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Listings Management: Agency Partner Guide to Claiming

Everything you need to know before setting up Listings Management for your customers.

Everything you need to know before setting up Listings Management for your customers.

This guide walks agency partners through GatherUp Listings end-to-end. You'll find the claiming process, the data to collect from each customer, how to structure accounts cleanly, and what to do when a customer churns.

1. How the claiming process works

What does "claiming required" mean?

Some directories want a business to prove ownership before GatherUp can manage the listing. When the Directory Publishing Targets list shows Claiming Required = Yes, GatherUp can't push updates to that directory until the claim goes through. If it shows Claiming Required = No, your data goes out right away, nothing to do on your end.

What does a dash mean in the Claiming Required column? A dash (–) means the directory is a child, or indirect, listing. It pulls data from a parent directory. Google Maps and Waze, for example, both inherit from Google. Child directories pick up the parent's connection and claim status automatically, so you don't need to claim them separately.

What happens during the claim?

GatherUp Listings looks for an existing listing on each directory that matches your customer's location data. If it finds a match, the system flags it as Claimable and starts the claim. Your customer (or your agency on their behalf) may need to verify ownership, usually through a postcard, phone call, or email from the directory.

Once the listing is claimed, GatherUp manages it. Updates pushed from the platform appear on the directory based on each directory's typical publication time. Check the Directory Publishing Targets list for per-directory timelines.

How long does claiming take?

Claim timelines vary by directory. The Directory Publishing Targets article is the best reference for typical publication times. As a general rule:

  • Automated claiming, where supported: usually 1 to 7 days.
  • Manual claiming with directory verification: 7 to 30 days, depending on the directory's process.
  • Google specifically: connection is near-instant once verified, but verification itself (postcard or phone) can take up to 14 days.

If a customer's timeline is tight, reach out to your GatherUp account contact. We can escalate to get directory-specific guidance.

2. Data you need from each customer

Before you kick off Listings Management, collect the items below. Having this on file up front prevents back-and-forth later.

Do data requirements differ by directory? Yes, but not by much for the core fields. Standard NAP (Name, Address, Phone) plus hours, categories, and a website will cover most directories. A handful have unique requirements — Facebook needs a connected Page, and Google requires a verified GBP account. Directory-specific details live in the GatherUp Help Center under Directories.

3. Managing accounts as an agency (DIFM model)

GatherUp supports an agency "Do It For Me" (DIFM) model. Here's the backend structure we recommend:

  • One Parent Sales Partner (your agency account)
  • One Child Sales Partner per customer client
  • All of that client's locations sit under their Child Sales Partner
  • Data stays isolated — no cross-contamination between customers
  • Billing, reporting, and permissions stay clean and per-client

If a customer churns, you can cleanly separate their Child Sales Partner and all their data from your agency account.

Using a customer-owned email for listing registrations

Yes, this works with GatherUp, and it's a best practice for agency partners.

Setting up listings with an email on your customer's domain (instead of your agency's domain) means:

  • Your customer keeps ownership credentials for each listing platform.
  • Off-boarding is simpler — the customer already has access to their listings.
  • Your agency isn't left as the de facto owner of listings that belong to the customer.

Important: Google and Facebook require direct account connections

For Google Business Profile and Facebook, GatherUp connects through OAuth — account-level authorization rather than a simple email and password. Your customer's Google or Facebook account has to authorize GatherUp to manage those listings. We recommend setting up a dedicated Google or Facebook account using the customer's business email, then granting GatherUp Manager-level access through that account.

A note on Google: avoid having multiple tools or agencies connected to the same Google account performing the same actions (updating data, responding to reviews, etc.). Per Google's guidelines, only one tool should perform each type of action. Otherwise you'll hit conflicts.

4. Protecting against ownership issues at churn

5. If a listing is "Claimed by Others"

If a directory listing already exists and someone else has claimed it, the path forward depends on the directory:

  • Some directories let GatherUp overwrite the existing listing automatically when data is submitted. The previous owner can dispute, in which case GatherUp or your customer may need to respond.
  • Google doesn't allow automatic overwrites. If a Google listing is claimed by someone else, your customer has to contact Google directly to assert ownership through Google's official dispute process.
  • For other directories showing "Claimed by Others" in the platform, the client needs to contact that directory's support team to request the listing be released or transferred.

This is another reason to register listings under the customer's email. If your agency email is the owner and the customer churns, the listing may show up as claimed by your agency on some directories — and that creates an off-boarding burden.

6. Is the Directory Publishing Targets list current?

Yes. The Directory Publishing Targets article in the GatherUp Help Center is the source of truth for currently supported directories. It's maintained by the GatherUp team and updated as new directories are added or existing integrations change.

The list covers directory name, type, supported regions, connection method, typical publication times, and whether claiming is required.

Related article: Directory Publishing Targets

7. Requesting new directories (e.g., landscaping-specific sites)

GatherUp doesn't have a formal self-serve process for partners to request new directories yet. You can still submit requests — here's how it works:

How to request Send the request through your GatherUp account contact. They'll escalate to the GatherUp Partner team. Include the directory name, URL, audience size, and why it matters to your customer base.

What happens next The team evaluates requests on a few factors: the directory's traffic and authority, how many customers stand to benefit, technical feasibility of integration, and commercial viability of the partnership.

Realistic timeline No guaranteed timeline. Widely used directories with clear customer demand get prioritized. Niche directories (like sector-specific sites for landscaping) may be evaluated but added on a longer cycle, if at all. We can't commit to dates on requests.

In the meantime For sector-specific directories that aren't supported yet, your customers can manually claim and manage those listings outside of GatherUp while still using GatherUp for the major directories we do support.

8. Quick reference: listing statuses

In the GatherUp platform, each listing shows one of the statuses below. As the managing agency, you'll see these on behalf of your customers.

Key resources

  • Directory Publishing Targets
  • General FAQ: Directories
  • Multiple Agencies & Google

Questions? Reach out to your GatherUp account manager or email us at support@gatherup.com.