Can a business remove Google reviews? What you can and can't do
No, a business can't delete a Google review itself. You can report a review, and Google removes it only if it breaks Google's policies, for example if it's fake, spam or offensive. For a fair but negative review, the best thing you can do is reply calmly in public.
What Google will remove
Google removes reviews that break its policies for Maps content. For businesses, the main ones are:
- Fake engagement: reviews that aren't based on a real experience, or are posted from several accounts by one person.
- Reviews bought or rewarded with payment, discounts or free products.
- Conflicts of interest, such as reviews from current or former employees.
- Reviews posted on a competitor's listing to damage its reputation.
- Spam, offensive or off-topic content, and reviews containing phone numbers, email addresses or links.
How to report a review
From your Business Profile:
- Open your Business Profile and choose "Read reviews".
- Find the review, select Report and choose the reason, such as "Spam".
- Submit the report.
Or use Google's Reviews Management Tool: confirm your account, choose your business, select the option to report a new review, then select Report next to the review and give the reason.
Check the status and appeal
| Status in the Reviews Management Tool | What it means |
|---|---|
| Decision pending | Reported, not yet assessed |
| Report reviewed - no policy violation | Google decided it doesn't break the rules. You can appeal. |
| Escalated - check your email for updates | Your appeal is being looked at; the final decision comes by email |
- Google says assessments typically take several days.
- You can appeal once, for up to 10 eligible reviews at a time, through the Reviews Management Tool.
- If the review breaks the rules it's removed; if not, it stays.
What not to do
- Don't offer a refund, discount or anything else to get a review removed or changed. Google bans it.
- Don't ask friends, family or staff to post positive reviews to bury a bad one. Google treats that as fake engagement, and staff reviews are a conflict of interest.
- Be wary of anyone who promises to remove reviews for a fee. Only Google decides, and only for policy breaches.
What to do with a fair negative review
- Reply within a day or two, politely and briefly. Thank them, apologise for the experience and offer to fix it offline.
- Fix the problem if you can. Let the customer know it's sorted; whether they update their review is up to them.
- Keep asking every happy customer for a review. A steady flow of recent reviews puts one bad review in context.
- If you think a review is fake, gather your evidence before reporting, and see our guide to removing fake Google reviews.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile
- Google Maps: Prohibited and restricted content
- Google Maps Help: Add, edit, or delete Google Maps reviews and ratings
Citing these figures? Please link to this page. If you spot a figure that's out of date, email hello@flexilocal.com.
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