How to respond to Google reviews, the good ones and the bad.
Your replies are read by everyone deciding whether to choose you. Here is what Google asks of a reply, four replies written out, what to do about a fake review, and how to ask for reviews without breaking Google's rules or the law.
Updated 16 October 2026
What Google asks of a reply.
A reply is public. It appears under the review as your business, the reviewer is told about it, and everyone deciding whether to choose you reads it. Google's own advice for business owners comes down to a few rules:
- Short and simple. A few sentences, not a statement.
- Professional and polite, even when the review is not.
- Timely. Google checks a reply before it appears, usually within minutes, so answer soon.
- Personal. Use the reviewer's name, and answer what they actually wrote instead of sending everyone the same thank-you.
- A real apology where one is due.
- No offers. A reply is not the place for a deal or a promotion.
Never in a reply
- The reviewer's private details, or anything about their visit they did not write themselves
- An argument about who is right
- A threat of legal action
- Anything in return for changing or removing the review
- The same text under every review
Four replies, written out.
For an invented hair salon. Use them as a shape, not as a template: a reply works because it answers that review.
Five stars
"Thank you, Anna! We are so glad the colour came out the way you hoped for the wedding. See you next time."
Three stars, a fair point
"Thank you for telling us, Mark. You are right that we kept you waiting, and we are sorry. We now leave more time between appointments so it does not happen again. We hope you will give us another chance."
One star, angry
"We are sorry your visit left you feeling this way, Sam. We would like to understand what happened and put it right. Please write to us at [your email address] so we can talk it through."
Someone who was never a customer
"We take every review seriously, but we cannot find a visit that matches this one. If we have missed something, please write to us at [your email address]." Then report it to Google if it breaks Google's policies.
A fake or abusive review.
Google removes reviews that break its policies, such as fake or misleading reviews, harassment, offensive content, personal information or content that is off-topic. It does not remove a review because you disagree with it, and a fair negative review is better answered than reported.
- Open your Business Profile and choose Read reviews.
- Next to the review, choose the report icon, pick the reason and send the report.
- Follow it in Google's Reviews Management Tool, where you can also see the decision. If Google finds no breach, you can appeal once.
Reply calmly in the meantime: readers see your reply, not your report.
Asking for reviews, the lawful way.
- Ask everyone, or nobody. Asking only the customers you expect to be happy, often called review gating, breaks Google's policies, which forbid selectively asking for positive reviews.
- Nothing in return. Google forbids offering payment, discounts or free goods or services for a review, for changing one or for removing one. In the United States, the FTC's rule on reviews, in force since October 2024, bans rewards that depend on what a review says, fake reviews, undisclosed reviews by staff or family, and suppressing negative reviews with groundless legal threats or intimidation.
- No fake reviews, anywhere. In the EU, writing or commissioning fake reviews has been a banned practice since 28 May 2022. If your own website shows reviews, it must say whether and how you check that they come from real customers.
- Consent in Germany. The Federal Court of Justice treated a request for a rating in an invoice email as advertising sent without consent (VI ZR 225/17, 2018). Ask by email only customers who agreed to hear from you.
- A link or a QR code. Google suggests sending customers a link or a QR code to your review form.
Where Neaion helps
- Every new Google review comes to you with a reply drafted in your tone
- Nothing is posted until you press Post
- Review requests go to everyone, never filtered by mood
- Consent and a way to say no, where the law asks for them
Every review answered, without writing each reply yourself.
Your Neaion office reads new reviews on your Google profile and drafts a reply to each, from what your business really does, so it never promises a refund or a call-back your rules do not offer. The draft comes to your phone; you change it if you like and press Post. If you switch it on, customers get one short request for a review after a job, with nothing offered in return and only where the law of your country allows it. See how your office handles reviews.
Asked before you start.
Should I reply to every Google review?
Reply to every negative review, and to positive ones where you can say something more than thanks. Google suggests answering what each person wrote instead of sending everyone the same thank-you.
How quickly should I reply?
Soon, within a day or two if you can. Google checks a reply before it appears, usually within minutes and sometimes longer.
Can I get a bad review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example a fake review, harassment or personal information. Report it from your Business Profile. A review you simply disagree with stays.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
No. Google forbids offering payment, discounts or free goods or services for a review. In the US, the FTC also bans rewards that depend on what the review says.
Does the reviewer see my reply?
Yes. Replies are public, appear under the review as your business, and the reviewer is told about them.
Sources
The rules and dates on this page come from these sources, read on the day shown. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice: rules change and your case may differ, so ask your adviser before you rely on it. If something here is out of date, write to us at hello@neaion.com and we will correct it.
- Google Business Profile Help: tips to get more reviews, checked 16 October 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: manage customer reviews, checked 16 October 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: report inappropriate reviews, checked 16 October 2026
- Google Maps: prohibited and restricted content, checked 16 October 2026
- US Federal Trade Commission: the final rule on fake reviews and testimonials, checked 16 October 2026
- Directive (EU) 2019/2161: consumer reviews in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, checked 16 October 2026
- Legal Tribune Online: the Federal Court of Justice on review requests by email (VI ZR 225/17), checked 16 October 2026
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