Google review rules for shop owners: what is allowed and what is not

Allowed

• Asking customers for reviews, in person, on WhatsApp, with a QR code or on the bill.
• Asking every customer, whatever you think they felt.
• Making it easy, with a direct review link and suggestions about what to mention.
• Replying to reviews, good and bad.
• Reporting reviews that are fake, abusive or off-topic.

Not allowed

• Rewards for reviews: discounts, free items, cashback, lucky draws or points in return for a review.
• Review gating: asking customers how they felt first, then sending only happy ones to Google.
• Fake reviews: writing reviews yourself, or asking staff, family or friends to review the shop.
• Bought reviews: paying any person or agency for reviews.
• Reviewing competitors to pull their rating down.
• Posting for a customer from your phone or account. The customer must post from their own Google account.

Is it OK to help customers write a review?

Suggesting what to mention is fine, and it is often what stops people giving up. What matters is that the review is from a real customer, about a real visit, with the rating they chose, posted by them from their own account, and that they can change anything they like before posting.

That is how Revvo works:

• The customer picks their own star rating, including 1 or 2 stars.
• They pick what they got done and what they liked (or what could be better).
• Revvo writes a short draft in simple English that they can edit.
• They post it themselves, from their own Google account. Low ratings are never hidden.

What happens if a shop breaks the rules

Google can remove the reviews, block new reviews for a period, show a warning on your profile that suspicious reviews were removed, or suspend the profile. Recovering trust takes much longer than getting reviews the right way.

The honest way works: ask everyone, at the right moment, and make it easy. Start with how to get more Google reviews.