# Google Business Profile Q&A in 2026: What the Yes/No Test Reveals and How to Prepare Your Listing for Ask Maps URL: https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/google-business-profile-qa-in-2026-what-the-yes-no-test-reveals-and-how-to-prepare-your-listing-for-ask-maps/ Date: 2026-10-02 Last modified: 2026-10-02 Author: Nicolas Laustriat --- > Q&A sections are returning to Google Business Profile—your Google business listing—in a test phase and in a reverse format. Since August 19, 2026, some listing managers have been receiving closed-ended questions from Google about their business. They can answer yes or no, or skip the question. Reading time: 10 minutes ### Summarise this article with your favourite AI: **ClaudeChatGPTGeminiMistralCopilotPublished on October 2, 2026 · Last updated: October 2, 2026 · By Nicolas Laustriat · Monitoring article, updated as the test evolves Q&A is returning to [Google Business Profile](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/glossary/google-business-profile/)—your Google business listing—in a beta test and in a reverse format.** Since August 19, 2026, some business listing managers have seen Google ask them closed-ended questions about their business. They respond with “yes,” “no,” or skip the question. This test complements four other channels through which Google collects facts about your business. These facts inform its responses, including those from Ask Maps, the Google Maps assistant powered by Gemini. Below, you’ll find these five channels and a simple method for managing them: the truth sheet. **Status as of October 2, 2026:** Test observed among some account managers; no official list of countries. No announcement from Google. No confirmation for France. ## The New Q&A at a Glance: Google asks the questions, you answer The new feature flips the script: Google drafts the questions, and the listing manager answers with a single click. On August 19, 2026, Syed Amir, an active contributor to the Local Search Forum, posted screenshots on X of a Q&A button in the dashboard. Barry Schwartz shared the news that same day on Search Engine Roundtable. The questions, tailored to each business, call for a yes or no answer. On September 29, a post by Jaki Osman shared by StartupTalky described the same interface, titled “Answer questions.” It features three buttons: “Yes,” “No,” and “Skip.” According to this report, the manager cannot add his own questions. The Auspia website also notes that it is possible to delete certain answers that have already been provided. Example: A neighborhood restaurant receives the question, “Do you accept reservations?” All it takes is a click on “Yes.” With the old module, a user would ask the question, and then the owner or another customer would write a free-form response—which was sometimes vague. ## Why did Google remove the Q&A section? Google removed the old module to redesign it, according to its own documentation. On September 15, 2025, it announced the end of the Q&A API, the technical channel that allowed software to manage questions and answers. The stated reason: an update to the functionality and user experience. The API shut down on November 3, 2025. In mid-December 2025, the “Ask a Question” button will disappear from the listings. Search Engine Roundtable reports on the explanation provided by Dan Boguslavsky, a product specialist at Google. An AI “Ask” button will take its place to query Maps about a location. Business owners, meanwhile, will answer aggregated questions based on customer inquiries, rather than dozens of individual questions. Previously published Q&As can still be edited in the dashboard and continue to contribute to Google’s understanding. The August 2026 test may offer an initial version of these aggregated questions: a small number of generic, closed-ended questions. Google has not made this connection itself. One difference remains. The December 15, 2025, announcement referred to questions from customers, and there is still no indication of where the questions in the test came from. Timeline verified on October 2, 2026. Date Event Source Sept. 15, 2025 Google Announces the End of the Q&A API and a Redesign of the Feature Google for Developers Nov. 3, 2025 Permanent Discontinuation of the Q&A API Google for Developers Dec. 12, 2025 Syed Amir reports that the “Ask a Question” button is missing Local Search Forum Dec. 15, 2025 Google Announces an “Ask” AI Button and Aggregated Questions for Fund Managers Search Engine Roundtable March 12, 2026 Launch of Ask Maps in the United States and India Google Blog August 6, 2026 Ask Maps is now available in English in more than 150 countries and territories Google Blog August 19, 2026 First Screenshots of the New Yes/No Module Search Engine Roundtable Sept. 14, 2026 Launch of the “Collected Info” tab in the dashboard Search Engine Land Sept. 24, 2026 Q&A button returns after being reported in the UK and North America Map Observer Sept. 29, 2026 “Answer Questions” Interface Described Using “Yes,” “No,” and “Skip” StartupTalky ## Ask Maps: Gemini provides the answer instead of the location ## listing Ask Maps lets you ask Google Maps a question in