Categories decide who finds you
Yelp has more than 1,500 categories, and the list keeps growing. Categories are how Yelp matches your page to searches, so a bakery filed under Caterers, or a plumber under Contractors, misses the people looking for exactly what they do.
Yelp’s rules are short:
- Three at most. You can’t list every service as a category.
- Specific over broad. Choose what you mainly do, in the narrowest category that fits. Yelp’s guide says a specific choice still shows up in broader searches; its example is an Italian restaurant appearing when someone searches Restaurant.
- Supported by what you offer. Yelp may reject a category your offerings don’t fully back up, even if you’re under three.
Services sit inside categories, and you can add as many relevant services as you like and edit them any time. That’s where the long tail of what you do belongs.
Why a category gets changed without you
Visitors can suggest category edits from your page, and Yelp’s team reviews them. If your categories changed and you didn’t do it, that’s the likely path. Claimed owners can edit them back under Categories and services. Approval can take a few business days, so don’t keep resubmitting.
If the right category doesn’t exist yet, Yelp adds new ones quarterly. Choose the closest specific match until then.
Duplicates: one location, one page
Yelp’s address rules say each page represents one location. A duplicate is a second page for that same place, often created by a customer who couldn’t find you, or left over from an old name. Two pages split your reviews and photos, and customers may call an old number.
The report works from the business page itself, not from your business account. On Yelp’s website, open the duplicate, click Edit, check This is a duplicate of another business on Yelp, include a link to the duplicate pages and click Submit Changes. If you aren’t logged in, Yelp asks for your email. On an iPhone, tap More Options, then Edit Business; on Android, tap the Overflow Menu, then Edit Business. Write in Notes that it’s a duplicate, tap Done and Submit.
If nothing changes after a couple of weeks, report again with both page links side by side.
When it’s not really a duplicate
A second branch across town is a separate location, not a duplicate, so claim it under your account instead. A page with your old address after a move is closer to a substantial business change. Say so in the report so moderators know which page should carry on. Before reporting a wrong address at all, Yelp suggests searching the area to make sure the location isn’t already listed elsewhere.
If it doesn't work
- Yelp rejected a category: categories your offerings don't fully support may be rejected, even if you have fewer than three. Pick a narrower one you clearly offer.
- The category you need doesn't exist: Yelp adds new categories quarterly. Choose the closest specific one for now and check again later.
- The duplicate is a second location: it isn't a duplicate. Yelp treats each location as its own page, so claim it instead.
- You moved and both old and new addresses show: that's a substantial business change, not just a duplicate. Mention the move in your report.
Questions owners ask
How many categories can my business have on Yelp?
Up to three. Yelp's guidelines say to pick the most specific categories for your main activities, not everything you do. You'll still appear in broader searches: an Italian restaurant shows up when someone searches Restaurant.
Does a broad category get me more traffic?
Yelp says specific beats broad. Its category guide uses a Shanghainese dim sum restaurant as the example: pick the specific subcategories, not the general parent. Broader searches still find you through the parent category.
Can customers change my category?
They can suggest it by clicking edit on your business page, and Yelp's team reviews it. Yelp's guide says category approvals may take a few business days. If someone changes yours wrongly, edit it back from your business account.
Sources
- What are the guidelines for general business information? (yelp-support.com)
- The complete Yelp business category list (business.yelp.com)
- How can I report duplicate business pages? (yelp-support.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.