How Do You Ask for a Review Without Breaking Google or FTC Rules?

The short answer

Ask for an honest review, not a positive one, and send people straight to a real review site like your Google Business Profile (GBP). Don’t mention stars, don’t offer anything in return for a Google review, and don’t filter out unhappy customers. Google bans rewards for reviews, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) bans paying for reviews that must say something positive.

What this means

A neutral request asks for the customer’s real opinion. It doesn’t hint at what the review should say.

Neutral:

• “Thanks for choosing Lakeview Plumbing. Would you share your honest feedback on Google? It helps other homeowners decide. [link]”
• “We’d appreciate a review of your experience, good or bad. [link]”

Not neutral:

• “If you loved our work, please leave us 5 stars!”
• “Only leave a review if you’re happy.”
• “Leave a 5-star review and get 10% off your next service.”

The platform matters too. Send customers to a legitimate review site where they post in their own name, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, or a trusted industry site. Don’t write reviews for customers, post reviews for them, or send them to a page you control and present as independent.

Rewards are where Google and the FTC differ. The FTC’s rule allows incentives for honest reviews as long as there’s no express or implied requirement to say something positive. Google is stricter. Its policies say offering discounts, free goods, or other rewards in exchange for reviews is fake engagement and is banned. So for Google reviews, offer nothing.

Why it matters

• Legal risk. The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials rule took effect October 21, 2024. It bans buying reviews that must express a certain sentiment, and courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations.
• Google penalties. Google’s policies ban rewarding reviews and selectively asking for positive ones. Reviews that break the rules can be removed, and the profile can face action.
• Trust. Customers notice when every review sounds alike. Honest reviews, including a few mixed ones, look real.

Who this applies to

Every business that asks for reviews, by text, email, printed card, QR code, or in person.

Pay extra attention if:

• You use an automated tool or an agency that sends requests for you. You can be held responsible for what it says on your behalf
• You run a referral or loyalty program (see 18.7 Referral Programs). Keep it separate from reviews
• You send requests by text or email. Consent and marketing rules apply (see 12.6 Communication Consent Records, 18.3 Email Marketing Rules, and 18.4 Text Message Marketing Rules)

How to do it

1. Write one short, neutral request. Thank the customer, ask for honest feedback, and include the link.
2. Get your Google review link or QR code from your Business Profile: select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Leave out stars, “5-star,” “if you were happy,” and any reward.
4. Pick the platforms you’ll point to. Google first for most local businesses, then one or two others your customers use.
5. Check each platform’s own rules before asking. The FTC notes that some platforms ban reviews from people with personal or business ties to you, even with disclosure.
6. Send the same message to every eligible customer (see 14.6.1 Review Request Timing).
7. If you use a tool or agency, read every message template it sends in your name.
8. Make sure the business has consent to text or email the customer before sending.
9. Save the final wording in your review request policy.

What proof to keep

• The exact wording of each review request you use, with the date it started
• Your review request policy
• Settings and templates from any review tool or agency
• Consent records for texts and emails

Store these with your marketing records.

Common mistakes

• Asking for 5 stars. It turns a request into pressure.
• Offering a discount or entry into a drawing for a Google review. Google bans it, even if the review can be negative.
• Sending unhappy customers to a private form and happy ones to Google. That’s review gating (see 14.10.3 Review Gating and Incentives).
• Writing the review for the customer. It isn’t their review anymore.
• Not reading your tool’s templates. Some review tools ship with wording that breaks these rules.
• Asking employees to review the business. The FTC requires disclosure, and Google’s policy bans conflict of interest reviews.

When to get help from a pro

Attorney: if you want to offer any reward connected to reviews on a non-Google platform, or you’ve received a complaint about your review practices. Questions to ask:

• Does this request or reward follow the FTC rule and my state’s laws?
• What disclosures would a reviewer need to make?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, the review request wording you’ve seen work without crossing the line, or a review tool template you told a client to change.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty handles Google Business Profile setup and review requests.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

• [Date I did this:]
• [What I actually did, step by step: the exact request wording SiteSmarty uses and which platforms it points to]
• [What it cost and how long it took:]
• [What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
• [Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the review request message as the customer sees it]
• [Result so far:]

Questions people ask

Can I ask customers for a five-star review? Don’t. Ask for an honest review. Google bans selectively asking for positive reviews, and asking for stars pushes in that direction.

What should a review request text say? Thank the customer, ask for honest feedback, and include your review link. Keep it to one or two sentences.

Can I offer a discount for a Google review? No. Google’s policies ban offering discounts, free goods, or other rewards for reviews.

Which review sites should I send customers to? Legitimate sites where customers post in their own name, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, or a trusted industry site. Check each site’s rules first.

Audit check

• Question: Do the business’s review requests ask for honest feedback, with no stars, rewards, or filtering, and point to legitimate review sites?
• Pass looks like: One neutral message sent to every eligible customer. No reward for Google reviews. Links go straight to Google or another real review site. Tool templates checked.
• Fail looks like: Requests for 5 stars. Discounts or prizes for reviews. Unhappy customers sent to a private form while happy ones get the Google link. Reviews written for customers.
• Evidence to collect: Copies of every request template, the review request policy, review tool settings, and consent records.

Where this fits

Do this first: 14.6.1 Review Request Timing

Do this next: 14.6.3 Review Responses

Related pages: 11.3.5 Fake Review Rules, 12.6 Communication Consent Records, 14.10.1 Google Review Policies, 14.10.3 Review Gating and Incentives, 18.3 Email Marketing Rules, 18.4 Text Message Marketing Rules

Sources

• Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to get more reviews" (checked October 16, 2026)
• Google Business Profile Help, "Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews" (checked October 16, 2026)
• Maps User Generated Content Policy Help, "Prohibited and restricted content" (checked October 16, 2026)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers" (checked October 16, 2026)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "Soliciting and Paying for Online Reviews: A Guide for Marketers" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.