everyday language: Gemini crafts the answer based on location data. Google is launching the service on March 12, 2026, in the United States and India. The engine draws on data from more than 300 million places and contributions from more than 500 million people. On August 6, 2026, Ask Maps will launch in six countries in the local language: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, and Mexico. It is also available in English in more than 150 countries and territories. Features that perform actions on the user’s behalf, such as ordering food, remain available only in the United States. Not all businesses benefit from Ask Maps. According to BrightLocal, which cites observations by Mike Blumenthal, the assistant does not appear for certain categories: healthcare, mental health counseling, locksmiths, and moving companies. Google has not confirmed this. Imagine a tourist asking, “A quiet restaurant with a heated patio, open after 10 p.m., near the train station.” Ask Maps responds with two or three suggestions, each with a rationale. To recommend your establishment, Gemini needs reliable facts: patio, heating, and hours. Want to know how your listing stacks up against generative search engines? Read our article [on the visibility of listings in AI-generated results](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/is-your-google-business-profile-visible-in-ia-responses/). ## What is the status of the test as of October 2, 2026? The new module remains a partial test: Google hasn’t announced it and hasn’t published any countries, categories, or timeline. Auspia notes that the target rollout (regions, categories, account types) remains unclear. Map Observer reported on September 24th that the button had returned to the UK and North America, with an uneven rollout. Map Observer’s description differs from others. It mentions access to customer questions and manager FAQs, without mentioning Google’s closed-ended questions. Perhaps two versions are coexisting. Current state of knowledge as of October 2, 2026. What We Know What we don’t know The Q&A API was shut down on November 3, 2025 Whether the test will become a permanent feature On December 15, 2025, Google announced aggregated questions for portfolio managers Countries, categories, and account types affected A Q&A button has appeared in some dashboards since August 19, 2026 If the manager can add their own questions (conflicting accounts) The “Collected Info” tab has been available since September 14, 2026, in certain regions If the responses are used to power Ask Maps Ask Maps is available in English in more than 150 countries and territories If and when France receives the new module In France, Google does not publish a list of the countries covered by Ask Maps. According to E-commerce Nation (August 13, 2026), France is not among the six markets with local-language support. The user experience there remains in English, without ordering features. ### Why online guides contradict each other The guides contradict each other because Google has changed its approach three times in one year: removal, AI assistant, then yes/no test. BrightLocal updated its guide on April 1, 2026, with a clear title: goodbye Q&A, hello Ask Maps. This guide still limits Ask Maps to the United States and India, information that became outdated on August 6, 2026. A French guide updated on May 13, 2026, still explains how to click on “Ask a question.” The lesson for a business owner comes down to one simple habit: Before following a tutorial on the Google listing, check its last update date. ## The Real Issue: Google Collects Your Information Through Five Channels The yes/no module is just one of the five channels through which Google collects your information: attributes, reviews, questions to contributors, automated calls, and this new test. Google cross-references these sources before displaying information. The five channels through which Google collects information about a business. Channel Who answers Illustrative example Source Record Attributes The manager, sometimes supplemented by visitors Wheelchair-accessible entrance Business Profile Help Customer Reviews Your customers “Heated patio, fast service” Google Blog, SER Questions for Contributors Customers who have enabled Timeline Covered patio Google Maps Help Automated calls and messages The person who answers the call or replies via text message or WhatsApp Saturday service Business Profile Help, SEL Yes/No Module (Test) The manager Reservations Accepted SER Customer reviews are among these sources. As early as December 2025, Google explained that the “Ask” button provided answers based on the business owner’s responses and relevant reviews. A review that mentions a “heated patio” serves as evidence—or as a rebuttal. According to the Google Maps Help Center, questions for contributors focus on the information about which Google is least certain. The answers are combined with those from property owners and other sources. Automated calls are nothing new. In April 2022, Google announced that it was using its Duplex technology to call businesses and ask about their hours in nine countries, including France. Its Google