Few things are more frustrating than fake Google reviews: a one-star rating from someone who has never been a customer, a cluster of hostile reviews in a single weekend, or a former employee posting under a fake name. They drag down your average and sit at the top of your profile where every new customer sees them.
Google does remove reviews that break its policies, but only through its own process and only when the review actually breaches a rule. This guide sets out how to tell what is reportable, how to report and appeal properly, and what else you can do in the UK when the process does not work.
What counts as a fake or reportable review
Google's Maps user-generated content policy covers what it calls fake engagement and conflicts of interest, alongside offensive and off-topic content. In practice, these are the reviews most likely to be removed when reported:
- Reviews that do not reflect a genuine experience, including from people who were never customers.
- Reviews posted by competitors, current or former employees, or anyone with a conflict of interest.
- Coordinated attacks: many reviews in a short period, often after a news story or social media post, unrelated to anyone's actual experience.
- Reviews meant for a different business, for example one with a similar name.
- Harassment, hate speech, threats, sexually explicit content or personal information such as phone numbers.
- Off-topic content, such as political rants or commentary unrelated to the business.
How to spot a likely fake
- You cannot find any record of the name, date or job in your bookings, invoices or messages.
- The details do not match what you do: a review complaining about a haircut on a plumber's profile, or a treatment you do not offer.
- The reviewer's profile has reviewed many businesses in different parts of the country in a short time, or only ever leaves one-star reviews.
- Several reviews arrive in a burst with similar wording.
- The review appears shortly after a dispute with a competitor, supplier or ex-employee.
Step by step: reporting a review
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Search your business name on Google, or open your profile in Google Maps, and choose Read reviews.
- Find the review, select the three-dot menu or report icon, and choose Report review.
- Pick the reason that best fits Google's policy, such as Conflict of interest, Spam, Off topic or Profanity. Choose accurately; the wrong reason makes a report less likely to succeed.
- Submit. You can then track the report in Google's Reviews Management Tool.
Using the Reviews Management Tool and appeals
Google's Reviews Management Tool shows the status of reviews you have reported. At the time of writing, a reported review shows one of three statuses: decision pending, report reviewed with no policy violation found, or escalated while an appeal is being reviewed.
If Google decides there was no violation, you can submit a one-time appeal for that review. Google lets you select up to 10 eligible reviews in one appeal. Use the appeal to explain concisely why the review breaks a specific policy, with evidence where you can: 'No customer by this name in our records for 2026; our booking system shows no appointment on the date given; the treatment described is not one we offer.'
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Decision pending | Google has not evaluated the report yet | Wait; do not report the same review repeatedly |
| No policy violation | Google reviewed it and left it up | Submit the one-time appeal if you have evidence |
| Escalated | Your appeal is under review | Watch your email for the final decision |
What to do about a review attack
If you suddenly receive a wave of reviews from people who are not customers, perhaps after a local controversy or a viral post, report each review individually and note the pattern in your appeal. Google has systems for detecting unusual review activity and may restrict new reviews on a profile during an attack.
Do not respond to each one in anger. A single short, neutral reply on the most visible reviews is enough: 'We have no record of this person as a customer and have reported this review to Google.' Keep a screenshot record with dates in case you need it later.
Where the law and other platforms come in
Since April 2025, writing, commissioning or publishing fake reviews is a banned practice for businesses under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and the CMA's fake reviews guidance (CMA208) explains the duties on businesses and platforms that publish reviews. If you have good evidence that a competitor is running a fake review campaign, the CMA accepts information about possible breaches of consumer law, though it does not act on every individual report.
A false review can also be defamatory. Under the Defamation Act 2013, a statement is not defamatory unless it has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to reputation, and for a business trading for profit that means serious financial loss. That is a high bar and legal action is slow and expensive. If you are considering it, speak to a solicitor who specialises in defamation before writing anything public.
Google is not the only place fake reviews appear. Facebook recommendations, Trustpilot, Tripadvisor, Yell and trade directories each have their own reporting process, usually a flag or report link on the review itself and a support form for the business account. The principle is the same everywhere: report against the platform's specific rules, give evidence, and keep records.
Under the CMA's guidance, platforms that publish consumer reviews have their own duties to take reasonable steps to prevent and remove fake reviews. If a platform consistently ignores clear evidence, that is worth noting when you contact it, and worth mentioning if you raise the matter with the CMA.
What to do, and not do, while you wait
- Do not threaten the reviewer publicly, even if you are sure it is fake.
- Do not pay a third party that claims it can get reviews removed through contacts at Google. There is no such back door, and some of these services breach Google's policies themselves.
- Do not report every negative review as fake. Repeated false reports make your genuine reports less credible.
- Do not respond by asking staff, friends or family to post positive reviews. That is a conflict of interest under Google's policy and a fake review under UK law.
- Keep asking every genuine customer for a review. A steady flow of real reviews reduces the impact of any single fake one.
- Reply professionally to every review, so the fakes stand out as the odd ones.
- Never fight fire with fire. Posting fake positive reviews, or asking friends to, breaks Google's policy and UK law.
- Keep records of your customers and jobs so you can prove who is and is not a real customer.
Most businesses will face a dubious review at some point. The businesses that come through it best are the ones with a deep bank of genuine reviews and calm, consistent replies. If you want your review requests automated after every job, our review booster bolt-on does that for £15/month.