The short answer: Google's Maps content policy now spells out what a business can't put in its own Business Profile. In the listing, meaning the name, description and other permanent fields, there can be no time-bound promotions, no pricing and no direct calls to action. In posts, offers and updates are still allowed. What posts can't carry is email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or links to other websites that aren't related to your business. If your description says "Call now for 20% off this month", rewrite it to describe what you do, and move the offer into a post.
Search Engine Roundtable reported the update on 6 October 2026. It adds a "For merchants" section to the advertising and solicitation rules that have always covered reviews.
A Business Profile listing here means the permanent information on your profile: business name, description, categories, hours and contact details. Posts are the dated updates, offers and events you publish from the profile, and they show in their own section of your local panel.
What exactly did Google change?
The policy's advertising and solicitation section now opens with this principle:
"Contributions to Google Maps should reflect genuine experiences or define a business's permanent identity. This helps users discover listings and ensures the platform remains reliable rather than a marketplace. Therefore, don't post content for advertising or solicitation purposes."
Then it splits the rules by who is posting:
| Who | Where | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Reviews | Promotional or commercial content; email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or website links |
| Business owners | The listing | "Time-bound promotions, pricing, or direct calls-to-action" |
| Business owners | Posts | Email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or links to other websites "not related to your business" |
The posts rule ends with a line many owners will be glad to see: "Offers and updates that may be seen as promotional or commercial content are otherwise permitted in posts."
Was this allowed before?
Mostly not. It just wasn't written down in one place. Google's separate guidelines for representing your business already say a description must not "focus on special promotions, prices, and offer sales". The examples are "Everything on sale, -50%" and "Best bagels in town for $5!". Those guidelines also rule out URLs in the description.
What's new is that the merchant rules now sit in the main content policy, next to the rules Google enforces on reviews. That makes them easier to point to when Google removes something, and harder to argue with.
What should a Kamloops business change?
Most profiles need a five-minute edit. Here is the before and after for a typical service business:
| Field | Breaks the policy | Fits the policy |
|---|---|---|
| Description | "Kamloops's #1 furnace experts. Call now! $99 tune-ups until 31 October." | "Family-run heating and cooling company serving Kamloops, Sun Peaks and the North Thompson since 2009. Furnace and heat pump installation, repairs and annual maintenance." |
| Business name | "Smith Heating – Call 250-555-0100" | "Smith Heating" |
| Post | "Fall tune-up special: $99 until 31 October. Book online." | Allowed as written. It's an offer in a post. |
| Post | "Follow our friends at another company: [their link]" | Remove the link to a site that isn't yours |
Four checks to run on your own profile:
- Read your description as a stranger would. Remove prices, dates, "call now", "book today" and anything that will be out of date next month. Describe what you do, where, and for whom.
- Check the business name. It should be your real-world name only. Phone numbers, slogans or "call now" in the name also break Google's long-standing naming rules.
- Move offers into posts. A seasonal price belongs in an Offer post with an end date. How to use Business Profile posts covers the types and a realistic posting schedule.
- Audit links and numbers in old posts. Each post should link to your own site and use your own number. Remove anything pointing to a partner, a directory or a social profile that isn't yours.
What else changed on Business Profiles in October?
Two other changes were spotted in October, both observations rather than announcements:
- WhatsApp buttons in the local panel. Search Engine Roundtable reported on 7 October 2026 that Google is showing a WhatsApp button next to call, directions and website for some businesses. If you add a WhatsApp number to your profile, someone needs to answer it.
- Posts moved up the panel. Sterling Sky noted on 19 October 2026 that Google appears to have moved the Posts section higher in the local knowledge panel. If that holds, a current, well-written post is more visible than before, and a stale one is more conspicuous.
Will Google suspend my profile for this?
Google's policy page doesn't say how each item is enforced. Its guidelines say that not following them can lead to changes to your information or, in some cases, removal. They also say Google "reserves the right to suspend access" to Business Profiles for businesses that violate them. Fixing a description now costs far less than appealing later. If it has already happened, see what to do when a Business Profile is suspended.
Common questions
Can I put prices in my Google Business Profile description?
No. Google's Maps content policy says a business listing can't contain time-bound promotions, pricing or direct calls to action. Its business description guidelines also say descriptions must not focus on promotions, prices or sales. Put prices on your website, your products or services list, or in an Offer post.
Are offers still allowed in Google Business Profile posts?
Yes. The October 2026 policy wording says offers and updates that may be seen as promotional are permitted in posts. What posts can't include is email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or links to other websites that aren't related to your business.
Can I put "call now" in my Google Business Profile?
Not in the listing. Direct calls to action such as "call now" or "book today" are banned from the permanent listing, including the description and business name. Your profile already shows a call button. Calls to action belong in posts, which can carry a booking or call button.
When did Google change the Business Profile content policy?
Search Engine Roundtable reported the update on 6 October 2026, with before and after screenshots. Google added a "For merchants" section to the advertising and solicitation part of its Maps prohibited and restricted content policy. Google doesn't date edits on the policy page itself.
The honest summary
This isn't a crackdown on marketing. It's Google drawing a clear line between the permanent part of your profile and the part that's allowed to sell. Keep the description, name and fixed fields factual and timeless. Put the selling in posts, and keep the links and numbers in posts pointing at your own business.
If you want a second pair of eyes on the whole profile, run the free 13-point Business Profile audit, or see how Google Business Profile management in Kamloops works.
Sources: Google Maps prohibited and restricted content policy · Guidelines for representing your business on Google · Search Engine Roundtable, 6 October 2026 · Search Engine Roundtable, 7 October 2026 · Sterling Sky local changes log
Written by Jagatjeet, a web architect and digital marketer based in Kamloops, BC. Jagatjeet (jagatjeet.com) sets up and manages Google Business Profiles for businesses across the BC Interior. Published 20 October 2026.