When Google Business Profile verification stalls, our advice is to leave the profile alone and wait inside the windows Google gives. Use the options the profile shows you. Don’t edit the business name, address or category while a postcard is on its way, and don’t ask for another code. Google’s own help page lists those two moves as the things that can stop the code from working or stretch out the process.
Google says you need to verify your business to edit business info such as the name or hours, and to interact with customers. So until the profile is verified, the listing sits outside your control. Google also says those edits, or a request for another code, can break the code it mailed or make the process longer. It puts no number of days on the delay. We won’t either.
Google Business Profile Verification Methods Are Set by Google
Google says verification methods are determined automatically by Google and can’t be changed. The options you see depend on your business type, public info, region or business hours. Google also says you may need to verify with more than one method in some cases. Two businesses in the same trade may be offered different routes.
Google’s page on verifying your business lists the methods it uses: phone or text, email, a live video call, a video recording and a postcard by mail. Google says verification through postcard isn’t available for all businesses. It tells owners to try the options available to them. And it says that if your business is eligible for video verification, it recommends that option.
So the owner’s job isn’t to pick a method. It’s to work with the options the profile shows. Picture an owner who would rather use a different method than the one offered. The profile still shows what it shows. Google’s page says that if you’re still unable to verify after trying the options, contact support.
How Long Does Google Business Profile Verification Take?
Google gives two clocks. For a postcard, its tip reads, “Most codes arrive within 14 days.” After you finish the verification steps, Google says its reviews take up to 5 business days, and that on rare occasions reviews may take longer. Those are the windows we’d wait inside before doing anything else.
For a video recording, Google says the review after you upload can take up to 5 business days. The postcard carries its own limit. Google says verification codes expire after 30 days, so the code has to be entered inside that window. A code that sits past it won’t help you. And a wait that’s still inside Google’s windows isn’t a sign that something went wrong.
Google also says some profiles verify instantly. It names two examples: a website verified with Google Search Console, and bulk verification. Since Google determines the methods, that sits on Google’s side of the process, not yours.
What Should You Not Do While You Wait for the Postcard?
Google lists two things to avoid. Don’t edit your business name, address or category on the profile, because Google says the code it sent you won’t work if you do. And don’t ask for another code: Google says it then cancels the code in the mail and sends another, which can make the process longer.
Our reading is that the wait becomes a hold on edits for everyone with access, not only you. Tell staff, or whoever handles the website, to leave the profile alone until the code is in hand. Picture a service business that corrects a misspelled street name while the postcard is in the mail. By Google’s account, the code it sent stops working. So check the details before the postcard goes out, not after.
One more thing about the code itself. Google says it will not ask you for your verification code, and it tells owners not to share the code with anyone, even with those who manage the Business Profile. So by Google’s own account, a message that asks you to hand over the code didn’t come from Google. If someone asks, by text or by email, the answer is no.
What If the Phone, Email or Video Option Doesn’t Work?
Each option carries a condition, and a stall can point at one. A code by phone or text needs a line you can answer, and Google says Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems won’t get the code. An email code needs an inbox you can open. Google says live video calls are only available within the business hours of your location.
Google’s page on video verification sets out what the recording has to be. Google says you must capture the footage live, because pre-recorded videos aren’t allowed. It has to be unedited and complete, with no breaks. It has to run at least 30 seconds. And Google says it has to be recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through your Business Profile. Video verification works for a business with a physical storefront and for a service-area business, Google says. A hybrid that does both is covered too.
What the video should show depends on the business. For a storefront, Google says to show the location and the business name on a permanent fixture, plus proof that you manage the business. The name in the video has to match the name on your profile. For a service-area business, Google says to show the area through street signs or landmarks. It also says to show the tools or equipment you use for work, plus proof of management. A home-based service-area business can record landmarks and signs in the immediate neighborhood, Google says.
If the video isn’t accepted, Google shows a “Review issues” notification with the reasons. Its examples are a business name not visible on the storefront, no nearby area shown, and missing proof of authorization to operate the business. Google says to record another video with everything from the first one plus what was missing. And if the “Get verified” button appears again, Google says that means it couldn’t completely verify your business. You can try again from there, with another method if the profile shows more than one.
Check the Profile Before You Ask for a Code
Google says to make sure your business mailing address is correct before you request the postcard. It also says the name shown in your video must match the name on your Business Profile. As a general rule, a profile whose details are right before the code goes out has less to correct afterward. Read the details back to yourself first.
If the address is the detail about to change, that’s a different job from this one. Our post on what an address change can do to your listing covers that edit. This one stops at getting verified.
And if the profile is verified but the business still doesn’t show up when you search for it, pick it up with our four checks for a business that is missing from Google.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Business Profile Verification
Can I choose how to verify my Google Business Profile?
No. Google says verification methods are determined automatically by Google and can’t be changed. The options you’re offered depend on your business type, public info, region or business hours. Google says some businesses need more than one method. So the practical move is to try the options your profile shows. If none of them work, Google’s page says to contact support.
Why did my verification code stop working?
Google names a few causes tied to the postcard. Editing your business name, address or category stops the code it sent you from working. Asking for another code cancels the one in the mail. Google also says codes expire after 30 days. If one of those happened, check what your profile offers at that point and follow it; we can’t promise which option shows up.
Why is Google asking me to verify again?
Google says that if you’re asked to provide more info to re-verify the profile, it’s likely because some of your business details were changed. And if the “Get verified” button appears again, Google says it couldn’t completely verify your business. You can try again from there, and use another method if the profile offers more than one. We’d change nothing else while that’s open.
Can someone else verify my profile for me?
Google says to keep the verification code to yourself, even from those who manage your Business Profile. It also says that if a third party helps you manage your profile, you can add them to the profile after verification. Read together, that puts the code in the owner’s hands first, and the helper’s access second. That’s the order we’d suggest.
Talk Through Your Google Business Profile Verification
Spilt Media’s Google Business Profile services page describes complete profile optimization, including service area configuration, attributes and all available fields.
Once a profile is verified, it’s yours to edit. That cuts both ways. As general advice, settle the business name and the mailing address before the next change goes in, and treat a category edit the same way. Details fixed before a code is requested don’t have to be touched while one is in the mail.
If your Google Business Profile verification is stuck and you’d like to talk it through, you can book a consultation with Spilt Media.