How to remove negative reviews from your Google Business Profile? A step-by-step guide!

Negative reviews on Google damage your company’s reputation and deter potential customers. It is important to check whether your online business profile contains any, given that as many as 93% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase decision, (dixa.com/blog/3-important-statistics-that-show-how-reviews-influence-consumers/). This article explains how to remove negative reviews from Google and when it is possible to do so.

Can reviews be removed from Google, and when? Guidelines and policies from GBP support

The answer to whether reviews can be removed from Google is complex. The California giant does not allow reviews and ratings to be deleted solely because they are negative. According to support guidelines, reviews can be removed only if they violate the platform’s rules. This applies, for example, in cases of spam content—such as reviews posted by bots or mass-written from multiple accounts to manipulate the average rating—as well as duplicate reviews.

Reviews can be removed from Google in the following cases:

• Content containing hate speech (i.e., offensive remarks related to race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, or gender),
• Content based on a conflict of interest (e.g., written by a competitor),
• Disclosure of personal data (e.g., an address or phone number),
• Content attacking a specific individual,
• The use of profanity in a review,
• Off-topic content (e.g., political or social comments unrelated to the establishment).

The final decision regarding the removal of a review is made by Google, which often sides with the reviewers to protect the right to express opinions. For this reason, reports should only concern reviews that violate the platform’s policies.

How to remove Google reviews? A guide

There is a strictly defined procedure for deleting negative reviews from Google. Familiarize yourself with the guide on how to do this in the search engine, on Google Maps, and using the review management tool.

How to remove reviews on your phone and computer in Google search?

1. Log in to your Google Business Profile or find the business listing in the search engine.
2. Click See reviews.
3. Find the review you want to remove.
4. Press the exclamation mark on the right side.
5. Select the appropriate reason for violating Google’s guidelines.
6. Press Submit Report.

How to remove reviews from Google Maps?

1. Launch Google Maps on your phone (using the app) or on your computer (via a browser).  
2. Find your Business Profile, scroll down to the Opinions section, and select the review.
3. Press the three dots next to the review that violates the guidelines and Report the violation.
4. Select the reason for the violation and click Submit.

How to remove reviews from Google using the review management tool?

1. Go to the review management tool. You will see a question asking whether the given email is associated with your Business Profile. Confirm or switch the account.
2. Select the company to review and click Next.
3. Google will ask you what you want to do with the reviews. Choose Report reviews for removal.  
4. Click Report, select the reason for reporting the review, and click Submit.  

After submitting your report, Google’s team will verify whether the review indeed violates the guidelines. The verification process may take a few days or even several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case.

How to appeal when Google won’t remove a review?

If you believe that a review violates Google’s policies and your report was not accepted, you can appeal this decision.

1. Open the review management tool (the link is provided above).
2. Check if you are using the email address associated with your Business Profile. If not, switch accounts.
3. Click Confirm and select the respective business, then Check the status of the previously reported review and the appeal options.
4. At the bottom of the page, an option to Submit an Appeal for Eligible Reviews will appear; choose the appropriate review.
5. Click Next and then press Submit Appeal.
6. Submit the completed form and wait for an email with the decision.

Google will review your resubmission and, if it finds that the review violates the guidelines, it will remove it. Otherwise, the review will remain active, and the review management tool will display the message Submission escalated to higher-level support – you will receive updates by email.

If, despite your appeal, Google does not accept your requests to remove the review, you still have the option of submitting the case to an alternative dispute resolution body. You can read more about this on the support page.

How else can you remove reviews?

If, despite following all the steps outlined in the above instructions, the unwanted review still appears on your Profile, you can try other methods to reduce the negative impact of the review on your company’s reputation.

Reporting for verification by Google employees

If your appeal of Google’s decision has not been successful, you can try contacting the company’s employees directly. To do so, open the review management tool.

• Confirm that your email is linked to your Business Profile, select the company and the Report Reviews for Removal option, and then click Contact Us.
• On the next page, an option Submit a Report will appear, which will direct you to the contact form.
• Filling out and submitting it serves as an alternative method of reporting a review that violates the guidelines.

This solution is also worth using when you are dealing with the issue of restoring a blocked Business Profile on Google.

Support from the engaged Google community

Google offers the Google Maps Community forum, where experienced users can help resolve issues with reviews. Describe your problem with a negative review and ask for advice. A post upvoted by other users has a chance to reach Google support directly and be re-evaluated.

Acquiring positive reviews

There is one more way to remove reviews from Google—acquire new, positive ones. The most recent and most helpful reviews appear at the top, so take advantage of that. You can achieve this by actively encouraging customers who are satisfied with your services to leave reviews. Admittedly, this method does not remove negative reviews, but it reduces their visibility and impact on the company’s image.

How to remove someone’s review from Google? Summary

Removing reviews from Google is only possible in strictly defined cases of guideline violations. This includes, for example, vulgar content, off-topic remarks, or content arising from a conflict of interest. You can report a review that violates the rules through the search engine, Google Maps, or the review management tool. If your report is rejected, you can file an appeal, contact support directly, or reduce the impact of negative reviews by acquiring positive ratings and reviews.

Sources:

1. https://www.dixa.com/blog/3-important-statistics-that-show-how-reviews-influence-consumers/ [data access: 03.03.2025]
2. https://support.google.com/business/workflow/9945796?sjid=17148154812557134220-EU [data access: 03.03.2025]
3. https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114#zippy=%2Charassment%2Cadvertising-solicitation [data access: 03.03.2025]
4. https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=pl&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid [data access: 03.03.2025]
5. https://support.google.com/european-union-digital-services-act-redress-options/answer/13535501?sjid=17148154812557134220-EU&visit_id=638762658449993374-3927979071&rd=1 [data access: 03.03.2025]