BranchProof

The bulk-edit field guide

Prevent accidental blank fields in Google Business Profile bulk CSV.

A blank cell can look harmless in a spreadsheet. In a bulk update, it can express a change you never meant to make. Use this checklist before importing edits to existing locations.

Written by BranchProof · · Product-maker disclosure: this guide introduces our paid review tool. The checklist works without buying it.

01 / Understand the difference

Blank is not the same as unchanged

Google distinguishes leaving an entire field out of an update from including its heading with empty values. Included empty fields can remove existing information. For an update to existing locations, omit columns you do not intend to change; keep the required identifier. Check the field-specific rules in Google’s spreadsheet guidance.

Fictional example

Location 001 originally has https://example.com/london in its Website field. The edited file still includes Website, but that cell is empty. Decide what you intend before exporting:

IntentIn BranchProofExport effect
Retain the websiteLeave the clear unapproved.Reviewed CSV retains the original URL; a minimal patch excludes this change.
Remove the websiteExplicitly approve this clear.The approved empty value is included. Review it again in Google.
Do not update any websitesApprove no Website changes.A minimal patch omits Website entirely. This differs from a column of blanks.

02 / Before you import

A six-step review checklist

  1. Keep an untouched baseline.

    Save a fresh export separately, then edit a copy. Name both files clearly, including the export date. A comparison against yesterday’s spreadsheet cannot reveal changes made directly in the live account today.

  2. Protect the location identifiers.

    Compare codes as text: 001 is not 1. Check missing and duplicate identifiers before inspecting content. Do not rename existing codes through an upload; Google warns this can create duplicates. See Google’s store-code guidance.

  3. List the intended changes first.

    Write a short scope such as “Monday hours for three branches.” Compare every proposed edit with that scope. A changed website during an hours-only task deserves investigation, even if the new value looks valid.

  4. Review every proposed erasure.

    Filter for values that became empty. Ask whether each blank means “remove this information” or “I did not edit this field.” A bulk approval should not make that decision for you.

  5. Export the smallest useful update.

    For scattered approved edits, narrow import files keep unrelated fields out of the update. Keep dependent changes for the same location together; BranchProof v1.1 groups locations by their approved field set. Inspect each file before uploading it. A full reviewed CSV includes baseline values for unapproved changes, which may be stale.

  6. Use Google’s final preview.

    Google already provides an import preview, warnings, and downloadable change details. Compare its affected locations and changes with your scope; cancel if something is unexpected. BranchProof supplements this step, not replaces it. Follow Google’s import instructions.