How to remove Google reviews
Google does not remove a review for being negative, but it does remove fake, off-topic, conflict-of-interest and abusive reviews under its policies.
What Google removes
- Fake engagement: reviews by non-customers, competitors or review farms
- Off-topic: reviews unrelated to an experience with the business
- Conflict of interest: reviews by ex-employees or competitors
- Harassment, hate and personal information
- Reviews tied to offers or extortion
Step by step
- In your Business Profile, choose Report review next to the review and name the policy.
- Track reports in Google's Manage reviews tool; if refused, you can appeal once there.
- For a coordinated attack, document the dates and shared traits (same day, similar wording, new accounts).
- Use Google's legal removal form for defamatory reviews.
More in our guide to removing Google reviews.
Reviews that stay
Reply calmly and concretely to every review. Asking every customer for a review is the fastest way to dilute a single bad one.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying reviews a problem?
Yes. Google removes fake reviews and may temporarily block new reviews and show a warning on the profile.