Google Business Profile verification stuck or pending? What to do
Updated September 26, 2026 · 5 min read
The short answer
Verification is Google confirming that you run the business at that address. Nothing is public until it is done. It gets stuck in three places: a code that never arrives, a video that sits in review, or a profile that stays pending with no next step. Each has a different fix. Most stuck verifications clear by requesting again with a different method, and almost all of them clear faster if you stop editing the profile while you wait. An unfinished verification is the most common of the six reasons a Google Business Profile does not show up.
How each method works, and how long it takes
Google decides which methods to offer, based on the business and its history. You may see one or several.
Video: you record a short walk through on your phone, showing the outside with your sign, the inside, and something that proves you run the place (unlocking the door, opening the register, your branded van or tools). Google says review takes up to five business days. This is the fastest method that is usually offered.
Phone or text: a code arrives in minutes. Enter it right away; codes expire.
Email: a code to the address on the profile. Check spam.
Postcard: a code mailed to the business address, usually in about two weeks. Rural addresses and shared mailboxes are where these go missing.
Live video call: a short call with a Google representative, scheduled through the profile. Offered when the other methods have failed.
Stuck point 1: the code never came
For phone, text or email, request a new code and enter it immediately. For a postcard, wait the full fourteen days, then request a new one. Do not request several; each new request cancels the last, so a card that was on its way becomes useless. While you wait, do not change the address or the name; that cancels the pending card too.
If a second postcard also fails, request verification again and look for a different method. If only postcard is offered, Google's Business Profile help center has a form for businesses whose postcard did not arrive.
Stuck point 2: the video is in review
Open the profile and look at the verification status. If it says the video is under review, wait five business days before doing anything. If it has been longer, Google may have rejected it quietly; check the email on the account. A rejected video is usually one that did not show the sign, did not show the inside, or did not show something that proves you manage the place. Record again, in one continuous take, in daylight, and make sure the name on the sign matches the name on the profile letter for letter.
Stuck point 3: pending, with no next step
Sometimes the profile says "pending" or "in progress" with no method shown and nothing to click. That usually means Google is doing its own review, which happens for addresses it has seen problems with, for trades it watches closely, and for profiles that were edited during verification. Give it seven days. Then, in the help center, search "verification" and use the contact option for a verification that is stuck. Have your business license and a photo of your storefront ready; that is what they will ask for.
The three things that reset the clock
Editing the name, address or category during verification. Requesting a second code before the first has had time to arrive. Creating a second profile because the first seemed stuck. All three send you back to the start, and the third can get both profiles suspended; the guide on a suspended Google Business Profile explains why.
While you wait
Fill in everything else: hours, phone, description, a few real photos. None of it is public until verification finishes, but it will all go live the moment it does, and a complete profile ranks better than an empty one from day one. If you are starting from scratch, the guide on getting your business on Google covers the whole setup in order.
What this guide does not cover
Once verified, whether the profile is complete, whether the hours are right and whether the photos are fresh are three of the ten things the free Bearlo scan checks. Enter your business name and city and every result is shown, pass or fail.
Quick answers
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
Minutes for phone, text or email. Up to five business days for a video review. About two weeks for a postcard. Longer only when Google is doing its own review, which is when it is worth contacting them.
What do I do if my Google verification postcard never arrived?
Wait the full fourteen days, then request one new card. If that fails too, request verification again and take any other method offered, or use the help center form for a missing postcard.
Can I edit my profile while verification is pending?
You can fill in hours, photos and description. Do not change the name, address or category; those changes cancel the pending verification and start it over.