Google Business Profile Posts Have a New Rule. Here's What to Do.

If you post updates on your Google Business Profile, this one is for you.

Google just tightened its rules for posts. If your post text includes a phone number, email address or social media handle that Google can't verify, the post can be removed or rejected. The fix is simple. Let me walk you through it.

What changed

On September 25, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google updated two of its help pages about posts. The change was first spotted by Hiroko Imai, who shared it on LinkedIn.

Google's posts content policy used to say: "To avoid the risk of abuse, we do not allow your post content to include a phone number."

It now says: "To avoid fraud or abuse, we may remove posts with unverified contact information. This includes phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles."

Google's page on creating posts adds a warning too. Posts with a phone number in the description "might get rejected if they cannot be verified as being connected to the business on which they are posted."

So the rule got wider. It's not just phone numbers anymore. Emails and social handles are on the list now.

Google also tells you what to do instead. Its policy says to attach a Call now button to your post. That button uses the verified phone number already on your Business Profile.

Why it matters for a local business

For a lot of businesses here in Vernon and across the Okanagan, your Google Business Profile is the first thing people see. Before your website. Before your Instagram. Someone searches for a plumber or a cafe nearby, and your profile shows up on Search and Maps.

Posts are a good way to show you're open, active and worth a visit. A seasonal special. A new service. Holiday hours.

But a post that gets removed or rejected does nothing for you. Google reviews posts after you publish them. If a post breaks the policy, it's marked "Not approved" and it doesn't show on Search or Maps. You might not even notice. You just stop getting the calls you were counting on.

Lots of small business owners write posts the way they'd write a Facebook update. "Call us at..." or "DM us on Instagram @..." It feels natural. Under the new wording, that's exactly the kind of post Google says it may pull.

The fix: let the buttons do the work

Every post can have a button. Use them.

• Call now uses the phone number on your profile, which Google has already verified.
• Book and Learn more send people to a page on your website where they can take the next step.

Honestly, this is cleaner anyway. One tap and they're calling you or landing on the right page. Nobody has to copy a number out of a paragraph.

Have a second phone number you want customers to use? Add it to your Business Profile itself, not the post. Google points to profile edits as the way to add extra numbers.

Do and don't checklist for Google Business Profile posts

Do:

• Add a Call now button if you want people to phone you.
• Use Book or Learn more to send people to the right page on your website.
• Keep the phone number on your profile current, so Call now rings the right line.
• Add any extra phone numbers to your profile, not your post.
• Write a short, clear description of your offer, event or update.
• Check your post status after you publish. You want to see "Live."

Don't:

• Type your phone number into the post text.
• Put your email address in the post.
• List your Instagram, Facebook or TikTok handle in the post.
• Write "DM us" and hope people find you. Link to your website instead.
• Assume a post is showing just because you hit publish.

Take ten minutes this week

Open your Business Profile, go to Posts, and scan what's there. If a post has a phone number, email or social handle in the text, edit it out and add a button instead. Google lets you edit or delete a post after it's published, so this is a quick job.

Want a hand?

A well kept Google Business Profile is a big part of getting found by locals in Vernon and around the Okanagan. If you'd like me to look over your profile and posts, or you just want to talk through what's working, I'm happy to help.

Book a call with me here.

Corryn