What is happening behind the screen
Once you’ve answered the call, entered the code or uploaded the video, Google still has to look at what you sent and compare it with what it knows about the business. That review is the “pending” part. Google’s stated window is up to 5 business days, with an honest “occasionally longer” attached. Weekends and holidays don’t count, so a video uploaded on a Thursday afternoon can reasonably still be pending the following Wednesday.
Things that make it slower
The delays you control come from doing something during the wait:
- Editing core details. Changing the name, address or category can invalidate a postcard code, and Google says recent changes are a common reason it asks for more information.
- Requesting a new code. For postcards, this cancels the one in transit.
- Starting over with a second profile. Creating another listing for the same business while the first is pending leaves you with a duplicate to untangle later.
If you have a big change to make, such as a new address, decide whether it should happen before verification starts or after it finishes. In the middle is the worst time.
Read the screen, not the clock
Google shows no progress bar or queue position while you wait, but pending has a few possible endings, and each looks different. A confirmation email means you’re done. Get verified showing up again means Google couldn’t fully verify you and wants another round, possibly with a different method. Review issues after a video means the clip was rejected and Google has listed why. None of these require you to guess; the profile tells you which path you’re on.
When waiting stops being the answer
Give it the full 5 business days. If nothing has changed after that, and especially if it’s been two weeks or more with no prompt, stop waiting quietly. Use the Contact us link in the Business Profile Help Center, give the date you completed verification and the method you used, and ask what’s holding it. Keep your profile unchanged until you hear back, and keep a note of each contact.
If it doesn't work
- Get verified came back on its own: Google couldn't fully verify you. That's a new request, not a glitch. Complete it.
- Google is asking for more information: this usually follows recent edits to business details. Select Get Verified and re-verify.
- Your verified profile shows a Pending label on an edit: that's the edit review, not verification. Google says edits take about 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days.
- You requested a new postcard to hurry things along: that cancels the earlier code. Use only the latest one.
Questions owners ask
Is there a way to speed up a pending verification?
Google doesn't offer an expedite option. It mentions that some profiles verify instantly through a Google Search Console website property or bulk verification. For everyone else, re-submitting or changing details while the review runs tends to restart or slow it rather than speed it up.
Can I add photos or posts while I wait?
You can prepare them, but our advice is to hold off. Photos, videos and posts don't show until the profile is verified, and keeping the profile unchanged while Google reviews it avoids giving the reviewer anything new to check. Upload them the day the confirmation arrives.
What's the difference between pending verification and a pending edit?
Verification decides whether you control the profile. A pending edit is a change to an already-verified profile that Google is still checking. Google says pending edits show on the profile with a label and usually clear in about 10 minutes, but some take up to 30 days.
Sources
- Verify your business on Google (support.google.com)
- Understand what happens to your Business Profile edits (support.google.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.