Google Business Profile verification proves to Google that you run the business, and you need it before you can edit details such as your name or hours or interact with customers. Google offers phone or SMS, email, a live video call or a postcard, and once you've finished it says its review takes up to 5 business days.
Here's the catch. You don't get to choose the method. Google decides it automatically and you can't change it. If you're handed the postcard, that's the slow route: most codes arrive within 14 days, they expire after 30, and editing your business name, address or category while you wait stops the code working. Everything below comes from Google's own Business Profile Help page, as of October 2026.
Before you start
You need a Google Account to sign up. That can be a new Gmail address or an existing account with any email address, so you don't have to set up Gmail if you'd rather use your business email.
Next, find your profile. Search Google for your business name and city, or search for "my business". If your business isn't there, add it. If it's there but unclaimed, claim it, and you'll then be able to verify it.
Why Google picks your verification method
Google says the methods on offer depend on your business type, the public information about your business, your region and your business hours. It works this out automatically, and there's no setting that lets you swap a postcard for a phone call. If video is one of your options, Google recommends it.
The four methods compared
| Method | What you need | Timing or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or SMS | The ability to answer the business phone or receive texts on it. Automated phone menus (IVR) won't receive the code. | You enter the code on your profile once it arrives |
| Access to the email address shown on the verification screen | You follow the steps in the email | |
| Live video call | To be at your business with a device that supports video | Only within your location's business hours, and not offered to every business |
| Postcard | A correct mailing address | Most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days; not offered to every business |
Phone, text or email
These are the quickest when Google offers them. For phone or SMS, select Get verified, then Phone or SMS, then answer the call or open the text and enter the code on your profile. The trap is an automated answering system. If your business line goes to an interactive voice response menu, the code won't get through, so make sure a person or a mobile can take the call.
For email, check you can get into the address shown on the verification screen before you pick it, then follow the steps in the email Google sends.
The live video call
Google recommends video if you're eligible, but it isn't offered to everyone and it only runs during your location's business hours. You'll need to be at your business with a device that can do video. Google wants to see three things on camera:
- Your location: outside signs, nearby businesses or a street sign.
- Your business or equipment: products, branded equipment, marketing materials or tools.
- Proof you manage it: employee-only areas, the cash register, the kitchen, a storage room, non-sensitive documents, or keys that open the premises.
To start, go to your Business Profile and select Get verified, then Live video call, then Next. Choose your language and start the call. You can also begin with a text chat to a support representative through Start call. The representative helps you join, and you use your camera to show your location and ownership. It's worth walking the route in your head first, from the street sign to the till, so you aren't fumbling while someone waits.
The postcard
The postcard isn't available to every business either. Select Get verified, then Postcard, confirm your mailing address and request the code. When it arrives, enter the 5-digit code in the Code field and select Submit.
This is the method where most people trip up, because the rules while you wait are strict. Google's list of what not to do:
- Don't edit your business name, address or category while the postcard is on its way, or the code won't work.
- Don't request a new code. A new request invalidates the one already in the mail.
- Don't leave it too long once it lands. Codes expire after 30 days.
Verifying step by step
- Sign in to the Google Account linked to your Business Profile.
- Find your business, or add it or claim it if it isn't there.
- Select Get verified and use whichever method Google offers you.
- Enter the code, or complete the live video call.
- Wait for Google's review, which it says takes up to 5 business days and on rare occasions longer.
Instant verification and what happens next
Some businesses skip the wait. Google says instant verification can happen when you've already verified your website with Google Search Console, or when you use bulk verification.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Once you're verified, Google sends a confirmation email. You can then add or remove owners and managers, or transfer primary ownership to someone else. That's the moment to give your team access, rather than handing round your login. When you're live, my Google Business Profile optimisation checklist covers what to fill in first, and Google Business Profile posts are an easy way to keep the profile active.
One security rule from Google that's easy to forget: Google will never ask for your verification code. Don't share it with anyone, even people who help manage your Business Profile.
If none of the methods on offer work for you, Google says to contact its support team. And if your profile has been suspended rather than left unverified, that's a different problem with its own fix, covered in what to do if your Google Business Profile is suspended.
My verdict
Verification is mostly about being ready for whichever method Google hands you. Have the business phone where a person can answer it, double-check your mailing address before you request a postcard, and be at your premises in opening hours with a charged phone in case video comes up. If you get the postcard, leave your profile alone until the code's in. And never give that code to anyone, whoever's asking.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
After you complete verification, Google says its review takes up to 5 business days, and on rare occasions longer. If you verify by postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days first.
Can I choose my Google Business Profile verification method?
No. Google decides the method automatically based on your business type, public information, region and business hours, and you can't change it.
What if my Google verification postcard doesn't arrive?
Most codes arrive within 14 days. Don't request a new one while you wait, because that invalidates the code already in the mail.
Why did my Google verification code not work?
Editing your business name, address or category while you wait breaks a postcard code, and codes expire after 30 days. Phone codes also won't reach an automated IVR line.
Can I verify my Google Business Profile instantly?
Sometimes. Google says instant verification can happen if you've verified your website with Google Search Console, or if you use bulk verification.
Who can I add after verification?
Once verified you get a confirmation email, and you can add or remove owners and managers or transfer primary ownership.
