An Apple Maps business listing controls what iPhone users see when they look you up in Maps, Safari and Spotlight. Since April 2026, you claim and manage it in Apple Business, a free platform that replaced Apple Business Connect.
This guide answers the questions owners ask most. It covers how to claim your listing, what a complete place card includes and whether Apple Maps ads are worth paying for.
The audience is bigger than many owners assume. Apple reports more than a billion searches for businesses each month in Apple Maps across the US and Canada. About half of those searches end in an action, such as getting directions, sharing a place or visiting a website.
Many small businesses polish their Google Business Profile and skip Apple Business. Without a claimed listing, you can't control the details Apple shows. Outdated hours or an old phone number can then sit on every iPhone in town.
Apple rebuilt its business tools this year. Apple Business launched on April 14, 2026, as a free service that replaces Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Manager. Locations and place cards claimed in Business Connect moved over automatically.
Your listing reaches further than the Maps app. Apple shows your place card, with photos, hours and details, in Maps, Safari and Spotlight search. Your brand name and logo can also appear in Mail, in Wallet order tracking and on the Tap to Pay on iPhone screen.
Apple's data is separate from Google's. Your Google Business Profile feeds Google Search, Google Maps and Google AI Mode, while your Apple place card feeds Apple's own apps. AI answers in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode blend many sources, which our guide to getting recommended by AI search explains.
That is why consistency matters. When your name, address, phone and hours match everywhere, each listing looks more trustworthy to customers and to ranking systems.
If Google is the bigger problem today, start with our fixes for a business not showing up on Google Maps.
Start at business.apple.com and sign in. The first time, you sign up and verify your organization, which Apple says can take up to five business days. You have 60 days to finish verification, so start it right away.
Make sure your email filters allow mail from all apple.com domains, or you could miss the verification messages.
Next, open Brands, then Locations, and select Add. As Apple's location guide explains, you can claim a place that already exists in Maps or add a new one. Search for your business first, because Apple may already have a listing built from other data sources.
Check the map pin carefully. Apple suggests switching to Hybrid or Satellite view so the pin sits on your actual building and entrance. A pin on the wrong side of a shopping center sends customers to the wrong door.
Fill in the core details next: display name, primary category, phone number and hours. You can add a website or, if you don't have one, a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok page. Use the same name and phone number that appear on your Google Business Profile and your own site.
Existing Maps locations are usually verified by phone. Apple calls the number it has on record for that location, and you enter the four-digit code it gives you. If that number is old or belongs to someone else, contact Apple Business support instead of guessing.
Sometimes you'll see the message "This location is already managed." That means another account, often a former agency or previous owner, has claimed it.
You can still add it and request a transfer by providing a business license or utility bill. Apple says that review can take up to five business days.
A claimed listing is only the start, because the place card is what customers see. A thin card, without photos, current hours or a clear action, gives searchers little reason to tap. Use the checklist below to judge yours.
Apple Maps place card checklist
What a complete Apple Maps business listing includes
Source: Apple Business User Guide.
Photos are the easiest upgrade. Apple reviews every photo against its photo and text standards, so use bright, real images of your storefront, interior and products. Stock photos, filters and images with added text are not allowed.
Showcases are easy to overlook. A showcase is a module on your place card that promotes a deal, a new product or an event, with an optional button. It runs for 90 days by default and can run for up to 365 days.
Plan showcases ahead, because Apple's review can take up to three calendar days. Line them up with your seasonal promotions, and our holiday email marketing calendar gives you the key dates. Editing a showcase while it's under review can delay approval.
Check your results once a month. Location insights show how many people found you in search, viewed your place card and tapped for directions, a call or your website. Apple shows low numbers as zero to protect privacy, so a quiet month may read as empty.
Add UTM tags to the website link on your place card. Visits from apps often arrive without a referrer, so GA4 can file them as direct traffic.
Our guide to high direct traffic in GA4 explains why. A consistent tag, built with our UTM naming conventions, keeps Apple Maps visits visible.
Apple Maps ads are now live in the US and Canada, and you buy them inside Apple Business. Ads appear at the top of Suggested Places before someone searches, and in search results after they search. Eligible new advertisers get a $150 credit, subject to Apple's terms.
The pricing is familiar. Apple's ad placement guide lists cost-per-tap pricing for both placements, and you set your own budget. You can start or stop campaigns at any time.
You must claim your location first, which is one more reason to finish your place card before you spend.
Apple also says targeting stays private. According to its announcement, personal data stays on the user's device and ad interactions are not linked to the user's Apple Account.
Not every business can advertise. Apple's Maps advertising policy, effective July 14, 2026, bans ads that promote home services, such as plumbing, HVAC, roofing and locksmiths. Ads for medical services are reviewed case by case.
The diagram below shows where common small-business types stand.
Home service businesses still benefit from a complete free listing. For paid local leads, they should look at Google instead, and our comparison of Local Services Ads vs. Google Search Ads covers the options.
For storefront businesses, Apple Maps ads are worth a small, time-boxed test. Restaurants, shops, salons, gyms and other places people visit in person are the natural fit. Run the test for a month, then compare direction taps and calls in your insights against what you spent.
Judge the cost against your other channels. WordStream by LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks put the average Google search click at $5.42, so you have a baseline to beat. Before scaling either channel, read our list of Google Ads mistakes small businesses make.
Your next step is quick. Open business.apple.com, search for your business and check whether the listing is claimed. If it isn't, claim it today, then add photos and hours before you think about ads.
Yes. Apple Business is free, and claiming your listing, editing your place card, adding showcases and viewing insights cost nothing. You only pay if you choose to run Apple Maps ads.
Apple replaced it with Apple Business on April 14, 2026. Locations and place cards you claimed in Business Connect moved to Apple Business automatically.
Existing Maps locations are usually verified by phone. Apple calls the number it has on record for the location, and you enter the four-digit code it gives you.
No. Apple's Maps advertising policy bans ads that promote home services such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing and locksmiths. These businesses can still claim and complete a free listing.
You set your own budget and pay per tap, and you can start or stop a campaign at any time. Eligible new advertisers in the US and Canada get a $150 credit, subject to Apple's terms.
