Are all locations allowed to create posts?

Yes, small businesses and large chains are allowed to create posts. Google used to limit the brands and businesses with 10 or more locations to post through the API. As of July 2021, Google has rolled-out an update on this limitation.

You can find official communication from Google here.

Which categories are restricted for posting?

Some locations might not be able to use Google Posts most likely because their industry is regulated. This limitation is dependant on the primary category of the business.

The following are examples of Google Business Profile categories that do not have the ability to do Google Posts:

• "gcid:adult_entertainment_club", 
• "gcid:adult_entertainment_store",
• "gcid:gun_shop",
• "gcid:holiday_home",
• "gcid:holiday_park",
• "gcid:hotel",
• "gcid:non_smoking_holiday_home",
• "gcid:liquor_store",
• "gcid:tobacco_shop",
• "gcid:vaporizer_store",
• "gcid:wine_bar",
• "gcid:wine_store"

My post was rejected, why?

There are other categories which have limited posting capabilities. These categories might not allow all types of Posts:

• "gcid:drug_store"
• "gcid:pharmacy"  and similar 'healthcare' related categories
• "gcid:casino"

The reasons for rejected Google My Business posts include the following:

• Phone number in body of post
• URL link in body of post
• Spam, false claims, or false representation
• Off-topic post that doesn’t pertain to the business
• Duplicate content
• Inappropriate content
• Offensive language

You can read Google's Business Profile posts content policy. Read more information here on prohibited & restricted content

What are the posting times and posting time zones?

Users ensure post gets published and unpublished at exact times for timely specific content. When scheduling a post, and setting a time, in the Post body the user will see the post as scheduled in their local timezone. 

When publishing the post, we will get the timezone that is the most common among ALL of the locations that the user manages.

For example:

A User wants to publish an offer that starts at 13:20. The Location for which the User is publishing is located in a +7hrs timezone. When the User schedules the post, they will see the post is scheduled for 6:20 User's time, however this is automatically translated to 13:20 Location's time.

The Dashboard doesn't show any views or clicks for my Google post, why?

Google no longer provides views or clicks data on Google posts since its 2023 release of the Google Performance API. (For more information about Google's Performance API, see this article.)

Businesses can continue to add tracking parameters to the CTA on the post. While this won't report on total views, you'll be able to see engagement from each post on Google to help inform your content strategy.