How to report a Google review
Reporting a review is quick. Getting it removed depends on picking the reason that matches Google's policy and following up the right way. Here is the whole process, in plain words.
The city keeps digging up this road and nobody ever fixes the streetlights.
Why are you reporting this review?
- Off topic
- Spam
- Conflict of interest
- Profanity
- Bullying or harassment
- Personal information
The short version
- Open your Business Profile and find the review
- Choose to report it and pick the reason that matches the rule it breaks
- Track the report in Google's Reviews Management Tool
- If it is turned down and you still think it breaks a rule, appeal once from the same tool
Before you report
Google does not remove reviews because they are negative or unfair. It removes reviews that break its content policy, such as fake engagement, off topic posts, conflicts of interest, harassment and personal information. A report works best when it names the rule the review breaks.
Read the review again and ask one question: which rule does it break? If you cannot answer that, the report is likely to come back with no violation found. Our page on Google's review policy in plain words can help you decide, and the official wording is on Google's prohibited and restricted content page.
Report it in four steps
These steps are for the owner or a manager of the profile. Menu names can shift a little between the app, Google Search and Google Maps.
Find the review
Sign in with the account that manages the business, open your Business Profile on Google Search or Google Maps, and go to your reviews. Copy the review's link from the share option first, so you have it for your records.
Open the report option
Next to the review, open the menu shown as three dots, or tap the small flag, and choose to report the review.
Pick the right reason
Choose the reason that matches the rule the review breaks, such as spam, off topic, conflict of interest, profanity or harassment, then send the report.
Track it, appeal once
Open Google's Reviews Management Tool to see where each report stands. If one comes back with no violation found and you still think it breaks a rule, you can appeal that decision one time.
Choosing the right reason
The reason you pick tells Google what to look for, so match it to the problem in front of you.
- Never a customer, posted by a bot, or one of many accounts: fake engagement or spam
- Posted by a competitor or a former employee: conflict of interest
- About politics, the news or a different business: off topic
- Threats, slurs or insults aimed at a person: harassment or hate speech
- Phone numbers, home addresses or health details about someone: personal information
Pick the one reason that fits best. A report that matches the review is easier to act on than one that guesses.
Tracking a report and appealing
The Reviews Management Tool lists the reviews you have reported and shows where each one stands. A report can be pending, it can come back with no policy violation found, or it can be escalated after an appeal, in which case Google follows up by email. Google explains the tool on its help page about reporting reviews.
If a report is turned down and you still believe the review breaks a rule, you can appeal from the same tool. Each review gets one appeal, so add every fact that supports your case, such as the person not appearing anywhere in your records.
If a review was turned down, our guide on why Google did not remove a review explains the usual reasons and what still makes sense.
Mistakes that weaken a report
Most reports that fail were never going to work, for one of these reasons:
- Reporting a real customer's honest review because it hurts
- Picking whichever reason comes first in the list instead of the one that fits
- Asking friends and staff to flag the same review again and again
- Arguing with the reviewer in a public reply while the report is open
- Losing the screenshots and records that would have backed up the report
If a review is real but feels unfair, a calm reply does more than a report. Our guide on how to respond to a bad Google review shows how to write one.
When to hand it over
If you have a handful of reviews, a pattern across several accounts, or reports that keep coming back with no violation found, it can save time to let people who do this every day handle it. Send us the links on WhatsApp. We check each review, tell you which ones we believe qualify, and you pay per review only when it is removed.
Good Rating is an independent team, not part of Google. We report reviews through the same channels that are open to every business, and we follow up until a decision is made.
Reporting questions
Yes. Anyone can flag a review on Google Maps. As the owner or a manager of the Business Profile you also get the Reviews Management Tool, which lets you track your reports and appeal decisions.
No. A report asks Google to check the review against its policy. If Google finds a violation, the review comes down. If not, it stays up and you can appeal once.
Usually not. A real customer's honest account, even an angry one, is allowed. A calm, helpful reply will do more for you than a report that comes back with no violation found.
Google allows one appeal for each review that was turned down, through the Reviews Management Tool. Use it with care and include any facts that back up your report.
Yes, but there is less for Google to judge. The case then rests on the account and the pattern around it, such as a burst of ratings from brand new accounts, so note those facts before you report.
Yes. Send the review links on WhatsApp. We check each one against Google's rules, tell you which ones qualify, report them and follow up. You pay per review only when it is removed.
Want us to report them for you?
Send the review links on WhatsApp. We check each one, report the ones that break Google's rules, and you pay only for reviews that are removed.