Google My Business Verification: How to Verify Your Business Profile (Every Method)
Quick answer: sign in to your Google Account, open your Business Profile, select Get verified and complete the method Google offers you: video recording, live video call, phone or text, email, or postcard. You can’t choose the method. Most verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and postcard codes usually arrive within 14 days.
We fix Google Business Profiles for a living, and verification is step one of every job. One holiday lighting company we worked with went from page 3 to the top 3 in Google Search in 30 days, and none of that can start until Google believes the business is real.
Confession: the first time I verified a profile, Google sent a postcard, and I began what I now call the Mailbox Vigil. (Picture a grown man opening an empty mailbox, closing it, and opening it again in case the postcard was shy.) Verification has mostly moved on from postcards since then. I have not moved on from the Vigil, so this page is here to save you from your own.
Every Google verification method, side by side
Google picks the method, not you, and it can ask for more than one. So read the row that matches what Google shows you, and skip the rest (I know, skipping things isn’t your style either, you’re reading a blog about verification).
| Method | How it works | How long | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video recording | Film one continuous video in the Business Profile app | Review up to 5 business days | At least 30 seconds, filmed live, no edits |
| Live video call | Show a Google rep your business on a video call | Only during your business hours | Be at the business, with your keys or register handy |
| Phone or text | Google calls or texts you a code | Code arrives right away | Phone menus (IVR) won’t receive the code |
| Google emails you a code or link | Arrives right away | You must be able to open that inbox | |
| Postcard | A 5-digit code mailed to your address | Most arrive within 14 days | Codes expire after 30 days, and asking for a new one cancels the old one |
| Instant | Google verifies you on the spot | Immediately | Not offered to everyone. More likely if your website is verified in Search Console |
Source: Google’s Verify your business on Google help page.
How to verify your Google Business Profile, step by step
Five steps, and only one of them involves waiting. Sadly, that’s the one you’ll remember.
- Sign in to the right Google Account. Use the one that will own the profile, not your teenager’s old gaming account. Ownership is hard to move later.
- Find your business. Search your business name and city on Google or Google Maps, or go to business.google.com. If a profile already exists, claim it instead of making a second one, because Google hates twins.
- Select Get verified. Google shows the methods it will accept for your business. You don’t get a vote, and neither do I (I’ve asked).
- Complete the method. Enter the code, film the video or join the call. Follow the screen exactly, because creativity is not rewarded here.
- Wait up to 5 business days. Google reviews what you sent, and most profiles hear back within that window. Do not stand at the mailbox.
Google Business Profile video verification: what the video must show
Video verification is the method Google recommends when you’re eligible, and it’s the one people fail most. The video has to prove three things: where you are, that the business exists, and that you run it. Think of it as a 30-second documentary where the only critic is a robot with trust issues.
The rules from Google’s video verification help page:
- One take, no edits. A continuous recording of at least 30 seconds. Your best angles will have to wait for a different video.
- Filmed live, in the app. Record and upload from your phone through the Business Profile app. Pre-recorded videos aren’t allowed, so the beautiful drone footage stays on your hard drive.
- The name has to match. The business name in your video must match the name on your profile. “Dave’s Plumbing” on the van and “Dave’s Plumbing & Spa” on the profile is a mismatch, and also a strange spa.
- Keep private things private. No ID, bank or tax numbers, and no other people’s faces. Your coworker who walks into frame is a rejection with a coffee mug.
- Service-area businesses don’t show a storefront. Show signs or landmarks near your address, your tools or branded van, and you doing the work. If you work from home, your neighborhood’s street signs count, so wave at the neighbors.
If Google turns the video down, you’ll see a Review issues notice in your profile. Tap it, read what was missing, and film a new video that includes everything from the first one plus the missing part. Google’s own wording, by the way, not mine; mine would have included more sighing.
Phone, text, email and postcard verification
These are the easy ones, when Google offers them. Each sends you a code, and each has one trap that catches people.
- Phone or text: answer the call or open the text, then type the code into your profile. If your business line starts with “press 1 for sales”, the code gets lost in the menu, so use a line a human picks up.
- Email: follow the link or code in the email. Check that you can actually open the address on the screen, not the one your old web designer set up in 2014.
- Postcard: confirm your mailing address and request the code. Most arrive within 14 days and they expire after 30, so the Mailbox Vigil has a deadline now.
Two postcard rules matter more than the rest. Don’t request a new code while you wait, because Google cancels the one already in the mail. And don’t change your business name, address or category while the postcard is travelling, or the code won’t work when it lands (the code doesn’t care how nice your new logo is).
How to check your Google Business Profile verification status
There’s no separate verification status tool from Google, whatever some websites promise. The status lives in your profile itself, which is less exciting but at least it’s free.
- Pending verification: you started, and Google hasn’t finished checking. Normal for up to 5 business days.
- Unverified: Google needs you to verify before you can edit the profile.
- Get verified shows up again: Google couldn’t fully verify you. Try again, or try another method if one is offered.
- Review issues: your video was turned down, and the notice tells you why.
If you’re still stuck after trying every method on offer, use the contact support link at the bottom of Google’s verification help page. Then step away from the refresh button, because it doesn’t speed anything up (I’ve tested this extensively).
What we’d do this week if it were our profile
If Google asks for a video, plan the shot before you press record. Here’s the 30-to-60-second shot list we’d follow, in one walk, no cuts:
- Start outside on the street sign or building number.
- Pan to your sign, storefront or branded van, with the business name in clear view.
- Unlock the door or the van on camera.
- Show your tools, equipment or products.
- Open the register or point-of-sale system, or hold up a permit, invoice or utility bill with your business name on it (cover any account numbers).
Do one practice run first, without uploading. It costs two minutes, and it’s a lot cheaper than five business days of finding out you filmed your thumb.
“Wow – GBPLevelUP really helped me get my business claimed and verified on google and now my Phone is Ringing every day. I don’t know where I would be without their services. TY!”
Sara Southard, GBPLevelUP client
Once you’re verified, the real work starts: getting found. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews is the next thing we’d do, and nobody has to watch a mailbox for it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
After you complete a method, Google’s review takes up to 5 business days, and a few take longer. Postcard codes usually arrive within 14 days. Instant verification can happen right away if your website is verified in Google Search Console.
Does it cost anything to verify my business on Google?
No. A Google Business Profile is free, and so is verifying it. Be wary of anyone who says you have to pay Google to get verified.
Can I choose my verification method?
No. Google decides which methods you see based on your business, and you may need more than one. If a method fails, try any other method Google offers.
Do I need an LLC to verify a Google Business Profile?
Google’s verification help doesn’t list an LLC as a requirement. What matters is proving the business is real and that you manage it. For video verification, Google accepts a business permit, invoice or utility bill in the business’s name as proof.
How do I contact Google about verification?
Use the contact support link on Google’s Verify your business on Google help page. Try every verification method on offer first, because support usually asks if you have.
Stuck on verification? Our Google Business Profile optimization services get your profile claimed, verified and onto page 1 of Google, and you don’t pay until it’s there. Or call +1 424-428-1454.
