Google Review Policy: What Businesses Can and Can't Do

What Google's review policy says

Google's rules for reviews are part of its Maps user-generated content policy, which says contributions “should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business”. The parts that matter most when a business asks for reviews:

• Fake engagement: content that isn't based on a real experience; reviews or ratings paid for, directly or in kind; content posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person; and posting on a competitor's listing to undermine it.
• Incentives: offering payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for posting a review, or for revising or removing a negative one.
• Selective requests: selectively asking customers for positive reviews, or discouraging or prohibiting negative ones.
• Conflicts of interest: content based on a conflict of interest, which Google says may include current or former employment, a contractual relationship, competitors or family.
• Rating manipulation: unusual volumes or patterns of reviews when they indicate an effort to manipulate a place's rating.

The policy also covers harassment, personal information, off-topic content, impersonation, posting the same content repeatedly and more, and Google maintains the full list. For a specific case, read the policy page itself rather than a summary, this one included. These are Google's rules for its own service, not a legal ruling; whether a practice is also unlawful depends on where you operate, which this guide doesn't cover.

Some places also have posting limits. Google's posting restrictions page lists schools, police stations and prisons among examples of places that may have long-term restrictions. That is a limit Google may apply, not a rule that every review of a school is removed.

Incentives and selective requests are separate rules

They're easy to blur, but each one breaks the rules on its own. An incentive is something of value offered for a review, or for changing or removing a negative one, such as a discount, a free product or a payment, and it breaks the rule even when the review is honest. A selective request doesn't need any reward to break the rules: it's asking only the customers you expect to be positive, for example sending a satisfaction survey first and passing on the review link only to people who answered well. The two can also happen together, as when a discount is offered only to customers expected to rate you highly. So “we didn't pay anyone” doesn't make a filtered request acceptable, and “we asked everyone” doesn't make a discount for reviews acceptable.

How to ask customers for reviews

Google's tips for getting more reviews suggest asking customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code, and say that offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is strictly prohibited. In practice:

• Ask every customer in the same situation. If you ask after a completed job, ask after every completed job, not only the ones that went well.
• Offer nothing for the review, before or after: no discount, gift or payment.
• Ask for an honest review, not a rating. Don't suggest a number of stars or what to write.
• Make it easy. A direct link opens the review form in one step: our free review link generator makes one from your Place ID or g.page link, and the review QR code generator turns it into a printable code.

Expect a mix of ratings. The same Google page notes that “a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy” and that negative reviews “aren't necessarily a sign of poor business practices”.

Replying to reviews

Google's tips cover replies too: be professional and polite, keep replies short and clear, and never share a reviewer's private information or make personal attacks. Replies are public, so write for the people who read the review later as well as for the reviewer.

How to report a review that breaks the policy

You can report a review from your Business Profile, but Google says only reviews that violate its policies are eligible for removal. It asks businesses not to report a review just because they disagree with it or dislike it, and says it doesn't get involved in conflicts between businesses and customers. To report one:

1. Go to your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
2. Next to the review, select Report.
3. Select the reason that matches the policy the review breaks.
4. Select Send report.

Google says evaluation typically takes several days. There's no fixed deadline and no guaranteed result: Google decides whether a review breaks its policies, and it says its system occasionally removes legitimate reviews by mistake. Google's Reviews Management Tool shows the status of your reports; if a report comes back with no policy violation and you disagree, you can submit a one-time appeal there. Menu names differ between devices and change over time, so if these labels don't match what you see, follow Google's page.

A quick checklist

Before you ask for reviews

• Am I asking every customer in the same situation, not just the ones I expect to be happy?
• Am I offering nothing in return for the review?
• Does the link go straight to the review form, with no step that filters who gets it?

Before you report a review

• Can I name the policy it breaks, such as fake engagement, a conflict of interest, harassment, personal information or off-topic content? “It's unfair” or “it's negative” isn't a policy.
• Is it just critical? Negativity alone isn't grounds for removal, so if the review otherwise follows the policies, reply to it rather than report it. A critical review can still break a separate rule, for example by sharing someone's personal information; then report it for that reason.
• Have I chosen the matching reason, and noted the date so I can check the status in the Reviews Management Tool before deciding on an appeal?