Google Business Profile Description Rejected, Removed or Not Updating? Causes and How to Write One That's Approved

Quick answer: Descriptions are usually rejected for including URLs, phone numbers, email addresses, prices or offers, promotional ALL-CAPS language, special characters, keyword lists, mentions of competitors, or claims that can't be supported. Keep it under 750 characters and describe what you do, who you serve, the areas you cover and what makes you different, in natural sentences. Edits can stay pending for a few days. If yours keeps getting rejected, simplify it, remove anything promotional or contact-related, and resubmit once.

Your description is a short introduction customers read on your profile. It doesn't need to be clever, but it must follow Google's rules (description examples).

Where the description appears

In the "About" or "Overview" area of your profile, on mobile and desktop. Some views show only the first few lines, so put the most important information first.

Google's description rules (summary)

• Up to 750 characters.
• No URLs or links.
• No phone numbers, email addresses or social handles.
• No prices, discounts, offers or promotions — use posts and products for those (posts guide, products).
• No misleading or unverifiable claims ("No. 1 in India", "Guaranteed cure").
• No offensive, sexual or harmful content.
• No excessive capitals, emojis or special characters.
• Focus on your business, not Google or competitors.

Check the current guidelines in Google's help centre, as they can change.

Most common rejection reasons

1. Contact details

"Call 98XXXXXXXX" or "Visit www.example.com" — remove them. Your phone and website already have their own fields.

2. Offers and prices

"Flat 30% off this Diwali" or "Haircut at ₹99" — move these to posts or products.

3. Keyword stuffing

"Best dentist Ahmedabad, dental clinic Ahmedabad, root canal Ahmedabad, teeth whitening Ahmedabad…" reads as spam. Use natural sentences.

4. Unsupported claims

"India's best", "Guaranteed results", "100% cure". Medical, legal and financial businesses especially should avoid promises (clinic reviews and ethics).

5. Formatting

All capitals, rows of emojis, symbols like ★★★ or ➤.

6. Copied text

Text copied from another business or website may be flagged (duplicate content).

A simple structure that gets approved

1. What you are: "Sharma Dental Care is a family dental clinic in Satellite, Ahmedabad."
2. What you offer: "We provide check-ups, root canal treatment, implants, braces and children's dentistry."
3. Who you serve and where: "Patients from Satellite, Prahlad Nagar and Bodakdev visit us."
4. Why choose you: "Our clinic uses digital X-rays, and Dr. Sharma has 15 years of experience."
5. Practical information: "Evening and Sunday appointments are available."

That's well under 750 characters, natural and informative.

Local language descriptions

You can write part of the description in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi or another language. Keep it natural, without stuffing (Hindi description, multilingual SEO).

Description stuck "pending"

Edits can take from minutes to a few days. Don't resubmit repeatedly — that may restart the review. If it's still pending after a week, check for any profile issues (edits pending).

Google shows the old description

Sometimes the public profile shows the old text for a while due to caching. Check from a logged-out browser after a day. If Google suggested its own description or changed yours, review "Google updated your info" notices (Google updated my business info).

Description disappeared

If your description vanished, it may have been removed for a policy issue, or replaced by a Google-generated summary in some views. Rewrite it following the rules and resubmit.

Does the description help ranking?

Google has indicated that the description isn't a strong ranking factor. Its main job is to inform and persuade customers. Natural mentions of services and areas still help people understand you (ranking factors).

Example: a salon

A salon's description, "BEST SALON IN PUNE!!! Call 98XXXXXX for 50% OFF", was rejected. The rewritten version, describing services, stylists' experience and the Baner location in plain sentences, was approved the next day.

Example: a clinic

A clinic's description promising "guaranteed hair regrowth" kept being rejected. Rewritten to describe consultations, treatment options and doctor qualifications, without promises, it was approved.

Checklist

• Under 750 characters
• No links, phone numbers or emails
• No prices or offers
• No unsupported claims
• Natural sentences, not keyword lists
• No excessive caps, emojis or symbols
• Wait for review; don't resubmit repeatedly

Key takeaways

• Descriptions are rejected mainly for contact details, offers, stuffing and claims.
• A simple five-part structure gets approved and helps customers.
• Use posts and products for offers and prices.

Sources and further reading

• Google Business Profile Help — guidelines for representing your business: support.google.com/business
• Profile strength and completeness

Before-and-after examples

Rejected: "★★★ BEST BAKERY IN SURAT ★★★ Cakes, pastries, cookies, cakes Surat, birthday cakes Surat, cheap cakes. Order on WhatsApp 98XXXXXXXX. 20% OFF!"

Approved: "Sweet Crumbs is a family bakery in Adajan, Surat, baking fresh eggless and regular cakes, pastries and cookies every day. We make custom birthday, anniversary and wedding cakes with home delivery across Adajan, Pal and Vesu. Our bakers have over ten years of experience, and every cake is made to order."

Rejected: "Top lawyer. 100% case winning guarantee. Visit our website for fees."

Approved: "Mehta & Associates is a law firm in Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, handling property, family and consumer cases. Our advocates have practised in the City Civil Court and the High Court for over 20 years. Consultations are by appointment."

Writing tips that help customers

• Start with the most important line, since many people only read the first sentence.
• Use the words customers say, not industry jargon.
• Mention your area and nearby localities naturally.
• Include one or two genuine differentiators: experience, speciality, timings or languages spoken.
• Read it aloud; if it sounds like an advertisement, tone it down.

Updating your description over time

Refresh it once or twice a year, or when something important changes: a new service, longer hours, a renovation. Small, accurate updates are rarely rejected. Rewriting everything often, or adding promotional phrases, increases the chance of review.

Frequently asked questions

How long can my description be?

Up to 750 characters.

Can I include my phone number?

No — use the phone field.

Can I mention offers?

No — use Google posts.

Why is my description pending?

It's under review; wait a few days.

Does the description affect ranking?

Not strongly; it mainly helps customers.

Can I write it in Hindi?

Yes, naturally.