How to verify your business on Google (UK guide, 2026)

If you want to verify your business on Google, the first thing to know is that you don't get to pick the method. Google's help page says verification methods "are automatically determined by Google and can't be changed."

So the useful question isn't which method is best. It's how to pass the one you've been given. This guide covers each method as Google describes it on 5 October 2026, how to prepare a video, and what to do when things stall.

Before you start

Sign in with the Google account you want to own the listing. Use a business account you'll keep, not a staff member's personal Gmail. Then search for your business on Google or go to your Business Profile and look for Get verified.

If you haven't created the listing yet, our guide to adding your business to Google Maps walks through that part first.

Check a few things before you press the button:

• Your business name matches your sign, website and stationery. Google's guidelines say the name should reflect the one "used consistently on your shopfront, website, stationery and as known to customers." No town names or service keywords tacked on.
• The address is a real place you work from. Google doesn't accept a virtual office or a remote PO box.
• If customers visit you, there's permanent signage with your business name at the address.
• Your phone, address and website match what's elsewhere online. Our post on NAP consistency explains why that matters.

The verification methods Google may offer

Google lists these on its main verification page. You'll only see some of them.

There's also instant verification. Google says this can happen if you've already verified your website in Google Search Console, or if you use bulk verification (meant for businesses with many locations). If you have a website, setting up Search Console first is worth a try.

After you submit, Google says reviews "take up to five working days" and occasionally longer. You'll get a confirmation email when it's done.

How to prepare for video verification

Video has the most specific rules. Google asks for one unedited, complete recording with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long, recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through your Business Profile. You can't upload a clip you filmed earlier or stitched together, so walk your route once before you record.

If customers come to you

Google wants three things in the clip:

1. Where you are. Start outside. Show the street sign, the building number, a neighbouring shop or a landmark.
2. That the business exists. Pan to your shopfront or signage. The name needs to be on a permanent fixture, such as a sign, wall or window. A paper sign taped up that morning is unlikely to pass.
3. That you run it. Open the door and go inside. Show something only staff can reach: the till, the back room, a kitchen or the card machine.

Don't film other people's faces, and keep private documents or screens out of shot.

If you're a service-area business

Plumbers, mobile hairdressers, cleaners and other trades without a shopfront can use video too. Google's guidance changes slightly:

• For location, film street signs, landmarks or other identifiers at the address you're verifying with (usually home).
• For the business, show tools, equipment, stock or branded materials.
• For management, show yourself doing the work, opening a branded van, or holding documents such as invoices or a utility bill with business details.

Google's guidelines also say service-area businesses should hide their address from customers. You verify with it, but it shouldn't show on the listing.

What to do while it's pending

Mostly, wait. Google's review window is up to five working days, and resubmitting or editing every day won't speed it up. Unverified profiles can only edit a few details (name, category, address, hours, phone, website), and Google says verified edits are also reviewed, usually within minutes but sometimes up to 30 days.

Use the time to get your photos, service list and description ready, so you can add them as soon as you're through. Our Google Business Profile optimisation checklist is a good list to work from.

When verification fails or gets stuck

Google's help page describes three situations:

• "Get verified" appears again. Verification didn't complete. Try again with whichever method is offered now, which may be different from last time.
• A "Review issues" notice after a video. Google wasn't satisfied with the clip. It tells you why, so read the reasons, fix that gap (usually missing signage, location or proof of management) and record a fresh video.
• Google asks for more information to re-verify. This tends to follow a recent change to your details, such as a new address or name.

If you've tried the offered methods and you're still stuck, contact Google Business Profile support from inside your profile. Don't create a second listing to get round it. Duplicate listings break Google's guidelines and can get both taken down. If your listing has been suspended rather than left unverified, that's a different process, covered in our post on what to do when a Google Business Profile is suspended.

Someone else already manages the listing

This often happens after a change of owner, or when an old agency set up the profile. When you try to claim it, Google tells you someone else manages it.

Choose Request access and fill in the form. Google emails the current owner, who has three days to respond. If they don't reply, you may get the option to claim the profile yourself by signing in and looking for a Claim or Verify button. Google says that option isn't always available. If the owner turns you down, you can suggest edits to the profile or appeal.

What to do first once you're verified

Fill in everything: categories, services, hours, a description in plain words, and real photos of your work and premises. Then start asking happy customers for reviews. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews has wording you can copy.

Being verified doesn't mean you show everywhere. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, so you might appear in the top three near your door and nowhere a couple of miles away. You can see this for yourself with our free rank check, which searches from spots across your area.

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If your listing is verified but still doesn't come up when people search, why your business isn't showing on Google Maps goes through the usual causes.

Common questions