Google Business Profile verification is the process of proving to Google that you run the business a profile describes, before the profile appears publicly or before your changes go live. Until a profile is verified, Google limits what you can show and edit.
How verification works
When you create or claim a Business Profile, Google decides which verification methods to offer. You do not choose from a full menu; the options depend on the business category, the address, the history of the profile and Google’s own risk checks. Methods that UK businesses may be offered include:
- Video recording: a short, continuous video showing the outside of the business, signage or the street, the inside or tools of the trade, and something only an owner or manager can access, such as unlocking the door or opening the till.
- Live video call: the same evidence shown to a Google staff member in real time.
- Phone or text: a code sent to the business number.
- Email: a code sent to an address on the business’s domain.
- Postcard: a code posted to the business address, which can take a couple of weeks to arrive.
- Instant verification: sometimes offered when the same Google account already verifies the website in Google Search Console.
Which of these appear changes over time, and at the time of writing (October 2026) video is the method many new UK profiles are asked for. Check the options in your own account rather than assuming one will be there.
Verification is not a one-off. Changing the name, address or primary category, or a profile that Google flags as unusual, can trigger re-verification.
Why it matters
An unverified profile cannot fully appear in Maps and local results, and you cannot reply to reviews or keep details correct. Verification also protects you: it is what stops someone else taking control of your listing. For a service-area business run from home, the address still has to be verifiable even though it is hidden from the public.
Common mistakes
- Filming a verification video that cuts between clips. Google expects one continuous recording.
- Showing no permanent signage or branded equipment, so nothing links the place to the business.
- Using a virtual office address that cannot be shown on video or receive a postcard in your name.
- Editing the profile while waiting for a postcard, which can cancel the code and restart the process.
- Giving up after one failed attempt instead of fixing what was missing and trying again.
How to act on it
Before you start, make sure the name on the profile matches your signage, website and documents, and that the address is one you can show on camera. Plan the video: start outside with the street and your sign, walk in, show the space or equipment, then show proof of management such as keys or a staff-only area. For a van-based business, show the branded van, tools and something like the business insurance document.
If a postcard is your only option, avoid editing the profile until it arrives. If verification fails, read the message, correct what it points to and use the request option again. Persistent failures sometimes need Google support with documents such as a utility bill.
I help businesses through verification and re-verification as part of Google Business Profile optimisation, especially where a past suspension or an address issue is getting in the way.