The rules on asking for Google reviews: what UK businesses can and cannot do

Yes, you can ask customers for a Google review, and you should feel fine about it. What you can’t do is offer anything in return, pick who gets asked, or steer what they write. Stick to that and you’re on the right side of both Google’s rules and UK law.

Yes, you can ask

Google Maps policy is pretty clear on this. You’re allowed to ask customers to post content that reflects a genuine experience. The catch is that you can’t offer incentives, and you can’t try to influence the rating or what the review says.

So “would you mind leaving us a review?” is fine. “Would you mind leaving us a five-star review mentioning how quick we were?” is not. One’s a request, the other’s a script.

That’s really the whole idea. You’re inviting someone to say what happened, in their own words, and then you let them get on with it. If you want ideas for wording the ask without drifting into script territory, there’s a longer walkthrough in the guide on asking for an honest review. And if you’d rather have a draft message to start from, the review request builder will put one together.

One small thing worth knowing: customers need a Google Account to leave a review, though they can create one with a non-Gmail email address.

Asking everyone vs cherry-picking

This is the one that trips people up, so let’s be careful with it.

Google doesn’t allow selectively soliciting positive reviews. The name for it is review gating, and it means checking who’s happy first and only sending those people to Google. It sounds sensible when you say it out loud (why chase the grumpy ones?), but it’s out. Full stop.

So if you ask for a review, the ask goes to your customers generally, not to a hand-picked few.

What about a private feedback form? Offering customers a way to contact you directly is fine as an extra channel, but only on one condition: every single customer still gets the public review link in the same message. The form sits alongside the link. It never stands in front of it.

And never ask for a rating first, then decide who sees the link based on the answer. That’s gating, however friendly the wording. If your message has a “how did we do, 1 to 5?” step that decides who gets the Google link, scrap it.

Simple test: could two customers, one delighted and one annoyed, receive exactly the same message with exactly the same link? If yes, you’re fine. If no, something’s filtering.

Incentives: why “10% off for a review” is out

I know, I know. It seems harmless. A discount, a free coffee, a little thank-you, what’s the harm?

Google’s harm is that it’s an incentive, and incentives are banned. The policy covers payment, discounts, and free goods or services offered for posting a review. That means the 10% off next visit is out, the free biscuit with your latte is out, and the entry into a prize draw is out too, because it’s a free something in exchange for a review.

It also works the other way round. You can’t offer anything for revising or removing a negative review either. So if someone’s left a poor review and you’re tempted to say “we’ll refund you if you take it down,” don’t. Same rule, different direction.

Why does it matter that much? Because the whole point of a review is that it reflects a genuine experience. Once there’s a reward attached, nobody can tell whether the review is honest, and that’s exactly what the rule is protecting.

What you can do is say thank you, and mean it. Just don’t make it conditional and don’t attach a prize. A reply to a review is also not the place for deals, since Google’s own reply tips say not to use replies to offer deals or promotions.

Pressure and scripted reviews

Asking is fine. Leaning on people isn’t.

Google says you must not require or pressure customers to leave reviews while on the premises. So no tablet pushed across the counter with a “just do it now, it’ll only take a second” while the customer is stood there holding their bag. It puts people on the spot, and the review that comes out of that isn’t really free.

You also can’t ask for specific content. This catches more businesses than you’d think. Two common examples:

• Telling a customer what to write, or which words to include.
• Asking staff to collect reviews that mention them by name, or giving staff review targets.

Staff targets can feel like good management. Somebody’s got to care about reviews. But a target quietly turns “please share your experience” into “I need a number,” and that’s the pressure Google is trying to stop. Same goes for the “ask them to mention Sarah” habit. It sounds like praise, but it’s asking for specific content.

If you want your team to be involved, keep it light: they can tell customers the link exists and that feedback is welcome. Nobody’s counting, nobody’s scripting, and nobody’s standing over anyone.

Fake reviews and UK law

There are two layers here, and they line up nicely.

First, Google. Its policy bans content that isn’t based on a real experience, plus reviews based on a conflict of interest, meaning employees, family, or competitors. It also bans content posted from several accounts by one person. So no reviewing your own business, no getting your cousin to do it, and no writing a glowing one from your personal account and another from a spare. Posting on a competitor’s listing to undermine it is banned as well.

Then there’s the law. From April 2025, UK consumer protection law (the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024) bans fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews. The Competition and Markets Authority published guidance, CMA208, on 4 April 2025. In plain terms:

You must not write fake reviews, and you must not commission anyone else to write them.

And if you publish reviews yourself, say on your own website, you have to take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove fake reviews. So a testimonials page isn’t a free-for-all. It’s your job to keep it honest.

If Google spots content that breaks its rules, it can remove it, and it can restrict Business Profiles for policy violations. Reviews removed for policy violations aren’t restored. Worth remembering, given how much work goes into collecting the real ones.

A quick self-check before you ask

Run through these before you send or say anything. Any “yes” to the first five means stop and rethink.

• Am I offering anything at all, a discount, a freebie, an entry, in return for a review?
• Am I only asking customers I already know are happy?
• Am I checking a rating first and then deciding who gets the link?
• Am I telling someone what to write, or asking for a particular name or phrase?
• Are staff working to a review target?

And these should be “yes”:

• Does every customer get the same public review link in the same message?
• If I use a private feedback form, is it just an extra option, with the Google link sitting right beside it?
• Is it easy for someone to say no and walk away?

If the answers line up, you’re fine. If you want the link itself sorted first, there’s a page on finding your Google review link.

Questions people ask

Can I reply to a bad review?

Yes, once your Business Profile is verified. Replies are public, show as the business, and get checked against Google's content policies before posting. Keep it short, polite and professional, don't share the reviewer's private details, and don't use the reply to offer deals. The reviewer is notified and can still change their review.

Can I report a review I think is unfair?

You can report any review, but only ones that break Google's policies get removed. Google says not to report something just because you disagree with it, and it doesn't step into disputes between businesses and customers. Evaluation typically takes several days, and a rejected report can get a one-time appeal.

Can I offer a discount if someone edits or deletes a negative review?

No. Offering payment, discounts, or free goods or services for posting, revising or removing a review is banned. That includes swapping a refund for a takedown. If the review breaks Google's policies, report it. If it doesn't, a polite public reply is your option.

Can a legitimate review vanish by mistake?

Yes, it can happen. Google's automated spam detection occasionally removes legitimate reviews by mistake. Reviews removed for policy violations aren't restored, so it's worth avoiding anything that could get a genuine one flagged in the first place, like pressure, scripts, or incentives.