Learn / When information is wrong
When information is wrong
Different phone numbers or addresses on different sites
If a check shows your business with more than one phone number or address, the fix starts with you deciding what is correct, then updating the places that matter most.
Why this happens
You changed something and updated only some places
A new phone number or a move gets entered on a few sites and forgotten on the rest.
Other people can change it too
Anyone can suggest an edit to a Google profile, and Google says it might update a profile itself if it receives reports that the information is not accurate. See Someone suggested a change to your Google profile.
A listing was created by someone else, or long ago
Some profiles were set up by previous owners, staff, or people who never told you.
What to do
- Decide what is correct, once. Write down the business name as it appears on your signage, the street address, one main phone number, your hours and your website. Everything else gets matched to this list.
- Check your list against Google's rules. See the box below. Google also asks that the phone number be one you control.
- Fix the places customers use most. Start with Google, then Bing, Apple, Yelp and Facebook. Links are in the next section.
- Match your own website. Make sure the phone, address and hours on your site say the same thing.
- Check again later. Sites update on their own schedules. Run a Signals check after a few days to see what changed.
Google's rules for what to list
What Google says your details should be
- Name: "Your name should reflect your business's real-world name." Do not add phone numbers, web addresses, store codes or hours to the name.
- Address: "Create your Business Profile for your actual, real-world location." P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable.
- Phone: Provide a number that connects to your individual business location. Use a local number instead of a call center number whenever possible. The number must be under the direct control of the business.
- Do not provide phone numbers or web addresses that redirect or refer people to landing pages.
Where to fix each one
Edit your profile after you verify it. Google says edits usually take up to 10 minutes to review but can take up to 30 days, and show as Accepted, Pending or Not approved. Google may not approve a change if it can't confirm the information is accurate. See How to claim and verify your Google profile.
Bing and Apple
Both let owners manage a listing after signing in. See Bing Places and Apple Business.
Yelp and Facebook
Both have their own help centers. We could not read their pages, so we are not describing their steps. Go to the Yelp Business Help Center or the Facebook Pages help page and follow what they show.
What we could not confirm
- How long Bing, Apple, Yelp and Facebook take to apply a change.
- Whether a wrong detail on one site spreads to others. We have not found an official source for that, so we do not claim it.
- How Yelp and Facebook handle edits made by someone other than the owner.
Not sure which details are out there? A Signals check lists the phone number and address each source shows, so you can see where they differ.
Check a business