How to Leave a Google Review (and Why Some Disappear)

How to leave a Google review on a computer

1. Go to Google Maps and make sure you're signed in to your Google account. You can't post an anonymous review.
2. Search for the business.
3. In the panel on the left, scroll down and click Write a review.
4. Click the stars to pick your rating (1 to 5).
5. Write what happened, and add photos if you want.
6. Click Post.

Your review stays up until you take it down. You can edit it at any time.

How to leave a Google review on your phone

1. Open the Google Maps app and sign in.
2. Search for the business and tap its name.
3. Tap the Reviews tab, then Write a review (or tap the stars).
4. Choose your rating, write your review, and add photos.
5. Tap Post.

What other people can see when you post a review

Every Google review is public. Anyone can see:

• The name on your Google profile
• Your other reviews on Google Maps
• Photos and videos you've added to Maps

If that's more than you want to share, update your Google profile name before you post.

How to edit or delete your Google review

1. Open Google Maps and click the Menu (three lines) at the top left.
2. Click Your contributions, then Reviews.
3. Find the review and click More (three dots).
4. Choose Edit review or Delete review.

Heads up: when you edit a review, the date shown on it changes to the date of your last edit.

Why did my Google review disappear?

Google moderates reviews, and most missing reviews were removed or hidden for breaking its content rules. Google also says it doesn't bring back reviews that were removed for policy violations. These are the most common reasons:

• 1. It looked fake or paid for. Google removes reviews that aren't based on a real experience, reviews that were paid for (with money, discounts or free services), and reviews posted from several accounts by the same person.
• 2. A conflict of interest. Reviews from current or former employees, family members, competitors or business partners count as a conflict of interest, and Google takes them down.
• 3. A burst of reviews at once. "Unusual volumes or patterns" of reviews look like an attempt to manipulate a rating, so Google may filter them. That includes a business asking all its customers to leave reviews on the same day.
• 4. It included links or contact info. Reviews can't contain phone numbers, email addresses, social media links or links to other websites.
• 5. It was off-topic. Google wants reviews about your own experience at that place. General political or social commentary and personal rants get removed.
• 6. Profanity, harassment or personal details. Obscene language, threats, unproven accusations of crimes, and other people's personal information (like a staff member's full name or photo, unless they're a public-facing professional such as a dentist or lawyer) aren't allowed.
• 7. Someone reported it and Google agreed. Anyone, including the business owner, can flag a review. If Google decides it breaks the rules, it comes down.
• 8. You posted the same thing more than once. Repeated identical reviews are removed as repetitive content.

Can a business delete a review you left?

No. A business can't delete your review or contact you through Google about it. All it can do is reply publicly or report the review to Google. Google then decides whether the review breaks its rules. A negative review written respectfully about a real experience is allowed, and Google keeps it up.

Google also bans businesses from offering anything in exchange for changing or removing a negative review.

For business owners: when a review breaks Google's rules

The same rules that protect honest reviewers work in your favor when a review doesn't follow them. A fake review, one from a competitor or ex-employee, or a review full of personal details can be reported and may be removed.

• Here's how that works step by step: How to remove a fake Google review
• If Google already said no once: Why Google rejected my review removal request
• How long it usually takes: How long does Google take to remove a review?
• Why one bad review matters so much: How one bad review moves your rating

Not sure which of your reviews break the rules? Get a free review audit. We check every 1 and 2 star review on your profile against Google's policy and show you what your rating could look like without the ones that break it. You only pay for reviews that actually come down.

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