📍 What local citation status means
A local citation is a mention of your business name, address, and phone number on a directory or listing site. After you submit citations in Search Atlas, the submission is tracked as one campaign. The status on the Local Citations table shows where that campaign stands: Submitting, Quality assurance, Live checks, Completed, On hold, or Refunded. Submitting means the order was paid and sent for verification. Quality assurance means it was verified and listing checks are starting. Live checks means it passed quality assurance and listings are being verified. Completed means the campaign is finished. Open the submission to see the timeline (Submitted, Quality Assurance, Live Checks, Completed) and the status of each directory.
⏱️ Typical completion timeline
Most citations do not go live the same day you submit them. Directories control their own review queues, so completion dates vary.
- Common range: many listings finish within 2 to 8 weeks of submission.
- Longer cases: some publishers take 8 to 12 weeks, especially when they verify the business or require a manual review.
- Your example: a submission from August 9 that is still open on October 26 is past the usual window for many sites, but it can still be within a slow publisher’s review period. Check each citation’s individual status rather than treating the whole batch as one date.
Search Atlas cannot force a directory to publish on a fixed calendar day. The date you submit is the start of the process, not a guaranteed live date.
🔍 Why some citations take longer
- The directory has a backlog or a manual approval step.
- The business name, address, phone, or website does not match what the site already has on file.
- The listing needs extra proof, such as a business category, hours, or a verified profile.
- The site rejects or holds duplicate listings until an older record is cleaned up.
- A publisher updates on its own schedule and does not send an instant confirmation.
One slow site does not mean every citation in the order is delayed. Completed listings can already be helping your local presence while others remain in review.
📋 How to check status in the platform
- In Search Atlas, open GBP Projects in the sidebar and select Local Citations under LOCAL SEO TOOLS.
- Find the campaign in the Local Citations table and read the status on that row. Open the campaign to see each aggregator or directory and the status beside it.
- Note which campaigns are Completed, which are still moving through Submitting, Quality assurance, or Live checks, and which are On hold or Refunded.
- Compare the submission date with the ranges above before assuming the order is stuck.
- If a directory is not Live, open its Details to read any notes. You can correct the business details and submit again only after the campaign status is Completed (Finished), using Edit & Submit. That resubmits the campaign rather than only the changed directories.
Use the status in Local Citations as the source of truth for your submission. A directory may email you separately, and that message can arrive on its own schedule, but it does not replace the status shown in Search Atlas.
✅ What you can do while you wait
- Keep your business name, address, phone number, and website consistent everywhere.
- Do not create another campaign for the same business, address, and aggregator while one already exists. Search Atlas rejects overlapping aggregators for that location, and Edit & Submit stays unavailable until the existing campaign is Completed.
- Confirm hours, categories, and location details are accurate in your project.
- Allow the full review window before requesting a manual check on a single slow publisher.
💬 When to ask for a status review
Contact support if a citation has been in progress for more than 12 weeks, if the status has not changed after you fixed a data error, or if you need help reading a specific listing’s status. Have the project name, submission date, and directory names ready so the review is faster.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.