Guide

Review gating: what it is and why Google bans it

Short answer: review gating means screening customers first and only sending the happy ones to Google. Google's content policy prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews, so ask everyone the same way.

What it looks like

• A text that asks "How did we do?" and only sends 4 and 5 star answers to your Google link.
• Techs told to ask only the customers who seem pleased.
• Unhappy customers routed to a private feedback form instead of a public review page.

Why it is a problem

Google treats it as fake engagement. Reviews it flags can be removed. Some review software still offers gating features, so check your settings.

What to do instead

• Ask every customer, every job.
• Give everyone the same direct review link.
• Reply to every review, good and bad, within a day or two.
• Fix the problems the bad reviews point to.