Reviews & Maps / How to remove a Google review
How to remove a Google review
Last updated
October 18, 2026
Short answer
You can’t delete a Google review yourself. Only the person who wrote it can. You can report a review that breaks Google’s rules, like a fake review, spam, a conflict of interest or offensive content, then track the report and appeal once if it stays up. A review you simply disagree with stays, so reply calmly and bury it with honest reviews. If you wrote the review yourself, you can edit or delete it from your Google Maps contributions.
1. Check whether it breaks Google’s rules
Google removes reviews that break its Maps content policy, not reviews that are harsh or unfair. Reviews that can come down include:
- Fake reviews and spam, like a review that doesn’t describe a real experience with your business.
- Conflicts of interest: a competitor, a former employee, or someone reviewing their own business.
- Off-topic rants about politics, the news or anything that isn’t about their experience with you.
- Offensive, hateful, sexually explicit or threatening content.
- Personal information, like a phone number or home address.
- Impersonation of another person or business.
2. Report the review
Sign in to the account that manages your Business Profile and open your reviews from Google Search or Maps. Find the review, open its three-dot menu and choose to report it. Pick the reason that matches the rule it breaks. Report each review once, on its own.
3. Track it, then appeal once
Google’s Reviews Management Tool shows the status of reviews you’ve reported. A decision usually takes a few days. If Google decides the review doesn’t break the rules, you can appeal once from the same tool. Say which rule it breaks and add anything that proves it, like the fact that there’s no job under that name.
4. How to report fake Google reviews
Search your job software and invoices for the name, street and date. Check your call log too: someone who called and never booked can still review that call honestly. If there’s no match, report the review with the reason that fits, like spam or conflict of interest, and say in your report that there’s no matching customer record. Then post a calm public reply: “We can’t find a job under this name. Please call me at [number] so we can look into it.” Future customers see the reply, and Google sees the report.
A wave of fake reviews at once
Sometimes a business gets a burst of 1-star reviews in a day or two from people who were never customers, for example after a social media post or a news story. It’s often called review bombing. Report each one, and make sure Google sees the pattern too.
- Screenshot every review with its date and the reviewer’s name before anything changes.
- Check each name against your job software, and note which ones have no match.
- Report each review on its own, choosing the reason that fits, like spam, conflict of interest or off-topic.
- Then contact Google Business Profile support through the Help Center and describe the pattern: how many, over what dates, and that none match a customer.
- You don’t have to reply to every one. A short, calm reply on a few tells customers what’s going on. Don’t argue in public. Here’s how to reply to a fake review.
5. Someone threatens a bad review unless you pay
That’s extortion. Don’t pay and don’t negotiate. Keep screenshots of every message and report it to Google through Business Profile Help, which has a separate process for review extortion.
6. Reviews that may be defamatory
A review that states something false and damaging about your business can sometimes be removed through Google’s legal removal request. It’s a legal process, so talk to a lawyer before you file.
7. Fix it, then let the customer know
If a real customer had a real problem, call them and make it right. Once it’s sorted, it’s fine to let them know they can update or remove their review if they feel differently. Never offer money, a refund or a discount in exchange.
If you wrote the review: edit or delete it
This is also what to send a customer who wants to update their review after you’ve fixed things.
- Open Google Maps, signed in to the account that posted the review.
- Open your profile or the menu, then your contributions, then Reviews.
- Tap the three dots next to the review and choose Edit or Delete.
Only the account that wrote a review can change it. A business can’t do it for them, and you should never offer anything in exchange.
When Google won’t remove it
Most negative reviews stay up. Reply within a day or two, calmly and briefly, and take the conversation offline. Then ask every customer for a review, every time, and reply to every review you get. One bad review among 200 barely shows. Here’s how many 5-star reviews it takes to recover, and see how to respond to a negative Google review for reply examples.
What never to do
- Post fake positive reviews, or ask staff and family to, to drown it out.
- Threaten the reviewer or argue in public. In the US, the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bans using threats to get reviews taken down.
- Offer a refund on the condition that they delete the review.
Review removal services: what you’re paying for
Search “Google review removal service” and you’ll find companies charging to take reviews down. Here’s what they can and can’t do.
- What a service can do: pick the right policy reason, write a clear report and appeal, and keep track. You can do all of that with the steps above.
- Red flags: guaranteed removal, payment up front, asking to be made primary owner of your profile, or offering to contact reviewers for you.
- Who carries the risk: if a service threatens reviewers or pays them to take a review down, it does it in your name. Your business carries the risk, not the service.
If a service guarantees results, ask how. The honest answer is that Google decides.
Preventing bad reviews in your trade
Most bad reviews start as a problem nobody heard about. Check-in texts after every job give you the chance to hear about it before it reaches Google. See when to check in for roofers, HVAC companies, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, painters, garage door companies, pest control companies, pool service companies, concrete contractors and window and door companies.
Questions about removing Google reviews
Can a business owner delete a Google review?
No. Only the person who wrote it can edit or delete it. A business can report a review that breaks Google’s policies, and Google decides whether to remove it.
How long does it take Google to remove a reported review?
Usually a few days. You can check the status in Google’s Reviews Management Tool, and appeal once if the review stays up. Nobody can promise a same-day removal. Only the person who wrote it can delete it instantly.
Can I remove a 1-star review with no text?
Only if it breaks Google’s rules, for example if it’s fake or from a competitor. A star rating from a real customer stays, even with no comment.
How do I get fake Google reviews removed?
Report each one from your Business Profile with the reason that fits, like spam or a conflict of interest, note that there’s no matching customer record, then track the reports in the Reviews Management Tool and appeal once if needed.
Can a business turn off Google reviews?
No. There’s no setting to turn off or hide reviews on a Business Profile. Removing the profile from your account doesn’t take the listing off Google either, so the reviews stay.
Why won’t Google let me delete my review?
You’re probably signed in to a different Google account from the one that posted it, so check every account on your phone. If the review isn’t listed under your contributions at all, it may already have been removed.
How much does it cost to remove a Google review?
Reporting a review and appealing are free, and nobody can buy a removal from Google. What paid services sell is help writing reports you can write yourself. A legal removal request is free to file, but a lawyer’s time isn’t.
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Responding to a negative review → How to get more Google reviews → Google review request templates → How to find your Google review link and QR code → Automated Google review replies → What review management costs →