How to Delete Google Reviews: A Step-By-Step Guide

Have you ever come across a situation where you had to wonder how to delete a Google review that is harming your business reputation?

You are not alone.

Whether you are a small business owner or run a local business, fake or negative reviews can come up unexpectedly and have a big impact.

Did you know that around 11% of Google reviews are fake?

While you can’t remove every bad review with the click of a button, there are ways to tackle those that break Google’s Prohibited and Restricted content policy.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps to help you answer how to delete Google reviews and how to request their removal.

So, if you’re dealing with a review that’s crossed the line, keep reading to find out how to clean up your online presence.

Why Do You Need to Delete Google Reviews?

Customer reviews have become essential for any business, and Google Reviews is one of the leading review platforms that your consumers frequent.

Therefore, you must have good reviews on your Google business profile. Hence, let us dive into the reasons for review removal.

• Protect Your Reputation: Do you know that about 64% of consumers check your Google reviews before actually visiting you?

  This makes it really crucial to get rid of fake or harmful reviews that could tarnish your reputation.

  While a few bad reviews can add authenticity, an inappropriate review can damage your business’s credibility. Knowing how to erase misleading Google reviews is, therefore, very important.

• Maintain Trust with Customers: Reviews provide social proof to your business. Negative or false reviews can erode customer trust.

  You can ensure that your online presence reflects true customer experiences by deleting the negative reviews that violate Google’s policies.

• Prevent Misinformation: Deleting reviews that contain false information ensures potential consumers get an accurate view of your business.
• Improve Customer Perception: A well-managed review profile with accurate feedback can improve potential customers’ perception of your business.

Can You Delete Google Reviews?

Yes, you can remove Google Reviews if they are false or fake and violate Google’s terms and conditions.

Google doesn’t make it easy to delete reviews; there’s no simple “remove” button.

But why?

As reviews are mostly true opinions of customers, businesses mustn’t manipulate them easily – according to Google.

So, you are left with two options:

1️. The person who wrote the review can delete it themselves.

If you are a business owner, first try contacting a reviewer directly. Negative reviews often stem from misunderstandings or miscommunication, and simple conversations can clear things up, resolve the issue, and even encourage the reviewer to remove or update their feedback.

2️. You can flag the review as inappropriate if it violates Google’s policies.

When you flag a review, you’re basically telling Google that it contains misleading, irrelevant, or inappropriate content.

After that, you’ll be directed to a page where you can submit a brief report and your email for follow-up.

The good news is that Google now has spam filters that automatically catch fake or policy-violating reviews.

However, they’re not perfect, and some bad reviews still slip through, potentially impacting your business unfairly. If that happens, you’ll need to step in and report them manually.

How to Delete Google Reviews Posted By Others? (As Business Owner)

Negative or fake reviews can be frustrating, especially when misrepresenting your business.

While you can’t delete Google reviews yourself, here’s how to flag and request removal:

Steps on How to Remove a Review on Google Business Profile

If you come across a review that is fake, misleading or violates Google’s policies, you don’t have just to sit back and accept it. While the process isn’t instant, taking action can help protect your business reputation.

Here’s how you can report a Google review for removal:

Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Account

Sign in to your Google Business account using your business credentials. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to create one.

Step 2: Verify the Google Business Profile and Locate the Review

Once logged in, verify that it’s the correct business profile. Then, go on to find the reviews you want to delete in your business profile’s “Reviews” section.

Step 3: Flag the Review

Once you have identified the review you want to remove, click on the three dots to the right of it. Now, select “Report Review” or a similar option, depending on the context.

The image shows the “Report Review” button we are talking about here. Just click on it to report Google.

Step 4: Report the Violation

When discussing how to erase Google reviews, the next step includes describing why you think the review violates Google’s content policy. Make sure that you expressly point toward the issue along with the evidence.

In the end, click ‘Report’ to submit the report.

