How to Remove Google Reviews (and When You Actually Can)
Quick answer: you can’t delete a Google review yourself. You can report it for removal if it breaks Google’s rules (fake, spam, off-topic, a conflict of interest, or hateful or harassing content) from your Business Profile or Google’s Reviews Management Tool. Google decides in a few days, and you get one appeal per review.
We fix Google Business Profiles for a living. One holiday light installation company we worked with went from page 3 to page 1 of Google in 30 days, so we spend a lot of time staring at reviews.
Now, I know why you’re here. Somebody left you a one-star review. Let’s call him Kevin. Kevin has never set foot in your business, Kevin spelled your name wrong, and Kevin is now the first thing every customer sees. (I’d shake my fist at Kevin too, but I pulled a shoulder doing that last week.) Let’s deal with Kevin.
Which Google reviews can be removed?
Google removes a review only when it breaks Google’s content policy. A review being unfair, rude or wrong about your opening hours isn’t enough on its own. (If “wrong about my opening hours” counted, I’d have filed forty reports by now.) Here’s the cheat sheet.
| Type of review | Can it be removed? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fake or spam (bots, people who were never customers) | Usually, if Google agrees it’s fake | Report it |
| Conflict of interest (a competitor, an ex-employee, the owner) | Yes, it breaks the policy | Report it |
| Off-topic (politics, a rant about something else) | Yes | Report it |
| Hate speech, harassment, threats, personal information | Yes | Report it |
| Meant for a different business | Often | Report it as off-topic |
| Possibly illegal, like defamation | Sometimes, through Google’s legal team | File a legal removal request |
| Honest but negative | No | Reply to it, and get more good reviews |
Can you remove Google reviews yourself?
No. A business owner can’t delete a review on their own profile, and only the person who wrote it can delete it. I know. I also pressed every button on the dashboard looking for a secret “delete Kevin” option, and the only thing I deleted was 40 minutes of my afternoon.
What you can do is report it. Google’s team checks the review against its policy, and if it breaks the rules, it comes down. If it doesn’t, it stays, and you move on to the tactics further down this page (stretch first, it’s a long page).
How to remove bad Google reviews, step by step
There are two ways in, and they end in the same place, like a mall with two food courts. Pick whichever one your thumbs find first.
Option 1: report it from your Business Profile
- Open your Business Profile (search your business name on Google while signed in).
- Select Read reviews.
- Find the review and select the report icon next to it.
- Choose the reason it breaks the rules and select Send report.
Option 2: use the Reviews Management Tool
- Open Google’s Reviews Management Tool and confirm your account.
- Select your business, then Report a new review for removal.
- Select Report next to the review, choose a reason, and submit.
The tool is also where you check on it later. Google’s own help page on reporting reviews says evaluation typically takes several days, which is roughly how long it takes me to stop refreshing the page. (It’s longer. Don’t ask.)
If Google says no: appeal once
If the status comes back as “no policy violation,” you get one appeal per review. In the Reviews Management Tool, choose the option to check reviews you reported, select Appeal eligible reviews, pick up to 10, and submit the form. Google emails you the final decision. One appeal, so make it count, like your last slice of pizza.
How to remove negative reviews on Google that don’t break the rules
Here’s the bit nobody wants to hear: most negative reviews don’t break any rules. They’re just somebody having a bad day at your expense, usually right after their coffee order went sideways. You can’t remove those, but you can make them matter a lot less.
- Reply, calmly and quickly. Future customers read your reply more closely than the review. Thank them, own anything real, and offer to fix it offline. Google explains how to read and reply to reviews. Write it, walk around the block, then post it.
- Fix the problem, then ask nicely. If you make it right, a reviewer can edit or delete their own review. Ask once. Don’t bribe them, and definitely don’t show up at Kevin’s house.
- Bury it with real reviews. One bad review among 80 good ones looks like a fluke. One bad review among three looks like a trend. Ask every happy customer, every time, using a Google review link or QR code. Yes, it feels awkward. You’ll survive. I did, mostly.
How to spot and remove fake Google reviews
Fake reviews are the ones Google is most likely to take down, because fake engagement is against its policy. The trick is showing Google why it’s fake instead of just announcing that you’re upset (which I have also tried, loudly, at my laptop).
- The reviewer has no record in your customer list, bookings or invoices.
- A cluster of one-star reviews lands in the same day or two.
- The review describes a service you don’t offer, a location you don’t have, or a visit on a day you were closed.
- The reviewer’s profile reviews your competitors glowingly and nobody else at all.
Report each one with the closest matching reason, and keep a note of the evidence in case you appeal. Kevin, if you’re reading this, we see you.
What not to do
- Don’t buy reviews, good ones to drown out the bad, or anything else. Fake engagement breaks Google’s policy, and it can cost you far more than one grumpy review.
- Don’t report every review you dislike. Google’s own guidance says not to report a review just because you disagree with it. Save your reports for real violations.
- Don’t argue in public. You might win the argument. You’ll lose the customer reading it. Ask me how I know. (Please don’t.)
What we’d do first if it were our profile
If a bad review landed on our profile tonight, here’s the order we’d go in, with snacks.
- Check it against the table above. Does it actually break a rule?
- If yes, report it, write down the evidence, and set a reminder to check the status.
- Either way, reply within a day, short and polite.
- Then ask the last ten happy customers for a review, because the real fix for one bad review is twenty good ones.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Google take to remove a reported review?
Google says evaluation typically takes several days. You can check the status in the Reviews Management Tool.
Can a business owner delete a Google review?
No. Only the person who wrote a review can delete it. A business owner can report it, and Google removes it if it breaks the content policy.
Can I pay Google to remove a review?
No. Google doesn’t remove reviews for payment. Be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed review removal for a fee.
What if my appeal is denied?
The review stays up. Reply to it publicly and focus on getting more real reviews. If the review is defamatory or otherwise illegal, you can file a legal removal request with Google.
Should I delete my Business Profile to get rid of bad reviews?
No. You’d lose every good review, your photos and your ranking along with the bad one.
Want reviews working for you instead of against you? Our Google Business Profile optimization services get your profile onto page 1 of Google, and you don’t pay until we do. Or call +1 424-428-1454.
