Google review policy: every rule a review can break

What the Google review policy is

There is no separate rulebook just for reviews. Google reviews are covered by the Google Maps user contributed content policy, a single page headed "Prohibited and restricted content" that applies to reviews, ratings, photos and videos shown on Maps and on Business Profiles in Search. Owner replies are checked against the same content policies.

Google's starting point is that "a review or rating should reflect an actual experience with a business, and be genuine and unbiased." It enforces the policy through automated spam detection, reports from owners and users, and action against accounts:

"If a Google Maps user's on- or off-platform behaviour harms our users, community, employees or ecosystem, we may take actions that will range from suspending the account privileges to account termination."

Google Maps user contributed content policy

What the policy does not do is referee disputes. Google says it "doesn't get involved in conflict between businesses and customers", which is why an unfair but honest review usually stays up.

Google review policy violations list

These are the categories on Google's policy page, grouped the way Google groups them. The last column is our plain view of how a report under each one usually goes, not a Google statistic.

Fake engagement

Fake engagement is the rule behind most fake review removals. Google says "Fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed", and lists what it includes:

"Content that is not based on a real experience or does not accurately represent the location or product in question. Reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind. Content that has been posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person."

Google Maps user contributed content policy

The same section bans anyone from posting "content on a competitor's place or business to undermine that business' or product's reputation." In plain terms: if the reviewer was never a customer, or one person is posting under several names, the review breaks this rule.

For example, this reviewer has one review, no booking or order under the name, and posted on the same day as three others with the same wording. The text proves nothing; the evidence around it does. Our page on fake Google reviews covers the signs to look for.

Rating manipulation and incentives

Rating manipulation covers "incentivised or biased reviews", and it cuts both ways. It is the rule that removes a flood of one-star reviews showing "unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions", and it is also the rule a business breaks if it rewards customers for reviews.

Google does not allow merchants to offer incentives, including "payment, discounts, free of cost goods and/or services", in exchange for posting a review, or for the "revision or removal of a negative review". That means you cannot pay or discount a customer to delete a bad review. Merchants also must not:

• discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively ask only happy customers;
• require or pressure customers to review while on the premises;
• ask for specific content, or set staff a target number of reviews.

Google review policy on conflict of interest

Conflict of interest appears twice in the policy, under rating manipulation and under misrepresentation. The wording is the same:

"Content that is based on a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest may include current or former employment, a contractual or consultory relationship or other professional or personal affiliations that demonstrate a conflict of interest (such as industry competitors, familial relationships, etc.)."

Google Maps user contributed content policy

In practice this covers three groups of reviewers.

• Employees and former employees. A review about pay, rotas or managers is a workplace complaint, not a customer experience. See ex-employee Google reviews.
• Competitors. A rival, its owner, its staff or its family reviewing you, whether one star for you or five stars for themselves.
• Owners and their circle. An owner, relative or supplier writing a glowing review of their own business is the same breach from the other side.

For example, Leanne's review describes employment, which the policy names directly. Ray's needs evidence that he runs a rival roofing firm. Conflict of interest cases often need the one-time appeal, where you can explain the link.

Impersonation, misinformation and misrepresentation

These rules deal with content that misleads. Google says: "Don't use Google Maps to impersonate any person, group or organisation." Misinformation covers harmful health, medical or civic falsehoods. Misrepresentation bans "False or misleading accounts of the description or quality of a good or service" and "Distorting or omitting facts to scam other users".

Be realistic about misrepresentation. Google does not investigate who is right about a visit, so a review claiming "they charged me twice" when your records show one payment is a factual dispute Google will usually leave alone. If the claim is false and harmful, the stronger route may be the law, covered in our page on defamatory Google reviews.

Inappropriate content: harassment, hate speech, offensive content and profanity

These are the easiest to win: the breach is in the words.

Harassment and threats

Google bans content "to harass other people or businesses". That includes "a specific threat of harm against individuals or defined groups of people that would make a reasonable person fear for their mental or physical safety or well being", doxxing, and unwanted sexualisation of a person.

A threat like this example should also go to the police.

