Google Review Guidelines
Follow Google review rules when using MGR for requests, review pages, and replies.
Google has rules for how businesses collect and manage reviews. If you break them, Google may remove reviews, suspend your Business Profile, or restrict your listing. MGR gives you tools to collect more reviews, but you are responsible for using them in a way that follows Google's policies.
This page explains what Google expects, how MGR is designed to help you stay compliant, and the settings we recommend.
What Google Cares About
Google's policies focus on honest, unbiased reviews from real customers. The main rules that affect how you use MGR are:
No review gating – You should not block unhappy customers from leaving a public review on Google while only sending happy customers there.
No incentives for reviews – You should not offer money, discounts, gifts, or entries into a sweepstakes in exchange for a Google review.
No fake or misleading reviews – Reviews must come from real customers who had a genuine experience with your business.
No posting on behalf of customers – You should not submit reviews for customers without their knowledge, or copy and paste reviews they did not write themselves.
For the full policy, see Google's Maps user contributions policy and Google's prohibited and restricted content policy.
US businesses should also follow the FTC's consumer review rules. Do not pay someone for a positive review. Do not stop someone from leaving a public review because their rating was low. MGR already keeps a public path by default. Do not turn that off.
For the FTC's guidance, see The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule.
How MGR Helps You Stay Compliant
MGR is built around collecting feedback first and directing customers to Google when appropriate. Several features are designed with Google's rules in mind:
Link Revealer (recommended)
On your review page Links, you can set a Link Reveal Rating so Google review buttons appear automatically when a customer selects a high rating (typically 4 or 5 stars). For lower ratings, MGR shows a link revealer by default: a small link that still lets the customer go to Google if they choose.
Keep Link Revealer Button set to Enable. This gives every customer a path to leave a public review, which aligns with Google's expectations.
Do not disable the link revealer. If you hide public review links from customers who had a negative experience, Google may remove your Business Profile listing.
Redirects
Redirects are off by default. If you add a URL for a rating, that customer leaves your page as soon as they pick it. Leave other ratings blank so those customers stay on your page, where the link revealer still lets them go to Google.
Collecting feedback before Google
It is fine to ask customers for private feedback on your review page before sending them to Google. Many businesses use MGR this way. The important part is that unhappy customers can still reach Google if they want to.
Filtering what you display
You can hide low-rated reviews from your Showcase and Widgets. That is different from blocking someone from leaving a review on Google. Display filters do not prevent customers from posting on Google.
Syncing and replying
When you connect Google My Business, MGR imports your Google reviews and lets you reply from your dashboard. Replies should be honest, professional, and written by you (or approved by you if you use AI assistance).
AI Review Suggestions
AI Review Suggestions are off by default. When you turn them on, customers who pick a 4 or 5 star rating can click Generate for writing help. They choose whether to use a suggestion, and they can edit it.
Treat suggestions as a starting point. Ask customers to change the text so it matches their own experience. Do not post a suggestion to Google for them, and do not ask them to paste unchanged text they did not write.
Recommended Settings
Use these settings as a starting point for a Google-friendly setup:
Review Pages > Links – Add a Google review link. Set Link Reveal Rating to 4 or 5. Keep Link Revealer Button enabled.
Review Pages > Success Page – You can encourage happy customers to copy their review and paste it on Google. Do not write reviews for them or ask them to post text they did not write.
Review Pages > Links > Incentive – Leave this blank for Google links. Do not offer discounts, free items, or rewards for leaving a Google review.
Settings > Strategy – Request reviews from real customers after a genuine transaction or visit. See Request Strategy for timing and limits.
Settings > Integrations – Connect Google My Business to sync reviews and reply from one place.
Review Pages > Redirects – Leave ratings blank unless you want an immediate send to a public review site. Do not send low ratings to a private page with no public option.
Review Pages > Feedback Form – Leave AI Review Suggestions off unless you want writing help on that page. If you turn it on, treat suggestions as a starting point the customer should edit.
Review Requests
Sending review requests by email or SMS is allowed when you follow a few basic rules:
Ask real customers only – Import customers who actually used your product or service.
Do not spam – Use your Request Strategy schedule and limits so customers are not overwhelmed.
Do not condition rewards on reviews – Thank-you messages are fine. Paying or rewarding customers only if they leave a positive Google review is not.
Honor opt-outs – MGR handles unsubscribe and STOP requests for email and SMS. Do not manually re-add customers who opted out just to ask for another review.
AI-Generated Replies
MGR can suggest replies to your Google reviews using AI. Before you send a reply:
Read and edit the suggestion so it matches what you actually want to say.
Do not use AI to generate fake reviews or to post on behalf of customers. The same rule applies to AI Review Suggestions. Do not paste an unedited suggestion to Google for a customer.
Keep replies professional, especially for negative reviews.
What to Avoid
Disable the link revealer
Blocks unhappy customers from reaching Google
Offer incentives on Google links
Violates Google's no-incentive rule
Send review requests to people who never used your business
Fake or misleading solicitation
Post reviews for customers
Reviews must reflect the customer's own experience
Only ask happy customers to review you outside of MGR
Selective solicitation violates Google's gating rules
Send only happy customers to Google with redirects
Review gating. Leave other ratings blank so the public path stays open
Ask customers to paste unedited AI text to Google
Reviews must reflect the customer's own words
If Google Removes a Review or Restricts Your Listing
MGR cannot appeal Google's decisions on your behalf. If a review is removed or your listing is restricted:
Review your recent review collection practices against the guidance on this page.
Visit Google Business Profile Help for next steps.
Contact MGR support if you need help understanding how your MGR settings may have contributed.
MGR does not guarantee that Google will accept, publish, or keep any review. Third-party platforms make their own enforcement decisions.
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