Introduction: Reserve with Google – Timely

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Creating the option to book online via your Google listing has never been so easy! Reserve with Google adds a book online button to your Google search results, and when your customers click the link, they will be taken directly to your Timely online booking page to book as normal. This guide has all the important information you need related to Reserve with Google.

Important note: Reserve with Google is currently rolling out to eligible Timely businesses. If you have received a notification about eligibility, check the steps below to make sure you're ready to activate.

Eligibility information

Reserve with Google is available to a growing number of Timely businesses.

To be eligible, your account needs to meet the following criteria:

Online booking is enabled on your account
Your business is located in US, CA, GB, AU, or NZ
Your business address data matches Google’s requirements - your Timely address must be accurate and match your Google Business Profile. See our help guide How to update your location details for more information.

Who is not currently eligible?

The following businesses are not currently eligible for Reserve with Google:

Businesses without online booking enabled
Businesses whose service list is not in the language of their country of origin
Businesses whose address data does not meet Google’s matching requirements
Businesses with multiple locations

What do I need to do?

Before activating, make sure your account is set up correctly. There are a few things worth checking:

Check that you are eligible for this feature.
Ensure online booking is turned on, see our help guide How to turn online bookings on for details.
Keep your services & pricing up to date. Google uses your service list to show clients what you offer.
Check that your business address in Timely matches your Google Business Profile exactly. You can update this under location settings in your Timely account.

How to activate Reserve with Google?

You can activate Reserve with Google yourself from the integrations page in your Timely account, but first you need to update your business location address so that it matches the one on Google.

Step One: Update your address details

1 Head to setup from the main menu in your Timely account dashboard, and click on locations, and then edit.

2 Start retyping your address in the address line, and pick one of the suggested addresses from the drop-down list. This is important to ensure your Timely address matches that of your Google address.

Step Two: Activate Reserve with Google

1 Head to setup from the main menu in your Timely account dashboard, and click on integrations.

1. Reserve with Google Integration screen.png

2 Find Reserve with Google and click activate.

2. Reserve with Google_ Activate Information.png

3 Now wait for a confirmation message in Timely. Google will then process the connection, which can take a few weeks.

4.a. Reserve with Google_ Pending activation.png

4 If your activation was successful, you will receive an email letting you know that it is now active, and the following screen will show in Timely:

3.b. Integration Screen_ Successful Reserve with Google activation.png

3.a. Reserve with Google_ Successful activation.png

5 If your activation was unsuccessful, you will receive an email letting you know that you need to return to the integrations page to view the reason for the error. Please fix your error and click retry to try again.

5.b. Integration Screen_ Error Reserve with Google activation.png

Understanding your activation status

After activating, you’ll see one of three statuses on the Reserve with Google page in Timely:

Active

Your connection is live. You will see a green Reserve with Google connection is active banner. Clients searching for your business on Google or Google Maps will see the book online button. It can still take a few weeks for the button to appear publicly while Google processes the update.

Activation pending

Your details are being synced with Google. This is normal - most accounts connect within a few days, but the full setup can take up to a couple of weeks. You do not need to do anything else while this is in progress.

Error

Something prevented the activation from completing. You will see a message explaining what needs to be fixed. The top common cause is usually a mismatch between your Timely address and Google Business Profile. Fix the issue and click retry. If you are unable to resolve it, contact our support team.

Possible error messages

Rejection alert (location error) RwG.png

Rejection alert (service duration error) RwG.png

Rejection alert (duplicate services error) RwG.png

When will the Book Online button appear?

Once activated, the button can take between a few days to a few weeks to appear on Google - this is controlled by Google, not Timely. There are a few common reasons why you may not see the button yet, even though there is no action required from you:

Google’s processing window is still in progress
Google is still updating your business information
Your Google listing may take extra time to refresh across Search and Maps

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is there a cost?
Nope! Reserve with Google is included in your Timely plan at no extra charge.
Do clients book directly inside Google?
No. Clicking the book online button takes the client directly to your Timely online booking page, where they book as usual. No changes are made to your booking process.
Do I need a Google Business Profile?
Reserve with Google works even without a verified Google Business Profile. However, keeping your profile updated, with photos, services, and reviews etc, will help clients find and trust your business, and increases the likelihood of your book online button appearing.
My business address in Timely doesn’t match my Google listing. What should I do?
Update your business address in Timely under setup > locations. When entering your address, use the address picker to choose a suggested address rather than typing it manually. This ensures the format matches what Google expects, which is required for the integration to work correctly.
I activated, but the button hasn’t appeared on Google yet. Is that normal?
Yes, completely normal. Once you activate in Timely, Google processes the connection on their side. This can take a few weeks. You do not need to do anything else.
Can I opt out?
Yes. If you’ve activated Reserve with Google and want to turn it off, you can deactivate it directly from setup > integrations > Reserve with Google at any time. Simply click deactivate. Listings will be removed within 5 working days.
Will this affect my existing booking flow or clients?
No. Reserve with Google adds a new entry point for clients to find and book you - it does not change how your existing booking page works or how current clients book with you.
What if I have multiple locations?
Multi-location support is coming in a future update. Currently, Reserve with Google is available to single-location businesses. Keep an eye on your integrations page for when this becomes available for your account.
My activation shows an error. What should I do?
Check the error message shown on the Reserve with Google page in Timely. The most common causes are: your Timely address not matching your Google Business Profile, or online booking being turned off. Fix the issue and click retry. If the error persists, reach out to our support team - we are here to help.
My business shares a premises with another business at the same address. Could this affect my book online button?
Yes, this can cause issues. Google uses your business address to match your Timely account to your Google Business Profile. If two businesses share the same physical address - for example, two stylists renting a chair within the same salon - Google may struggle to distinguish between them. This can result in your book online button either not appearing, or incorrectly linking to a different business at the same address.

To help Google differentiate your business, we recommend updating your address in Timely to include a unique identifier alongside the street address - such as your business name and/or a chair or suite number. Please note that in shared premises situations, the final matching and display is ultimately controlled by Google - Timely cannot directly control which listing your button is attached to.

Example: Hair by Adriana, Chair 2, 123 Slayverston Street. This gives Google a stronger signal to match your listing correctly.
Who do I contact if something looks wrong?
If you have questions or something doesn’t look right, reach out to our support team — we’re here to help.