- You can write Google reviews for restaurants, attractions, and other locations on Google Maps.
- Your Google review can help others find information and will appear on your “About me” page.
- You can restrict your profile if you want your Google reviews to be hidden to the general public.
If you want to share your opinion — whether positive or negative — about a business, you can write a Google review. On the Google Maps website and mobile app, you can share reviews, add photos, and select a star rating for any business or location listed on the platform.
Here’s how to write a Google review, why reviews are important, what the rules are, and what happens after you post a review.
How to write a Google review on Google Maps
To write a Google review on the Google maps website or mobile app, follow these steps:
1. Make sure you’re signed into your Google account.
2. Go to maps.google.com or open the Google Maps mobile app.
3. Search for the place you want to review and click or tap on it to bring up the overview page.
4. On the Google Maps website, in the left sidebar, scroll down to the Review summary section and click Write a review.
Quick tip: You can also Google the name of the place you want to review. If a listing is available, you’ll see it on the right side of the search results. Scroll down until you reach the Reviews section and click Write a review next to the heading.
5. On the Google Maps mobile app, tap the Reviews tab at the top of the page, and in the Rate & review section, tap on the stars.
6. On both the website and mobile app, you’ll then be taken to a page where you can add a star rating, write a review in the text area, and upload photos.
7. Once you’ve finished writing your review, click or tap Post and your review will be made public.
Quick tip: Make sure you follow Google’s guidelines for posting a review, otherwise, Google can take your review down or even suspend or delete your account if it’s against their terms of service.
Why are Google reviews important?
As long as your Google review is honest, you can use it to share your experience with others. If the experience was pleasant, you can help others discover and enjoy it as well.
Furthermore, it can also help the business or attraction, thanks to the positive rating and testimony your review will give.
If, on the other hand, you had a negative experience, your Google review could just be what saves others their valuable time and money on something you believe won’t offer them the value they’re looking for.
The rules of posting a Google review
In order for your review to stay up on Google Maps, it has to follow Google’s rules. That means everything in your review has to be accurate, on-topic, and can’t use defamatory language.
Your review can’t be faked, copied, or stolen from someone else. It also can’t be sexually explicit, offensive, or represent a conflict of interest (for example, users can’t review their own business and reviewers can’t be paid for their reviews.)
Users can report a review if it appears to violate the rules, and if Google agrees with that assessment, the company reserves the right to take it down, and may even suspend or delete “abusive accounts.”
What happens after you post a Google review
Your reviews are public, so other people will be able to see your “About me” page, as well as other reviews and ratings you’ve posted, including any photos you added to those.
And if you’re a part of Local Guides, which is essentially Google’s version of Yelp, you can also earn points for creating reviews — points that lead to badges on your profile, as well as “early access” to new Google features.
If you’re trying to review a place that isn’t listed, Local Guides is also how you’ll add the location to Google Maps so you can review it.
How to hide your Google reviews
If for any reason you want to hide your reviews from the general public, you can do so on both the website and mobile app. You’ll be restricting your account, meaning that only people you approve to be your followers can see the reviews you’ve posted.
To hide Google reviews on the Google Maps website:
1. Go to the Google Maps website.
2. Click the icon of three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner.
3. Click on Your contributions in the sidebar on the left.
4. On the Contribute tab, click Profile settings.
5. In the “Your Public Profile” pop-up, click the toggle button next to Show your posts on your profile to turn the button from blue to gray.
To hide reviews on the Google Maps mobile app:
1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap your account icon in the upper-right corner of the app homepage.
3. In the drop-down menu, tap Settings.
4. In the Account Settings section, select Personal content.
5. Scroll down to the Profile settings section towards the bottom, and tap the toggle button next to Restricted profile to turn the button from gray to blue.
Note: On some Android devices, the toggle will be under the Profile settings heading and labeled Show your posts on your profile
