💬 When You Need This Guide
Use this article when:
You notice reviews are missing from your Google listing
You're trying to confirm whether certain reviews have been filtered or flagged
You want to prevent future reviews from being removed
You want to explain to clients or team members why reviews may vanish
🤖 How Google's Review Filter Works
Google uses an automated filter that periodically removes reviews if they violate platform policies. This may happen weeks or months after a review is posted—even if it showed up initially.
You may notice multiple reviews disappear all at once. That usually means the algorithm ran a batch removal.
🔎 How to Check If Reviews Were Removed
Follow these steps to verify whether Google filtered or removed reviews:
Log in to Google Maps
Click the menu (≡) at the top left
Choose Your Contributions
Click the Reviews tab
Copy the URL from the top of your browser
Open an Incognito window and paste the URL
Compare the number of visible reviews between both views
If you're logged in and see more reviews than in the Incognito view, that means some have been filtered.
To spot which ones were removed:
Look for reviews that do not have a “like” or “share” icon. No icons = likely removed.
📌 Reminder: Google only filters reviews with text. Star-only ratings without a message usually aren’t flagged.
🚫 Why Reviews Get Removed
❌ Reason | 📌 Details |
Spam or Fake Activity | Google may remove even legit-looking reviews if they appear spammy |
Includes Links/URLs/Phone Numbers | Reviews with external links or contact info are flagged |
Incentivized Reviews | Offering raffles, discounts, or prizes violates Google's guidelines |
Duplicate Listings | Reviews may attach to a duplicate location by accident |
🛠️ Can You Get Reviews Back?
There’s no guaranteed way, but here are steps you can try:
Login to Google Business Profile
Go to All Locations
Verify ownership if prompted
Click Manage Location
Edit the Map Marker Location slightly
Save changes
This may help if Google’s system had trouble linking reviews to your map pin.
📌 If this doesn’t work:
Ask the reviewer to edit and re-save their review
You can also report the issue to Google, though recovery is rare
🧠 Pro Tips: Avoid Getting Reviews Removed
Follow these best practices:
Do NOT collect reviews from your office Wi-Fi
Google can detect if multiple reviews come from the same IP
Instead, use SMS or email to send review requests to personal devices
Do NOT offer incentives
Even legit reviews can get flagged if you’ve incentivized feedback
Avoid asking staff, friends, or family
Google may detect relationships and remove these reviews
✅ You'll Know It Worked When:
Your reviews show consistently across incognito and logged-in views
Patients receive and complete reviews from their personal devices
You’re no longer losing batches of reviews unexpectedly
🧭 What to Do Next
Audit your current review request flow
Ensure review requests go to real patients on personal networks
Set expectations with patients: “You’ll get a quick text after your visit asking for feedback!”
Monitor your Google reviews weekly for changes