What GBP Messaging Is

GBP messaging is a direct communication channel between your business and customers, accessible through your Google listing in Search and Maps. When messaging is enabled, a "Message" or "Chat" button appears prominently on your listing. Customers who click it can send you a text message without leaving Google.

You receive and respond to messages through the GBP dashboard at business.google.com, through the Google Maps app on mobile, or via email notifications if you configure them. Messages include basic formatting and photo sharing. Conversations are private — other users cannot see message exchanges, unlike reviews or Q&A.

GBP messaging is separate from other messaging platforms. It is not WhatsApp, it is not SMS, and it is not connected to any third-party chat systems unless you explicitly configure an integration through a third-party local CRM or communications platform. Messages are stored on Google's platform and are visible only to the business owner and Google.

Should You Enable GBP Messaging?

Messaging is a valuable feature for businesses that can commit to monitoring and responding to messages reliably. The key requirement is a response time within 24 hours — Google will disable messaging automatically if your average response time consistently exceeds this threshold. For businesses that check their GBP inbox daily, this requirement is manageable. For businesses that are unlikely to monitor a new communication channel consistently, messaging can be more of a risk than a benefit.

The types of businesses that benefit most from GBP messaging are those where customers have simple preliminary questions before committing to a visit or a call — restaurants (do you have a vegetarian menu?), salons (can I book an appointment for Saturday?), service businesses (do you cover my postcode?), and retail shops (do you stock X brand?). These short-answer enquiries are well-suited to a messaging format and can convert a browsing user into a confirmed visitor more efficiently than a phone call.

Businesses where enquiries require detailed consultation before any meaningful response can be given — complex legal matters, custom manufacturing, medical diagnosis — may find that messaging creates more frustration than value if customers expect detailed answers that cannot reasonably be given by message. These businesses can still use messaging to receive initial contact and redirect to phone or in-person consultation.

How to Enable GBP Messaging

Enabling messaging takes under two minutes. Open your GBP dashboard at business.google.com and sign in. In the left navigation panel, click "Messages." If messaging is not yet enabled, you will see a prompt to turn it on. Click the enable toggle or button. A "Message" button will begin appearing on your listing in Google Search and Maps within a few hours.

On mobile, the process is similar. Open the Google Maps app and tap your profile icon to access your business profile. Navigate to Customers, then Messages, and enable the feature from there. You can manage messages through the app going forward, which is convenient for businesses where the owner is frequently away from a desktop.

After enabling, configure your messaging settings. The most important setting to configure immediately is your automated welcome message.

Writing an Effective Welcome Message

The welcome message is automatically sent to every customer who initiates a GBP message conversation. It is the first thing they see after clicking the Message button, and it sets the tone for the exchange. A well-written welcome message acknowledges the contact, sets realistic response time expectations, and may preemptively answer common initial questions.

The default welcome message is generic ("Thanks for messaging us! We'll get back to you soon."). While functional, it misses the opportunity to be more helpful. Consider customising it with information that is useful to most customers before they need to wait for a human response.

An effective welcome message for a restaurant might read: "Thank you for your message. We will respond within a few hours during business hours (10 AM–10 PM daily). For urgent booking requests, please call us at [number] or visit our reservation page." An effective message for a home service business might read: "Thanks for reaching out to [Business Name]. We will reply within 2–3 hours on weekdays. For same-day emergencies, please call us directly. We serve [area] for all plumbing and drainage needs."

Keep the welcome message under 250 characters to ensure it renders fully on mobile screens without truncation. Avoid promotional language in the welcome message — it can feel intrusive as a first automated response. Focus on being helpful and setting honest expectations.

Managing Message Conversations

Once messaging is active, you will receive email notifications for new messages and can respond through the GBP dashboard or the Google Maps app. The desktop dashboard provides a clean inbox view with conversation history. The mobile app is more convenient for quick responses while away from a desk.

Respond to each message with a clear, helpful reply. Avoid overly formal language — messaging is a conversational format and customers expect a more natural, direct tone than an email. Answer the customer's specific question first, then provide any additional relevant information. If the enquiry requires more detail than a message exchange can accommodate, acknowledge their question and invite them to call or visit: "Great question — that depends on a few factors. If you can give us a call at [number], we can walk you through the options in a few minutes."

Mark conversations as read promptly, even if you have already responded. Google tracks read and response rates. Unread messages count negatively against your response metrics even if you have responded to them — always mark conversations as read after responding.

For businesses that receive a high volume of GBP messages, consider designating a specific team member to manage the inbox daily and establishing a standard set of response templates for common questions. Template responses should be personalised before sending — a copy-pasted template that clearly does not address the customer's specific message is worse than a brief but personal reply.

Using Photo Sharing in Messages

Both businesses and customers can share photos in GBP message conversations. This feature is particularly valuable for service businesses that need to assess a situation before quoting or dispatching.

For home service businesses — plumbers, electricians, pest control companies — a customer photo of the problem can allow you to give a preliminary quote by message, confirm whether the job is within your scope, or prepare the right tools and materials before the visit. This reduces wasted callouts and improves first-visit completion rates.

Businesses can send photos to customers in response to enquiries. A retailer can send a photo of a product a customer asked about. A restaurant can send a photo of a private dining room a customer is considering for a booking. A salon can send photos of colour or style options. These visual responses improve the quality of the exchange and increase conversion rates compared to text-only replies.

Read Receipts and Message Transparency

GBP messaging includes read receipts — customers can see when you have read their message. This creates a mild accountability pressure: if you have read a message without responding, the customer knows. This is one more reason why response time management is important. A customer who sees their message read but receives no reply within several hours is more likely to leave a negative experience than one who receives an automatic acknowledgement and a realistic time expectation.

Google does not currently provide a way to disable read receipts. Accept this as part of the format and use it as a motivation to respond promptly rather than reading messages without planning to respond soon.

When to Turn Messaging Off

There are legitimate circumstances where turning off GBP messaging is the right decision. If your business is temporarily closed for a period — seasonal closure, renovation, staff absence — turn messaging off proactively rather than allowing unanswered messages to accumulate. Update your listing's special hours to reflect the closure at the same time.

If you are consistently unable to respond within 24 hours due to the nature of your operations — a sole trader who is on-site all day without access to a phone or computer — it is better to keep messaging disabled and direct customers to phone or website contact rather than offering messaging you cannot reliably fulfil. An unanswered message is a negative customer experience; a clearly signposted alternative channel is a positive one.

If your messaging inbox is receiving a high volume of spam or irrelevant messages, report and block those senders through the dashboard. Google provides spam reporting tools for GBP messaging. If spam volume is overwhelming, consider whether the benefits of messaging outweigh the management burden, and evaluate third-party tools that include spam filtering for GBP messages.

Frequently Asked Questions