You can see what this page would look like in the image here. Select the category that best fits your reason and report the feedback you think is inaccurate.

Once you report the issue, you will get the below message.

Step 5: Wait for Google Reviews

Now, you must wait and watch (wait at least 3 working days). The team at Google will review your review report and decide whether the review really violates their content policy.

We hope now you can delete a Google review, whether it’s fake or harmful, and maintain your online reputation.

When Can You Request Google to Remove a Review?

Not every bad review qualifies for removal. Google has strict policies, and only reviews that violate those guidelines can be flagged and potentially deleted.

Here are some types of reviews that Google may remove if reported:

• Spam & Fake Reviews: A review can be reported if a competitor or someone with no real experience with your business submits a fake review. These reviews contain generic or vague content and are occasionally published in large quantities.
• Offensive or Inappropriate Content: Reviews that include hate speech, threats, harassment, or profanity violate Google’s policies and can be removed.
• Conflicts of Interest: In case you suspect that a competitor is writing a negative review to damage your reputation (or one of your company is writing positive reviews), you can report it.
• Irrelevant or Inaccurate Information: Reviews that are irrelevant to your business (e.g., a client reviewing the incorrect business) or contain inaccurate information can also be challenged.
• Personal Information: If the review contains phone numbers, addresses, emails, or other personal information, Google will remove it for privacy reasons.

If the review falls in any of these categories, you may be successful in removing it.

What Happens After Reporting a Review for Deletion?

Once you flag a review, Google’s team will manually assess it to determine if it violates their policies. Here’s what you can expect:

• Processing Time: Google usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks to review and take action.
• If Approved: The review will be removed, and you’ll see it disappear from your business profile.
• If Denied: If Google determines that the review doesn’t violate its policies, it will remain visible. In this case, you can opt for an alternative solution to resolve this issue.

Alternative Solutions If Google Won’t Remove a Review

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, Google refuses to remove a review, even if you believe it’s unfair or inaccurate.

When that happens, don’t panic.

There are many other ways to remove harmful or spam reviews on Google to protect your business reputation.

1. Respond Professionally to Negative/Fake Reviews

If there is a negative review on your page, the best course of action is to respond in a professional tone.

This is how to handle negative Google reviews:

• Acknowledge the concern: Even if you disagree with the review, showing empathy can go a long way.
• Keep it short and professional: Avoid emotional responses. Stick to the facts.
• Authenticate the review: If you suspect it’s a forgery, politely request details of their experience (e.g., order number, date of service). If they can’t provide proof, potential customers will notice.

Fake reviewers often won’t respond, making their reviews look suspicious to others.

2. Solve Their Problem and Ask to Edit the Review

For authentic negative reviews, turn them into an opportunity to build stronger customer relationships.

• Apologize and offer a solution: If the complaint is valid, fixing the issue can lead to a revised or removed review.
• Follow-up: After resolving the issue, politely ask them if they’d be open to revising their review.

Many customers appreciate good service recovery and are happy to reconsider their rating.

3. Gather More Positive Reviews to Outweigh the Negative Ones

A single negative review won’t hurt if you have a strong base of positive feedback. In fact, Google’s algorithm favors businesses with a steady flow of good reviews.

Best Practice: Aim for 20 positive reviews for every 1 negative review.

• Ask satisfied customers to leave feedback: Send follow-up emails or text messages requesting a review.
• Make it easy: Provide a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page.
• Offer a reminder: Without incentives, just a friendly nudge to share their experience.

More positive reviews will naturally push down the impact of a negative one.

4. Use Google’s Legal Request Form (If Necessary)

If a review contains defamation, false accusations, or legal violations, you can escalate the issue beyond standard reporting.

How to Submit a Legal Review Removal Request

1. Visit Google’s Legal Help Page
2. Choose “Remove content for legal reasons”
3. Select Google Search and Business Profile Reviews
4. Provide details and submit the form

Google takes legal requests very seriously, and if the review violates laws, they’ll remove it.

