Google Business Profile

How to report a review on your Google Business Profile

Open the review from your Business Profile or the Reviews Management Tool, select Report, choose the reason that matches a Google policy, and submit. Google usually takes several days to decide.

5 steps

  1. Step 1: Sign in with an owner or manager account and open the Reviews Management Tool. Select Confirm, or Switch account if it shows the wrong email.
    1 min
  2. Step 2: Pick the business, then select Continue, Report a new review for removal and Continue again.
    1 min
  3. Step 3: Find the review, select Report, choose the reason that fits, such as Spam or Profanity, and select Submit.
    2 min
  4. Step 4: Write down the reviewer name, date and the reason you chose, so you can match it to the status later.
    1 min
  5. Step 5: Return to the tool after several days and choose Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeal options.
    several days
  6. Arrived: The report shows as Decision pending, then either the review disappears from your profile or the status reads Report reviewed - no policy violation.

Checked 13 Nov 2026 · source: support.google.com

A report is a policy complaint, not a rating dispute

When you flag a review, you’re asking Google one narrow question: does this content break the Maps content policy? You are not asking whether the customer was fair, whether their memory of the visit is right, or whether the star count matches what happened. Google’s own help page puts it plainly: don’t report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it.

That framing helps you decide quickly. Spend two minutes reading the policy list before you report. If you can point to a line in it, report. If you can’t, your time is better spent on a reply.

Reviews that usually qualify

Google’s content policy is long, but the parts owners run into most are these:

  • Fake engagement and conflicts of interest. Reviews posted by a competitor to hurt you, by current or former employees, or from several accounts run by one person.
  • Off-topic content. Posts that aren’t about an experience at your location, including general rants and political or social commentary.
  • Personal information. A review that names or exposes someone’s private details without consent.
  • Harassment, hate speech and threats. Content aimed at a person or group rather than at the service.
  • Obscenity and profanity. Swearing used to offend or to punch up criticism.
  • Advertising. Reviews stuffed with phone numbers, emails, social links or links to other sites.
  • Unclear content. Strings of random characters that mean nothing in any language.

Write the report so a stranger can follow it

The form is short, so the reason you pick carries most of the weight. Match the reason to the clearest evidence. If the reviewer describes a product you’ve never sold, that points to off-topic or the wrong business. If three near-identical reviews landed from new accounts within an hour, that points to fake engagement. Keep your own notes of what you saw, with dates, in case you need to appeal.

Decision pending, and what follows

Google says decisions typically take several days. The tool shows Decision pending until someone has looked. If the review comes down, it’s gone for good from your profile. If the status changes to Report reviewed - no policy violation, you can appeal once. Reporting the same review again from other accounts isn’t a substitute for that appeal.

Two cases that need a different route

If someone is threatening a flood of bad reviews unless you pay, Google has a separate extortion report form, and you should use it rather than the normal flag. If the review is a legal matter where you are, the report options include Legal issue, but whether to pursue a legal claim is a question for a lawyer.

If it doesn't work

  • The review isn't in the list: switch to the Google account that manages that exact location, then try again.
  • You're on your phone: open your profile, select Read reviews, tap the Report icon next to the review, pick a reason and select Send report.
  • Google found no violation: you get one appeal per flagged review. Use it only if you can name the policy the review breaks.
  • The review is a fair but painful complaint: reporting won't help. Write a short reply instead.

Questions owners ask

Is there a limit on how many reviews I can report?

Google's help page doesn't give a cap on reports. It does limit appeals: each flagged review gets one appeal, and you can bundle up to 10 reviews in a single appeal. Reporting in bulk without a clear policy reason for each just slows down your own tracking.

Does the reviewer find out I reported them?

Google's reporting page doesn't say the reviewer is told who flagged the review. What it does say is that a review that breaks policy is removed, and one that doesn't stays live. Write your report as if a stranger at Google will read it, because one will.

Can a customer or friend report the review for me?

Anyone signed in to Google can flag a review from Maps, and Google says reviews can be taken down when reports show they break policy. The owner route through the Reviews Management Tool is still better, because it's where you see the status and can appeal.

What reasons can I pick?

The options shown on Google's reporting page include Spam, Profanity, Legal issue and Privacy concerns. Behind them sits the longer Maps content policy, which covers fake engagement, conflicts of interest, off-topic posts, harassment, personal information and more. Choose the one you could explain in a sentence.

Sources

Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.

Related fixes

Written by Ellis Marr (a pen name) · Checked 13 Nov 2026 · How we check