Troubleshooting
Why didn't my Google Business Profile verification code arrive?
Start by signing in to the Google Account that manages the Business Profile and opening Get verified. Check which method Google offered, then verify the matching address, phone, text, email, or live-video requirement. If Google offered a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days. Do not edit the business name, address, or category or request another postcard while the first one is pending: a new request invalidates the mailed code.1
By Sergey Sulimko, Founder · · 4 Google help pages, read Oct 14, 2026
What should I check first?
Find the profile while signed in by searching the business name plus city or “my business.” If the profile does not appear, add or claim the existing profile before trying to verify it. Then open Get verified and use the branch that matches the method on screen.1
| What Google shows | What to check | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Postcard | The listed mailing address is complete and correct. | Confirm the address, request the postcard if you have not already, and keep the profile details unchanged while it is in the mail. |
| Phone or SMS | You can answer the business phone or receive text messages. An Interactive Voice Response system will not receive the code. | Select Get verified → Phone or SMS, then answer the call or open the text. |
| You can use the email address shown in the verification screen. | Select Get verified → Email, then follow the message Google sends. | |
| Live video call | You are at the business during its business hours and can show the location, the business or equipment, and proof that you manage it. | Select Get verified → Live video call → Next when Google offers it, then follow the call steps. |
| Get verified appears again | Google did not complete verification. | Try to verify again, or try another method only if Google displays one. |
Google chooses the available verification methods automatically. The choice can depend on the business type, public information, region, or business hours, and Google may require more than one method. You cannot add a method that the profile does not show.1
For the full verification sequence, see how to verify your Google Business Profile. If the profile shows no usable method, use the Google Business Profile no-verification-method breakdown.
Could the listed business address be the problem?
Google says the address used for verification must be one it can find. Use a complete street address, include the building, suite, floor, or other unit information, and enter only information that belongs to the official address. If Google cannot find the address, use Adjust to set the map pin.2
To correct the address before requesting a postcard:
- Go to the Business Profile.
- Select Edit profile → Location.
- Next to Business location, select Edit.
- Enter the address. If Google still cannot find it, select Adjust and set the map pin.
- Select Save.2
If a postcard is already in the mail, do not edit the address, business name, or category. Google says those edits make the code it sent unusable. For the full postcard branch, see what to do when a Google Business Profile verification postcard has not arrived.1
What if the code was supposed to arrive by phone, text, or email?
For phone or SMS verification, the business must be able to answer the business phone or receive text messages. Google specifically says an Interactive Voice Response system will not receive the code. Open Get verified and choose the method Google shows, then enter the code on the profile after the call or text arrives.1
For email verification, the business must be able to use the email address displayed in the verification screen. Open Get verified → Email and follow the steps in that email. If the screen does not show email, Google has not offered that method for this profile, so waiting for an email will not create one.1
What if Google offers live video verification?
Live video verification is conditional. Google says live video calls are available only during the location's business hours, and the option is not available for every business. Be at the business when the call starts and be ready to show the location, business or equipment, and proof that you manage the business, such as employee-only areas, keys, or non-sensitive business documents.1
Use Get verified → Live video call → Next only when that option appears. If the available options do not let you verify, use Google Business Profile support.1
Could another Business Profile be blocking verification?
| Situation | Correct next step |
|---|---|
| A verified profile for the same business already exists under someone else's account. | Request access from the current owner. Google gives that owner 3 days to respond; a claim option may appear after no response, but it is not always available.4 |
| Two distinct, eligible businesses share an address. | Each business may have a profile when the businesses have different names and clearly visible differences in signage.4 |
| The business moved or offers several services. | Update the existing profile's address or list the services on that profile. Do not create another profile for the move or for each service.4 |
The same-address exception is narrow. It does not turn one business into several businesses, and a missing verification code is not a reason to create a second profile.4
What should I do when the code still does not arrive?
Match the next action to the method Google currently displays:
- Postcard still pending: keep the business name, address, and category unchanged. Do not request another code while the first is in the mail. If the code is not used before its 30-day validity period ends, return to Get verified and use the options Google shows.1
- Phone, SMS, or email unavailable: use another method only if Google displays one. Waiting for an unlisted method does not add a verification route.1
- Get verified appears again: re-verify with the displayed method. Google uses that label to indicate that it could not completely verify the business.1
- No displayed method works: contact Google Business Profile support and include the exact method shown, the date you requested it, and the message on the profile.
Read the full section
After you complete the verification steps, Google says its review takes up to 5 business days in the usual case, although rare reviews may take longer.1
Common questions
- No, not by itself. A missing code does not identify the cause. Google treats a returning Get verified button as incomplete verification and tells the business to try verification again, using another displayed method when one is available.
- Do not request another postcard while the first one is pending. Google says a new request invalidates the code already in the mail and sends a new one, which can make the process longer.
- No. Keep the code secure and enter it on the Business Profile yourself. Google says it will never ask for the verification code and says not to share it, including with people who manage the profile.
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Where your profile stands now
Visibility Score 0-100 · 20 scored factors · free · no signup
- Profile Completeness
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