How to create a Google review link and QR code for your business

You can get a Google review link from your Business Profile in a few clicks, and the same page gives you a QR code you can save and print. Send the link by message or email, and put the code wherever customers already look. Keep it simple, don’t pressure anyone, and test it before it goes anywhere near a printer.

What a review link does

A review link takes someone straight to the box where they write a review for your business on Google. You don’t have to search for your name or hunt for the right button, and nobody’s left wondering whether they’ve found the right branch.

That matters more than it sounds. People are busy, and every extra step is a reason to say “I’ll do it later” and then never do it. The link cuts out the steps.

One thing to know up front: customers need a Google Account to leave a review. If they don’t have one, they’ll be asked to sign in or create one (it doesn’t have to be Gmail), and some will simply stop there. That’s fine. Nobody should be chased.

Get your link

It’s quick. Open your Business Profile, go to Read reviews, then choose Get more reviews. Hit Copy and the link is yours.

That’s really all there is to it, but if you get stuck (or the buttons look different on your screen), the full walk-through lives in how to find your Google review link.

Turn it into a QR code

The same Get more reviews screen shows a QR code. Right-click it and choose Save image as, and you’ve got a picture file you can print or drop into a design. One catch: Google’s review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, so if you’re on your phone, leave it until you’re at a laptop.

Google’s own QR code is perfectly fine. Honestly, plenty of businesses never need anything else.

But if you’d like something that looks a bit more finished, the free Google review QR card maker makes a printable branded A6 counter card or an A4 sheet, and gives you PNG and SVG downloads too. Its codes are static, which just means they encode your link directly. There’s no redirect and no tracking in the middle, so the code keeps working for as long as the link does. Fewer moving parts.

Whichever route you take, a few printing habits make the difference between a code that scans first time and one that makes people give up:

• Keep strong contrast. Dark code on a light background is the safe choice.
• Leave a quiet margin (a clear border of empty space) all the way round the code.
• Put your logo beside the code, not on it. A logo sitting over the middle can stop it scanning.

Where to put the link and the code

Think about the moment a customer feels good about what you’ve done, then put the link or code right there. Google itself suggests receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat, and printing the QR code in store.

Some other places that work for the kind of business you probably run:

• The counter, on a small card people can see while they wait or pay.
• Table cards, if you run a café or a salon with a waiting area.
• Receipts and invoices, which is handy for trades who send paperwork afterwards.
• Your email signature, so every message carries a quiet nudge.
• The back of a van, if people are likely to notice it parked outside a job.
• A thank-you card tucked in with an order or left after a visit.

If you’re writing the message itself, the review request builder can help you word it, and how to ask for an honest review covers the tone side of things.

Two rules. Scanning has to be easy: put the code where someone can point a phone at it without crouching, squinting, or holding up a queue. And nobody should be pressured to review on the spot. Google’s policy bans requiring or pressuring reviews on the premises, so a friendly “if you’d like to, here’s where” is plenty. Don’t stand over anyone while they do it.

Keeping the code working

Before you print a single thing, test it. Point a phone camera at the code on your screen, and then again at a rough printout, and make sure it lands on your review box. Do it on a different phone if you can. It takes a minute and saves you a run of dud cards.

If your review link ever changes, you’ll need a new code and a reprint. That’s the trade-off with any printed code, and it’s another reason to keep the cards simple and cheap rather than fancy and expensive.

And don’t put a rating screen or filter between the code and Google. Sending happy customers to Google and unhappy ones somewhere else is exactly the sort of thing Google’s rules rule out. The code should go straight to the review box, for everyone.

Questions people ask

Will the QR code stop working?

A static code doesn't expire, because it simply contains your link. It stops working only if the link inside it changes or stops working, in which case you make a new code and reprint.

Is Google's own QR code good enough?

Yes. Google's review QR code works fine, and plenty of businesses never need anything else. A card maker is only worth using if you want a branded, print-ready card or SVG and PNG files for your own designs.

Should my logo go on top of the QR code?

No, keep it beside the code. Covering part of the code with a logo can stop phones reading it. Give the code a clear quiet margin, keep the contrast strong, and put your branding next to it instead.

Can I offer a discount for scanning the code?

No. Google's rules don't allow incentives such as payment, discounts, or free goods or services for posting a review. You also can't ask only happy customers or pressure people. Share the link or code to everyone, and leave it there.