Website URL Violations: The Silent Suspension Trigger

Getting suspended for a website URL violation is particularly frustrating because many businesses don't even realize their URL is problematic until Google sends the suspension notice. The website redirects to another domain, or the hosting bill didn't get paid and the site went down, and suddenly your Google Business Profile disappears.

Website URL violations are less common than business name or address issues, but they're harder to diagnose because the problem often isn't obvious. The good news? Once you identify the issue and fix the URL, reinstatement is usually straightforward if you have proper documentation.

Understanding Website URL Requirements

Google has specific requirements for what qualifies as an acceptable website URL on your Business Profile. The fundamental rule: it must be your own domain that directly represents your business, not a redirect, third-party platform, or social media profile.

What Google Considers Valid

Your website URL must:

• Be your own domain (yourbusiness.com, not facebook.com/yourbusiness)
• Resolve directly without redirecting to another domain
• Be accessible (not return 404 errors or DNS failures)
• Represent your actual business operations
• Match the business listed on your profile

What Triggers Violations

The most common website URL violations we encounter:

Domain Redirects - This is the #1 issue we see. Your profile lists yourbusiness.com, but it redirects to yourbusinessnew.com or yourbusiness.otherdomain.com. Even if you own both domains, Google sees this as deceptive or suspicious. Many businesses don't even realize they set up a redirect when they launched a new website.

404 Errors & DNS Failures - Your website stopped resolving. This happens more often than you'd think: the hosting bill didn't get paid, the domain registration expired, or there was a technical issue during a website migration. Your profile still lists the old URL, Google can't access it, and you get suspended.

Social Media URLs - Using facebook.com/yourbusiness or instagram.com/yourbusiness as your website URL. While these represent your business, they're not your domain. Google has separate fields for social profiles - use those instead.

Third-Party Booking Platforms - Listing OpenTable, Calendly, or other booking URLs as your primary website. These belong in the appointment/booking URL fields, not the website field.

Lead Generation Landing Pages - Pages designed solely to capture leads and pass them to other businesses. Google detects these through business type, profile configuration, lack of documentation, and obvious language on the page (terms like "affiliate network" or "lead generation network").

URL Shorteners - Using bit.ly, tinyurl.com, or similar shortened links. Google requires the full, direct URL to your website.

How Google Detects Website URL Issues

Google's systems continuously monitor the URLs listed on Business Profiles:

Automated Crawling - Google regularly visits the website URL on your profile. If it encounters redirects, 404 errors, or DNS failures, it flags the profile for review.

Redirect Detection - Google can detect when a URL redirects to another domain, even if both domains belong to you. The system sees yourbusiness.com → differentdomain.com as suspicious.

Domain Ownership Patterns - Google analyzes whether the domain matches business documentation and whether multiple unrelated businesses use the same domain.

Content Analysis - For suspected lead generation pages, Google examines the page content, business category, and whether the business has proper documentation.

User Reports - Competitors or users can report suspicious website URLs, triggering manual review.

Common Scenarios That Cause Suspensions

Website Migration Gone Wrong

You launched a new website with a new domain. The old domain (still listed on your GBP) now redirects to the new one. You didn't think to update your Business Profile because "it still works when people click it." Google sees the redirect and suspends the profile.

What to do: Update your website URL to the new domain before redirecting the old one. If you've already set up the redirect, update the profile and file for reinstatement.

Expired Domain or Unpaid Hosting

Your domain registration expired, or your hosting bill didn't get renewed. The website no longer resolves. Your Business Profile still lists the URL. Google tries to crawl it, gets an error, and suspends the profile.

What to do: Restore your website, ensure it's accessible, then file for reinstatement showing the site is now live.

Social Media as Website

You use Facebook as your primary online presence and listed your Facebook page URL as your website. Google suspends the profile because facebook.com isn't your domain.

What to do: Either create an actual website on your own domain, or remove the website URL entirely and add your social profiles in the designated social links section of your profile.

Third-Party Booking Platform Listed as Website

You're a restaurant and listed your OpenTable reservation page as your website URL. Or you're a service business using a Calendly link. While these are legitimate business tools, they belong in the appointment/booking URL fields.

What to do: If you have your own website, use that. If you don't, remove the booking platform from the website field and add it to the appointment URL section instead.

Documentation Needed for Reinstatement

Website URL violation reinstatements follow the same documentation requirements as other suspension types. You don't need special proof about your website - just the standard business verification documents:

Required Documents:

• LLC or DBA filing showing your legal business name
• Utility bill with business name and address matching exactly what's on your profile
• Business license (if applicable to your industry)
• Insurance documents (if relevant)

Website-Specific Requirements:

• Ensure your website URL is your own domain
• Verify the site is accessible and doesn't redirect
• Confirm the domain resolves properly (no 404s or DNS errors)
• Make sure the website content represents your actual business operations

The business name and address on your documentation must match your profile exactly. If your website shows a different business name or address than your GBP, that can complicate reinstatement.

