Can I add or change a Google Business Profile description before verification?

What can I edit before my Business Profile is verified?

Google's edit-status guidance gives six examples of information that may remain editable before verification: the business name, business category, address, hours, phone number, and website. The same guidance tells owners to verify the profile to edit all profile information. Google's editing guide adds that some businesses may need to verify before they can change any information. Google does not document the description among its pre-verification examples, so do not rely on that field being available early.

The Google Business Profile description guide covers the field's writing rules. The Google Business Profile hub explains how the description fits with the other profile fields.

How do I prepare the profile for verification?

Sign in to the Google Account associated with the Business Profile, then follow the branch that matches what you find:

1. Find the profile on Google Search by searching for the business name and city, or my business.
2. If the business is not on Google, add it and continue to verification.
3. If a profile exists but has not been claimed, claim it so you can verify and control how it appears.
4. Complete the verification method Google offers. Google determines the available options automatically, and the options cannot be changed manually. Available methods depend on the business type, public information, region, or business hours. Some profiles require more than one method.
5. Keep the description in a separate draft while verification is in progress. Check it against the rules below before entering it after verification.

For the full creation sequence, including the choice between a storefront and a service-area business, see how to create a Google Business Profile.

How should I write the description before I add it?

Google says the description appears in the From the business section. Its editing guidance recommends information that helps customers understand what the business offers, what makes it special, how long it has been in business, and anything else useful to customers.

Keep the draft customer-focused. Do not use a URL, HTML code, or a link of any type. Keep it to 750 characters or fewer, and do not make it primarily about promotions, prices, or sales. Google's representation guidelines also require the description to be upfront, honest, relevant, and useful, without low-quality, distracting, or irrelevant copy.

How do I add the description after verification?

After verification, open the profile with the linked Google Account. On Google Search, open the Business Profile, select Edit profile, edit the description, and select Save. In the Google Maps mobile app, open Maps, tap Business at the bottom right, tap Edit profile, edit the description, and tap Save. Google notes that management features can differ between Search and Maps and between device operating systems.

If the description control is not available before verification, finish the verification sequence first and return to the same edit path. Use the description guide to check the character limit and content rules before saving.

What happens after I save the description?

Google reviews edits to a verified Business Profile for guideline compliance. An edit can be Accepted, Not approved when Google cannot confirm its accuracy, or Pending while it is under review. Google says review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can sometimes take up to 30 days. Those timings describe the review process, not a guarantee that every description will be accepted.

If the edit is not approved, compare the description with the real business and remove anything inaccurate, irrelevant, promotional, or link-based before submitting a corrected version. Google's guidance says accurate representation and compliance with its prohibited-content and product guidelines help avoid changes to business information or removal of business information.