To ask for a Google review, send each customer your direct review link within a day of the visit, in one or two sentences that use their name and say what they bought, and ask for an honest review. Send the same request to every customer, offer nothing in return, and don't tell them what to write or how many stars to give. The 15 templates below follow those rules for in-person asks, phone calls, email, text, WhatsApp, reminders and support tickets. Copy them, swap the brackets for your details, and send.
Most customers say yes. In BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 78% of consumers had been asked to leave a review in the previous 12 months and 83% of the people asked went on to write one. Many profiles still collect few reviews. In our audit of 286 Google Business Profiles, 79 (28%) had fewer than 10 reviews and 71 (25%) had not received a single review in the 90 days before the audit.
This page covers the wording. For the wider plan (QR codes at the counter, replies, a review target) read how to get more Google reviews. To send these messages on their own after every sale, see Google review automation.
| Situation | Template | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in customer at the till | 1 | At payment, with a card or QR code |
| Job at the customer's home | 2 | At handover, then a text the same day |
| Appointment (clinic, salon, practice) | 3 | At checkout or the front desk |
| Phone customer | 4 | At the end of the call |
| Email after a service or visit | 5 | Evening of the visit or the next day |
| Online order | 6 | A few days after delivery |
| B2B client or project | 7 | After sign-off on a delivered result |
| Text message | 8, 9 | Within a few hours of the visit |
| 10 | Same day, opted-in customers only | |
| No reply to the first ask | 11, 12 | 3 to 5 days later, once |
| Support ticket or complaint closed | 13, 14 | After the customer confirms it's fixed |
| Receipts, invoices, signatures | 15 | Always on |
Get Your Review Link First
Every template ends in a link. Google's steps for creating a review link or QR code: open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. It usually starts with g.page/r/. Google only generates the QR code in a computer browser, not on a phone.
Test it in a private browser window: it should open the star rating box under your business name, not your profile page.
No access to the profile, or managing a client's listing? The free Google Place ID finder looks up any business and builds the review link from its Place ID. For print (receipts, counter signs, cards), the Google review QR code generator pairs the link with a short URL and a print-ready QR code. All the link formats are compared in how to get your Google review link.
What Every Review Request Needs
A review request has five parts, and the best ones fit in a single text message: the customer's first name, what they bought or when, a plain ask, the link, and your name. The name and the purchase show it isn't bulk mail. The link goes at the end, where a thumb lands on it.
Then cut what Google forbids. Its Maps content policy tells merchants not to offer incentives "in exchange for posting any review," not to "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews," and not to "request that specific content be included."
PUT IN
- Their first name
- What they bought, or the date of the visit
- One sentence that asks
- "Honest" or "whatever you'd tell a friend"
- One link, tested
- A real person's name as the sender
LEAVE OUT
- Discounts, prize draws, freebies
- A star count ("5 stars")
- "If you loved it" conditions
- Requests to name a staff member
- A second link to Yelp or Facebook
- "Please do it now while you're here"
In-Person Scripts
Ask at the moment the job is done or the bill is paid. Say it once, hand over something with the link, and move on. Google's policy says you shouldn't "require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises," so the customer reviews later, on their own phone. Handing a customer a tablet at the counter puts them on the spot, so skip it.
Template 1: At the Counter or Checkout
"Thanks for coming in. If you've got a minute later, we'd love a Google review. Honest is best. This card takes you straight to the page."
Hand over a card with a QR code from the generator above, or an NFC review card that opens the same link with a tap, so the customer doesn't have to search for you later.
Template 2: When You Finish a Job at the Customer's Home
"That's all done. Most of our work comes from people finding us on Google, so a review helps a lot. I'll text you the link tonight, is this the best number?"
Trades and home services win on the follow-through: the technician asks, and the office sends Template 8 that evening. Asking "is this the best number?" also gets you the permission to text, which you need anyway.
Template 3: At the End of an Appointment
"You're all set for [next date]. We'll send you a short email tomorrow with a link to leave us a Google review. We read every one."
Tell the customer the email is coming so it doesn't arrive as a surprise. For healthcare, keep the message free of treatment details.
If any customer answers "sure, later," send Template 5 or Template 8 that same evening. Without a link in their pocket, "later" tends to mean never.
Phone Script
Phone customers can't scan a QR code, so end the call by asking where to send the link.
Template 4: At the End of a Call
"Glad we got that sorted. Could I text you a link to leave us a Google review? It takes about a minute, and whatever you'd tell a friend is perfect."
Send Template 8 within the hour, or Template 5 if they prefer email.
Email Templates
Email suits online orders, appointments, quotes and B2B work, where you already have the address and the customer expects to hear from you. Keep it under 100 words with one link, sent from a named person who reads the replies.
