Short answer: reply within a day or two, in four or five sentences. Thank the person, own the specific thing that went wrong, say what you did about it and offer to continue by phone or email. Google only removes a review that breaks its policies, so an honest bad review stays, and your reply is what the next customer reads. A good review needs two or three sentences: see Replying to positive reviews.
People notice. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults, 89% expect owners to respond to reviews, and generic or templated replies make 50% unlikely to choose the business. The templates below are starting points: change the details every time.
How to reply to a Google review
The steps are the same for a 5-star review and a 1-star one. You need a verified Business Profile, and you have to be one of its owners or managers.
Both roles can respond to reviews, and our guide on adding a manager shows how to give someone that access. Your reply shows as the business, never under your personal name.
On a computer
- Sign in with the Google Account that manages the profile and search Google for your business’s name and city, or for my business.
- Select Read reviews.
- Next to the review, select Reply, write your answer and select Reply again.
In the Google Maps app
- At the bottom right, tap Business. If you manage more than one, tap the down arrow at the top and pick the business.
- Tap Reviews.
- Next to the review, tap Reply and send your answer.
What happens after you send it
Google checks each reply against its content policies, usually in up to 10 minutes and sometimes in up to 30 days. If it doesn’t approve a reply, it asks you to edit it.
Once approved, the reply appears under the review and the reviewer gets a notification. They can still change their review, and if they do, its date changes to the day of the update.
To change a reply, open Read reviews and select Edit under it. Write the new text and select Update, or select Delete twice to remove it.
Replies follow the same content policies as reviews. Those policies let a business post its own phone, email or social media handles, so offering them in a reply is fine. The section What not to write, below, lists what to leave out.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, “Manage customer reviews”, “Find your business on Google” and “Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile”. Also “Manage your Business Profile owners & managers” and “Tips to get more reviews”, and Google Maps, “Prohibited & restricted content”. Read October 25, 2026.
First, decide what kind of review it is
Almost every negative review fits one of three cases, and each has its own path:
- An honest complaint. A real customer had a bad experience, even if you remember it differently. You reply, and Google won’t remove it.
- A review that breaks Google’s rules. It isn’t about a real experience, it comes from a competitor or a former employee, it’s a rant about something else, or it insults someone or exposes personal information. You report it.
- Extortion. A sudden run of 1-star and 2-star reviews, then someone asking for money to make them go away. Don’t reply and don’t pay: report it to Google with the form for that case.
Source: Google Business Profile Help, “Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile”, read October 17, 2026.
Reply fast, and keep it short
Google’s tips ask you to “respond in a timely manner”. They also ask for short replies: “If a reply is too long, people might stop reading before they get to the main point.” Customers set the clock even tighter: in the BrightLocal survey, 19% expect a reply the same day, 32% by the next day and 81% within a week.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”; BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026. Read October 17, 2026.
Write the reply in four parts
Google’s tips for negative reviews, put in order, give you a structure that fits almost any complaint:
- Use their name and thank them. Google suggests addressing the reviewer by name and acknowledging what they said.
- Own the specific thing. Apologize when it fits and admit the mistake if there was one, but “don’t take responsibility for things outside your control”.
- Say what you did or will do. Explain what you can and can’t do.
- Take it private and sign it. Offer a phone number or email for the rest, and sign with your name or initials.
Leave out any private detail about the customer, even if they shared it themselves, and leave out offers or promotions: Google asks for replies that are “conversational, not promotional”. If you run a clinic or a law office, our advice is not to confirm in public that the reviewer is a client or a patient at all.
Source: Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”, section “Tips to write better review replies”, read October 17, 2026.
RememberThank the person, own the specific thing that went wrong, say what you did about it and offer to continue by phone or email.
Templates you can copy
Replace everything in brackets, and change at least one sentence each time so two replies never read the same.
The service went wrong: a long wait, a missed appointment
Hi [name], thank you for telling us. You waited [time] past your appointment, and that’s on us, not on you. We’ve changed how we book [service] so the schedule leaves room between clients. I’d like to make it right: call me at [phone] or write to [email].
[Your name], [role]
The product or the food wasn’t right
Hi [name], I’m sorry the [product or dish] arrived [cold, damaged, wrong]. That isn’t what we want anyone to get. I’ve shared your review with [the kitchen, our team] and we’re checking [what you’re checking]. If you write to [email] with your order details, we’ll sort it out with you directly.
[Your name]
A complaint about the price or the bill
Hi [name], thanks for the feedback on the price. Our [service] includes [what it includes], and we should have explained that before you paid. If something on your bill doesn’t match what you were told, call me at [phone] and we’ll go through it line by line.
[Your name]
You can’t find them as a customer
Hi [name], thank you for writing. We looked for a visit or an order under this name and couldn’t find one. If we got something wrong, we want to know: please write to [email] with the date and what happened so we can look into it.
[Your name]
Use this one before reporting a review you think is fake: it accuses no one and shows the next reader that you checked.
A complaint about someone on your team
Hi [name], thank you for letting us know how you were treated. Everyone who comes in should be received with respect, and I’m sorry that didn’t happen. I’ve spoken with the team about it. I’d like to hear the rest from you: [phone] or [email].
[Your name], [role]
Don’t name the employee in the reply, even if the customer did.
