How to Remove Google Reviews: What Google Takes Down and How

01Which Google reviews can be removed

• Fake or not genuine

  Google says contributions must reflect a genuine experience at a place or business, and fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed. This includes content not based on a real experience, content that does not accurately represent the location, and content posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Fake or not genuine

  Google's rating manipulation rules prohibit unusual volumes or patterns of reviews that suggest an effort to manipulate a rating.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Incentivized

  Paid reviews or ratings, including those paid for in kind, are not allowed. Google says incentivized or biased reviews will be removed, including reviews posted after an incentive was offered to revise or remove a review.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Conflict of interest

  Reviews based on a conflict of interest are not allowed, including current or former employment, contracts or consulting, and personal or professional ties such as competitors or family.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Off-topic

  Content must be based on the reviewer's experience at a specific location. General, political or social commentary and personal rants are not allowed.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Hate or harassment

  Google does not allow content posted to harass people or businesses, including specific threats of harm and doxxing, or content that dehumanizes, belittles or vilifies people based on a protected characteristic.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Other

  Google's offensive content rules prohibit using its products to attack individuals or groups and prohibit unsubstantiated allegations of unethical behavior or criminal wrongdoing.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Private information

  Posting someone's personal information without consent is not allowed. Names are allowed when they are part of the business name or belong to a public-facing professional doing business under their name.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Profanity or obscene language

  Google says it removes obscene and profane content, including profanity used to offend others or to emphasize criticism.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Threats or violence

  Content that facilitates or encourages serious physical harm, and violent or gory content intended to be shocking, sensational or gratuitous, is not allowed.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Spam or advertising

  Users may not post promotional or commercial content, or include email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or website links in reviews.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Duplicate

  Google does not allow posting the same content multiple times, from one account or several.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Impersonation

  Posing as a person, group or organization, or as a verified authoritative source, is not allowed.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

• Other

  Google calls negative-review extortion scams a serious policy violation with its own report form. It says these scams may involve a sudden increase in 1-star and 2-star reviews, followed by someone demanding money, goods or services in exchange for removing them.

  SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report negative review extortion scams on your Business Profile

• Illegal content

  Separately from its content policy, Google says users can report Maps content they believe violates local law.

  SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Legal Removals

02Which reviews Google will not remove

Google's policy allows content that describes negative experiences in a respectful manner. It says only reviews that violate its policies are eligible for removal, advises owners not to report reviews just because they disagree with or dislike them, and says it doesn't get involved in disputes between businesses and customers.

SourcesMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted contentGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

03How to report a Google review, step by step

1. On Google Maps, search for the business, select it, open Reviews, scroll to the review, select Menu and then Report Review, complete the form and submit it.

   SourceMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Report or Fix Content

2. A business owner can instead report from the Business Profile: select Read reviews, select Report next to the review, choose a reason such as Spam or Profanity, and select Send report.

   SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

3. In the Reviews Management Tool, the owner confirms the Google account linked to the profile, selects the business, chooses Report a new review for removal, selects Report next to the review, picks a reason in the new tab and selects Submit.

   SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

4. The owner can check the report's status in the Reviews Management Tool: Decision pending (not yet evaluated) or Report reviewed - no policy violation, which can be appealed once.

   SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

5. To appeal, the owner opens the Reviews Management Tool, chooses Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeal options, selects Appeal eligible reviews, picks up to 10 reviews, selects Submit an appeal, fills out the form and submits it; Google emails the result.

   SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

Official forms and pages

• Report or Fix ContentSteps for anyone to report a review on Google Maps that breaks Google's content policy.
• Reviews Management ToolBusiness owners report reviews on their profile, check report status and appeal; it asks you to sign in to the Google account that manages the profile.
• Merchant extortion report formBusiness owners reporting a sudden increase in negative reviews tied to demands for money, goods or services to remove them.
• Report Content On GoogleLegal reporting tool for Google Maps content believed to violate local law, such as defamation or content a court has found unlawful.

04How long Google takes

Google says review evaluation typically takes several days.

SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

05If Google does not remove the review

If a review an owner reported isn't removed, the owner can submit a one-time appeal through the Reviews Management Tool, selecting up to 10 reviews; while it is under review the status shows Escalated - check your email for updates. Google emails the result: reviews that violate policy are removed and compliant reviews stay live. People who report through Google Maps may be eligible to submit one appeal if the content isn't removed.

SourcesGoogle Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews on your Business ProfileMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Report or Fix Content

06Reviews that may be illegal: the legal route

Google says users can report Maps content they believe violates local law, separately from its content policy. Its Report Content On Google tool asks you to choose the product, such as Google Maps, and a legal reason, such as defamation or a court order; a policy report does not serve as legal notice, so each must be filed separately.

SourcesMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Legal RemovalsLegal Help, Report Content On Google

07Asking the reviewer to edit or delete it

Reviewers can edit or delete their own review from Your contributions > Reviews in Google Maps, and an edited review shows the date of the last edit. Google's policy says merchants may not offer incentives to revise or remove negative reviews.

SourcesGoogle Maps Help, Add, edit, or delete Google Maps reviews & ratingsMaps User Generated Content Policy Help, Prohibited & restricted content

08Responding publicly to a review

A business must verify its profile before replying to reviews. Google checks each reply against its content policies, and approved replies appear publicly under the review as the business, without the owner's personal name. The reviewer is notified and can still change their review.

SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Manage customer reviews

09What happens to businesses with fake reviews

If Google determines that a business violated its Fake Engagement policy, it may, in addition to removing the reviews, place restrictions such as blocking new reviews for a set period, unpublishing existing reviews for a set period, or showing customers a warning that fake reviews were removed. Google says it emails owners before applying a restriction, and businesses can appeal.

SourceGoogle Business Profile Help, Business Profile restrictions for policy violations

When to get help