Wrong Information on Your Google Business Profile? How to Fix It

If your Google Business Profile shows wrong information, sign in to the Google Account that manages the profile, select Edit profile on Google Search or in the Maps app, correct the field and save. Google reviews the change, usually within 10 minutes but sometimes up to 30 days. If Google itself changed the details, review its update; if you can't edit at all, claim and verify the profile first.

Why wrong details turn into bad reviews

People act on what your profile says. If the hours are wrong, they arrive at a locked door; if the phone number is outdated, nobody answers; if the pin is in the wrong place, they end up at the wrong entrance. The frustration often lands in a review about something that could have been fixed in a minute.

Those reviews are also hard to answer well, because the customer is right: the information was wrong. The useful response is to fix the profile first, then reply and say what changed. Prevention is cheaper than either, which is why the routine at the end of this article matters as much as the one-off fix.

Wrong data does not always come from you. Google explains in Understand Google updates on your Business Profile that it gathers information from sources such as user reports and licensed content, and may update your profile when those sources say your details are incorrect or outdated. A profile that was right last month can change without you touching it.

Check who controls the profile

To edit, you need to be signed in to the Google Account linked to the profile. Google's page Understand what happens to your Business Profile edits says that even an unverified profile lets you edit some details, such as name, category, address, hours, phone number and website, but you need to verify the profile to edit everything.

If someone else, such as a former employee or an agency, owns the verified profile, you can request ownership. According to Resolve duplicate profiles & ownership issues, the current owner then has 3 days to respond. If they deny the request, you can appeal or suggest an edit in Google Maps; if they don't respond, you may get the option to claim the profile, although Google notes that option isn't always available.

It helps to sort out access before anything goes wrong. Google's page Manage your Business Profile owners & managers explains that a profile can have several owners but one primary owner, and that managers can edit information and respond to reviews but can't add or remove users or remove the profile. Keep the primary owner on a company account that more than one person can reach, give agencies and most staff manager access, and remove people who have left.

How to correct your business information

Google's help page Edit your Business Profile describes the current steps. In short:

1. Sign in to the Google Account that manages the profile.
2. Go to your Business Profile on Google Search, or open the Google Maps app and tap Business.
3. Select Edit profile, change the field and select Save.
4. Check the status of the edit. Google's page on what happens to your Business Profile edits lists the statuses as Accepted, Pending and Not approved.

Two changes need extra planning. If you change the business name after verification, Google says you might need to verify again, and if you move to a new address after verification, you must verify again. Avoid making those changes right before a busy period.

Where the feature is available, the same Edit your Business Profile article describes a Collected info section under Edit profile, listing details Google gathered, for example through automated calls or messages to your verified phone number, with the source and date. You can delete items there; Google notes that this removes them from its records but doesn't change details already on your profile.

Field by field: what Google expects

The rules below come from Google's Guidelines for representing your business on Google and the edit help page. Following them reduces the chance that an edit is rejected.

When Google or the public changes your profile

Changes from outside arrive in two ways. The first is Google updates: in the profile editor, information changed by Google is shown in blue, and a notification appears at the top of the page. Google notes that you can't manage every update through your profile, so also check how your listing looks on Search and Maps.

The second is suggested edits from users. Signed-in Google Maps users in supported regions can suggest changes to a place's name, category, location, hours or phone number, as described in Edit place information in Google Maps. Google adds that edits trying to change a business significantly may be rejected, since they may be fraudulent.

When a suggestion needs your review, Google may email you or show an in-product notification, and you have 4 days to accept or reject it. If you don't respond, Google may publish the change if other public information, such as your website, supports it. Google can also apply some edits without prior review when that is needed to meet its policies.

Two habits follow. Make sure someone checks Business Profile notifications at least every few days. And keep your website showing exactly the same name, address, phone number and hours as your profile, so public information backs up the correct version rather than an old one.

Edits rejected or stuck

A pending edit can take up to 30 days, and Google may not approve a change it can't confirm as accurate. Its page Appeal Business Profile content & profile restrictions explains the route: businesses in the UK or EEA use the appeals tool for rejected edits to name, category, address, phone or website, while businesses elsewhere use the Contact us option.

• Prepare evidence before you start, such as an official business registration, a business license, tax certificates or utility bills. The business name and address on them should match the profile.
• Google says appeal reviews can take up to 5 business days. Don't send several appeals for the same issue.
• Don't create a new profile for the same business to get around the problem.

While an edit is pending, resist submitting the same change again. Check the status instead, and keep your evidence ready in case the edit is not approved.

Duplicate listings

Google allows one Business Profile per business, and profiles treated as duplicates don't show on Search or Maps. The fix depends on how the duplicate came about:

• You created it by mistake: remove the duplicate from your Google Account. All content and linked managers on it are removed too, so double-check you are removing the right one.
• Two profiles for the same business exist on Maps: request a merge through a Maps suggestion. Google says reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost.
• You moved: update the address on the existing profile instead of creating a new one.
• Your profile was wrongly marked as a duplicate: contact support to appeal. Both businesses must be eligible and distinct, and if they serve customers at the same location you may be asked for evidence of permanent signage for both.

If you manage several locations, build profile access, ownership and data checks into your multi-location review management routine.

Keep it right: a monthly check

1. Compare the name, address, phone, hours and website on your profile with your own website and other listings, such as Yelp, Tripadvisor and Facebook.
2. Add special hours before every holiday and planned closure.
3. Review Google updates and pending suggested edits within the 4-day window.
4. Confirm that the owners and managers on the profile are current staff or contracted partners.
5. Read recent reviews for complaints about wrong details, and reply once the fix is live.

Example (illustrative): Thank you, [Name], and we're sorry you found us closed. Our holiday hours weren't updated on Google that week. They're correct now, and we've added a reminder to update special hours before every holiday. If you'd like to visit again, [manager's email] is happy to help.

For more on handling criticism, see how to respond to negative Google reviews. For a wider check of every profile and listing, use our online reputation audit checklist, or ask BRANDprotecto about profile improvement.