How Does Yelp Phone Authentication Work?

i BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images

If you're a business owner who wants to add or claim a business listing on Yelp, you must first go through the phone verification process. Phone authentication helps protect businesses by verifying the actual owner of the business before a listing can be claimed. This important step prevents unauthorized individuals from claiming a business listing that's not theirs. Phone verification is completed in a few steps once you start the claim process. You must have access to the phone number listed on the business' profile.

Claim or Add a Business Listing

Once you've put in a request to claim a business you own on Yelp, you must go through phone authentication to complete the process. Yelp will automatically call the phone number listed on the business profile and give you a PIN code to enter on the Yelp website. If you use a personal phone number on the business listing, it will be available for the public to see. Enter the PIN that Yelp's automatic system provides to claim the business listing. Yelp gives you access to business management features once phone authentication is complete.