How to Verify Your
Google Business Profile
How to verify your Google Business Profile, the postcard, phone, email and video methods Google uses, what each involves and how to get verified so your listing can fully appear on Search and Maps.
To verify your Google Business Profile, you prove to Google that the business is yours using one of its methods: a postcard with a code, a phone call or text, an email or a video of your premises or yourself.
Google chooses which methods are available based on your business type and details, so you may not see every option and you complete whichever it offers by entering the code or recording the video it requests.
Verification is essential because an unverified profile will not fully appear in search or on the map, so completing it is what unlocks your listing and lets you manage and rank it.
Getting verified
Verification is the step that proves to Google your business is real and yours and it is required before your profile fully appears. The methods vary by business, so it helps to know what to expect. Here is how to verify your Google Business Profile and what each method involves.
Why verification exists
Google verifies businesses to keep its listings trustworthy and stop people claiming businesses that are not theirs. Until you verify, your profile will not fully show in search or on the map, so verification protects both customers and you and it is the gateway to a working listing.
It keeps listings trustworthy. What the profile is is covered in What Is Google My Business?
Verification by postcard
The classic method is a postcard sent to your business address with a verification code. You wait for it to arrive, usually within a couple of weeks, then enter the code in your profile. It is reliable but slow, so plan for the wait if this is the method offered.
Postcard is common but slow. Your address matters here. Adding it is covered in How Do I Add My Business to Google?
Verification by phone or text
Some businesses can verify by phone or text, with Google calling or messaging the business number and giving a code you enter. This is much faster than a postcard, so if it is offered it is usually the quicker route, provided the number matches your listing.
Phone is faster when available. Contact details are covered in How to Set Up a Google Business Profile for a New Business
Verification by email
Email verification is sometimes available, with Google sending a code to a business email address. Like phone, it is quick when offered, so check whether it appears as an option, since the faster methods save you the wait that comes with a postcard.
Email is quick when offered. Optimising the listing is covered in How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile for Local SEO
Verification by video
Google increasingly uses video verification, asking you to record your premises, equipment or yourself to prove the business is real and you are connected to it. Follow the prompts carefully, showing what is asked, since a clear video that meets the requirements is what gets you approved.
Video is now common. Why it matters is covered in Why Is My Business Not Showing Up on Google?
You may not see every method
Google decides which methods are available based on your business type, location and details, so you may only be offered one or two. You cannot always choose, so complete whichever method Google presents, since that is the route it has judged appropriate for your business.
Google picks the methods. Setup is covered in How to Set Up a Google Business Profile for a New Business
If verification fails or stalls
If a code does not arrive, a video is rejected or verification stalls, you can request a new attempt or contact Google support. Make sure your details are accurate and consistent first, since wrong information is a common reason verification fails or takes longer than it should.
Accurate details help it pass. Suspensions are covered in What Is a Google Business Profile Suspension and How Do You Avoid It?
Once you are verified
After verification your profile can fully appear on Search and Maps and you can manage it completely. Verification is a one off hurdle that unlocks everything else, so once it is done you move on to optimising and maintaining the listing that is now fully yours to control.
Verification unlocks the rest. The whole guide is gathered in the Google Business Profile Guide
In short, you verify your Google Business Profile by postcard, phone, email or video, with Google choosing which methods are available to you. Verification proves the business is yours and unlocks your listing, so completing whichever method is offered is essential to appearing on Google.
This guide is part of our complete Google Business Profile Guide. The hub brings together every question a business asks about Google Business Profile, from setting up and verifying through to optimisation, reviews, insights and ranking in the map, each written in plain UK English.