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How Apple Receives and Prioritizes Business Profile Data: A Complete Guide

Keeping your business information accurate across Apple surfaces is critical for visibility and customer trust. Apple accepts business profile data from several different sources, each ranked by its level of authority. Understanding how these channels work and which ones carry the most weight can help ensure your listings remain correct, consistent, and competitive.

Below is a breakdown of the five primary ways Apple receives business data, ranked from least to most authoritative.

1. Crowdsourced & Third-Party Data (Lowest Authority)

Apple gathers baseline business information from two low-trust sources:

  • User-submitted edits made directly in Apple Maps, where customers suggest changes such as updated hours, category adjustments, or corrections.

  • Third-party websites, including platforms like Yelp, where Apple periodically pulls general business details to help fill gaps or validate other signals.

Because this information is either user-generated or scraped from external sites Apple doesn’t control, it carries the lowest level of authority. Apple may use it to support or challenge other data, but it rarely overrides higher-trust sources.


Best for: Minor corrections, but not reliable for managing official business information.

2. FTP Feeds (Aggregator-Level Authority)

Apple receives massive volumes of business data from aggregators such as Data Axle, Neustar/Localeze, and other industry sources. These partners push bulk listing information via FTP feeds.

How Apple uses this data:

  • Apple imports and validates large batches of business records.

  • Accuracy varies by aggregator feed quality.

  • This data helps confirm or deny crowdsourced suggestions.

Best for: Broad coverage, but not ideal for precise or time-sensitive updates.

3. API Feeds (Higher Structured Authority)

API integrations work similarly to FTP feeds but deliver data in a more structured, programmatic, and reliable format. This tier is considered more accurate than bulk aggregator feeds because it is direct and less prone to data formatting inconsistencies.

How Apple uses this data:

  • API data is ingested more cleanly.

  • Updates are more timely and trusted.

  • Apple treats API-supplied information as higher quality than aggregators or crowdsourced edits.

Best for: Multi-location businesses and partners that need consistent, structured updates.

4. Direct Edits Through Apple Business Connect (High Authority)

Apple Business Connect (ABC) is Apple’s official dashboard for business owners. Once a business claims and verifies its locations, it can directly manage its information, much like Google Business Profiles.

How Apple uses this data:

  • Verified owners have strong authority over their listings.

  • Edits made directly in ABC override FTP and API data.

  • Businesses gain access to additional features such as Showcases, Apple's version of Posts.

Best for: Any business that wants direct control and visibility into its presence on Apple Maps.

5. OAuth Access Through a Preferred Partner (Highest Authority)

At the top of Apple’s trust hierarchy is OAuth-level access. This occurs when a business grants a trusted partner, such as dbaPlatform, an Apple-preferred partner, permission to manage locations on its behalf through Apple Business Connect.

How Apple uses this data:

  • OAuth data is treated as the highest-quality, most authoritative source.

  • OAuth submissions override all other inputs: crowdsourced, FTP, API, or direct ABC edits.

  • Apple prioritizes updates through preferred partners due to the verification, consistency, and control they provide.

Best for: Businesses wanting the most reliable, high-preference channel for accurate and immediate updates.

How Our Service Fits In

Our standard Local Listing services operate at the API level, ensuring your business data is delivered directly to Apple through a high-trust integration that keeps information consistent and dependable.

For businesses that are verified in Apple Business Connect, we also offer OAuth access, which elevates your data to Apple’s highest-priority tier.

If your locations still need to be claimed or configured in ABC, we provide:

  • Guidance

  • Training

  • Best practices

  • Support for full optimization

Once verified, you can also take advantage of Apple-only features such as Showcases, giving your locations richer visibility on Apple Maps.

Why This Matters

The higher the authority of your data source, the more likely Apple is to:

  • Accept updates quickly

  • Override conflicting information

  • Maintain consistent accuracy

  • Improve consumer trust and engagement

Claiming your business and leveraging a preferred partner ensures your data is always treated as the most authoritative version, no guesswork, no unwanted edits, and no outdated information.