Replying to positive reviews
A good review needs a shorter reply than a bad one: two or three sentences that show you read it. Instead of the same thank-you for everyone, Google’s tips suggest you “share a detail that reinforces their experience and encourages a return visit”.
- Something they mentioned. The dish, the person who helped them, the problem you solved. It’s what makes the reply theirs.
- A detail that helps them come back. New hours, a service they may not know you have, the best day to book. Information, not an offer.
- Your name or initials. The same sign-off as any other reply.
Leave out discounts and promotions, and don’t fill the reply with your services and your city for search engines: it reads like an ad. If you run a clinic or a law office, thank the person without confirming they’re a patient or a client, as with a bad review.
They named something specific
Hi [name], thank you for mentioning [what they mentioned]. [The team, the person they named] will be glad to read this. [A useful detail, such as: we now take bookings on Sundays too.]
[Your name]
A short review
Thanks, [name], for taking the time to review us. We’re glad [the service, the visit] went well. If there’s anything we could do better next time, write to [email].
[Your name]
A customer who comes back
Hi [name], thank you for coming back, and for saying so here. It’s good to know [a detail from their review] still works for you. See you on your next [visit, order].
[Your name], [role]
A good review also works as a testimonial. In Google Maps, find your business and select Reviews, then More and Share review next to the review to copy a link you can send or show. Our social proof guide covers how to show reviews on your website. To get more of them, see how to get more Google reviews.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”, section “Tips to write better review replies”, and “Manage customer reviews”. Read October 25, 2026.
What not to write
- A defense point by point. Arguing in public makes the review longer, not weaker.
- Details from their file. Google asks you never to share a reviewer’s private information.
- A discount if they change the review. Google’s policy bans offering incentives “in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review”. A refund you’d give anyway is fine. One that depends on the review isn’t.
- The same reply for everyone. Google asks you to make each reply count, and the BrightLocal survey found generic replies put off 50% of consumers.
Sources: Google Maps, “Prohibited & restricted content”; Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”; BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026. Read October 17, 2026.
If the review breaks Google’s rules
Google removes a review only when it breaks its content policy. A fake review, one from a competitor or a former employee, or one that insults or exposes someone qualifies. An honest complaint stays, whatever you reply. Our guide on how to remove a Google review has the reporting steps, the one appeal and Google’s form for extortion.
Source: Google Business Profile Help, “Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile”, read October 17, 2026.
After you reply
Do what the reply promised. Google notes that a constructive reply and a follow-up “may even encourage the customer to update their review”. Never offer anything in return for that edit.
One bad review weighs less among recent good ones. Your rating is the average of all published ratings, and a new review can take up to 2 weeks to count. In the BrightLocal survey, 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last three months. So keep asking every customer, as our guide on how to get more Google reviews explains. Never buy reviews or ask only the happy ones. Replies also count toward your local ranking: see how to rank higher on Google Maps.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”, “Manage customer reviews” and “Understand review scores for local places & businesses”; BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026. Read October 17, 2026.
Quick answers about replying to reviews
How do I respond to a Google review?
Sign in with the Google Account that manages your Business Profile, search Google for your business and select Read reviews, then Reply next to the review. In the Google Maps app, tap Business, then Reviews and Reply. The profile has to be verified, and you have to be one of its owners or managers. Google checks the reply before it shows, usually within 10 minutes.
Should I reply to every negative review?
Yes, and to the positive ones too. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 80% of consumers are more likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews, and 42% are unlikely to use one that ignores them.
Can I get a bad Google review removed?
Only if it breaks Google’s content policy. An honest bad review stays, and your reply is the tool you have. Our guide on how to remove a Google review explains which reviews qualify and how to report them.
Can I offer a refund so the customer deletes the review?
No. Google’s policy bans incentives, payment and discounts included, in exchange for changing or removing a negative review. You can refund a customer to fix a problem, as long as it doesn’t depend on the review.
How long does Google take to answer a report?
Google says the evaluation typically takes several days. You can follow it in the Reviews Management Tool and appeal once if Google finds no violation.
Can I edit or delete my reply?
Yes. In Read reviews, select Edit under your reply, then change it or delete it. Replies show as your business, not under your personal name.
Does the customer know when I reply to their review?
Yes. Google notifies the person who wrote the review when you reply. They can then edit their review, and if they do, its date changes to the day of the update. The reply is also public under the review, so write it for the next customer who reads it as much as for this one.
Why isn’t my reply showing on Google yet?
Google checks every reply against its content policies first. That usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can take up to 30 days. If the reply isn’t approved, Google asks you to edit it. Also check that the profile is verified: an unverified profile can’t reply to reviews at all.
Want us to answer your reviews?
Answering every review, good and bad, is part of our local SEO service, in English and Spanish. If you want to see how it would work for your business, send us a message.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help, “Manage customer reviews”, read October 17 and 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to get more reviews”, read October 17 and 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile”, read October 17 and 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Find your business on Google”, read October 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Manage your Business Profile owners & managers”, read October 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Report negative review extortion scams on your Business Profile”, read October 17, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Understand review scores for local places & businesses”, read October 17, 2026.
- Google Maps, “Prohibited & restricted content”, read October 17 and 25, 2026.
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026: 1,002 US adults, SurveyMonkey panel, published February 11, 2026. Read October 17, 2026.