How do I set up a Google Business Profile from scratch?

What should I check before I hand off the profile?

Use this pre-launch pass/hold checklist: pass only when every box is true; hold the handoff when a row does not match the business or Google shows a verification step again.

Copy this list into the setup handoff:

• Eligibility and existing profile: The business has a physical location customers can visit or travels to customers. Before adding it, Search and Maps were checked for an existing profile. If one exists, use the add, claim, or ownership path below instead of creating a duplicate.^1,3
• Business identity: The name matches the real-world name used on signage, stationery, website, and other branding. It contains no tagline, phone number, URL, service or product detail, or unnecessary location detail.³
• Location model: The storefront, hybrid, or service-area setting matches where customers meet the business. A storefront has a precise, customer-visitable location; a hybrid serves customers there and also travels or delivers; a service-area business does not serve customers at its base and hides its address.^3,4
• Address or service area: The address is complete and accurate, or the service area lists only cities, postal codes, or other areas the business serves. No P.O. box or remote mailbox is used as the business location. A rented mailing address that the business does not operate from is not eligible; a service-area business must not list a “virtual” office unless it is staffed during business hours. A service area has no radius-distance setting; Google allows up to 20 areas and says the overall boundary should generally be within about 2 hours of driving time.^5,3,4
• Category: The primary category is the most specific option Google offers for the main business. Additional categories are limited to relevant departments or services, not every product, keyword, or feature. No custom category is used.^3,6
• Services: If the category offers the services editor, the list contains the services the business actually provides. Custom service names contain no profanity, gibberish, personal information, prices, or phone numbers.⁷
• Verification: The profile completed the method Google offered, and the business can access the confirmation or status. Google chooses the methods and may require more than one. If postcard verification is offered, do not edit the name, address, or category or request another code while waiting.²
• Owner access: The primary owner has invited each person who needs access with their own Google Account through More → Business Profile settings → People and access → Add. The handoff names each person's role as Owner or Manager and does not share a password.⁸
• Public listing QA: The profile was opened in Google Search and Google Maps. Its public name, model, address or service area, category, services, hours, phone, website, photos, and verification status match the real business. If any value is wrong, or Get verified appears again, hold the handoff and correct or re-verify it.^{1,2,3,4,6,7,9}

What should I check before I create a Google Business Profile?

Confirm that the business either has a physical location customers can visit or travels to customers, then search Google Search and Google Maps for an existing profile before creating anything.^1,2,3

Google's eligibility rule covers those two business situations. It also says to represent the business accurately and keep one profile per business, so a search comes before the add flow.³

When checking an existing profile, sign in to the Google Account associated with it. Search the business name and city, then check both the name and the location before choosing a result. If the profile is not yours, do not treat a duplicate as a clean start.^1,2 The Google Business Profile hub covers the profile's other controls after setup.

How do I create a new profile when no profile exists?

Open business.google.com/add, choose “Add your business to Google,” complete the on-screen business details, then select one of the verification options Google presents.

Use this sequence when Search and Maps do not show an existing profile for the business:¹

1. Sign in to a Google Account. A Google Account is required for a Business Profile.²
2. Go to Google's Business Profile add page.
3. Select Add your business to Google.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the business details.
5. Select a verification option and follow the on-screen steps.

Use the real-world business name. Keep the address or service area, category, and contact details ready before you start so the setup screens describe the actual operation.³

How do I claim a profile that already exists?

In Google Maps, search the business name and city, open the matching unverified profile, choose “Claim this business,” select “Manage now,” and then choose a verification option.

Google's claim path is for an existing, unverified profile:¹

1. Open Google Maps on a computer.
2. Search for the business name and city.
3. Select the correct business.
4. Select Claim this business, then Manage now.
5. Select a verification option and follow the on-screen instructions.

If another person has already verified the profile, and you are authorized to manage the business, use Google's ownership-request process instead. Do not create a second profile for the same business.^1,3,10

Should I show a street address or use a service-area setting?

Choose the profile model from where customers actually meet the business: show a real, customer-visitable address for a storefront, show the address and service area for a hybrid business, or hide the address and list a service area when the business travels to customers without serving them at its base.

Google says the address is public by default. A business should hide it only when it is a service-area business. The address or service area must be accurate and precise, and a P.O. box or remote mailbox is not an acceptable business location.^5,3

A service-area business should use one profile for its central office or location with a designated service area. A business without a storefront that travels to customers is allowed one service-area profile. For a service business with multiple locations, each location may have a profile when it has a separate service area and separate staff.³

Do not use a P.O. box, remote mailbox, or virtual office where the business does not operate as the profile's location. If the business serves customers at an address, decide whether it is a storefront or hybrid operation before hiding that address.^5,3

For the service-area fields and their edit path, follow the Google Business Profile service-area setup guide. If the business is not open yet, use the Google Business Profile opening-date setup guide for that separate decision.

How do I add or correct the business address?

In the Business Profile, select “Edit profile” → “Location” → “Business location” → “Edit,” enter the complete address, and select “Save”; if Google cannot find it, select “Adjust” and place the map pin.

Use the address path after deciding that customers are served at the location:⁵

1. Go to the Business Profile.
2. Select Edit profile, then Location.
3. Next to Business location, select Edit.
4. Enter the address details.
5. Select Save.

If the address has no street number or Google cannot find it, select Adjust, move the map pin to the business location, select Done, and select Save. Enter a complete street address, including building, suite, or floor details when they identify the real location. Do not put a URL or keyword in an address line.^5,3

Google says profile changes usually take about 10 minutes to show, but some changes can take up to 30 days. Treat that as a display window, not a guarantee that the profile is verified or fully available.⁵

How do I choose a verification method?

Use the verification option Google shows on the profile; Google automatically decides which methods are available and may require more than one.

Google says the available methods depend on the business type, public information, region, or business hours, and the options cannot be changed manually.²

Do not wait for a preferred method or assume that every new profile will receive the same option. Complete the method Google presents, then wait for Google's review of the submitted information.

What should I know before choosing postcard verification?

If Google offers postcard verification, confirm the mailing address first, avoid changing the business name, address, or category while waiting, and treat the 14-day delivery statement as an estimate rather than a promise.

Google says most postcard codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days. Changing the business name, address, or category can make the mailed code unusable. Requesting a new code invalidates the previous one and can make the process longer.²

Keep the code secure and do not share it. Google says it will not ask for the verification code.

How long does verification take?

After the verification steps are complete, Google reviews the submitted information; its stated review window is up to 5 business days, although rare reviews may take longer.

Some profiles may be verified instantly through website verification with Google Search Console or through bulk verification. Google sends a confirmation email after verification. If Get verified appears again, Google says the business was not completely verified and should try the verification process again.²

What should I check after the profile is verified?

Open the profile in Google Search and Maps and confirm that its verified status, business name, category, address or service area, hours, and contact details match the real business.^1,2,3

Verification gives the owner control to edit business information and interact with customers. Use the profile's information controls for corrections, and treat any return of Get verified as a signal to repeat verification rather than as a completed setup.^2,5

Google says there should be one profile per business and that categories should describe what the business is, not act as keywords or stand in for related businesses. If an exact category does not exist, use a more general category that accurately represents the main business.³