How to verify your business on Google

5 min read

The short version

Verification proves the business is yours and switches on editing plus full visibility in Google Search and Maps.
Google picks the method for you (video, phone, text, email, postcard, or instant) and rotates it, so follow whatever you are shown.
Video is now the most common method, so have your signage, premises and tools ready before you record.
Most methods clear within a few days, but postcards can take one to two weeks, so start early and never create a second listing while you wait.
If it fails, you can usually re-record or ask for a different method rather than starting over.

Verifying is the step that turns your listing into one Google trusts. Until you verify, you cannot edit key details and your profile may stay hidden in Search and Maps. It pays to get through it cleanly the first time.

Why Google makes you verify

Verification is how Google checks that you actually run the business you are claiming. Anyone can type a business name into Google, so this step stops a stranger, a competitor, or a former employee from taking control of a listing that is not theirs.

Once you are verified, you get full control of the profile. You can:

Edit your name, address, phone number, hours and categories
Add and change photos
Post updates and offers
Reply to reviews
Show up fully in Google Search and Google Maps

Before verification, a lot of this is switched off. Edits may not go live, and your listing can be limited or hidden from customers searching for you. If you have not created your listing yet, start with How to set up your Google Business Profile, then come back here.

The methods Google might offer

You usually do not get to pick your verification method. Google chooses it for you based on your business type, category, address, and how much it already knows about you. It also changes which method it offers from time to time, so someone in the same trade might get a different option to you.

So treat the method you are shown as the method you use. These are the ones in play in 2026.

Video verification

You record a short video, usually on your phone, that shows your business is real and that you are connected to it. Google may ask you to film your signage, the outside of your premises, the surrounding street, your tools or equipment, and sometimes proof you can get behind the counter or into a staff-only area. This is now the most common method, especially for trades and service businesses.

Phone or text code

Google sends a code to your business phone by call or text. You type the code into your profile and you are done. This is the quickest option when you get it.

Email

Google sends a code or link to your business email address. You enter the code or click the link to confirm. This tends to be offered when the email clearly matches your business, for example an address on your own website domain.

Postcard by mail

For some categories, Google posts a physical postcard with a code to your business address. When it arrives, you sign in and enter the code. This is the slowest method because you are waiting on the post.

Instant verification

Sometimes Google verifies you straight away with no extra steps. This usually happens when your business is already confirmed with Google another way, for example through a linked and verified Google Search Console account for your website.

Rough timelines

Timelines vary, so treat these as a guide, not a promise.

Instant: immediate
Phone or text: minutes, once the code arrives
Email: minutes to a few hours
Video: often a few days, sometimes a week or two while a person reviews it
Postcard: usually one to two weeks, depending on the post

If you are asked for video and it is not reviewed quickly, that is normal. A real person often checks these, so a quiet few days does not mean anything is wrong.

Tips to pass video verification

Video is the one people worry about most, so a little preparation helps. Before you hit record:

Read the on-screen prompts first. Google tells you what it wants to see. Have those things ready before you film.
Film in daylight if you can. Good light and a steady hand make everything easier to read.
Show your signage and address. Capture your shopfront sign, street number, or vehicle signage so the name and location are clear.
Show that you belong there. Film yourself opening up, going behind the counter, or using your own tools.
Match what is on your listing. The name, address and category in the video should line up with what you entered. Mismatches are a common reason for a knock-back.
Do it in one continuous take. Google usually wants a single unbroken clip, not edited pieces.

If you work from home or have no shopfront, film your work vehicle, your tools, branded gear, and any paperwork or invoices with your business name on them.

What to do if it fails or stalls

A failed or slow verification is annoying, but it is rarely the end of the road.

If a video is rejected, you can usually record and submit another. Read the reason given, fix that specific thing, and try again with a calmer, clearer take.
If you have waited longer than the timelines above, check for a status update or a new prompt. You manage your profile by searching your business name in Google Search or Maps while signed in to the Google account you used to claim it.
If you are stuck, look for the option to try a different method. Google will not always let you switch, but it is worth checking.
Do not create a second listing. A duplicate causes conflicts that are harder to sort out than the original delay. Stick with the one listing and see it through.
If nothing moves, contact Google Business Profile support and ask them to look at your case.

Keep your business name, address and phone number identical everywhere while you wait: your website, your invoices, and your social pages. Consistency helps Google match you up.

Once you are verified

Getting verified turns your profile from a form you filled in into a listing you fully control. From here, the work is keeping it active and building trust. A good next read is How to use your Google Business Profile day to day, and if you are weighing up how much this matters, What is a Google Business Profile and why it matters puts it in plain terms.

The best next step is to start collecting genuine Google reviews, because reviews are what turn a verified listing into new customers. Google reviews: best practices for small businesses walks through how to ask the right way, and Why customer reviews matter for your business explains why it is worth the effort.

When you are ready to make asking easy, RankByReviews review cards let a customer tap or scan to reach your review page in seconds. You ask every customer the same simple way, at the right moment, with no gimmicks and nothing that puts your listing at risk.

Common questions

Do I have to verify to appear on Google?

In most cases, yes. You can create a listing without verifying, but until you complete verification your edits may not go live and your profile can be limited or hidden in Search and Maps. Verifying is what makes the listing fully yours to manage and fully visible to customers.

Why does Google want a video of my business?

Video is Google's way of confirming your business is real and that you are genuinely connected to it. Filming your signage, premises and tools proves you are on site and in charge, which is harder to fake than a form. It has become the most common method, so it is worth being ready for.

Can I choose which verification method I get?

Usually not. Google decides the method based on your business type, category, address and what it already knows about you, and it rotates the options over time. Sometimes you can request a different method if the first one fails, but you cannot count on it, so plan for whatever you are shown.

My verification is taking ages. What should I do?

First, check it against the rough timelines: video can take a week or two, and postcards up to two weeks. Manage your profile by searching your business name in Google Search or Maps while signed in, and look for a status update or a new prompt. Do not create a second listing to start fresh, as duplicates cause bigger problems. If it is well overdue, contact Google Business Profile support.