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Per method: why it fails
Google picks the method, you fix the problem
Your verification does not go through
- Phone or textThe code never arrives
- 1Use a number you answer yourself
- 2No phone menu: it cannot receive the code
- 3Try another method on offer
- PostcardThe code is invalid or expired
- 1Do not edit name, address or category while you wait
- 2Do not request a new code: it voids the old one
- 3Codes expire after 30 days
- ReviewYou wait after the steps
- 1Google reviews for up to five business days
- 2Never create a second profile
- 3Still nothing: contact support
Methods Google offers
Google decides how you verify, based on your kind of business, what is publicly known about you, your region and your opening hours. You cannot change that choice, and sometimes Google asks for more than one method in a row.
| Method | How it works | Where it gets stuck |
|---|---|---|
| Video recording | you film your business and prove you run it; Google recommends it when available | too little proof, an interrupted recording, filming only indoors |
| Live video call | a Google agent watches while you show your business, only during your opening hours | a call outside your hours, no access to staff-only areas |
| Phone or text | you get a code on your business number | a phone menu or switchboard answers the call |
| you follow the steps in an email | the address on screen is not yours | |
| Postcard | a five-digit code arrives by post, usually within 14 days | you edit your details meanwhile or ask for a new code |
After the steps Google reviews your request; that can take up to five business days. If your website is already verified in Search Console, verification is sometimes instant.
What to show in a verification video
Most rejections we see come from videos that show too little. Google wants three things proven: where you are, that the business exists and that you manage it. Record in one take, without editing:
- Outsideyour sign or logo on the front, the street name or a recognisable building nearby, so your location matches the address.
- Your businessyour products, equipment, branded vehicle, the work you do.
- Proof you manage itsomething only an operator can reach, like the till, the kitchen, the storeroom, or your key opening the door.
If you have no storefront and work as a service-area business, show your branded vehicle, your equipment and your work at a customer's place. How such a profile works is explained in Google Business Profile without an address.
Five reasons it gets stuck
- The video does not prove your address. Filming only your desk is not enough; start outside.
- Your phone goes to a menu. An automated system cannot receive the code. Use a number you answer yourself.
- You changed your details while waiting. Editing name, address or category while a postcard is on its way voids the code. A new category can also trigger a new verification.
- You requested a new code. Each new request cancels the previous one and the wait starts again. Codes also expire after 30 days.
- There are two profiles. Creating a second profile because the first did not work makes things worse: Google sees a duplicate and may hold both.
A second profile makes it worse
If a profile for your business already exists, created by a previous owner, an employee or an agency, request access to it instead of creating a new one. Who is owner and who is manager, and how to arrange it, is in how to add a manager to your Google Business Profile. Never share your verification code, not even with whoever manages your profile; Google never asks for it either.
If your profile is verified but you still cannot see it, the cause lies elsewhere: a suspension, keywords in your business name or a competitor closer to the searcher. That is covered in why your Google Business Profile is not showing.
Questions about verification
Can I choose how to verify my business?
No. Google decides the method based on your kind of business, your region and what is publicly known about you. If it offers more than one, you choose among those.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
After the steps, the review can take up to five business days. A postcard usually arrives within 14 days.
What if nothing works?
Try every method Google offers, then contact Google Business Profile support through the Help Centre.