Business Profile help center also mentions reservations and service availability. The new feature was introduced on September 14, 2026. The “Collected Info” tab shows business owners what the automated assistant has gathered. It also allows them to delete outdated details. We’ve covered this tab in detail in our article [on the information collected by Google](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/information-collected-by-google-why-you-need-to-take-control-of-your-digital-360/). Why the yes/no format? For an AI, a brochure-style sentence remains vague. “We do everything we can to accommodate people with limited mobility” doesn’t say whether the entrance has a ramp. A “yes” answer to the question “Is the entrance wheelchair-accessible?” is stored in a database and compared with other sources. Barry Schwartz himself wonders whether these answers are used by Ask Maps. Google hasn’t confirmed this: treat it as a hypothesis, consistent with other sources. The binary format has its limitations. “Delivery: Yes, Saturdays only” doesn’t fit into a single click. When the reality is “yes, but,” skip the question and describe the conditions on your listing and your website. An unqualified “yes” could lead to an unpleasant surprise for your customers. A plumber in Versailles illustrates another risk: inconsistency. His website says he’s available on Saturdays, but his business listing makes no mention of it, and his apprentice says no when Google Assistant calls. Google receives three conflicting signals. Faced with this uncertainty, Ask Maps may recommend the neighboring plumber, whose information is consistent. ## What to Do Right Now: Seven Steps for a Very Small Business Start with a one-page fact sheet, then align each channel with it. You won’t need any paid software to do this. **In practice** - **Write your “facts sheet.”** List about fifteen verifiable facts, following the format of the table below (four examples to fill in). - **Open the dashboard every week.** Look for the Q&A button. Note the date it appears, one fact sheet at a time if you manage multiple facilities. - **Respond as you would to an official statement.** A “yes” given out of habit invalidates your fact sheet. A false response regarding a service may even constitute a deceptive business practice (Article L121-2 of the Consumer Code). If in doubt, select “Skip” and check with your team. - **Brief the person who answers the phone.** Post the fact sheet near the phone: your spouse or apprentice should give the same answers as you. Also teach them how to recognize a genuine call from Google (see the FAQ). - **Optimize your website.** Publish an FAQ page that includes the same facts, using the same wording. Add LocalBusiness structured data—invisible code that describes your business to search engines: our [LocalBusiness schema generator](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/tools/json-ld-local-business-schema-generator/) produces the code you can copy and paste. - **Check the “Collected Info” tab and your latest reviews every month.** Remove outdated details. When a review contradicts a fact, respond by correcting the information. - **Try Ask Maps.** If the option appears in your Google Maps app (in English in France, according to E-commerce Nation), ask it what it knows about your business. Compare the facts it provides to your fact sheet. Truth sheet template, to be filled out with up to about 15 lines. Fact Your response Where it is published Verified on Saturday Services Yes, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Contact form, website, voicemail Oct. 2, 2026 Delivery Yes, 5 km, Tuesday through Saturday Listing, website Oct. 2, 2026 Wheelchair-accessible entrance Yes, removable ramp available upon request Accessibility profile, website, public accessibility registry Oct. 2, 2026 Reservations No, walk-ins welcome Fact sheet, website Oct. 2, 2026 For a facility open to the public, the accessibility statement must be consistent with your public accessibility registry. This registry is established under Decree No. 2017-431 of March 28, 2017. ## My Expert Opinion I view this assessment as a shift in the intended audience: your answers are directed at the system that will advise your future clients. My straightforward advice: treat every “yes” as a signature, and every review as a testament to your facts. The mistake to avoid is entrusting these responses to a service provider who isn’t familiar with your day-to-day operations. They’ll respond quickly—and sometimes incorrectly. Success depends on a simple habit: a “truth sheet” that you keep up to date, review every month, and share with the entire team. Ask Maps already responds in English to visiting tourists—your facts matter right now. ## Frequently asked questions ### What happens to my old Q&As? According to Google, they remain accessible and editable in your dashboard. They continue to contribute to Google’s understanding of your business and may still appear on Maps. Review them: an outdated answer is still circulating there. ### Can software still manage my Q&As? No. Google discontinued the Q&A API on November 3, 2025. No software can publish or