personal one.
Your business name, address or service area, phone, and website, consistent with how they appear elsewhere.
Your phone with a working camera, and physical access to your location during business hours.
CATEGORY
TIME
About 6 min
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