To add your business to Apple Maps in 2026, sign up for Apple Business at business.apple.com, verify your organization, then add or claim your location and fill out its place card. Apple Business is the free platform that replaced Apple Business Connect on April 14, 2026, and Apple’s newsroom says the core service is free in more than 200 countries and regions. Apple’s user guide gives you 60 days after sign-up to verify, requires two verification methods, and says review can take up to five business days.
How do you add your business to Apple Maps, step by step?
You sign up for Apple Business, pass organization verification with two methods, add a new location or claim the one already on Apple Maps, then complete the place card. Existing places can also be verified with a phone call to the number Apple has on file. The six steps below follow the Apple Business User Guide.
Want to know what Siri and ChatGPT say about your business before you start? Run the free AI visibility audit.
1. Confirm you are eligible and gather documents
Apple Business has two account types: an organization that owns its brands, and a third-party partner or agency that manages listings for clients. Sign up as the organization unless you are the agency. Before you start, have one Business ID ready (Apple accepts a D-U-N-S Number or an Employer Identification Number), plus access to your domain’s DNS or a scanned official document. Your sign-up email cannot use a domain that another Apple Business or Apple School Manager organization has already verified.
2. Sign up at business.apple.com
Select Sign up now, enter your organization name, address, and website, then enter the legal first and last name of the person signing. Apple rejects placeholders such as “IT Coordinator.” Choosing “Create an Apple Account for Work” creates a Managed Apple Account, which Apple says unlocks the full feature set. Apple sends codes to your email and phone, then you accept the Apple Business Terms and Conditions.
3. Verify your organization with two methods
Go to Settings, then Organization, then Verify Now. Apple requires two of these methods:
- Business ID: a D-U-N-S Number or EIN
- Domain validation: a TXT record added to your DNS
- App Store Connect: the app tied to your organization (not available to agencies)
- Document upload: a business license, sales tax permit, food, health or alcohol permit, lease or property agreement, utility bill, or another official document
Apple says adding your website URL at sign-up can speed verification. If you miss the 60-day window, Apple deletes the organization and its data.
4. Add a new location or claim the existing one
Go to Brands, then Locations, then Add. Type the business name. If Apple Maps already lists it, select it from the results. If not, add it as new. Drag the map marker onto the correct building, using Satellite view to check the entrance. If another organization already manages the place, Apple shows “This location is already managed” and lets you request a transfer with a business license or utility bill attached.
For a place that already exists on Maps, you can choose Verify with a phone call. Apple calls the number it has on record and you type the four-digit code.
5. Fill out the place card
Apple’s guide calls the place card the core of a location’s information. Complete every field Apple offers:
- Display name: match your storefront or website. No ®, © or ™ symbols, and no city name used to tell locations apart.
- Categories: one primary category, which sets your Maps icon, plus up to 19 optional categories.
- Hours: normal hours, optional service hours, and temporary or holiday hours with start and end dates.
- Phone and website: include the country code. Apple accepts your own location page or a Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok page, but not third-party websites.
- Logo, cover photo and photos: Apple reviews images against its photo standards before they show.
- About, Good to Know and your app: a description, amenity attributes such as parking or accessibility, and your brand’s official app.
6. Add showcases and Actions
A showcase is a promotional module on the place card with a headline, body text, an image, and an action button. Apple caps the header at 38 characters and the body at 100. Showcases run up to 365 days, with a default of 90. Actions add buttons such as order, reserve, or view menu, and Apple notes some Actions are available only through its Business Connect API.
How long does Apple take to review and approve it?
Most Apple reviews finish within five business days, and showcases within three calendar days. Organization verification can take up to five business days, longer during high volume. Location data starts flowing into Insights up to one hour after verification. Here are the review windows Apple publishes:
| Item | Apple’s stated timeline |
|---|---|
| Organization verification | Up to five business days; you must finish within 60 days of sign-up |
| Showcase review | Up to three calendar days |
| Display name change or location transfer | Up to five business days |
| Each bulk upload review | Up to five business days |
| Branded Mail brand review | Up to seven business days; domains must verify within 14 calendar days |
Two practical notes from Apple’s guide. Editing a showcase while it is in review can delay approval. And if any one language version of a showcase is rejected, the whole showcase is rejected.
What if you have more than one location?
Use Apple’s Add Multiple Locations template once your organization and brand are verified. Apple says one file can hold up to 10,000 rows, one location per row, in .csv, .tsv or .xlsx format. Agencies and multi-location brands can also work through an approved third-party partner instead of the web console.
The template requires a display name, address, phone number, hours, primary category, and status. It allows up to 3 additional categories and 10 Good to Know attributes per row. It does not carry logos, cover photos, showcases, Action links, service hours, or temporary hours, so you add those per location afterward. Apple will not process a file with errors, so download the error report from Activity, fix the flagged rows, and upload again.
Apple’s partner directory, published April 14, 2026, lists 50 partners that support shared access and 34 more integrated with the Apple Business Partner API. Named partners include Yext, uberall, SOCi, Birdeye, BrightLocal, and Reputation.com. Yelp Inc. appears on the Partner API list.
Where does your Apple Maps listing show up besides Maps?
Your place card appears across Apple’s software, not only in Maps. Apple’s guide says it shows in Maps, Siri, Calendar, and Messages, and Apple’s March 2026 newsroom announcement adds Safari and Spotlight. The same verified brand can also power your name and logo in Mail, Wallet, and Tap to Pay on iPhone.
- Branded Mail puts your logo and name on business email in the Mail app and iCloud Mail. Apple requires a commercial domain (gmail.com addresses do not qualify), DKIM authentication, and DMARC compliance. A brand can hold up to 100 domains, subdomains, and addresses combined.
