You filled in every field, pressed the button to verify, and now the profile is stuck. Perhaps your video was rejected with a short message that gives little away. Perhaps the only option offered is a postcard that never arrived, or the screen simply says your verification is under review and nothing changes when you come back to it.
Verification problems are common, and most of them come down to Google not being able to confirm the same few things: that the business exists, that it is where you say it is, and that you are the person who runs it. This guide assumes your profile is already created. If you have not got that far, start with how to set up a Google Business Profile and come back here if verification goes wrong.
How verification works, in general terms
Google offers several ways to verify a profile, and it decides which ones you see. You cannot choose a method that is not offered to you, and two businesses on the same street may be given different options.
- Video recording: you record a short, continuous video that shows the business and proves you manage it.
- Live video call: a similar check done with a Google support person on a call.
- Phone call or text message: a code is sent to the business phone number.
- Email: a code is sent to an email address, usually one connected to the business.
- Postcard: a code is posted to the business address.
The options can change after a failed attempt, after you edit your details, or over time. If you are offered a method you can comfortably complete, that is usually the one to use.
Common failures and what to try
The video did not show enough
This is the failure people run into most. A rejected video usually means the reviewer could not connect what they saw to the details on your profile. Typical gaps:
- No permanent signage, or the sign was not readable in the video.
- The video started indoors, so there was nothing to show where the premises actually are.
- No tools of the trade or equipment: a plumber’s van and tools, a salon’s chairs, a shop’s stock and till.
- Nothing proved you manage the place, such as opening the door with your own key, going into a staff-only area or using the card machine.
- The video was edited, cut together or shaky enough that the reviewer could not follow it.
What to try: record again, slowly, in one take, using the checklist further down. Fix the signage problem first if you have one. A printed sheet taped to the window is weaker evidence than a permanent sign.
The address does not match
If the address on your profile is written differently from the address on your signage, utility bill, website or other listings, or the map pin sits in the wrong place, verification can fail or stall. Check the pin position on the map, the spelling of the street, the building or unit number, and the postcode or PIN code. In India especially, addresses often have several accepted versions. Pick the one the postal service and your official documents use, and use it everywhere.
What to try: correct the address and pin, make your website and main listings match, then request verification again. A business name that includes extra keywords, such as a city name or “best”, can cause problems of its own, so use your real trading name.
You run the business from home
Home-based businesses can be verified, but there are two common traps. If customers do not come to your home, you should usually be set up as a service-area business with the address hidden, not with your home shown as a shop. And a video filmed at home has to show that a real business runs there, which is harder when there is no sign on the door.
What to try: make sure the profile type matches how you actually work. For the video, show the street and your door, then your equipment, your vehicle if it is branded, and something that proves the business is yours, such as business documents or tools you use on jobs.
The business is brand new
A very new business may have no signage yet, no website, and nothing else online that confirms it exists. That gives the reviewer very little to go on.
What to try: get the basics in place before you push verification: permanent signage, a simple website with the same name, address and phone number, and the business phone answering in the business name. Then request verification again.
The postcard or code never arrived
Check the address on the profile carefully, including the unit number, and make sure post addressed to the business name reaches you. For phone or email codes, check you have access to that exact number or inbox, and look in spam folders. Then request a new code, rather than entering an old one.
It says “under review” and nothing happens
Some verifications are reviewed by a person, and that can take a while. Google does not give a fixed time. While you wait, avoid changing your business name, address or category, so the reviewer is checking the same details you submitted. If it stays stuck for a long time, that is the point to contact support.
Preparing for a verification video
Plan the video before you press record. A calm, planned take is far more likely to pass than one made up as you go.
- Start outside. Show the street, a street sign or nearby landmark, and neighbouring shops if there are any.
- Show the signage. Hold the camera steady on your business sign long enough for it to be read.
- Walk in. Open the door with your key, so it is clear you have access.
- Show the work. Equipment, stock, workstations, a branded vehicle, the till or card machine, whatever proves this is the business on the profile.
- Show proof of management. Open a staff-only area, the cash drawer, or business paperwork with the name on it.
- Keep it continuous. One take, no edits, steady and in good light. Do not show customers’ faces or private information.
Do a practice run first. It is easy to forget the outside shot.
Requesting verification again
Before you try again, fix the thing that most likely caused the failure. Sending the same video or the same details again tends to get the same result. Check that the profile, your website and your main directory listings all show the same name, address and phone number. If a new method is offered, consider whether it suits you better than the one that failed.
What you should not do is create a fresh profile to get round a failed verification. That leaves you with a duplicate listing, which brings its own set of problems and can make the original harder to sort out.
Contacting Google support
If you have fixed what you can and verification still fails, or it has been stuck for a long time, contact Google Business Profile support through the help options inside your profile or the Business Profile Help Center. Have ready the profile name, the email address that manages it, what method you used, what message you received, and any proof of the business you can share, such as a utility bill, business registration or GST details. Keep a note of the date and any case reference you are given.
Support may ask for more evidence or offer another method. Answer exactly what they ask, keep it factual, and avoid opening several cases about the same problem at once.
If you would rather not fight it alone
Verification is mostly about making your real-world business, your profile and your website tell the same story. If yours is stuck and you cannot see why, our Google Business Profile setup service reviews the profile, the details Google is checking and how you are set up, then walks you through the next attempt. We cannot verify a profile on Google’s behalf or promise an outcome, but we can usually spot what is getting in the way. If the wider problem is being found locally at all, see our local SEO services, or get in touch with what you are seeing.
Next in this series: Duplicate Google Business Profile Listings: Merge or Remove
