Google rejects a Business Profile post for one of a few kinds of reasons: it contains contact details Google can't connect to your business, the text or image breaks a content rule, it promotes a regulated product, or the profile itself has a problem (unverified, suspended or disabled). The first one changed recently: Google rewrote its contact-details wording in late September 2026.
What does "Not approved" mean on a Google Business Profile post?
"Not approved" means Google reviewed the post and decided it breaks one of its content policies, so it won't show on Search or Maps. The question mark next to the status tells you which policy, so check that first.
Google reviews every post after you publish it. A post that passes shows as Live. Google doesn't label one case: a problem with the profile itself.
Can you put a phone number in a Google Business Profile post?
Yes, but Google may remove the post if it can't connect the number to your business. The safest choice is a number already on your profile, or a Call now button.
Google's profile guidelines let you post your own business contact details on your own profile, but as of late September 2026, Google's posts content policy says it "may remove posts with unverified contact information," which covers phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles.
This is a real change, and most advice online hasn't caught up. Google's old wording, reported by Search Engine Roundtable on September 25, 2026, was a flat ban: "we do not allow your post content to include a phone number." The new rule swaps that ban for a verification test, and now names emails and social handles too. Google's broader Maps content policy already listed emails, phone numbers and social links among things not to put in posts, and bars links to sites "that are not related to your business."
Google hasn't said exactly how it checks a number. What its posts help page does say is that a post with a phone number "might get rejected" if the number can't be verified as connected to the business, and it points you to adding extra numbers to your profile. Your profile holds your main number plus up to 2 more (mobile or landline, not fax).
What are the most common reasons a post gets rejected?
The usual causes are a short list: contact details Google can't verify, links to sites that aren't yours, content about a regulated product, sloppy or repeated text, and image problems. The rules come from Google's posts help page and its prohibited and restricted content policy, which covers posts, photos and videos.
| What's in the post | Google's rule | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A phone number that isn't on your profile | Posts with unverified contact info may be removed | Add the number to your profile first, or use the Call now button |
| An email address or social handle in the text | Same rule; named in the posts policy since September 2026 | Use the post's button to link to your contact page or website |
| A link to a site unrelated to your business | No links in posts to sites not related to your business | Link to your own site or booking page |
| Prices, deals or buy links for a regulated product | No calls to action, offers, pricing, purchase links or contact details for buying alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, regulated pharmaceuticals, financial services and similar | Post about your business, events or hours instead of the product |
| Typos, stray characters, filler or auto-generated text | Keep it professional; no text that adds no value | Write one clear update and proofread it |
| The same post published again and again | Repetitive content isn't allowed | Change the text and photo each time |
| Political or social commentary | Off-topic content isn't allowed | Keep posts about your business |
| A photo or video that breaks the content rules | The same prohibited content policy applies to media | Use your own clear, family-friendly photo |
| An offer post from a hotel | Hotels can't post offers or mention deals or discounts | Use an Update post with no pricing |
Regulated businesses aren't banned from posting. Google says you can use posts in a regulated industry, just "do not include content about the products." A bar can post about trivia night; it shouldn't post a drink special.
Why was my post rejected when nothing in it breaks the rules?
If the post looks clean, the problem is probably the profile or account, not the post. Google's policy overview says it may reject content added to a profile that is unverified, suspended or disabled, or that was deleted before the content was reviewed. If the Google account you post from is restricted, content added from it is rejected too.
Two non-policy causes are easy to miss:
- Duplicates. Google may refuse content it already accepted, like the same photo uploaded twice.
- Submission errors. Sometimes processing just fails. Google's advice is to try again later.
A suspension blocks everything else, including appeals about posts. Our guide to fixing a suspended Google Business Profile walks through reinstatement.
How do you fix a rejected Google Business Profile post?
Find the rule it broke, remove that one thing, and post the update again. Don't keep republishing the same text unchanged; repeated identical content is its own violation.
- Open the post's status. Go to your Business Profile, select Posts, and look for "Not approved." The question mark next to it names the policy.
- Check the profile. If a post stays Pending, or a clean post won't publish, check the profile (see above) before touching the post.
- Strip contact details from the text. Remove anything the table above flags, and use a button instead.
- Check every link. Buttons and links should go to your own website or booking page.
- Swap the photo if in doubt. Use your own clear photo. Google's Business Profile photo guidelines recommend JPG or PNG, 10 KB to 5 MB, ideally 720 by 720 pixels. Our free image compression tool can shrink a large photo.
- Rewrite and post again. Delete the rejected post and create a fresh one with changed wording rather than pasting the same text. Google hasn't said whether editing a rejected post sends it back for review, so a new post is the surer route.
How do you appeal a rejected post?
Outside the UK and European Economic Area, you appeal a rejected post, photo or video through Google Business Profile's Contact us form; in the UK and EEA, you use the appeals tool. That split comes from Google's appeals help page, which says a decision can take up to 5 business days.
- A suspended or disabled profile has to be reinstated before you can appeal any content decision.
- Don't send more appeals for the same issue while you wait for a decision.
- In the UK and EEA, the appeals tool accepts an appeal only once, so add any supporting context the first time.
- On the Contact us route, if Google's first reply doesn't fix it, Google says to reply to that email and support will help with the appeal.
For most rejected posts, fixing and reposting is faster than appealing. Appeal when the post was clearly fine, like a number that is already on your profile.
Google Business Profile post checklist
Before posting, check five things: contact details, links, regulated products, fresh text and the photo.
- No contact details in the text that the table above would flag.
- Links and buttons go to your own site, and nothing promotes a regulated product.
- The text is new, proofread and about your business.
- The photo is your own, clear, JPG or PNG, and 10 KB to 5 MB.
- Offers and events have a title and start and end dates.
Posts are one part of a well-kept profile, and our local SEO service covers the rest. If you're still setting up, start with our guide to creating a Google Business Profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my old Google posts disappear?
They were probably archived, not rejected. Google archives posts older than 6 months unless the post has a date range, like an offer or event.
Can I post the same update on several locations?
Yes. When you publish, Google lets you share the post across multiple Business Profiles you manage. Leave location-specific phone numbers out of the text so it fits every profile.