Google Business Profile Updates 2026: What Changed and What Businesses Should Fix
A business keeps posting to its Google Business Profile the same way it has for years, and support tickets pile up asking why customer questions posted through the old Q&A feature never seem to appear anymore — because the feature was quietly discontinued and the business never noticed, still directing customers toward a tool that no longer functions the way they expect.
The Q&A Feature Is Gone
Google discontinued the GBP Q&A feature in late 2025, meaning it's no longer active in 2026 — a change some businesses haven't fully registered yet, particularly if they set up automated responses or staff processes around answering it in the past. Any internal documentation, staff training, or customer-facing instructions still referencing GBP Q&A need updating, and businesses should redirect the kinds of pre-purchase questions that used to go there toward FAQ content on their website or direct messaging instead.
AI Is Increasingly Involved in Customer-Business Interaction
Google has been rolling out AI capabilities that can contact local businesses on a customer's behalf — asking about pricing, availability, wait times, appointments, or inventory without the customer needing to call directly. For a business, this means the accuracy of information already on the profile (hours, services, current pricing where listed) matters even more, since an AI system fielding this inquiry on the customer's behalf may rely heavily on what's already documented in the profile rather than a live human conversation.
AI-Suggested Review Replies Are Being Tested
Google is testing AI-generated suggested responses to customer reviews directly within the Business Profile management interface — a feature aimed at helping businesses respond to reviews more consistently and quickly. Businesses should treat any AI-suggested reply as a starting draft requiring genuine review before posting, not an auto-reply to accept unchanged, since a generic or inaccurate reply to a review can do more reputation damage than no reply at all.
Profile Freshness Still Matters, Without a Precise Published Rule
Google hasn't published an exact, formal rule about how frequently a profile needs updating to maintain strong local visibility, but consistent owner activity — regular photo uploads, timely updates, and prompt review responses — continues to function as a practical signal of an actively managed, trustworthy business. Businesses treating their profile as a "set once and forget" listing put themselves at a disadvantage against competitors actively maintaining theirs, even without a documented specific threshold to point to.
What to Actually Check and Fix Now
A practical audit should confirm the business isn't still directing customers toward the discontinued Q&A feature anywhere (website, printed materials, staff scripts), verify all profile information an AI-driven inquiry might rely on is current and accurate, and establish a routine (even monthly) for posting fresh photos and updates rather than leaving the profile static between major changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GBP Q&A feature coming back?
There's no public indication of that — it was discontinued in late 2025 and businesses should treat it as permanently gone rather than planning around its return.
Should businesses accept AI-suggested review replies as-is?
No — they should be reviewed and personalized before posting, since an inaccurate or generic AI-suggested reply can do more reputational harm than a thoughtful human response or no reply at all.
Keeping a Profile Current as Google Changes It
Google Business Profile continues evolving with AI-driven features on both the customer and business side, which makes accurate, current profile information more consequential, not less. OM Enterprises audits and maintains Google Business Profiles for Indian businesses, keeping pace with platform changes like these as they roll out.