- Tap to Pay on iPhone shows your verified brand’s icon and name on screen when you take a payment, once you link the brand to the merchant ID from your payment provider.
- Apple Maps ads are open to verified organizations with locations and an address in the United States or Canada. Apple uses a monthly budget model, allows up to three assets per ad, and says eligible organizations may receive a one-time $150 sign-up credit.
Apple also runs its own ratings. Its Maps user guide says people signed in with an Apple Account can tap Like or Dislike on rating categories and add photos, though the feature is not available in every country or region. Apple’s business guide does not document how third-party reviews appear on place cards. Because Yelp Inc. is listed as an Apple partner, keep your Yelp listing accurate anyway.
Does an Apple Maps listing help with Siri, ChatGPT and AI answers?
Apple documents a direct mechanism for Siri and none for ChatGPT. The place card data you enter appears in Siri, according to Apple’s own guide, so a wrong phone number or hours on Apple Maps can follow your business into Siri answers. ChatGPT is a different matter.
Apple’s December 2024 newsroom post says Siri can suggest that a user access ChatGPT for certain requests, and that users choose whether to turn the integration on. Nothing in Apple’s documentation says your place card is sent to ChatGPT or used by OpenAI. We have not tested whether completing an Apple listing changes what ChatGPT says about a business, so we are not claiming it does. Treat the Apple listing as the source of truth for Apple surfaces, and verify AI answers separately. Our guide on how to rank in Apple Intelligence covers the Apple side in more depth.
Insights tell you whether the listing is working. Apple splits searches into name or brand searches, category searches, and other searches, and counts seven place card actions: Directions, Website, Call, Share, Photos, Showcase, and Brand Actions. Low numbers show as zero below Apple’s privacy threshold, so read longer date ranges.
How does Apple Business compare with Google Business Profile and Bing Places?
All three are free, and most local businesses should claim all three. They feed different ecosystems, so one does not replace another. Google’s Business Profile page says listing on Google is free, Microsoft’s Bing blog called the rebuilt Bing Places “a free online platform” in October 2025, and Apple says the core Apple Business service is free.
| Platform | Cost | Verification | Where it appears | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Business | Free core service; Maps ads are paid (US and Canada) | Two methods for the organization (Business ID, DNS TXT record, App Store Connect, or documents), plus an optional phone call for an existing place | Apple Maps, Siri, Spotlight, Safari, Calendar, Messages; brand in Mail, Wallet and Tap to Pay | Claim it if your customers use iPhones. Verification takes more paperwork than Google, so start early |
| Google Business Profile | Free to create and list | Phone or text, email, live video call, video recording, or postcard; Google says most postcard codes arrive within 14 days and review can take up to 5 business days | Google Search and Google Maps | Claim it first. It reaches the most searchers |
| Bing Places | Free | Microsoft’s 2025 announcement does not detail verification methods; it highlights a faster import from Google | Bing search and Bing Maps | Claim it after Google. The Google import makes it a short job |
If you have not set up the Google side yet, start with our walkthrough on how to claim a Google Business Profile. For Microsoft’s side, see Bing Places for law firms, which applies to most service businesses. Subscribe PR handles listings like these as part of its AI search and PR services for firms that would rather not run three verification queues themselves.
FAQ
Is it free to add my business to Apple Maps?
Yes. Apple’s March 24, 2026 newsroom announcement says the core Apple Business service is free starting April 14, 2026, in the United States and more than 200 countries and regions. Adding a location, verifying it, and editing the place card cost nothing. Paid extras exist: Apple Maps ads in the United States and Canada run on a monthly budget you set, and some device and storage add-ons for employees carry a fee.
How long does Apple Maps verification take?
Apple says organization verification can take up to five business days, and longer during high volume. You need two verification methods, and you must finish within 60 days of signing up or Apple deletes the organization. Verifying an existing place by phone is faster: Apple calls the number on record and you enter a four-digit code. Showcase reviews take up to three calendar days.
Is Apple Business Connect still available?
Not under that name. Apple renamed Apple Business Connect to Apple Business on April 14, 2026, and merged it with Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Essentials. The old user guide now says its content has moved. Brand and location tools still work the same way, and Apple says you can sign in with the personal Apple Account you used for Apple Business Connect, with access limited to brand and location features.
Why is my business not showing on Apple Maps?
Usually because nobody added it, the location is still in review, or another organization manages it. Search Brands, then Locations, in Apple Business. If Apple shows “This location is already managed,” request a transfer with a business license or utility bill, which Apple says takes up to five business days. Also check whether customers reported your place as closed, since Apple can change name, status, and hours from those reports.
Can I add many locations at once?
Yes, after your organization and brand are verified. Apple’s Add Multiple Locations template accepts .csv, .tsv, or .xlsx files of up to 10,000 rows, one location per row. Each review can take up to five business days. The template does not include logos, photos, showcases, or temporary hours, so you add those afterward. Brands with many locations can also use one of Apple’s approved third-party partners.
Does Apple Maps use Yelp reviews?
Apple’s current business guide does not say how third-party reviews appear on place cards. It does list Yelp Inc. as a Partner API integration, and Apple Maps runs its own ratings system where signed-in users tap Like or Dislike on rating categories and add photos. Since Apple does not document the Yelp connection today, keep your Yelp listing accurate and treat Apple ratings as their own channel.
The short answer
An Apple Maps listing is a verification job more than a design job. Apple asks for two proofs of who you are, gives you 60 days to supply them, and then shows the place card you build in Maps, Siri, Spotlight, and Safari. Do the paperwork once, keep hours current, and the same verified brand carries into Mail and Tap to Pay. Then check what the AI assistants actually say. Curious whether Siri and other assistants recommend you yet? Request your free audit.
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