How long does Google take to remove a review?

How long does Google take to remove a review on each route

This table uses only what Google itself states. Where Google gives no timescale, we say so rather than guess, because anyone quoting you a guaranteed number of days for a Google decision is making it up.

How long does Google take to remove a reported review?

The clock starts when you report the review, not when it was posted. Google's owner help page says "Review evaluation typically takes several days", and that is the only figure it gives. "Typically" matters: some reports are decided faster and some take longer, and Google does not publish a queue position or a target date for an individual report.

If the review breaks a policy, Google removes it and it "will no longer show on Maps and Search". If Google finds no breach, the status in the Reviews Management Tool changes to "Report reviewed - no policy violation" and the review stays up.

You do not have to wait with nothing to do. Use the time to prepare the evidence for an appeal, in case you need one, and work out what the removal would do to your score with the free Google rating calculator. If you have not filed yet, our guide on how to report a Google review has the exact steps.

What "Decision pending" means

Google's definition is short: "The review is flagged, but it hasn't been evaluated yet." In other words, your report is in the queue and nobody has made a decision. It does not mean Google agrees with you, and it does not mean the report has been lost.

The status is one of three in the Reviews Management Tool:

Google's word is "typically", so a report that takes longer than several days has not necessarily gone wrong. Check that you are looking at the right business in the tool, and see the steps below if it seems stuck.

Google review appeal: how long it takes

Google publishes no timescale for appeals. What it does say is what happens: once you submit the appeal form, the status becomes "Escalated - check your email for updates" and Google emails you the result. "If the review violates our policies, it will be removed. If the review complies with our policies, it will remain live."

Two things catch owners out. First, the status stays at "Escalated" even after a final decision to keep the review, so the email is the answer, not the tool. Second, you can appeal up to 10 reviews at once but each review only once, so a rushed appeal cannot be re-run later with better evidence.

How long does Google take to remove a fake review?

A fake review goes through the same report and appeal process as any other, so the same "several days" applies. Google treats it under its fake engagement policy, which covers "Content that is not based on a real experience". Some fake reviews never reach you at all: Google uses automated spam detection, and says reviews are checked against its policies before they appear, which "might take a few days".

Fake reviews often need the appeal, because the text alone rarely proves the person was never a customer. That adds a second wait. If the fake reviews arrive in a burst and someone then asks you for money to stop them, use Google's separate form for Google review extortion, which Google says it investigates before telling you the result. Our page on removing fake Google reviews covers the evidence that makes these cases stronger.

How long the legal routes take

Google's legal removal form is for content you believe is unlawful, such as a defamatory review. Google says you will receive "an email confirmation and a reference number", that it may email you with questions, and that it tries "to respond to valid notices as soon as we can." It gives no number of days. Google also asks you to flag the content in the product first, so the legal request normally comes after a failed report and appeal.

A court claim is slower again and has a deadline you must not miss. Under the Limitation Act 1980, a defamation claim in England and Wales must normally be started within one year of publication, although the court can extend this. If you may need to identify an anonymous reviewer first, with a Norwich Pharmacal order, start early. Our page on defamatory Google reviews explains the tests.

Why reviews vanish and then come back

Owners often see a review disappear, celebrate, and then find it back a few days later. Google's help pages explain several reasons this can happen.

• Policy checks delay new reviews. Google says checking a review against its policies "might take a few days, which can delay a review's appearance". A review can be missing while it is checked, then appear.
• Merged profiles. After Business Profiles are merged, "it might take a few days for reviews from both profiles to display".
• Reinstated content. Google says it reserves "the right to either reinstate or take down content, irrespective of whether your report was accepted or not accepted". The Maps app even has a status for this: "Content restored", used when Google "found new information to support restoring the content".
• Automated mistakes. Google's spam detection "may also mistakenly remove legitimate reviews", and Google's advice then is to contact support, so a genuine review can disappear and later be put back.
• Temporary restrictions. Google says it may "temporarily disable user-created content, including reviews, for certain Business Profiles or business categories".
• The reviewer posted again. A new review from the same person, or an edited one, shows its own new date.

Google says reviews removed for policy violations "won't be restored", but the "Content restored" status shows it does reverse a decision when new information comes to light. Keep your screenshots and evidence until the review has stayed down for a few weeks.

What to do if nothing happens

If a report seems stuck or the review is still up after the several days Google mentions, work through these in order.

1. Check the status in the Reviews Management Tool. Confirm the email shown is the one linked to your Business Profile and that you selected the right business. A report filed only as an ordinary Maps user will not appear there.
2. Check your email, including spam and promotions folders, on the account that manages the profile. Appeal results arrive by email.
3. If the status is "Report reviewed - no policy violation", decide whether to appeal. Read the policy again, choose the reason that fits best, and gather facts before you press submit. Our guide to Google review policy lists every category.
4. If you think Google removed a genuine review by mistake or a profile problem is involved, contact Google Business Profile support, which Google's help pages point to for these cases.
5. If the review is unlawful, move to the legal removal request, and keep the one-year defamation limit in mind.
6. Reply to the review in the meantime. A calm, factual reply limits the damage while you wait, and our guide to responding to negative Google reviews has templates.

How to avoid adding weeks to the process

Google does not publish anything that makes a decision faster. What you can control is whether you need a second round. The biggest avoidable delay is a report that fails first time and then needs an appeal, or a case started on the wrong route.

• Picking the wrong reason. A conflict of interest review filed as spam can come back "no policy violation", and now you are on your last chance.
• Reporting only from the Maps app. As the owner, file through your Business Profile or the Reviews Management Tool so you can track it and appeal.
• Appealing with no new facts. The appeal is one-time. Repeating "this is fake" without evidence wastes it.
• Paying or engaging an extortionist. Google says paying "doesn't guarantee the removal of reviews" and can encourage further attempts.

For every route in one place, read how to remove a Google review. If you would rather hand it over, we get negative Google reviews removed through the same Google tools, for a fixed fee paid only if the review comes down.