manage Q&As through this channel. Be wary of any offer that promises otherwise. ### How can you tell if a call is ### really from Google? The automated call claims to be from Google or Google Maps and states the reason for the call: schedules, reservations, or service availability. Google never asks you to pay, subscribe to a service, or provide personal information. If you have any doubts, hang up and report the call at cybermalveillance.gouv.fr. ### Is an FAQ on my website still useful? Yes. As of May 7, 2026, Google no longer displays FAQ rich results in its search, regardless of the website. Your FAQ page still has value. You control every word on it, your customers read it, and search engines—as well as generative AI—use it to understand what you offer. ### Does the yes/no module replace the attributes of the record? There is no indication of this as of October 2, 2026. Treat both as a single source of truth: the same question should receive the same answer everywhere. ## Take back control of your business information Your Google listing belongs to you: manage it yourself, with no subscription required. [The Google My Business method](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/the-method/) and our [Google My Business ebook](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/produit/ebook-google-my-business-a-complete-guide-for-entrepreneurs-retailers/) guide you step by step. For an outside perspective, our [consulting and implementation services](https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/categorie-produit/gmb-advice-and-support/) have one goal: your independence. ## Sources - [Google for Developers, Q&A API Change Log, entries from September 15 and November 3, 2025](https://developers.google.com/my-business/content/qanda/change-log) - [Google for Developers, Google Business Profile API End-of-Life Dates, page updated on August 28, 2026](https://developers.google.com/my-business/content/sunset-dates) - [Local Search Forum, thread started by Syed Amir regarding the disappearance of the button, December 12, 2025](https://localsearchforum.com/threads/ask-a-question-button-missing-gone-in-gbps-unable-to-publish-new-faqs.62955/) - [Search Engine Roundtable (SER), Barry Schwartz, Removal of Public Q&A from Maps and Aggregated Questions, December 15, 2025](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-maps-qa-feature-ask-40594.html) - [Google Blog, Liam Bolling and Kristi Bohl, Duplex calls to update business hours, April 7, 2022](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/how-ai-and-imagery-build-self-updating-map/) - [Google Blog, Miriam Daniel, launch of Ask Maps, March 12, 2026](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/ask-maps-immersive-navigation/) - [Google India Blog, Lalitha Ramani, Ask Maps with Gemini, March 12, 2026](https://blog.google/intl/en-in/products/explore-communicate/ask-anything-about-any-place-on-maps-with-gemini/) - [Google Blog, Miriam Daniel, Ask Maps Extension, August 6, 2026](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/order-food-in-ask-maps/) - [E-commerce Nation, Ask Maps and France, August 13, 2026](https://www.ecommerce-nation.fr/google-maps-ask-maps-commande-repas-hotel) - [Search Engine Roundtable (SER), Barry Schwartz, Testing the New Q&A, August 19, 2026](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-business-profiles-revamped-qa-41896.html) - [Auspia, Miles Donovan, August 20, 2026, updated September 9, 2026](https://auspia.ai/blog/google-business-profiles-revamped-qa-feature-august-2026) - [Search Engine Land (SEL), Barry Schwartz, “Collected Info” tab, September 14, 2026](https://searchengineland.com/google-business-profiles-rolls-out-collected-info-488387) - [Map Observer, Martyn Johnson, September 24, 2026](https://mapobserver.com/article/google-business-profile-q-a-button-returns-to-the-dashboard-interface) - [StartupTalky, a publication citing Jaki Osman, September 29, 2026](https://community.startuptalky.com/discussions/post/the-q-a-button-is-back-in-the-google-business-profile-dashboard-but-it-znmKSUaQTsaILO4) - [BrightLocal, Rosie Murphy, guide updated on April 1, 2026](https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/google-q-and-a/) - [Maestro Reviews, Q&A guide, updated May 13, 2026](https://avismaestrogmb.com/blog/questions-reponses-google-my-business/) - [Google Maps Help, “Answer questions”](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7384591?hl=en) - [Google Business Profile Help, business attributes](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9049526?hl=en) - [Google Business Profile Help, fraudulent calls and text messages](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6212928?hl=en) - [Google Search Central, FAQPage documentation, removal of FAQ rich results (May–June 2026)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/faqpage) - [Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr: Reporting and Assistance](https://www.cybermalveillance.gouv.fr/) --- Source: https://www.business-ereputation.com/en/google-business-profile-qa-in-2026-what-the-yes-no-test-reveals-and-how-to-prepare-your-listing-for-ask-maps/ Generated by Hack The SEO