Updated October 2026
In short
- Hide your address only if you don't serve customers at it; shops, clinics and other premises customers visit must show it.
- The setting is Show business address to customers, under Edit profile, then Location, then Business location.
- Add up to 20 service areas by town, postcode or district, within about two hours' drive of your base.
- Google keeps the address privately for verification; customers see your service area instead.
Who should hide their address on Google
Start with the correct Google Account and a clear view of which business or location is involved. Platform interfaces can change, so use Google’s current Help instructions for sensitive account, policy or verification decisions.
| Business | Customers visit you? | Address setting |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber, electrician or locksmith working from home | No | Hide it and add service areas |
| Mobile hairdresser, beautician or dog groomer | No | Hide it and add service areas |
| Cleaner, gardener or home tutor | No | Hide it and add service areas |
| Consultant who meets clients at their offices | No | Hide it and add service areas |
| Café, shop, salon, clinic or gym | Yes | Show it |
| Takeaway that also delivers | Yes, and you go to them | Show it and add service areas |
| Therapist or tutor who sees clients at home | Yes | Show it, or see clients elsewhere if you want privacy |
How to hide your address on Google, step by step
Work through the checks in order, documenting significant changes when more than one colleague manages the profile.
On a computer
Open your profile
Search for your business name on Google while signed in, or go to business.google.com.
Select Edit profile
Your business information opens.
Open Location
Find the Business location entry.
Select Edit
It's next to Business location.
Turn off the address
Switch off Show business address to customers. The address stays on file with Google but is no longer shown.
Save
Select Save. The change goes through Google's review before it shows.
In the Google Maps app
Tap Business
Open Google Maps, signed in to the right account, and tap Business at the bottom right.
Open Location
Tap Edit profile, then Location.
Edit Business location
Tap Edit next to Business location.
Switch off the address
Turn off Show business address to customers, then tap Save.
How to add your service areas
Once your address is hidden, your service areas tell customers where you work. If you don't add any, Google says it chooses a local area for you, which may not match where you actually go.
Open Location
Select Edit profile, then Location.
Edit Service area
Select Edit next to Service area.
Type each area
Enter a town, city, postcode or district and choose it from the suggestions.
Save
Select Save when your list is complete.
- You can add up to 20 service areas.
- Areas are named places such as towns, cities, postcodes or regions; Google no longer uses a distance radius.
- Google says your overall area shouldn't extend further than about two hours' drive from where you're based.
- List the places you genuinely cover. Adding a city doesn't guarantee you'll appear in searches there.
For the rest of the profile, such as categories, services and photos, see our optimisation guide.
What customers see after you hide your address
Your profile shows the area you serve instead of a street address, and there's no address to request directions to. Customers can still see your reviews, photos, hours and services, call you, visit your website and use any booking or messaging options you've set up.
Hiding the address doesn't take you off Google. You can still appear in Search and Maps for relevant searches, but distance still matters: Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, so you'll often be more visible near your base than at the far edge of your service area.
When you should not hide your address
- Customers come to you, even by appointment. A salon, clinic, studio or office that receives customers should show its address.
- You want people to get directions. A hidden address means no route to your door.
- You're trying to make an ineligible address acceptable. Hiding a virtual office address doesn't make it eligible; see our virtual office guide.
- You run a hybrid business. If you serve customers at your premises and also travel to them, show the address and add service areas.
How to show your address again
If you open premises that customers visit, reverse the setting. Open Edit profile, then Location, and select Edit next to Business location. Enter the address if it has changed, turn on Show business address to customers and save. Check the map pin, put up permanent signage, and expect Google to ask you to verify again if the address is new. Our guide to changing your business address covers the details.
Privacy tips for home-based businesses
- Keep your home address off your website, footer and structured data if you've hidden it on Google.
- Check your photos: house numbers, street signs or your car's number plate can give your address away.
- If Google asks you to verify by video, a service-area business can show its tools, vehicle and business documents rather than a shopfront.
- A postcard verification goes to the address on file, so keep it accurate even though it's hidden.
- Take the same approach on other directories, so one listing doesn't publish what Google keeps private.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help: Manage your business address; Google Business Profile Help: Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses; Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google.
