Important: Before you can reply to reviews, you must verify your business. After your business is verified, you can reply to reviews on your Business Profile.
Customer reviews can give helpful feedback about your business. When you reply to their reviews, you show them that you value their feedback.
How to read & reply to reviews on Google [1:46]
Read and reply to reviews
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews.
- Next to the review you want to reply to, select Reply
.
- In the dialogue box, enter your reply.
- Select Reply.
.Tips:
- Replies show publicly as your business and might not show on Google right away.
- The reviewer gets a notification when you reply. After they read your reply, they can update their review. If a customer updates their review, the date on the review changes to the date of the latest update. Learn more about missing and delayed reviews.
- You can share a link or QR code with your customers to request reviews. Learn more about tips to get more Google reviews.
Edit or delete your reply
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews.
- Under the reply that you want to edit, select Edit
.
- If you want to delete your reply, select Delete
Delete.
- If you want to delete your reply, select Delete
- In the dialogue box, edit your reply.
- Select Update.
Delete.About reviews for service-area businesses
When a customer reviews a service business, they may be asked to choose the specific service provided. They can choose from your list of services, as well as common job types for similar businesses. If a customer leaves a written review, their selection will show in the review. Learn more about reviews for service businesses.
Tips to write better review replies
Make your reply positive and relevant- Be nice and stay professional: Keep your reply clear, helpful and polite. Like reviews, replies must follow our policies. Learn more about Google's content policies.
- Keep it short and simple: Customers appreciate real and helpful replies, but long ones can overwhelm them.
- Respond if necessary: Reply when you have new or relevant info to share. Each response can reach a lot of customers, so you don’t need to thank every reviewer publicly.
- Be a friend, not a salesperson: Your reviewers are already customers, so there’s no need to offer deals or promotions. Share new details or facts about your business that they might not know from their first visit.
Negative reviews aren’t necessarily a sign of poor business practices. Customers may have different expectations. Reviews can also help you find ways to improve future customer experiences.
Important: If you believe that a review violates Google’s content policies, you can flag it. Learn how to report inappropriate reviews.
Bear these tips in mind:
- Never share the reviewer’s private info or attack them personally: This applies on Maps, other services or in person. Ask the reviewer to contact you in person through email or phone so that you can help to resolve the issue. A positive reply and follow-up can show that you care and may encourage them to update their review.
- Find out why the reviewer had a negative experience: Check your records about the reviewer and their visit.
- Be honest: Admit mistakes that were made, but don’t take responsibility for things outside your control. Explain what you can and can’t do in the situation. Show how you handle issues beyond your control. For example, bad weather causes you to cancel an event, explain that you monitor the weather and send advance cancellation notices when possible.
- Apologise if needed: Show empathy and that you understand how they feel.
- Sign your reply with your name or initials: This helps your response feel more authentic.
- Respond in a timely manner: This shows that you value your customer’s feedback and experiences.