Hate speech

Google's instruction is short: "Do not post or share content that includes any form of hate speech." It covers content that "is dehumanising, belittling or vilifies individuals or groups based on a protected characteristic", such as race, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Offensive content

Google bans "Using Google products to attack other individuals or groups", content that is "clearly and deliberately provocative", and "Unsubstantiated allegations of unethical behaviour or criminal wrongdoing." That last line matters: a review calling you fraudsters or thieves with nothing to support it can be reported here. Google adds that it does allow "content that describes negative experiences in a respectful manner."

Obscenity and profanity

Google says "We will remove obscene and profane content on Google Maps", meaning "Content using profanity or obscenity to offend other users or emphasise criticism." It allows "inoffensive uses of words that may be considered profanity in other contexts".

Sexually explicit, adult-themed and violent content

Sexually explicit and adult-themed content is banned, as is violent or gory content "intended to be shocking, sensational or gratuitous". They rarely appear in written reviews of an ordinary business.

Personal information

Google's rule is "Do not distribute or post personal information without consent." It defines personal information as information about "a living identifiable person" whose disclosure "could result in risk of harm", and lists examples:

"Personally identifiable information and other personal information about yourself or others including financial information, medical information or personal identification information."

Google Maps user contributed content policy

The policy also covers someone's "full name or surname" or face posted without consent. Exceptions: a name that is part of the business's advertised name, public-facing professionals trading under their own name (doctors, lawyers, estate agents), and senior executives whose role is public.

For example, this review names a receptionist in full and posts a phone number, which also makes it a solicitation case. A review saying "the receptionist was rude" is allowed.

Off-topic, advertising, spam and repetitive content

These four rules sit at the end of Google's policy page. Reviews that break them are common and usually straightforward to report.

Off-topic

"Only post content that is based on your experience or questions about experiences at a specific location. We don't allow content which contains general, political or social commentary or personal rants." A review about the council's parking rules, a national chain the business is not part of, or a news story belongs here.

Advertising and solicitation

Google bans "Promotional or commercial content" and "Posting email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or links to other websites in your reviews". A review that sends readers to another business is both advertising and, often, a competitor conflict.

Unclear content

Content "that lacks meaning across languages, such as a random group of characters".

Repetitive content

"Posting the same content multiple times either from the same account or multiple accounts", which Google says "dilutes useful information". Copy-paste waves of reviews fall under this as well as fake engagement, as in these two examples.

Defacement and mischief

Content "that aims to destroy or damage the digital presence of a feature", such as editing a place's details as a prank or to make a political point.

Restricted, dangerous and illegal content

The policy also bans offers for regulated goods and services such as alcohol, gambling, tobacco and pharmaceuticals, content that encourages serious physical harm, content that endangers children, and terrorist content. These are rare in reviews but removable.

What reviews Google removes and what it leaves up

Put simply, Google removes a review when the problem is the review itself, not the opinion in it. Its own warning to owners is "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it."

• Google removesFake and paid reviews, conflicts of interest, abuse, personal information, off-topic rants, adverts and repeated text.

• Google leaves upHonest bad experiences, complaints about price, speed or attitude, and opinions you think are unfair.

Once removed for a policy breach, a review stays gone: Google says reviews "removed for policy violations won't be restored." To test a specific review against these categories, use the free review removal checker, then follow our steps on how to report a Google review.

Where UK law goes further

UK law adds three more layers.

• Fake reviews are illegal. Since 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans submitting or commissioning fake consumer reviews and hiding incentivised ones. The CMA can fine up to 10% of global turnover. Our guide to fake reviews law in the UK covers the detail.
• Google's commitments to the CMA. In January 2025 Google agreed to ban rogue UK reviewers who repeatedly post fake reviews and to put warnings on profiles of businesses caught boosting their rating.
• Defamation and blackmail. A false statement of fact that causes serious financial loss may be defamatory under the Defamation Act 2013. A demand for money to remove reviews is extortion; Google has a separate form, and our page on Google review extortion explains what to do.

If you want the whole process handled, we get negative Google reviews removed when they break these rules, for a fixed fee agreed first and paid only if Google removes the review.