5. Contact Google Business Support

If nothing works, your last option is to reach out directly to Google Business Support and request further assistance.

If you’ve tried flagging the review and responding to the reviewer with no success, take it to Twitter. Publicly tweeting @GoogleSmallBiz (not just @Google) can get their attention.

But, keep in mind that you need to follow them so they can DM you back easily. Also attach screenshots, a brief description, and a link for a quicker resolution.

Tip: Still, stuck with a fake review issue even after trying everything? Try to post your concern on the Google Business Community Forum! Here, experts and experienced users often provide insights or solutions that can help resolve your concern faster. You might even find a similar case already discussed.

Can You Delete a Google Review? (As Reviewer)

We’ve all had those moments as a customer, maybe a frustrating experience led you to leave a harsh Google review in the heat of the moment.

But what if you later realize it wasn’t entirely fair, or the business made things right?

Yes, you can edit or delete your Google review anytime! Whether you want to adjust your rating, rewrite your feedback, or remove it altogether, it’s a simple process.

How to Remove a Google Review I Wrote (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Sign in to your Google account and open Google Maps.

Step 2: Click the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.

Step 3: Select “Your Contributions” from the list.

Step 4: Go to the “Reviews” tab and find the review you want to change.

Step 5: Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the review.

Step 6: Choose “Edit review” to update your feedback or “Delete review” to remove it permanently.

Step 7: Follow the prompts to confirm your changes.

Remember: Once you delete a review, it’s gone forever, and you won’t be able to recover it.

By updating or removing a review, you’re making sure your feedback fairly represents your experience. This helps businesses maintain their reputation and ensures future customers get genuine and accurate insights.

How to Delete Google Reviews Posted by Others? (As Third Party)

As a consumer, you may be going through fake or misleading reviews where unauthorized individuals comment on other people’s posts, pretending to own the business and leaving their contact details. In most cases, it is an exercise in spamming or scamming aimed at unsuspecting customers.

These types of fraud are commonly found in the real estate market, automobile dealerships, home repairs, etc. Fraudulent reviewers may lure people with commitments, which can result in fraud.

Well, what do you do when you see suspiciously appearing fake reviews, but you are not the reviewer nor the business owner?

Here’s how to remove negative Google reviews posted by others that are misleading or spamming:

Step 1: Go to the Google Map

Open Google Maps or search for the business on Google.

Step 2: Find the Suspicious Review

Scroll through the reviews and find the one that seems fake or misleading.

For example, in the image below, the business is in the real estate category, but a review says, “Good food,” which is completely inaccurate and misleading.

Step 3: Click on the Three Dots

Next to the review, tap the three vertical dots for more options.

Step 4: Select “Report Review”

Choose the most relevant reason, such as Spam, Fake Content, or Conflict of Interest.

Step 5: Provide Additional Details (If Prompted)

Google may ask for more information. If possible, describe why you believe the review is fraudulent.

Step 6: Submit and Wait for Google’s Response

Google will review the report and take action if the review violates its policies. This process may take a few days to weeks.

Additional Steps You Can Take:

• Warn Others: If the review is clearly a scam, consider leaving a comment warning other customers.
• Report to the Business: Notify the business so they can also flag the review.
• Monitor for Follow-Ups: Google might not remove the review immediately, so keep checking back.

Google takes fake and misleading reviews seriously, but action depends on multiple reports. If you suspect a scam, flagging the review is the best way to help protect yourself and others.

To Sum Up

Tackling negative and fake reviews can be challenging, but knowing how to get a Google review removed or handle it effectively can make a big difference. Using tools like Google Review Management Software can simplify the process, helping you address issues proactively and maintain a positive online presence.

Remember, while you can’t always remove every review, you can always respond thoughtfully and improve your business practices.

Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be well-equipped to handle bad Google reviews with confidence!