Get your Google review link. Then ask everyone, not just the happy ones.
The job went well and the customer said thanks at the door. Nobody else will ever know, unless you ask for the review.
The short answer
Open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link1.
- The QR code only comes from a computer browser, not your phone1.
- Then ask every customer the same way, the day after the job.
- Google's policy bans selectively asking for positive reviews2.
- It also bans offering anything in return and pressuring people on the spot2.
- Reply briefly and politely.
- You can flag a review that breaks Google's rules, but a fair bad one stays3.
Getting the link and the QR code
Open your Business Profile
Go to business.google.com on a computer and pick your business1.
Choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews
That opens the share panel with your link and a QR code1.
Copy the link
Save it somewhere you'll reuse: your invoice template, your email signature, your phone's text shortcuts.
Save the QR code
Right-click it and save the image.
The detail
Google says review QR codes can only be made on a computer browser for now1.
The ask, by trade and by timing
Ask once, after the customer has seen the work and before they've forgotten you.
The detail
Google suggests your receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat and a printed code in your shop1. In a business that goes to the customer, that looks like this.
| Your work | When to ask | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | The day after the first regular visit, once they've seen what a normal clean looks like | A text with your link, then the line on every invoice |
| Landscaping and snow | The day after the job, or after the first push of the season | A door-hanger with the QR code when nobody's home, and the line on the invoice |
| Glass, windows and other trades | The day after the install | A text with the link, and the QR code on the truck for the customer standing beside it at the end of the job |
| Tire and auto | At pickup, or the day after | The QR code at the counter where they pay, and the line on the invoice |
| Property management | When a repair is closed out | A text to the tenant who reported it, with the link |
Example
- A text the day after the job: "Thanks again for having us out yesterday.
- If you've got a minute, a Google review helps other people find us: [your link].
The detail
Good or bad, we read every one."
Example
- The line on the invoice: "How did we do?
- Tell us in a Google review: [your link]".
- The same line on every invoice, whatever you think they'll say.
At a counter, leave the code where they can scan it later. Google bans pressuring people to review while they're on your premises2.
When the profile isn't verified, or someone else has it
Check whether you're verified
Sign in at business.google.com. If Google still offers Get verified, you aren't.
Use the method Google gives you
Phone or text, email, a live video call, a mailed code or a recorded video.
The detail
Google picks the method, and you can't change it4.
Then leave it alone
Google's review takes up to 5 business days.
The detail
A mailed code usually arrives within 14 days and expires after 30. Don't request a new code or change your name, address or category while you wait4.
Never give the code to a caller
Google says it will never ask for your verification code4. Whoever is asking isn't Google.
If someone else verified it
An old web company or a former manager, say. Request access at business.google.com/add.
The detail
They get 3 days to answer; if they don't, you may be able to claim it6.
What Google's rules ban when you ask
- Offering anything for a review: payment, discounts, free goods or services2.
The detail
That includes offering them to change or remove a bad one2.
- Asking only the customers you think liked you, or discouraging bad reviews2.
- Pressuring people to review while they're still on your premises2.
- Asking staff to collect a set number of reviews2.
- Reviews from people with a conflict of interest, such as current or former employees2.
Asking everyone is allowed, and Google says a mix of good and bad feedback often looks more trustworthy anyway7.
Replying: short, polite, no deals
Google's own advice: keep replies short and simple, and don't use them to offer deals or promotions7.
Example
- To a good review: "Thanks, Dana.
- Glad the new door's keeping the draft out.
- We'll see you in the spring."
The detail
To a bad one: "You're right, we were late on Tuesday, and that's on us. I'd like to make it right: please call me at the shop."
A bad review you think is unfair
Google removes only reviews that break its policies, not reviews that are just negative3.
The detail
To report one, open Read reviews, choose the report icon next to it, pick a reason and send. The Reviews Management Tool shows the status, from "Decision pending" to "Report reviewed - no policy violation", and you get one appeal. Google says a decision typically takes several days3.
If the review is fair, reply and fix the problem. If it isn't, report it once and still reply calmly.
The detail
The next customer reads your answer, not the report.
Sources
- Create a link or QR code to request reviews, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
- Maps user-contributed content policy: prohibited and restricted content, Google. Read 2026-10-27.
- Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
- Verify your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
- Manage customer reviews, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
- Request ownership of a Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
- Tips to get more reviews, Google Business Profile Help. Read 2026-10-27.
Checked on 2026-10-27.
