A knowledge panel is the box of information Google shows for a recognised person, organisation, place or thing, on the right of the results on desktop and near the top on mobile. It summarises facts Google holds in its Knowledge Graph, such as a description, logo, founders, website and social profiles.
How a knowledge panel works
There are two kinds, and they work differently.
Entity panels appear for people, brands and organisations that Google recognises as an entity. Google generates them automatically when it is confident who a search refers to. The description often comes from Wikipedia where an article exists; other details come from official websites, structured data and other sources. You cannot create one, but if one exists you can claim it. At the time of writing (October 2026), a “Claim this knowledge panel” option sits at the foot of the panel, and verification involves signing in with an account linked to the official website or profiles shown. Once verified, you can suggest changes, which Google reviews before accepting.
Local business panels show an address, opening hours, reviews, photos and a map. These come from Google Business Profile, which the owner manages directly once the listing is verified.
Which panel appears depends on the search. A company name on its own may bring up the entity panel, while the same name with a town added is more likely to show the local one. A sole trader whose name is also the brand can end up with both: a person panel for their own name and a local panel for the business.
Why it matters
When someone hears your name from a friend, sees it on a van or receives a proposal, they often search it. The panel is the first thing they see, and a complete, accurate one is a quiet signal that you are established and real. For consultants, solicitors, authors and founders whose personal reputation sells the service, a person panel does similar work.
A panel also shows that Google understands who you are, which helps it describe you correctly elsewhere in search. A wrong logo, an outdated description or a mix-up with a similarly named company is worth fixing promptly, because it is what prospects see first.
Common mistakes
- Trying to edit an entity panel through Google Business Profile, or the reverse.
- Paying for services that promise a guaranteed panel, which often rely on paid press releases or Wikipedia articles that are later removed.
- Inconsistent names, logos and details across the website, social profiles and directories.
- No Organisation or Person schema, so Google picks up an old logo or the wrong profiles.
- Ignoring reviews and photos on a local panel, which prospects read closely.
- Claiming through a personal account that is not linked to any official profile, so verification fails.
How to act on it
Search your business name and your own name in a private browser window and note what appears. If you see a local panel, make sure the Business Profile is verified and complete, and that you respond to reviews. If an entity panel appears, claim it and correct anything wrong through the suggested edits route.
If no entity panel appears, there is nothing to apply for: the work is helping Google recognise you in its Knowledge Graph first, and the panel follows once it is confident. For the panel itself, the most useful checks are that your structured data names the logo you want shown and links only to profiles you still use, and that your website states your name and description in the words you would want quoted. Getting that structured data right is part of my schema markup work.