New Apple Business Connect dashboard missing locations

[Wary Goose]

Hi all-

Does anyone know if an Apple Business Connect dashboard will eventually contain the same number of verified locations that an Apple Business Register dashboard did? (Will all locations previously listed in Apple Business Register eventually migrate to Apple Business Connect?)

One of our self-storage clients had 20+ utility-bill verified locations in their Apple Business Register dashboard and today we see only 9 in Apple Business Connect using the same login credentials; looks like just the first "page" of Apple Business Register listings "migrated" over. Another self-storage client had 80+ locations in Apple Business Register and now sees none in Apple Business Connect when they login.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

 

[mblumenthal]

I didn't have that many in my dashboard so I didn't see that. But let me ask around and see if there is any information.

 

[hayjammin]

I'm having this issue as well. I had hundreds of listing that are now just gone... anybody find out anything? I'm not thrilled about having to re-verify hundreds of locations.

 

[mblumenthal]

Apple does not allow any third party to claim a location as their own, nor should you create new Apple IDs to start managing these locations on the businesses’ behalf as they want to maintain a direct connection to the end business allowing them to control their own profile.

My theory is that they may have removed the listings with that in mind.

So the recommendation would be to invite the business to create their account and, once this is done, to be added as Administrator roles in each client in order to deliver or update content.

 

[Wary Goose]

Thank you for looking into this for us Mike!

Do you have any guidance about Apple Business Connect (ABC) dashboards that we, as an agency, directly access using client-created Apple ID credentials? We have multiple clients that have created/maintained Apple Business Register/ABC dashboards, and now when they login, either all/some of their listings have "disappeared". Needless to say, clients aren't happy that all of their hard work is gone. (Not a good look for us either for all of the follow up we've had to do with Partners for listings verification) Are we at the point that we tell clients that we have to add their listings all over again and verify same? Do we recommend to clients that they go with a listing management service (e.g., SOCi, Yext) to get the Business Connect API connection?

 

[mblumenthal]

1- Do you have any guidance about Apple Business Connect (ABC) dashboards that we, as an agency, directly access using client-created Apple ID credentials?
The new structure no longer requires that the client create or give you Apple credentials. They can just add your agency as an admin and you will see this interface after they add you as admin

2- As to missing locations. I am still exploring that question and don't have an answer yet. A business seems to have three choices atm:

• Add them back
• Partner up with an Apple API provider
• Get their own API access

I am not sure what happened to the other listings and whether they are recoverable or not. I would suggest call Apple support and see if they have any clue.

Please let me know what they say
:

 

[Wary Goose]

Thank you again Mike. We'll see what Apple Business Connect Support says.

 

[Wary Goose]

Here's the answer from Business Connect Location Support:

"Thank you for your continued interest in Apple Maps.

We have looked into your profile and while several of your locations were able to be migrated, the rest of the locations that were on your Places on Maps account were not able to be. This is due to conflicting claims from other Organizations for the same locations. Because we couldn't clearly determine the ownership of these claims, they were not migrated to ensure that they were claimed by the correct Company in Business Connect.

We would recomend that you continue claiming your locations in your new Business Connect Company. If you choose Manual Verification, please let us know so that we can prioritize your locations for review.

We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you have a great day. "

If all 20+ locations had been claimed/managed through the single client-credential ABR/ABC dashboard, who were these "conflicting claims from other Organizations"? I'm thinking that Support is referring to a listing management service trying to manage listings that have already been claimed in ABR/ABC. In our cases above, the clients do use a listing management service so it looks like we'll need to add the listing management service as "Admin" and go from there.

 

[NevenaIvanova]

Hello,

I've been running a Third Party Agency account since last week and I've been witnessing some limitations, so I wanted to share those with you, to understand whether this is normal:

1. When adding a new location/business, there's no verification process. The good news is that all edits are transitioned faultlessly on the live page. If I understand correctly, Third Party Accounts don't perform verifications.
2. Cover and logo are locked.
3. Insights are locked.
4. Tracking URLs don't get published.

I would love to hear your opinion on all this, and more about your experience with the new ABC dashboard.

