How to ask customers for Google reviews (and stay inside Google’s rules)

Asking for reviews is allowed and Google encourages it. Google’s own help page says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code. What gets businesses into trouble is how they ask and who they ask. This guide covers the rules first, then the practical part: the link, the timing, the wording, and what to do with the replies.

What does Google not allow when you ask for reviews?

Google’s Maps user-contributed content policy says "Fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed." Five things on that page matter to an owner.

• Paying or rewarding for reviews. The policy lists "Reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind" and "Content that has been posted due to an incentive offered by a business". Google’s review help page names "free or discounted goods or services" as an example of what is not allowed. Our reading is that a prize draw or "10% off your next visit if you review us" falls under the same rule.
• Review gating. The policy lists businesses that "Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers". Our reading is that this rules out sending the link only to customers you think are happy, or putting an "are you happy?" screen in front of the link that sends unhappy people elsewhere.
• Reviewing your own business. The policy lists "Content that is based on a conflict of interest", and says that may include current or former employment or a contractual relationship. Our reading is that staff, family and business partners should not review you.
• Odd volumes and repeated text. The policy lists "Content exhibiting unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions" and "Posting the same content multiple times either from the same account or multiple accounts". Do not write reviews for customers.
• Pressure and scripts. The policy says merchants should not require or pressure customers to leave reviews while on the premises, or request that specific content be included. It also lists asking staff to solicit a certain number of reviews, or reviews that name a staff member. Do not set staff a target, and do not give customers a script.

The review help page also says that offering incentives in exchange for posting, changing or removing reviews is considered fake and misleading content. The policy does allow you to solicit or encourage reviews that reflect a genuine experience, without offering incentives or trying to influence the rating or the content. We did not find a rule on Google’s pages that caps how many requests you may send. The test is the one the policy sets: the review must reflect a genuine experience.

How do I get my Google review link or QR code?

Google’s page on creating a review link or QR code says the QR code can currently only be generated on a computer browser, not on a mobile device. Customers must also be signed into a Google Account to leave a review, so some will not complete it.

1. Open your Business Profile on a computerGo to your Business Profile in a computer browser.
2. Find the share optionSelect Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Copy the link or save the QR codeSelect Copy for the link. For the QR code, right-click it and choose Save image as.
4. Test it on your own phoneScan the code or open the link before you print or send anything. It should open the review box for your business.

The same Google page suggests where to use it: on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat, and as a printed QR code displayed in your store. If you work at customers’ homes rather than from a shop, a guide on Google Business Profile for service-area businesses covers getting your profile set up first.

When is the best time to ask?

Ask while the job is fresh and the customer is satisfied that it is finished. For most owners that is the moment the invoice is settled, which fits well with chasing unpaid invoices: the thank-you for payment is the natural place for the request.

• In person. Mention it when you hand over the keys or finish the treatment: "If you have a minute, we would value an honest review on Google." Offer the QR code on a card, and do not press anyone to do it there and then.
• On a card. Leave a small printed card with the QR code with the invoice or in the bag. This works for salons, clinics and shops.
• By WhatsApp, SMS or email. Send it the same day. A message with the link is easier to act on than a card that ends up in a drawer.

What wording can I copy?

Keep it short, thank the customer first, and give no hint about what rating to leave. Do not offer anything in return. Replace the brackets with your details.

How should I reply to reviews, good and bad?

Google says that when you reply to reviews, you show customers you value their feedback. Your business must be verified before you can reply. The reply appears publicly under the review, and the reviewer is notified when you reply. Google also says customers can still change their review after reading your reply, which is a reason to answer bad reviews calmly.

• Good review: thank them by name, mention one thing they said, and keep it to two or three lines. Do not paste the same reply under every review.
• Bad review: reply within a day or two, apologise for the experience without arguing the facts, and offer a way to fix it offline, such as a phone number or email. Never share the customer’s details or job notes in public.
• Review with no text: a short thank-you is enough.

Replies are checked first. Google says they usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes up to 30 days.

What can I do about a fake or unfair review?

You can flag a review, but only if it breaks Google’s content policies. Google’s page on reporting reviews says "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it." A harsh review from a real customer stays up.

1. Go to your reviewsOpen your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
2. Report the reviewSelect Report next to the review, choose a reason such as Spam or Profanity, and select Send report.
3. Wait for the decisionGoogle says review evaluation typically takes several days. If it finds no violation you can lodge a one-time appeal through the Reviews Management Tool.

While you wait, reply publicly and say plainly that you cannot find this person in your records. That helps future readers without accusing anyone.

Do reviews matter enough to bother?

The best figure we found is American, so treat it as a guide only. In BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, covering a representative panel of 1,002 American adults, 97% of consumers said they read reviews for local businesses. We could not find a published South African figure of this kind, so we do not quote one.

Where does an automated request fit in?

The easiest way to break the gating rule is to ask by hand. When you are busy, you remember the happy customers and forget the rest. An automated request removes that choice: it is sent to every customer after every finished job, with the same wording and the same link.

We build this as the Google review request agent. Our page says we run it in draft mode until you trust it, that for the first weeks every request is shown to you before it goes, that nothing is offered in exchange for a review, and that it never asks a customer to change or remove one. You can also do the same job with a diary reminder and a saved WhatsApp message.

What does it cost to get this wrong?

Google’s policy says fake engagement "will be removed", so the practical risk is that reviews you worked for disappear. We did not find a specific penalty on the pages we read, and we did not open Google’s separate page on Business Profile restrictions, so check it before you try anything borderline. Asking everyone, honestly, with no reward, avoids the problem.