Set up a Google Business Profile for your play center

How do you claim and verify a new profile?

Search Google for your business first. If a listing exists, claim it. If not, add your business and verify it. Google decides which verification method you see. Read Verify your Business Profile before you start.

1. Sign in with a Google Account that you plan to keep. You can add managers to the profile later.
2. Enter the name on your sign, your public street address, and your phone number.
3. Choose the most specific primary category that fits. The categories section below explains how.
4. Set an opening date if you have not opened yet.
5. Pick the verification method that Google offers you, and follow its steps.
6. Wait for the review. Do not edit the name, address, or category while you wait, because the code will not work.

Common verification failures

• Requesting a second postcard. A new request invalidates the code in the first one.
• A “Get verified” button that returns. Google could not verify the business. Try again, or use another method.
• A request for more details. Google usually sends one after recent changes. Answer it with the same facts you entered.
• A mismatch between your sign, your website, and your listing. Make them match before you request a code.

Which name and categories fit a play center?

Use the name that customers see on your sign, your website, and your printed materials. Choose a primary category that describes your play center, and add secondary categories only for a service or department that you run. Google does not let you create your own category.

• Name: use only the business name. Do not add taglines, hours, phone numbers, or service lists. Google says that such additions can result in the suspension of the profile. Read Guidelines for representing your business.
• Primary category: pick the most specific option that describes the business, such as “Play center” or “Indoor playground” if the editor lists one.
• Secondary categories: add them for a separate department or service, and use “a few.” A café run by another operator needs its own profile.

Copy category names from the editor, not from this guide, because Google can rename them. Read Choose a business category for the current rules.

Which fields, hours, and booking link should you set?

Fill in each field that Google offers, starting with the address, phone number, website, hours, and description. Use a public street address, because Google says a P.O. box or a virtual office can make a location ineligible.

Hours and special hours

• Regular hours: if you sell timed sessions, list the session times, not only when the doors open.
• Special hours: use them for a change or closure of six days or fewer in a row. They show only when your main hours are set to Open with main hours. The steps are in How to set special hours.
• Temporarily closed: use this for seven or more days in a row, or when you do not know how long you will close.
• One block per date: enter each special-hours date as one block of 24 hours or less. For hours past midnight, split the hours across two dates.
• Holidays: confirm hours for official holidays, even when they match your regular hours.

Set your school-break and rainy-day hours early, and check them again before each holiday. This is general practice, not a Google rule.

Booking link

Add the online booking page for your party or session slots as your booking link. To add one yourself, open Booking in Search or Maps, select Add link, paste the URL, and save. Test the link on a phone before you save it. See Manage your local business links for the steps.

Which attributes, services, and questions help parents?

Answer each attribute that Google offers and that is true on a normal day. Google asks about accessibility, including the entrance, restrooms, seating, parking, and elevators, and sets each attribute as Yes or No. Use the description for details that no attribute covers, such as socks required.

• Accessibility: answer the entrance, restroom, seating, parking, and elevator questions for your building.
• Other items: add only the attributes the editor offers that match your building, such as a café.
• Socks and high chairs: the Google sources for this guide do not name these as attributes. Put them in your description, house rules, and website FAQ.

Services and questions

List your session types, party packages, and add-ons as services if the editor offers a services section. Keep prices in the description. If your profile shows a question and answer (Q&A) area, post answers to these common parent questions as the owner. If it does not, put the answers on your website:

• Do kids need socks?
• Is there parking?
• Is the play area stroller-friendly?
• Can families bring outside food?
• What ages do you serve?
• Is there a minimum age for a party?

Which photos, videos, and posts should you add?

Upload photos of your exterior, entrance, play floor, party room, café, and restrooms, plus a logo and a cover photo. Google says an exterior photo helps customers find your location. Photos do not show until your profile is verified. Read Manage photos and videos before you upload.

Photo rules

• Use JPG or PNG files.
• Use photos that are in focus and well lit, and that show the real space. Avoid heavy filters and edits that change how the space looks.
• Choose a cover photo that best represents your business. Google may not show it first.
• Check for duplicates before you upload the same photo again. Duplicates can block a photo.
• A flagged photo shows as Not approved and does not appear in Search or Maps. A pending photo can take a short time to appear.

Photos of children

Get a written photo release from a parent or guardian before you use any photo that shows a child’s face. Check the Business Profile photos, videos, and posts content policy for its current wording on minors.

Video

Add a short walk-through video of up to 30 seconds. Google sets that limit.

Posts and offers

Google offers three post types: Update, Offer, and Event. Use an Offer for a rainy-day special and an Event for a school-break camp. Do not put an unverified phone number or email address in a post, because Google may remove it. Keep post prices the same as your point-of-sale (POS) system. Read Create and manage posts for details.

