How to Get Listed on TripAdvisor (in 10 Minutes)

Getting your restaurant listed on TripAdvisor is quite straightforward, as I experienced myself. Here's how to do it step by step:

Steps to Get Listed on TripAdvisor

1. Gather Your Business Information: Before you begin, compile all the required details about your restaurant. TripAdvisor will ask for your official business name, physical address, phone number, and a link to your website or Facebook page.

2. Access the TripAdvisor Listing Sign-Up Form: With your information ready, navigate to Eat App’s quick TripAdvisor sign-up form (placeholder for link). Eat App is an official TripAdvisor integration partner, which means you can submit your TripAdvisor business listing through Eat App’s platform.

This saves you the hassle of finding the right page on TripAdvisor’s site. TripAdvisor’s site also has an “Add a Listing” section for business owners, but using Eat App’s form will also connect your TripAdvisor listing to your reservation system from the get-go.

TripAdvisor Booking Integration

3. Fill in the Form Details, which include:

Restaurant Name and Category: Ensure the name matches your signage and branding exactly. The category should be “Restaurant” (or a subcategory like cafe, bakery, etc., if applicable).
Address and Contact Info: Input your full address (street, city, zip, country) and a working phone number. TripAdvisor will use this to pinpoint your location on the map and may use the phone or email for verification.
Website and Social Media: Provide your website URL and/or Facebook page. TripAdvisor uses these to verify that your business exists online.
Description and Cuisine Details: Write a short description of your restaurant (cuisine type, ambiance, unique features). Keep it factual and enticing.
Photos (Optional at Sign-Up): TripAdvisor might allow or prompt you to upload a photo with your initial listing request.
Owner Verification Info: If prompted, provide any additional verification details. Sometimes, TripAdvisor will ask you to create an owner account in the Management Center and verify via a phone call or credit card (for identity purposes). If you’re submitting via Eat App, follow any additional instructions given to verify you’re the owner.

Pro tip

Make sure your restaurant’s name, address, and phone (“NAP”) exactly match what’s on your website or Google My Business. TripAdvisor’s team will cross-check these.

4. Submit the Form: Once everything is filled in, hit submit. Eat App’s integrated form will send your details to TripAdvisor’s team for review. TripAdvisor’s staff manually verifies the information. According to TripAdvisor support, it can take about 4–8 weeks for a new listing request to be processed and approved (sometimes listings get approved much faster, but be prepared to wait).

Pro tip

If you resubmit, it might restart the clock, so don’t do that.

5. Claim and Verify (if needed): In many cases, submitting via Eat App will simultaneously create and claim the listing for you as the owner. However, if TripAdvisor requires it, you might have to claim your business on TripAdvisor’s Owner Management Center.

6. Listing Approval and Next Steps: After approval, your restaurant’s page will go live on TripAdvisor. That means you can opt to add a “Reserve” button on your TripAdvisor listing right away (more on this later), allowing customers to book a table directly through TripAdvisor. Before rushing into that, make sure your Eat App account is set up with your table availability and reservation settings.

Eat App reserve button

Why listing on TripAdvisor boosts revenue

Here’s why investing time in your TripAdvisor listing can pay off:

Hungry Diners: TripAdvisor isn’t only for hotels. Millions of travelers (and locals) use TripAdvisor every day to decide where to eat. Every day, around 2.5 million people visit TripAdvisor’s restaurant pages. TripAdvisor is the #1 travel guidance platform. By simply being on the platform, you get exposure to this too.
Influence the Customers Decision: Travelers often trust TripAdvisor as much as word-of-mouth. The platform ranks ahead of personal recommendations and guidebooks as the most trusted source for planning trips. Locals even check TripAdvisor to discover new spots.

TripAdvisor and similar apps influence a large number of places to dine at. Listing your venue or property there taps into a new stream of new customers looking for a place to visit.

Eat App’s VP of Product, Joe Boston

In other words, TripAdvisor can bring you guests who might never have heard of you otherwise. A new stream of customers brings you a new stream of revenue.