Thanks,
Nevena

 

[sarmcl]

Hello,

I've been running a Third Party Agency account since last week and I've been witnessing some limitations, so I wanted to share those with you, to understand whether this is normal:

1. When adding a new location/business, there's no verification process. The good news is that all edits are transitioned faultlessly on the live page. If I understand correctly, Third Party Accounts don't perform verifications.
2. Cover and logo are locked.
3. Insights are locked.
4. Tracking URLs don't get published.

I would love to hear your opinion on all this, and more about your experience with the new ABC dashboard.

Thanks,
Nevena

Correct. The third party dashboard does not have the ability to verify listings. You simply add a business. What is kind of unnerving is you can add ANY business you want to. At least you could a few weeks ago and you could change anything(they may have since corrected this)

To me, the Third Party dashboard is useless if you want to actually have full control over the clients listing and verify it the correct way. Its simply a way to edit some of the fields. Majority of clients DO NOT have their listings verified so them providing access to you in the 3rd Party dashboard will be slim to none bc simply most do not have them verified

 

[JamesGreenaway]

Correct. The third party dashboard does not have the ability to verify listings. You simply add a business. What is kind of unnerving is you can add ANY business you want to. At least you could a few weeks ago and you could change anything(they may have since corrected this)

To me, the Third Party dashboard is useless if you want to actually have full control over the clients listing and verify it the correct way. Its simply a way to edit some of the fields. Majority of clients DO NOT have their listings verified so them providing access to you in the 3rd Party dashboard will be slim to none bc simply most do not have them verified

@sarmcl

Agreed on that the majority of clients don’t have listings that have been verified with Apple.

When you say “full control” what do you mean exactly?

Are you able to update all business listing information through the agency dashboard?

Im not too bothered about insights, if Google previous insights were anything go by.
I’m interested in calls (tracking number) and clicks to website (GA)

Im about to add 190 locations tomorrow across 11 businesses (clients) through our newly created agency account as instructed by apple support. They have advised no verification process.

Before I start it would be great to know exactly what information/data I can and can’t control.

Thanks in advance

James

 

[sarmcl]

@sarmcl

Agreed on that the majority of clients don’t have listings that have been by Apple.

When you say “full control” what do you mean exactly?

Are you able to update all business listing information though the agency dashboard?

Im not bothered about insights, if Google previous insights were anything go by.
I’m interested in calls (tracking number) and clicks to website.

Im about to add 190 locations tomorrow across 11 businesses (clients) through our newly created agency account as instructed by apple support. They have advised no verification process.

Before I start it would be great to know exactly what information/data I can and can’t control.

Thanks in advance

James

I havent been in there this week but last time I was in there didnt look like you could add logo, cover photo.

Also, you cant add users either. If you do, they get access to your entire dashboard(not just their location). Again this may have changed but from what we tested you can not provide a client access(if they were to leave your agency for example). To us thats a deal breaker and we have continued to create individual Apple ID's for clients separately. I am hoping that changes but last we saw giving access was not possible in the third party dashboard.

 

[NevenaIvanova]

Thanks for sharing all the insights.

Regarding the limitations for the Third Party, I think it also applies for the Showcases menu as it appears locked (for an US business). Is this the case in your accounts as well?

On a side note, are u able to successfully publish a tracking URL?

 

[sarmcl]

Thanks for sharing all the insights.

Regarding the limitations for the Third Party, I think it also applies for the Showcases menu as it appears locked (for an US business). Is this the case in your accounts as well?

On a side note, are u able to successfully publish a tracking URL?

That seems to be the case if you simply add them to the dashboard. If a client provides you access, you can edit anything. We tested this as well

 

[sarmcl]

Thanks for sharing all the insights.

Regarding the limitations for the Third Party, I think it also applies for the Showcases menu as it appears locked (for an US business). Is this the case in your accounts as well?

On a side note, are u able to successfully publish a tracking URL?

I received confirmation today from Apple--if you are using the Third Party Partner dashboard, you can NOT grant a client access. You can only get access from a client. If you grant them access, they will have access to EVERYTHING in your dashboard.