Adding Social Media Links to Your Google Business Profile
Overview
Patients and families often find your practice first on Google Search or Maps. Adding your social media links to your Google Business Profile (GBP) lets people jump from your listing to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other channels. Google may also show recent posts from those profiles in a Social Media Updates section on your listing.
This guide covers how to add those links, what Google actually displays, and how Social Cascade helps you keep the connected channels active.
Before You Start
- You must be an owner or manager of the Google Business Profile for your practice.
- Have the public URL for each social profile you want to add. Copy it from the address bar of the live page.
- You can add one link per platform. For example, one Facebook Page and one YouTube channel — not two YouTube links.
- Social media links are available in select regions and may not appear on every Business Profile yet. If you do not see Social profiles under Contact, see Troubleshooting below.
Watch: Google's official walkthrough
Google's short video shows the exact clicks in your Business Profile. Watch it here, or open it on Google's Manage your social media links help article.
Watch on YouTube · Open Google's help article
How to Add Social Media Links
These steps match Google's current instructions. For the latest wording and URL formats, always refer to Manage your social media links on Google Business Profile Help.
- Go to your Google Business Profile.
- Select Edit profile, then Contact.
- Next to Social profiles, select the edit (pencil) icon.
- From the Social profile dropdown, choose the platform you want to add.
- In the Web address field, paste the full public URL of that profile.
- To add another platform, select Add social profile and repeat.
- Select Save.
If a link is rejected or fails to save, check that the URL is not broken, duplicated, invalid, or pointing to an unsupported platform.
Supported Platforms and URL Formats
Google currently allows one profile from each of these platforms. Use the formats below (replace {username} with your handle or page name). Copying the URL from your live profile is the most reliable way to get the format right.
| Platform | Accepted URL format |
|---|---|
https://www.facebook.com/{username} |
|
https://www.instagram.com/{username} |
|
https://www.linkedin.com/company/{username} or https://www.linkedin.com/in/{username} |
|
https://www.pinterest.com/{username} |
|
| TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/{username} |
| X (formerly Twitter) | https://www.twitter.com/{username} |
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@{username}, https://www.youtube.com/channel/{username}, or https://www.youtube.com/user/{username} |
Full format notes are in Google's article: Manage your social media links.
How the Social Feed Works
Once your links are saved, Google may crawl those profiles and show recent posts in a Social Media Updates section on your listing in Search and Maps.
Linking a profile does not guarantee a real-time, chronological feed of every post. Google decides if, when, and which posts appear. Google's own documentation says posts about events, deals, or special offers from linked social profiles may also show, and that this is available only in select regions and languages.
Google does not currently provide click tracking or performance metrics for social media links on Business Profile.
Automated Feeds vs. Native Google Posts
Because you cannot force Google to display a continuous social feed, we recommend both of these:
- Connect your official social links using the steps above. That gives Google the data it needs to populate Social Media Updates when the feature is available for your listing.
- Keep posting native Google updates (Updates, Offers, or Events) on your Business Profile when you need full control over timing and wording on Search and Maps.
Social Cascade helps with the first part by keeping your primary channels — such as Facebook and Instagram — active with fresh, practice-appropriate content. An active, linked profile gives Google more relevant posts to consider for your listing.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| You do not see Social profiles under Contact | The feature is rolling out by region, or you are not editing as an owner or manager | Confirm you are signed in as a profile owner or manager. If the section is still missing, it may not be available for your listing yet. See Google's article. |
| A link is rejected or will not save | Broken, duplicated, invalid, or unsupported URL | Paste the public profile URL from the address bar and match the format table above. Remove extra tracking parameters. Do not add two links for the same platform. |
| Links saved, but no Social Media Updates appear on your listing | Google — not you — controls if and when posts display | This is expected. Keep the linked channels active, continue native GBP posts, and allow time. Availability also varies by region and language. |
| Google added a social link you did not enter | Google can source some links automatically | Edit Social profiles to replace the link with your preferred official URL. If you still want it removed, follow Google's steps to delete it or contact Google support. |
| You manage multiple locations | Each Business Profile has its own social links | Add the same official URLs to each location's profile. Google also documents Business Profile APIs for updating many listings at once. |
FAQ
Q: If I add Instagram to my Google Business Profile, will every Instagram post show on Google?
A: No. Google may show selected posts (often events, deals, or offers) in select regions. Linking the profile makes that possible; it does not create a full live feed.
Q: Can I add two Facebook Pages?
A: No. Google allows one link per platform. Choose the official practice Page.
Q: Does Social Cascade add these links for me?
A: No. Social links on Google Business Profile are managed in Google (Edit profile → Contact → Social profiles). Social Cascade keeps your connected social channels active so Google has current content to pull from once the links are in place.
Q: Will I see click stats for these links?
A: Google does not currently provide performance metrics or click tracking for social media links on Business Profile.
Q: Where can I get Google's official instructions?
A: See Manage your social media links in Google Business Profile Help. The walkthrough video on that page is also available on YouTube.
Need help? Contact us at support@socialcascade.co.