Rule changes, new features, outages and deadlines for Google Business Profile, in plain English, with what to do about each. Last updated Oct 28, 2026.
Google added controls inside Business Profile that let restaurants choose which third-party ordering providers (for example Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub) appear on their listing, and whether each shows for pickup and/or delivery. Before, you had to ask each delivery platform to remove its feed.
What to do
Open your profile's ordering settings and review every provider listed.
Turn off any delivery partner you no longer use or that has bad margins for you.
Make sure your own direct ordering link is set as the one you want customers to see first.
Some owners setting up the message button were asked for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a privacy policy URL. Google's screen says a Google partner reviews the details before you can receive messages, which takes about three to four working days.
What to do
If you want messaging, have your EIN and a privacy policy page on your website ready before you start.
Only enter these details inside business.google.com, never through a link in an email or text.
Expect a 3 to 4 working day wait before messages switch on.
Google began a beta called Google Business Home, which combines Business Profile, Merchant Center, YouTube and Ads accounts in one place, with sections for posts, reviews, performance, locations and a brand kit. It has been rolling out slowly to some businesses.
What to do
Nothing is required. Your profile still works the normal way.
If you get the invite email, sign in directly at Google rather than via the email link, and check it shows the right locations.
Check who has access to each account before linking them together.
On October 15 a Google team member posted in the Business Profile help community that, due to a high volume of review-related appeals, processing times are extended and Google cannot give a timeframe. Google asked owners not to create duplicate appeals.
What to do
Do not file the same appeal twice. It will not speed things up.
Check the status of your appeal in Google's review appeals tool instead.
Reply to the fake or unfair review politely and factually while you wait, so customers see your side.
Some owners were shown a new verification option asking them to upload a photo of a government ID. It is not yet in Google's help page, which lists phone or text, email, live video call and mail as the verification methods. Google says the ID is only used for verification and isn't shown publicly.
What to do
Only upload ID inside the real Business Profile verification flow at business.google.com.
Never send ID to anyone who emails or calls claiming to be Google.
If you'd rather not use this method, check whether another verification option is offered.
Google began showing WhatsApp buttons in the local business panel in Search, alongside or instead of chat, next to the call, directions and website buttons.
What to do
If customers already message you on WhatsApp, look at your profile's contact options to see if you can add it.
Use buttons for contact details instead of typing your WhatsApp number into posts (see the September 25 posts rule).
Google rewrote its advertising and solicitation policy and added a "For merchants" section. In the listing itself (name, description and other fields) it bans time-bound promotions, pricing and direct calls-to-action. In posts it bans email addresses, phone numbers, social links or links to other websites not related to your business. Offers and updates are still allowed in posts.
What to do
Read your business description and remove prices, "this week only" offers and lines like "call now".
Move promotions into a post instead.
Remove links or contact details in posts that aren't about your own business.
Visitors who aren't signed in to a Google account are prompted to sign in when they try to see more reviews, sort reviews or leave a review on a listing.
What to do
Assume casual visitors only see your top few reviews. Make sure your latest replies are polite and helpful.
When you ask customers for reviews, remind them they'll need to be signed in to Google.
Google added a "Misuse of support channels" section to its Business Profile policies. It covers false or misleading reports and reports made in bad faith, and warns that repeated unfounded submissions can result in rejection of all further complaints without assessment. It applies to all Business Profile users, including agencies.
What to do
File one clear support request with evidence, then wait.
Don't report competitors without proof.
Ask your agency how they use Google support on your behalf, because their behaviour can affect you.
Local marketers reported a bug where service-area businesses (ones that hide their address) showed the correct service area on Maps but a pin marker in the middle of the ocean on the profile. It was seen on many profiles. Google had not commented when it was reported.
What to do
If you hide your address, search your business on Google and Maps and check where the pin shows.
Confirm your service areas are set correctly in your profile.
Don't change your address settings to fix it. Wait, or post once in the Business Profile help community with a screenshot.
Google's posts policy now says it may remove posts with unverified contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles. The old rule banned phone numbers in posts outright. Google suggests attaching a Call now button, which uses your verified profile phone number.
What to do
Remove phone numbers, WhatsApp numbers, emails and @handles from the text of your posts.
Use the Call now button, or a button linking to your website's contact or booking page.
Check your recent posts are still live. If one vanished, look for contact details in it.
Google's help page now says that when a suggested edit needs your review you may get an email or in-product notification, and you have 4 days to accept or reject it. If you don't respond, Google may publish it if other public information, such as your website, supports it. Google may also apply some edits without asking you at all.
What to do
Make sure the owner email on your profile is one someone checks every day.
Add a second owner or manager so alerts aren't missed when you're away.
Make sure your website shows the same name, address, phone and hours as your listing, because Google uses it as evidence.
Reject wrong edits right away. Don't wait for a weekly check.
Owners began receiving an email titled "Protecting your Business Profile from spam reviews". It says Google detected and removed a spike in spam reviews and has temporarily paused new ratings, reviews and other contributions, typically for a few days. No action is required, but you can request a review if genuine reviews were removed.
What to do
Don't panic. The pause usually lifts within a few days.
Check the email came from Google by signing in at business.google.com directly, not through the email link.
Avoid asking for lots of reviews at once. Ask every customer steadily instead.
After days of complaints, Google confirmed it was investigating reports of reviews disappearing from local listings and listings being unable to get new reviews. Google said it would restore any reviews that were incorrectly removed. In at least one reported case, a listing's rating dropped to 0.
What to do
Screenshot your review count and rating now so you have a record.
If reviews vanished, post once in the Business Profile help community, then wait. Don't spam support.
Keep serving customers and asking for reviews normally. Don't buy reviews to make up the gap.
Google announced it would quickly remove spam review spikes, pause new reviews on the affected profile, alert the owner and show customers a banner. It also started using Gemini to block bad edits and began emailing verified, active owners about important edits before they go live. Google said it removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews in 2025.
What to do
Make sure your profile is verified and you sign in regularly so you count as an "active" owner.
Turn on email notifications for your Business Profile.
If someone demands money to remove fake one-star reviews, report it to Google and don't pay.