Prevention Best Practices

Use Your Own Domain

Never use third-party platforms as your website URL:

• ❌ facebook.com/yourbusiness
• ❌ instagram.com/yourbusiness
• ❌ opentable.com/yourbusiness
• ✅ yourbusiness.com

Monitor Website Accessibility

Set up monitoring to alert you if your website goes down:

• Use uptime monitoring services (UptimeRobot, Pingdom, etc.)
• Set calendar reminders for domain and hosting renewals
• Test your website URL regularly to ensure it loads properly

Update Profile Before Website Changes

When launching a new website or changing domains:

1. Update your Business Profile with the new URL first
2. Keep the old domain accessible during the transition
3. Only redirect or shut down the old site after the profile is updated

Use Correct URL Fields

Google provides specific fields for different types of URLs:

• Website URL: Your primary business website (your own domain)
• Appointment URL: Booking platforms (OpenTable, Calendly, etc.)
• Menu URL: Menu platforms for restaurants
• Social Links: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Use the appropriate field for each URL type. Don't try to force booking platforms or social profiles into the website field.

Regular Profile Audits

Check your Business Profile monthly:

• Click your website URL to ensure it still works
• Verify it doesn't redirect to a different domain
• Confirm the site content accurately represents your business
• Ensure all URLs use the correct fields

What to Do If You're Suspended

Step 1: Identify the Issue

Check your website URL:

• Does it load properly or return an error?
• Does it redirect to another domain?
• Is it a third-party platform instead of your own domain?
• Is it a shortened URL (bit.ly, etc.)?

Step 2: Fix the URL

Depending on the issue:

• If redirecting: Update to the correct final destination domain
• If 404ing: Restore the website or change to a working URL
• If third-party: Switch to your own domain or remove the URL
• If wrong field: Move URLs to appropriate fields (booking, menu, social)

Step 3: Prepare Documentation

Gather your standard reinstatement documents:

• LLC/DBA filing with legal business name
• Utility bill with matching name and address
• Business license (if applicable)
• Insurance (if relevant)

Ensure the business name and address on these documents match your profile exactly.

Step 4: File for Reinstatement

Submit your reinstatement request through Google Business Profile support:

• Explain the issue was with your website URL
• Describe what was wrong (redirect, 404, etc.)
• Confirm you've fixed the issue
• Provide your standard business documentation

Website URL violations typically have high reinstatement success rates if you have correct documentation and you've genuinely fixed the URL issue.

Technical Considerations

Domain Configuration

Ensure your domain is properly configured:

• DNS resolves correctly to your hosting server
• No redirect chains (yourdomain.com → www.yourdomain.com → finaldomain.com)
• SSL certificate is valid (https:// works properly)
• No parking pages or "coming soon" placeholders

www vs non-www

Choose one version (www.yourbusiness.com or yourbusiness.com) and use it consistently:

• List the same version on your Business Profile
• Set up proper redirects so both versions work
• But ensure the profile lists the primary version that doesn't redirect

Subdomain Considerations

Subdomains (location.yourbusiness.com) are generally acceptable if:

• They represent a legitimate location or division of your business
• The content is specific to the location on the profile
• You have documentation supporting that location

Industry-Specific Guidance

Restaurants & Food Service

Use your own domain for the website field. Put menu platforms (Toast, ChowNow) in the menu URL field and reservation platforms (OpenTable, Resy) in the appointment URL field.

Service Businesses

If you only have social media presence and no website, leave the website field blank. Add social profiles to the social links section instead. Don't try to list Facebook as your website.

E-commerce Businesses

If you sell through marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon), those shouldn't be your website URL. Use your own domain if you have one, or leave it blank if you only sell through third-party platforms.

Professional Services

Your website must be your own domain representing your practice, not a directory listing (Avvo, Yelp, Healthgrades). Those can be listed as additional URLs in other sections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com subdomain? Yes, as long as it's your dedicated subdomain (yourbusiness.wixsite.com). These are acceptable because they're your own presence on the platform. However, using your own custom domain is always preferable.

What if I don't have a website? Leave the website field blank. It's better to have no website URL than to list something that violates Google's policies. Use the social links section for your social media profiles.

Can I use bit.ly or other URL shorteners? No. Always use the full, direct URL to your website.

What about single-page landing pages? These are acceptable as long as they represent your actual business operations and aren't lead generation pages designed to pass customers to other businesses.

My website temporarily went down. Will I get suspended? Possibly. If Google crawls your profile while your site is down and can't access it, you may face suspension. This is why monitoring and quick response to downtime is important.

The Path Forward

Website URL violations are often unintentional - businesses don't realize their redirect is problematic or that their hosting expired. The key is regular monitoring and using the correct URL fields for different purposes.

Once you've fixed the URL issue and gathered your standard business documentation, reinstatement is typically straightforward. Google wants to show legitimate businesses to users; they just need to verify you're operating properly with a valid website.

If you've addressed the website URL issue but are still facing challenges with reinstatement, professional help can guide you through the documentation and appeal process.