Better Rating and More Revenue: There’s a clear correlation between TripAdvisor visibility and increased bookings. At Eat App, we found that positive TripAdvisor reviews directly increase the number of direct bookings a restaurant receives. When people see “#1 restaurant in town” with tons of five-star reviews, they’re more inclined to book a table. A TripAdvisor/Ipsos study showed that 77% of travelers are more likely to book a restaurant if the owner has responded to reviews, so make sure you are replying to your socials, too.
Low Cost and High Return: One of the best parts of a TripAdvisor business listing is that it’s free to set up. TripAdvisor does not charge restaurants to create or maintain a basic listing – it’s a free marketing channel. The only investment on your part is a bit of time to manage the page (updating info and engaging with reviews). Considering that 33% of diners won’t eat at a restaurant with less than 4 stars on sites like TripAdvisor.
Credibility and Social Proof: In the digital age, social proof is gold. A TripAdvisor listing with a solid rating and reviews acts as a badge of quality. In essence, listing on TripAdvisor can create a virtuous cycle: more visibility → more diners → more reviews → higher ranking → even more visibility.
Integration with Eat App’s Marketplace: Beyond TripAdvisor itself, listing through Eat App brings added revenue benefits. Eat App’s platform acts like a restaurant marketplace, connecting your reservation availability to multiple channels at once. By signing up and listing on TripAdvisor via Eat App, you’re also setting yourself up to be listed on Google, Facebook, Instagram, Zomato, and 30+ other partner platforms simultaneously.

Pro tip

Use Eat App’s review system to get guests to review you online. You can direct customers to TripAdvisor to place reviews at your discretion with this smart tool. You can also reply to customers via TripAdvisor and Google using the review management tool.

How to promote your TripAdvisor listing

A TripAdvisor listing is only as good as the effort you put into maintaining and promoting it. Here are our top ways to make sure your TripAdvisor listing is promoted well.

1. Keep your TripAdvisor profile fresh and engaging

An active, information-rich profile will naturally attract more viewers and encourage them to choose your restaurant. Make sure you:

Lots of Photos: Restaurants with 10 or more photos see significantly higher engagement. Show off your best dishes, your interior decor, your team in action, and even your menu. High-quality images can entice someone browsing through listings to click yours. (Insider tip: TripAdvisor lets owners choose a primary photo – pick the most appetizing or appealing shot as your cover image.)
Keep Details Updated: Ensure hours of operation, address, and phone number are always correct. If you have special hours for holidays or events, use the TripAdvisor Management Center to set Holiday Hours or update the listing description accordingly. For example, a complete profile is more likely to appear in TripAdvisor’s search results when users apply filters like “Good for families” or “Has vegan options.”
Consider TripAdvisor Premium (if in budget): TripAdvisor has paid features like “Top 3 Reasons to Eat Here” and the ability to pin a favorite review or highlight a special offer. These premium features let you customize your listing to stand out.

2. Encourage more (positive) reviews

Reviews are the lifeblood of TripAdvisor. The more good reviews you have, the higher you’ll rank and the more attractive your listing becomes. Here’s how to get those reviews rolling in:

Get Happy Customers To Rate You: Train your staff to identify delighted customers (the ones who cleaned their plates and praised the meal) and politely encourage them: “It’d mean a lot to us if you rate us”. You can even hand out a small card at bill settlement that says, “Enjoyed your meal? Leave us a review on TripAdvisor!” with a QR code or the listing URL. According to Eat App’s research, asking guests to review right after the meal is the best way to increase review count.
Use QR Codes to Make It Easy: Place a QR code on receipts or on table tents that leads directly to your TripAdvisor review page. This removes friction – diners can just scan with their phone and write a quick review before they even leave the restaurant. Eat App’s Guest Review feature, for example, lets you set up a “Review at Table” QR code in a few clicks.
Respond to All Reviews (Fast): When you respond to reviews, you demonstrate that you care about customer feedback. More importantly, it can influence future customers. 63% of travelers said they’re more likely to book a restaurant if the owner responds to most reviews.

Set aside 15 minutes a week to do this – or even better, use TripAdvisor’s Review Hub or the Eat App review manager to streamline the task across all booking channels in one place.

3. Leverage social media to boost visibility

Sharing your widget on your social media and other channels will increase the number of bookings you get on TripAdvisor. Here are some ideas:

Share Milestones: Did you just hit 100 reviews? Post about it on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn – everywhere. Thank your customers for helping you achieve it and include a link to your TripAdvisor page.
Integrate into Instagram/Facebook: Use the link in your Instagram bio smartly – you could use a service like the all-in-one link to have multiple links, one of which can be “Review us on TripAdvisor”.
Food Photos that Show The Vibes: If you run Facebook or Instagram ads, consider an ad highlighting that you’re top-rated on TripAdvisor. For instance, “Rated 5★ on TripAdvisor – Come see why!” with a tempting food photo.

Remember, 37% of diners use social media to discover new restaurants.