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What documents Google wants: the evidence checklist

Google's appeals form lets you attach documents. Showing up with the full evidence pack is what separates approved appeals from denied ones — reviewers decide largely on whether the business looks real and the violation looks fixed. Gather everything before you submit; you get one clean shot.

Every business needs these three

• Government-issued business license — current, not expired, showing your legal business name.
• Utility bill in the business name at the listed address — electric, gas, or water, within the last 90 days.
• Tax document or business registration showing the legal business name matching your listing.

The name on all three must match your listing name exactly. If it doesn't, fix the listing first — a mismatch here is an instant credibility killer.

If you have a storefront customers visit

Add these — they prove the physical location is real:

• Exterior photo showing your signage with the street visible.
• Interior photo showing it's an operating business, not an empty room.
• Lease or mortgage document tying the business to the address.
• Photos of branded elements — uniforms, vehicles, menus, product displays.

If you're a service-area business (plumber, HVAC, electrician…)

You don't need a storefront — but you do need to prove you're a real operation working from a real base:

• Vehicle photos — branded van or truck is the single strongest SAB evidence.
• Tools-of-the-trade photos — equipment, workshop, storage area.
• Invoices or job records showing real customers in your service area (redact personal details).
• Business insurance certificate — trade license plus liability insurance reads as legitimate.

SAB owners: your address must be real (usually your home) even though Google lets you hide it from customers. "Hidden" doesn't mean "doesn't exist" — reviewers still verify it.

Video verification: what to show

Video verification is now the standard hurdle. When Google asks for it, film one continuous, unedited take:

1. Start at the street showing the address or street sign.
2. Walk to the entrance — unlock the door on camera (proves access).
3. Show the interior: workspace, equipment, branded materials.
4. Show your tools of the trade and any business signage.

What fails people: edited or cut video, talking over it, filming someone else's premises, or a video that doesn't match the address on the listing. One take, no edits, no narration needed.

Before you hit submit

• Every document is current (nothing expired)
• Business name matches across all documents and the listing
• Address matches across all documents and the listing
• Photos are clear, recent, and actually show your business
• The violation from the trigger list is fully fixed
• Your appeal text is written and under 1,000 characters