Partly switched off, still online
A restriction is different from a suspension. The profile stays on Maps and Search, but some part of it stops working. Owners often notice indirectly: reviews stop coming in, a photo never appears, or a name change is rejected again and again. Working out which kind of limit you have is most of the battle, because each has its own route out.
The kinds Google describes
Review restrictions for fake engagement. This is the one with the most visible effect. When Google decides a profile has had fake reviews, its restrictions page lists what can follow:
- New reviews and ratings blocked for a set period.
- Existing reviews and ratings unpublished for a set period.
- A warning on the profile telling customers fake reviews were removed.
The fake reviews themselves are removed as well. Google says it emails owners when it plans to apply one of these.
Posting restrictions. Separate from the above, Google can limit or suspend user contributions on a profile that attracts consistently unhelpful, harmful or off-topic content, such as a pile-on of reviews about something unrelated to the business.
Rejected edits. Big changes to the name, category or address can be refused. Google’s policy overview says significant identity or location changes are often a sign the listing should be closed rather than renamed.
Media restrictions. Photos, videos and posts can be held back if Google finds a problem with them.
Which door to knock on
Google splits appeals by type and by where you are:
| Restriction | UK and EEA | Everywhere else |
|---|---|---|
| Rejected profile edits | Appeals tool | Contact us |
| Photos, videos, posts | Appeals tool | Contact us |
| Other content | Contact us | Contact us |
| Fake-engagement review limits | Link on the restrictions page | Same |
Before you appeal a review restriction
Stop the source, and write down what you changed and when. If reviews were bought, swapped, or offered in return for discounts, end that first and be ready to say so. Google’s appeal re-reviews the profile and the context you provide, so an appeal while the activity continues has little to stand on.
If it doesn't work
- New reviews aren't arriving and old ones are hidden: that matches Google's fake-engagement restrictions, which run for a set period. Appeal through the link on Google's restrictions page.
- An edit to your name, category or address keeps getting rejected: outside the UK and EEA, Google routes this through Contact us, not the appeals tool.
- Photos, videos or posts won't publish: the same channel split applies. UK and EEA use the appeals tool; elsewhere use Contact us.
- The whole profile is gone from Maps: that's a suspension, not a limit. Reinstate the profile before appealing any content decision.
Questions owners ask
Should I keep asking customers for reviews during a review block?
Our advice is to pause. Google says new reviews and ratings can be blocked for a set period, so asks made now may never show. Use the time to end whatever drew the restriction and file the appeal, then go back to asking every customer the same neutral way.
Will customers see that my profile was restricted?
They can. One of the restrictions Google lists is a warning notice on the profile telling people that fake reviews were removed. Google doesn't say how long that notice stays up.
Why did Google hide reviews I didn't ask for?
Google's policy overview describes posting restrictions when contributions to a profile are consistently unhelpful, harmful or off-topic, for example a string of poor reviews unrelated to the business. In that case Google may limit or suspend user content on the profile.
Can I appeal a restriction before it's applied?
Google says it emails owners when it plans to apply a restriction and that businesses can appeal through the link on its restrictions page. Treat that email as your cue: stop the activity it describes, gather the context you'd give a reviewer, and appeal promptly.
Sources
- Business Profile restrictions for policy violations (support.google.com)
- Appeal Business Profile content & profile restrictions (support.google.com)
- Overview of Google Business Profile policies (support.google.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.