How do you get reviews, and how do you reply?

Ask every customer for a review in the same way, with a review link or a QR code. A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera reads. Google’s policy asks that reviews reflect a genuine experience. Read Manage your reviews for the full rules.

• Place a QR code at the checkout desk and on the party receipt.
• Ask the same way for every family. Do not choose which families to ask.
• Do not offer a gift card, a discount, a raffle entry, or any other reward for a review. Google calls rewards “strictly prohibited.” That includes rewards for changing or removing a review.

Replying to reviews

Reply promptly to each review, and sign each reply with a name or initials. Keep every reply professional and specific.

• Name a detail from the review instead of sending a generic thank-you.
• Do not promote a deal in a reply.
• For a negative review, protect the reviewer’s privacy, do not attack the reviewer, and apologize when an apology fits.
• Flag a review that breaks Google’s content policy instead of arguing with it in a reply.

What rules can get your profile suspended?

Google’s rules cover every part of your profile, including the name, photos, posts, reviews, and Q&A. Google can restrict content, or restrict access to a profile, when it finds a violation. Google’s guidelines name these causes: a name with extra details, duplicate profiles for one location, and an invalid address. Read Overview of Google Business Profile policies for the full policy.

• Name with extra details: keep the name to the business name only.
• Duplicate profiles for one location: keep one profile, and check for an existing one before you create another.
• Invalid address: use a public street address, not a P.O. box or virtual office.
• Rewards for reviews: these break Google’s review rules.

If Google restricts your profile, read the notice and follow its steps. Do not create a new profile to get around a restriction, because that creates a duplicate.

What should you do before and after you open?

Verify the profile and set the opening date before you open. After you open, swap in real play-floor photos and ask early families for reviews. Your profile shows a Recently opened tag for 90 days.

Before you open

1. Claim and verify the profile. Then set the opening date. You can set a date up to one year ahead.
2. Fill in your hours, attributes, and booking link.
3. Post an Update with photos of the build-out. Google’s opening date guidance names pre-opening posts and photos.

Before you open, users cannot suggest edits, post reviews, or add photos. These limits end when you open. Read Add a business opening date for the details.

After you open

1. Replace the pre-opening photos with photos of the real play floor.
2. Ask early families for reviews with your QR code.
3. Post on a steady schedule. Google does not set one, so choose a pace you can keep.

Setup checklist

• The name matches your sign, with no extra words.
• The profile is verified, and the opening date is set if you have not opened yet.
• The primary category is the most specific play-center option that the editor offers.
• The address is a public street address, not a P.O. box.
• The phone number, website, and booking link are filled in, and the booking link opens on a phone.
• The hours include session times, holiday hours, and school breaks.
• The attributes match a normal day, and the description covers ages, sessions, parking, and socks.
• The photos cover the main areas, and each photo of a child has a written release.
• Offers and events use the same prices as your website.
• A QR code is at checkout, and no reward goes with a review.
• Each review gets a signed reply.

How do you check Insights?

Open Insights in Business Profile Manager to see how people find and contact your profile. Check it once a month. Read Understand your Business Profile performance and insights for the current metric list.

• Searches: how often people find your profile through a search.
• Views: how often people see your profile. Google counts unique visitors once a day.
• Calls, directions, and website clicks: what visitors did next. Calls need a phone number on your profile.

To export data, select your profile in Business Profile Manager, then select Actions, Insights, and a time range. Compare calls and clicks month to month, and note what you changed, such as new photos or a new offer.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Google take to verify a Business Profile?

Google reviews a verification request for up to five business days, and sometimes longer. A postcard usually arrives within 14 days, and its code expires after 30 days. Do not request a second postcard.

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

No. Google’s review policy prohibits rewards for reviews, including gift cards, discounts, raffle entries, and rewards for changing or removing a review. Ask every family for a review in the same way, with no reward attached.

Which primary category should a play center choose on Google?

Choose the most specific primary category that the profile editor offers and that describes your play center. Google does not let you create your own category. Add secondary categories only for a separate department or service that your business runs.

How do I set holiday hours on Google Business Profile?

Use special hours for a change or closure of six days or fewer in a row, and enter each date as one block of 24 hours or less. Special hours show only when your main hours are set to Open with main hours. For seven or more days in a row, use Temporarily closed.

Why was my Google Business Profile suspended?

Google’s guidelines name several causes, including a business name with extra details, duplicate profiles for one location, an invalid address, and a product catalog that breaks its rules. Read the notice in your profile and follow its steps. Do not create a new profile to get around a restriction.