The WebMD physician directory is one of the places patients meet your name before they meet you, and your profile there likely exists already. WebMD's help center tells providers "you may already be listed in WebMD Care Directories with a free profile." This guide covers what that profile shows, how to claim and correct it, how reviews work there, and how to judge the paid upgrade, using only what WebMD documents.
Searches are modest but specific: "webmd physician directory" gets about 90 a month and "webmd provider profile" 30, while patients search "web md doctor reviews" about 320 times (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026).
What the WebMD directory shows patients
WebMD runs its directory as "WebMD Care Directories," covering two sites. It says patients "can search provider profiles on both WebMD and Vitals.com by location, specialty, condition, and procedure" (WebMD (opens in a new tab)).
WebMD describes three profile levels (WebMD profile types (opens in a new tab)):
| Profile | What WebMD says it includes | Who controls it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unclaimed Basic | Contact details, reviews, specialties, training, accepted insurance | Not yet claimed by the provider or practice | Not stated |
| Claimed Basic | The same core information, customized by you | The provider or practice | Free, "at no cost" |
| Featured | Basic plus practice website and telemedicine options, online appointment requests, office photos, video, logo, competitor ad removal, prominent placement, reputation management, monthly reporting | The provider, with an account manager | Not published |
With a free basic profile, WebMD says you can list accepted insurance, "medical degrees/certifications/etc., conditions treated, and more" on both the WebMD and Vitals.com directories (WebMD (opens in a new tab)).
WebMD also markets its profiles for AI search, saying a profile "helps make your practice easier for AI-powered search tools to understand and trust" (WebMD (opens in a new tab)). That's WebMD's claim; it doesn't explain how any assistant uses its data, and no assistant publishes how it weighs directories. Read AI visibility for what is known.
How profiles get created
WebMD's help center says providers "most likely" already have a profile (WebMD (opens in a new tab)) but doesn't say how those profiles are built or which data sources fill them. We won't guess.
What we know is what WebMD asks for when you correct a listing: each doctor's NPI, name and profile URL. That makes the federal provider record a sensible place to start. If your NPI record shows an old address or the wrong specialty, fix it in NPPES first, so you're correcting WebMD toward the same data the public registry shows.
Claim and edit your profile
WebMD's help article "Where can I claim my free WebMD profile?" links to a "Claim Free Profile" sign-up (WebMD (opens in a new tab)). The article doesn't list verification steps, so prepare the details below and follow the sign-up's prompts.
Before you start, have ready for each provider:
- NPI and full name exactly as in the NPI Registry.
- The profile URL on the WebMD directory (search the doctor's name on WebMD first).
- Every current office address and the main phone number.
- Specialties, conditions treated and procedures offered.
- Insurance plans accepted, confirmed with billing.
- Degrees and board certifications.
Then claim and edit:
- Claim the profile through WebMD's free-profile sign-up, using a practice-owned email.
- Customize the basic details: insurance, conditions treated, credentials and locations.
- Repeat for each provider. WebMD works per doctor.
If you need WebMD to correct something, its help center describes a request process (WebMD (opens in a new tab)):
- Select Contact Us in the help center to open the "Submit a Request" form.
- Choose "Directory Profile & Reviews for WebMD/Vitals."
- Send one request per doctor. WebMD says, "We need this information from each doctor separately."
- Include the NPI, first and last name, and the profile URL.
- For an address change, list the current address or addresses and the one to remove. WebMD's system needs at least one location on file.
- Add a link to your practice's website showing the location or phone. WebMD says this "will speed things along."
Illustrative example (fictional practice): "Request for Dr. Anika Patel, NPI [number], profile [URL]. Please remove 410 Oak Avenue, Suite 2. Current location: 88 Harbor Road, Suite 300, phone [main line]. Our website's location page: [URL]."
WebMD doesn't state a response time, so note the date you sent each request and check the profile after a couple of weeks.
Common mistakes
- Submitting one request for a whole group instead of one per doctor.
- Correcting the practice address on WebMD while NPPES still shows the old one.
- Claiming with a provider's personal email, then losing access.
- Leaving departed providers listed at your address.
Reviews and ratings on WebMD
WebMD lists reviews among what every profile shows, including unclaimed ones. It says reviews are removed only if they violate WebMD's review guidelines. To raise a concern about a review, use the same correction request and include the review text and its date.
Featured Profiles add reputation tools. WebMD lists "Capture More Reviews," which sends review requests, and "Manage Reviews," with live alerts and the option to "reply directly with one of our suggested reply templates or customize your own" (WebMD reputation management (opens in a new tab)).
Two HIPAA cautions if you use those tools:
- Replies are public disclosures. HIPAA says a covered entity "may not use or disclose protected health information" except as the rules allow (45 CFR 164.502 (opens in a new tab)). Never confirm a reviewer is a patient or mention their care, even when editing a suggested template.
- Review requests use patient contact details. If WebMD's tool sends requests to your patients, ask whether it signs a business associate agreement (BAA) before you upload any patient list.
For review rules across platforms, see online reviews.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your practice with a qualified advisor.
Paid profile options: questions to ask
WebMD says a Featured Profile syndicates you onto Vitals and adds a website link, click-to-call, an optional telemedicine button, a booking widget for your own site, reputation tools and paid placement in the directory (WebMD Featured Profile (opens in a new tab)). Its help center doesn't publish a price.
Ask before you buy, and get the answers in writing:
- Price and term. Monthly cost, contract length, auto-renewal and notice to cancel.
- Placement. What "prominent placement" means in practice: which searches, which radius, how many competitors share it.
- Appointment requests and booking widget. Where do requests go, who stores them, and will WebMD sign a BAA covering them?
- Reporting. Which numbers you'll get monthly, and how to match them to calls and bookings in your own records.
- After you cancel. What happens to your photos, video, reviews and placement.
- Compared with what. Would the same budget do more on Healthgrades, your Google listing or your own website?
Medfy doesn't manage WebMD profiles. Its AI visibility tracking checks every week what ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews say about your practice, which shows whether directory work is changing what patients hear. For a quick read on your Google listing, run a free marketing audit, and see the online listings guide for the rest of the short list.
Frequently asked questions
Is a WebMD physician profile free?
Yes, the basic profile is. WebMD's help center says a basic profile is free and lets you list accepted insurance, degrees and certifications, conditions treated and more on its WebMD and Vitals.com directories. The paid option is a Featured Profile, which adds placement, appointment requests, photos, video and reputation tools; WebMD's help pages don't publish its price.
How do I correct my information on WebMD?
Use the Contact Us button in WebMD's help center, open a request and choose 'Directory Profile & Reviews for WebMD/Vitals.' Send one request per doctor with the NPI, full name and profile URL. For an address change, list the current address and the one to remove, and include a link to your practice's site as proof. Claiming the free profile also lets you edit details yourself.
Can patients leave reviews on my WebMD profile?
Yes. WebMD's help center lists reviews among what every profile shows, and says it removes a review only if it breaks WebMD's review guidelines. To raise a concern, send a directory request with the review text and date. Paid Featured Profiles add tools to request and reply to reviews; if you reply, never confirm the reviewer is a patient or mention their care.