Bulk Upload Sheet Formatter for Google Business Profile

How to prepare a Google Business Profile bulk upload

A Google Business Profile bulk upload adds or updates many locations from one spreadsheet. This formatter takes the store list you already have, in any layout, and writes it with the field names and formats from Google's Create a bulk upload spreadsheet page, checking each value against the rules there.

1. Add your list. Upload a CSV or Excel file, or paste from Google Sheets. Old headers like City, State, Main phone, Categories, Description or Hours are recognized.
2. Check the columns. Match your code column to the business code. Opening hours can sit in one column (“Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm”) or in one column per day. Times are never guessed: “12-5pm” is read as noon to 5 pm and shown for you to check, while “9-5” without am/pm is flagged as an error.
3. Pick your options. Choose Business code or Store code as the header name, 24-hour or AM/PM hours, and a default country.
4. Fix the errors. Each problem names the row, the rule and the fix. Spaces, country names, missing https:// and hours formats are fixed for you, and US ZIP codes shorter than 5 digits get their leading zeros back (our fix — check those rows).
5. Download and import. Take the CSV or Excel file to Business Profile Manager.

About the header row

Google's template can only be downloaded after you sign in to Business Profile Manager, so we could not confirm its exact header text. The file uses the field names written on Google's help pages, such as Address line 1, Locality, Primary phone and Sunday hours. Before you import, download Google's template yourself and check every header against it — rename any that differ. Optional columns that are empty for every location are left out, because an empty column can wipe existing information when you update profiles.

What to do next in Business Profile Manager

1. Updating existing locations? Download your current locations first and keep the same codes, so the import updates them instead of creating duplicates. To change only a few fields, keep just the code column plus those fields.
2. Import the file. Choose Add business, then Import businesses, and select the file.
3. Review the preview. Rows are marked New, Updates, No updates or Errors. Use Download details to see what changed and why a row failed.
4. Apply. Locations with errors won't appear on Maps until they are fixed. Correct them and import again.
5. Verify the chain. With 10 or more locations of one business, request bulk verification under Verifications › Chain.

Google Business Profile bulk upload errors and fixes

Missing store code or duplicate codes

Every row needs a code, and no two rows may share one. A spreadsheet that turns 0004 into 4 makes Google see a new location — format the column as text.

Too much punctuation or too many digits in the name

Business names may have at most six punctuation marks and six digits. Leave out store numbers, phone numbers and taglines, and don't write the name in all capitals.

P.O. Boxes aren't allowed

Google rejects P.O. Box addresses in the address lines. Use the street address of the location itself; the formatter flags any line that looks like a box number.

Improperly formatted phone, or no phone and no website

Each location needs a valid local phone number or a website. You can add at most two additional phones.

Invalid website

Write the full URL with http:// or https://, up to 256 characters.

Invalid categories

Use Google's exact category names: one primary and up to nine additional. Some categories exist only in certain countries.

Invalid special hours

Write each date as 2026-12-24: 09:00-13:00, or 2026-12-25: x when closed, separated by commas. Special hours only work when the location has regular hours set.

Daily location upload limit exceeded

Google limits how many new locations one account can add per day. Its error help page points you to a form to ask for more, or you can split the file and import the rest the next day.