How Do You Claim Your Business on Apple Maps?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

Apple Business Connect was the free tool for managing how your business shows on Apple Maps. On April 14, 2026, Apple folded it into a new free platform called Apple Business, and existing Business Connect data moved over automatically. To get on Apple Maps, sign up, verify your organization with two of Apple’s four methods, then add and verify your location and fill in your place card.

What this means

Your place card is what iPhone users see when they look you up in Apple Maps. It shows your name, logo, photos, hours, phone, website, and action buttons. Apple says business information from Apple Business can also show in Safari, Spotlight, Mail, Wallet, and on the Tap to Pay screen.

Apple Business replaced three older Apple tools: Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials, and Apple Business Manager. Apple says the core platform is free. Paid extras include more iCloud storage and AppleCare+.

There are two levels of checking:

Organization verification. Apple wants two of these four: a Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN), a Domain Name System (DNS) record on your website’s domain, an app in App Store Connect, or an uploaded document such as a business license, utility bill, or lease. Apple says review takes up to 5 business days, and you must finish within 60 days or the organization is deleted.
Location verification. Apple says your first location has to be verified and reviewed. For some existing locations, Apple can call the number on record with a 4-digit code.

Say Main Street Bakery has a storefront, an EIN, and a website. The owner verifies with the EIN and a DNS record, then claims the bakery’s existing Apple Maps location and adds hours, photos, and an order link.

Why it matters

iPhone users use Apple Maps. If your place card is wrong, those customers get the wrong hours or phone number.
Apple may change your info without you. Apple says it can edit names, status, or hours after user reports. If you’ve claimed the location, you can accept or dispute the change.
Verification takes planning. If you don’t have an EIN or DNS access ready, you can get stuck partway through.
Ownership matters. A personal Apple account in an employee’s name is hard to recover later.

Who this applies to

Every business with a physical location customers visit should claim its Apple Maps place card.

Service-area businesses should check first. Apple’s location guide asks for an official address and a map pin. The Apple guide pages checked for this page don’t describe a way to hide a home address for a service-area business. If you work from home, don’t publish your home address just to get on Apple Maps (see 14.1.2 Address).

How to do it

Gather what you need: your EIN or D-U-N-S Number, access to your domain’s DNS settings, and a business license, lease, or utility bill (see 10.1.1 Employer Identification Number and 13.1.4 DNS Access).
Decide which account to use. Apple says a personal Apple Account can manage brand and location features, and a managed “Apple Account for Work” gets all features. Pick an account the business controls.
Sign up at Apple Business and enter your organization details.
Verify your organization with two methods. The EIN and a DNS record are often the simplest for small businesses.
Wait for review. Apple says up to 5 business days.
Search for your location. Claim it if it exists. Add it if it doesn’t.
Verify the location. Follow the method Apple offers, such as a phone call with a code.
Fill in your place card: logo, cover photo, about text, photos, hours (including special hours), phone, website, a primary category and up to 19 more, action links, and “Good to Know” details.
Make every fact match your Master Business Record exactly.
Add Apple to your citation list (see 14.4.6 Citation Records) and check it every quarter.

What proof to keep

The account used to manage Apple Business, saved in your password manager
Which two verification methods you used, with dates
A copy of any document you uploaded
A screenshot of your place card in Apple Maps

Keep these with your listing records and access inventory (see 11.7.5 Access Inventory).

Common mistakes

Following old Business Connect guides. Screens and names changed in April 2026.
Starting without DNS access. If your web person controls the domain, ask them first.
Missing the 60-day deadline. Apple deletes organizations that aren’t verified in time.
Using a staff member’s personal Apple account. Use an account the business controls.
Publishing a home address to get on the map. Protect your privacy and follow your zoning rules.
Skipping the logo and cover photo. Apple reviews both. Upload clear, simple images.

When to get help from a pro

Your web developer or hosting company: to add the DNS record Apple asks for. Questions to ask:

Can you add this text record to our domain today?
Who has login access to our DNS settings?

A local listings specialist: if someone else already claimed your location, or verification keeps failing.

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, how the switch from Business Connect to Apple Business went for clients, or which verification methods worked fastest.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty handles local listing setup, including Apple Maps.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: which two verification methods I used for SiteSmarty and how I verified the location]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the verification screen and the SiteSmarty place card in Apple Maps]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

What happened to Apple Business Connect? Apple replaced it with Apple Business on April 14, 2026. Existing Business Connect data moved over automatically.

Is Apple Business free? Apple says the platform is free. Extra iCloud storage and AppleCare+ cost money.

How does Apple verify a business? Apple asks for two of four methods: a D-U-N-S Number or EIN, a DNS record, an App Store Connect app, or an uploaded document. Locations are verified separately.

Can a service-area business without a storefront use Apple Business? Apple’s location setup asks for an official address and a map pin. Check Apple’s current help pages before you start if you don’t want your address shown.

What shows on an Apple Maps place card? Your name, logo, photos, hours, phone, website, categories, action links, and other details you add.

Audit check

Question: Is the business verified in Apple Business under a business-controlled account, with a claimed Apple Maps location whose facts match the Master Business Record?
Pass looks like: Organization verified. Location claimed and verified. Logo, photos, hours, phone, website, and categories filled in and matching other listings. Checked within the last quarter.
Fail looks like: No claimed location. Verification never finished. A personal account in an employee’s name. Old hours or phone number. A home address shown when it shouldn’t be.
Evidence to collect: Screenshot of verification status, the place card in Apple Maps, the account owner record, and the citation list entry.

Where this fits

Do this first: 14.1.1 Business Name, 14.1.2 Address, 14.1.4 Phone, 10.1.1 Employer Identification Number, 13.1.4 DNS Access

Do this next: 14.11.3 Key Directories and Data Sources

Sources

Apple Newsroom, "Introducing Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform for businesses of all sizes" (March 2026) (checked October 16, 2026)
Apple Business User Guide, "Sign up and verify your organization" (checked October 16, 2026)
Apple Business User Guide, "Add a single location in Apple Business" (checked October 16, 2026)
Apple Business User Guide, "Configure location attributes in Apple Business" (checked October 16, 2026)
Apple Business User Guide, "Maintain location information accuracy" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.