The short answer: a Google Business Profile booking button is a link on your venue's Google listing that takes guests straight to your booking page. To add one, open your Business Profile on Google, choose Booking, select Add link, paste the address of your booking page and save. If you have more than one booking link, set yours as the preferred one, and remove any old booking provider you no longer use.
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a hungry guest sees. They search your name, or "restaurants near me", and your profile appears with your photos, hours and reviews. If there's a booking button right there, they can book in seconds. If there isn't, they have to find your website, find the phone number, and hope someone picks up.
Here's how to add one, following the steps in Google's Business Profile Help.
Before you start
You need two things: access to your Business Profile, and the link to your booking page.
- Access to your Business Profile. You need to be an owner or manager of the profile in your Google account. If someone else set it up, ask them to add you.
- Your booking page link. Use the page where guests actually pick a date and time, not your homepage. In Cheeky Table it looks like
cheekytable.com/your-venue/book, and you'll find it under Booking QR code in your dashboard.
The link should take guests straight to booking. Every extra click between Google and your booking form loses some of them.
Step by step: add your booking link
You add the link from your profile's Booking option, in Google Search or the Google Maps app. It takes a few minutes.
From Google Search
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your profile.
- Search for your venue's name. Your profile appears with editing options.
- Select Booking.
- Select Add link (or Add another link if one is already there).
- Paste your booking page address.
- Select Save.
From the Google Maps app
- Open your Business Profile in Maps.
- Select Edit profile, then Booking.
- Add your link and save.
Your link then appears on your profile in both Google Search and Google Maps.
Make your link the one guests see first
Set your own link as the preferred one, so it's the booking option guests see first. According to Google's Business Profile Help, a business can add up to 10 links for each type of action, so a profile can show several booking options. To choose which comes first:
- Open your profile and select Booking.
- Select Set preferred link.
- Choose your own booking page and save.
Your link is then marked as the business's preferred option and shown at the top.
Remove booking providers you no longer use
Remove any booking button that sends guests to a system you no longer use, using Remove provider. A button you didn't add may come from a booking platform you used in the past, or from one of Google's partners. If it sends guests somewhere you no longer take bookings, it's costing you tables.
To remove it, open your profile, select Booking (in Maps, Edit profile first, then Booking) and choose Remove provider. Google says it asks providers to remove the link within five days of your request, and gives you a way to report it if they don't.
Check it works
Test the button on your phone, signed out, with a real booking. That's how a guest will use it:
- Use your phone, not your laptop. Most guests will find you on a phone, often in Maps.
- Sign out, or use a private window. That way you see the profile as guests see it, not the editing view.
- Make a test booking, then cancel it. Check the confirmation email arrives.
Changes to your profile can take a little while to show, so if the button isn't there straight away, check again the next day.
"Book online" links vs Reserve with Google
A booking link sends guests to your own booking page; Reserve with Google lets them finish booking inside Google. Reserve with Google is a separate set-up where approved booking providers connect directly to Google. According to Google's Actions Center documentation, providers have to meet Google's eligibility rules and build an integration before it works.
| Question | Booking link on your profile | Reserve with Google |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it up | You, in your Business Profile | Your booking provider, with Google |
| Cost to add | Free | Depends on your provider |
| Works with | Any booking page | Approved providers only |
| Where the guest books | Your own booking page | Inside Google Search or Maps |
| Time to set up | A few minutes | Up to your provider; you can't switch it on yourself |
Adding your own booking link, as above, needs no integration and works with any booking page. Guests tap the button and land on your booking page to finish. Cheeky Table works this way: it isn't a Reserve with Google partner, so you add your booking page link yourself.
Small things that make the button work harder
Four habits make the button bring in more bookings:
- Keep your hours accurate, including bank holidays and Christmas. A guest who sees "Open" on Google but finds no times on your booking page loses trust in both.
- Use the same booking link everywhere: Google, Instagram, your website and your QR codes. It's simpler to manage, and guests always land in the same place. Our guide to using booking links to grow direct reservations covers this in more detail.
- Add photos of the room, not just the food. People booking a table want to know what it'll feel like to sit there.
- Answer your reviews. A reply to a recent review shows someone is looking after the place, which makes booking feel safer.
Frequently asked questions
Does adding a booking link to Google cost anything?
No. Adding links to your Business Profile is free, according to Google's Business Profile Help. You pay only for the booking system the link points to, if it charges.
Why can't I see the Booking option on my profile?
Which options Google shows can depend on your business category, and you need the right access. Check that your primary category is a food or drink one, such as Restaurant, Café or Pub, and that you're signed in with an account that owns or manages the profile.
Can I use my website's homepage as the booking link?
You can, but it works less well. Guests have to find the booking button again once they arrive. Link straight to the page where they choose a date and time.
Will a booking link replace calls from Google?
Not entirely. Your phone number stays on the profile, and some guests will always prefer to call. But many will book online if it's the quickest option, especially when you're closed. Our piece on whether to stop taking phone reservations looks at that balance.
Cheeky Table gives every venue a booking page to link from Google, Instagram and your website, for one flat £9.99 a month with no per-cover fees. Claim 6 months free →