How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews

A good review request is simple and low-pressure. It reminds a customer that they can leave feedback, gives them a convenient path to the right profile, and lets them decide whether to take part.

Google allows businesses to invite customers to review a genuine experience and share a review link or QR code. Its policies prohibit incentives and selectively soliciting positive reviews. Read the current Google tips for getting more reviews and the Maps content policy before setting up a campaign.

Use a fair, repeatable process

1. Invite the customer after a real interaction. A restaurant might share the link after a meal; a hotel might include it in a post-stay message; a service business might add it to a follow-up after the appointment or job.
2. Keep the wording neutral. Ask for an honest review of the experience. Do not ask for five stars, a positive review, a specific phrase, or a mention of a staff member.
3. Offer the same route to all customers. Do not first ask how satisfied someone is and send only happy customers to Google. Customers with criticism must have the same opportunity to leave feedback.
4. Make the link easy to find. Google lets businesses share a review link or QR code. It suggests places such as receipts, thank-you emails, chat follow-ups, or a displayed QR code in the business.
5. Let the customer choose. Do not require a review to receive service, keep asking after a customer declines, or offer a discount, gift, or other reward for posting, changing, or removing one.

Short request examples

Restaurant or café receipt

Hotel post-stay email

Service appointment follow-up

These examples do not promise a reward or suggest what rating to leave. Make sure the link goes to the correct Business Profile and that your team uses the invitation consistently.

Review requests to avoid

• “Leave us five stars and get 10% off your next visit.”
• “If you loved us, review us on Google; if not, tell us privately.”
• “Please mention Alex and say the service was excellent.”
• Repeatedly approaching customers at the counter until they post a review.

These approaches can influence whether a review is posted or what it says. Google’s rules require reviews to reflect genuine, unbiased experiences and prohibit merchants from discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking for positive ones.

What to do with the feedback

Thank customers for taking the time to respond. If a review raises a concern, review it with your team and write a calm, relevant reply without exposing private details. Our guide to responding to negative Google reviews walks through that process.

Review requests can help you hear from more customers, but no request can guarantee a review or a particular rating. A steady, neutral invitation protects the value of the feedback for the next person comparing local options.

Written by the Replyo team. Google’s product steps and review policies can change; use the linked official guidance for the latest details.