Before going through the Listings launch flow, you need to prepare your publisher accounts, set up your entities in the Knowledge Graph, and create a saved filter. Complete all steps on this page before starting the launch flow.
Step 1: Prepare Your Publisher Accounts
Yelp does not require any preparation. For Google, Facebook, and Apple, complete the steps below before launching.
Google Business Profile
1. Confirm credentials. You will need a Google Business Profile account with Owner-level access.
2. Organize location groups. Your locations must be added to location groups within Google Business Profile in order to sync to Yext. See Google's Make a business group article for steps.
Note: You can only launch one location group at a time during the launch flow. If you plan to launch multiple location groups, start with one and return to the flow for each additional group.
3. Check eligibility for bulk verification. If your business has 10 or more locations, you may be eligible for bulk verification with Google. Start this process as early as possible. See the Bulk Verification for Google Business Profile help article for details.
4. Grant Yext access. We recommend granting Yext access to your location groups in Google so that Yext can help troubleshoot if needed. See the Grant Yext Access to Manage Your Google Business Profile Location Groups help article for steps.
1. Confirm credentials. You need one of the following:
- Admin-level access for each location page you want to launch, or
- Admin-level access for the brand page, if your Facebook account uses a location structure
2. Get your Brand Page ID. If your account uses a brand page structure, locate your Brand Page ID before starting the launch flow. See Find Your Facebook Page ID in the Meta Business Help Center.
If your account does not use a brand page or location page structure, skip this step.
Apple Business
1. Choose how to connect.
| Option | Who It's For | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Link your own Apple Business account | Accounts with 25 or more locations (recommended) | Apple analytics in Yext, Apple Showcase posts, Apple prioritizes your data |
| Use Yext's Apple account | Accounts with fewer than 25 locations | No separate Apple account required |
For details on linking your Apple account, see the Link Apple Business with Yext guide.
2. Check your Business IDs (optional). During launch you will select the Apple Business ID for each country. Review your IDs in advance to confirm which corresponds to each country.
Step 2: Set Up Your Entities in the Knowledge Graph
Enable Entity Types
Before importing data, enable the entity types you plan to use. Navigate to the Entity Types page in your Yext account to see available types. The steps to enable entity types are in the "Enable Entity Types" help article.
Import Your Data
Choose the method that fits your situation:
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| File Upload Connector | Adding many entities from a spreadsheet. Follow the Create a File Upload Connector guide. See also: Required Fields for Creating Entities and Entity Upload Templates. |
| Google Business Profile Connector App | Pulling existing locations directly from Google Business Profile. Follow the Install the Google Business Profile Connector App guide. |
| Add individual entities | Adding a small number of locations. See the Add a Single Entity help article. Skip the license assignment step — you will do this during the launch flow. |
Configure Categories
The Category field on entities is important for correct syncing across publishers. Yext maintains mappings between its category taxonomy and each publisher's category list. For example, a "Mexican Restaurant" entity would map to different category values on Google, Bing, and Apple.
Choose the most specific categories that describe your business. To see available categories, navigate to Knowledge Graph > Configuration > Category Lists, then select an entity type, country, and language to download the list.
To override default category mappings for a publisher, use the Advanced Category Manager. See:
Add Alternate Brand Names (Optional)
If your business uses alternate names (for example, from a recent acquisition), add them now so Yext can use them during the matching process.
- Create a custom Single-line Text field named something like "Alternate Brand Name." Apply it to the relevant entity types. See the Create a Custom Field help article.
- Populate the field on the relevant entities via bulk edit or as a column in your spreadsheet upload.
Step 3: Create a Saved Filter
A saved filter is a dynamic list of entities that automatically updates based on criteria you define. During the launch flow, you will associate a saved filter with a license pack to designate which entities should go live on Listings.
When building your saved filter criteria, include the fields required for Google and Facebook:
- Google Linked Account
- Google Account ID
- Facebook Linked Account
- Facebook Parent Page ID (if you use Facebook parent pages)
You can also include any other criteria that must be met before a listing goes live — for example, requiring a description or a photo.
Note: You can only launch one group of listings at a time (e.g., one brand, one country, one Google location group). If you plan to launch multiple groups, create a separate saved filter for each and run the launch flow for each one.
For full instructions, follow Automatically Assign Licenses to Entities Using a Saved Filter. Skip the final step ("Assign the saved filter to a license pack") as you will do this during the launch flow.