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How do you get more Google reviews without breaking the rules?
· 6 min read
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Ask every customer the same day, in person and then by text, with your Google review link from Business Profile → Read reviews → Get more reviews. Send one reminder at most. Never offer discounts or gifts, ask only happy customers, or tell people what to write: Google removes those reviews, and the FTC can fine knowing violations.
Most homeowners pick a pro from a short list on a map, and reviews decide which name they tap. The good news: getting them doesn't take a gadget. It takes a habit of asking every customer, the same day, with a link that opens straight to your review form. The catch is that Google and the FTC both have rules about how you ask. Here's how to ask without crossing them.
What are the rules for asking for reviews?
You can ask any real customer for an honest review. You can't pay or reward them for it, ask only the happy ones, or tell them what to write. Those rules come from Google's Maps content policy and, since October 21, 2024, from the FTC's rule on consumer reviews, which lets the FTC seek civil penalties for knowing violations.
| Practice | OK? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Texting every customer your review link after the job | Yes | Google allows asking for genuine reviews without incentives. |
| Printing your QR code on invoices or leave-behind cards | Yes | Google suggests receipts, thank-you emails and printed QR codes. |
| A $10 discount, a gift card or a raffle entry for a review | No | Google: incentives are fake engagement. FTC: no rewards conditioned on sentiment, and incentives must be disclosed. |
| Asking "Were you happy?" first, then sending the link only to the yeses | No | Google bans selectively soliciting positive reviews. This is called review gating. |
| "Please mention Mike and give us 5 stars" | No | Google doesn't allow requesting specific content. |
| Standing over the customer while they write it | No | Google says don't pressure people to review while you're on site. |
| Reviews from your spouse, your crew or your cousin | No | Conflict of interest under Google's policy. The FTC rule limits insider reviews. |
| Buying reviews, or posting them from extra accounts | No | Fake reviews under both Google's policy and the FTC rule. |
| Threatening to sue over a bad review | No | The FTC rule bans groundless legal threats used to suppress reviews. |
How do you get your Google review link?
Google gives you one in your Business Profile. As of October 2026, the steps are:
- Go to your Business Profile on Google (search your business name while signed in).
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Select Copy to copy the link. To save the QR code, right-click it and choose Save image as…. Google says QR codes can only be made from a computer browser, not a phone.
Save the link as a text shortcut on your phone (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement; most Android keyboards have the same feature). Type "rvw" and the whole message appears. That way the ask takes five seconds in the driveway, and you don't put it off until you forget.
When should you ask?
Ask the same day you finish, while the fixed leak or the clean gutters are still fresh. Ask once in person ("Would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? I'll text you the link"), send the text before you leave or that evening, and send one polite reminder a few days later if they haven't posted. Then stop. A reminder is fine, but a third nudge is pressure.
What should the review request say?
Keep it short and personal: the customer's name, the job, your name, the link, and nothing about stars. Here are two to start with. More versions (reminder, email, card, repeat customer) are on the review request text templates page.
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business]. Thanks for having us out to [fix the water heater] today. If you have a minute, an honest Google review really helps a small business like ours: [review link] Thanks again!
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Business] again. No pressure at all, but if you get a second this week, here's that review link: [review link]. And if anything about the job isn't right, reply here and I'll take care of it.
Only text customers who gave you their number for the job, use your own business number, and stop the moment someone says stop. Mass-texting lists you bought or scraped is a different thing with different legal rules. This isn't legal advice. If you use a texting app, follow its consent settings.
How should you reply to reviews, good and bad?
Reply to all of them, briefly. Google's own advice is to keep replies short, polite and specific to what the customer said, and to skip the promotions. For a good review, thank them and mention one detail of the job. For a bad one:
- Wait until you're calm. Your reply will be read by every future customer, not just this one.
- Thank them, and own what's actually yours. Don't take blame for things outside your control. Explain them plainly.
- Never share private details (their address, what they paid, what's inside their home).
- Take it offline: give a phone number or email so you can make it right.
- Flag it only if it breaks Google's policies, for example if it's from someone who was never a customer, or it's harassment or spam. Otherwise, let a good reply do the work.
Hi [Name], thanks for telling us. I'm sorry the [job] didn't go the way you expected. [One honest sentence: what happened, or what we're changing.] I'd like to make it right. Please call or text me directly at [business phone]. [Your name], owner
"Hi Dana, thanks for the honest feedback. You're right that we showed up an hour past the window, and you should have had a call from us. We've changed how we text arrival times. I'd like to make it right, so please call me at the shop number. Luis, owner." It's short, it owns the miss, and it moves the conversation off the review.
What about Yelp, Angi, Facebook and Nextdoor?
Put Google first. It's the review that shows next to you on Maps and in search. Facebook and Nextdoor are fine places to be recommended. Yelp is the exception: its guidelines tell businesses not to ask anyone for reviews, and its software may hide reviews it thinks were requested. So link to Yelp from your website, but don't ask for Yelp reviews. If you're weighing lead apps, our Angi vs Thumbtack guide covers what happens to reviews you've collected there.
Reviews do the most work when people can see them next to real job photos and a clear list of what you do, on your Business Profile and on your own site. We build that for cleaners, landscapers, handymen and 30-odd other trades.
Questions trade pros ask
Can I offer a discount or a gift card for a Google review?
No. Google treats incentives such as payments, discounts or free services in exchange for a review as fake engagement and removes those reviews. The FTC's rule also bans offering anything in exchange for a positive (or negative) review.
Can I ask only my happy customers for reviews?
No. Google's policy says businesses may not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones. Ask everyone you did a job for, the same way.
Can I ask a customer to mention my name or give five stars?
Don't. Google doesn't let businesses request specific content in a review, and staff quotas or reviews that name a particular employee on request are against the policy. Just ask for an honest review.
Should I ask customers to review me on Yelp too?
No. Yelp's own guidelines tell businesses not to ask anyone for Yelp reviews, and its software may hide reviews it thinks were requested. A "Find us on Yelp" link on your website is fine.
Can my family or employees leave a review?
They shouldn't. Google removes reviews based on a conflict of interest, including family and current or former employees. The FTC rule adds limits on reviews from company insiders and their relatives.
Does a customer need a Gmail address to leave a Google review?
They need to be signed in to a Google Account, but the account can use any email address, not just Gmail.
Can I get a bad Google review taken down?
Only if it breaks Google's content policies, in which case you can flag it. Otherwise, reply calmly and publicly. Never threaten legal action to get a review removed: the FTC rule bans groundless legal threats and intimidation used to suppress reviews.
Sources
- Tips to get more reviews (Google Business Profile Help) Incentives prohibited, reply tips. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews (Google Business Profile Help) Read reviews → Get more reviews. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Prohibited and restricted content: fake engagement and rating manipulation (Maps user-generated content policy) No incentives, no selective asking, no requested content. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- FTC announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (Aug 14, 2024)
- The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers (FTC) In effect since Oct 21, 2024.
- 16 CFR Part 465: Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (eCFR)
- Soliciting and Paying for Online Reviews: A Guide for Marketers (FTC)
- Don't Ask for Reviews (Yelp Support Center)