Template 5: After a Service or Visit
Subject: How was your [service], [First name]?
Hi [First name],
Thanks for choosing [Business] for your [service] on [day]. Would you leave us a quick Google review? It helps people in [town] decide whether we're right for them, and it tells us what to keep doing.
Leave a review: [review link]
Honest feedback is what we're after.
[Your name], [Business]
Other subject lines that stay short and personal: "A quick favor, [First name]?", "Thanks for [day], [First name]", "Your [service] at [Business]". Skip star emoji in the subject: they hint at the rating you want.
Template 6: After an Online Order Is Delivered
Subject: Did your order arrive OK, [First name]?
Hi [First name],
Your [product] should have reached you on [date]. If you have a minute, a Google review of [Business] helps other shoppers find a store they can trust.
Review us on Google: [review link]
Something wrong with the order? Reply to this email and I'll sort it out.
[Your name], [Business]
The support line goes after the review link, as a separate offer of help, so it doesn't read as "complain to us instead of Google." Google's policy bans discouraging negative reviews. Product reviews on your own store are a separate request, sent by an e-commerce review platform.
Template 7: For B2B Clients at the End of a Project
Subject: One small ask now that [project] is live
Hi [First name],
Thanks again for working with us on [project]. Most of our new clients look us up on Google before the first call, so a review from you would carry a lot of weight with them.
If you're willing to write one, here's the link: [review link]
No pressure on timing, and say whatever you'd say to a peer who asked about us.
[Your name]
Send it from the account lead, not from marketing, and only to the client contacts who used the service. The FTC's guide for marketers says: "Don't ask for reviews from people who haven't used or experienced the product or service."
Text Message (SMS) Templates
A text arrives on the same phone the customer will use to write the review, and the link is one tap away. Two rules come first. Text only customers who agreed to hear from you by text, and honor STOP replies. In the US your SMS provider will also ask you to register the number for business messaging; the automation guide covers that.
Keep each text under 160 characters with no emoji. Twilio's SMS character limit page puts one standard segment at 160 characters, falling to 70 once the message contains an emoji, so a single smiley can turn one text into two or three.
Template 8: Same-Day Text
Hi [First name], it's [Name] at [Business]. Thanks for today. Would you leave us a Google review? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out
With a full https://g.page/r/ link, a short first name and a short business name, it runs to about 140 characters. If your name is long, drop "Thanks for today" before you drop the opt-out line.
Template 9: After an Appointment
[Business]: Thanks for your visit, [First name]. How did we do? An honest Google review takes a minute: [review link]
Start with your business name or your own name. A text from an unknown number that opens with a link looks like a scam, and customers delete it. Send it from the number they already know, the one that sent the booking confirmation or the "on my way" message.
WhatsApp Template
Google's help page on review links lists WhatsApp as one of the ways to share your link. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy sets the condition: you may contact people only if they gave you their number and "you have received opt-in permission from the recipient confirming that they wish to receive subsequent messages or calls from you."
Template 10: WhatsApp Message
Hi [First name], [Name] from [Business] here. Thanks again for [service/order] today.
If you have a minute, we'd be grateful for a Google review. Here's the link: [review link]
Any questions about [service], just reply here.
Follow-Up Templates
One reminder recovers the customers who meant to review and forgot; more turns into nagging. Send it three to five days after the first ask, and only to people who haven't reviewed or opted out. If you can't tell who has reviewed, add a line for the ones who already did.
Template 11: Email Reminder
Subject: Re: How was your [service], [First name]?
Hi [First name], a quick nudge in case my last email got buried. If you have a minute, your Google review would help us a lot: [review link]
Already left one? Thank you, and please ignore this.
[Your name]
Template 12: Text Reminder
Hi [First name], [Name] from [Business] again. If you get a minute this week, here's that review link: [review link] Thanks either way!
"Thanks either way" tells the customer the relationship doesn't depend on the review. Keep the reminder shorter than the first message.
After a Support Ticket
A closed ticket is a good moment to ask, as long as you don't ask only when the satisfaction score comes back high. The FTC's guide says "Don't ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones," and Google's policy bans selectively soliciting positive reviews. Send the same request after every resolved ticket, whatever the CSAT score.
Template 13: Ticket Resolved
Subject: Your request #[ticket] is closed
Hi [First name],
I've closed your request about [issue]. If anything comes back, reply here and it reopens.
If you have a minute, we'd appreciate a Google review of [Business]. Tell people what working with us is like, good or bad: [review link]
[Agent name], [Business] support
Template 14: After You Fixed a Complaint
Hi [First name],
Thanks for your patience while we put [issue] right. I'm sorry it took a second visit.
We ask every customer for a Google review, and we'd value yours too, including what went wrong and how we handled it: [review link]
[Your name], [Business]
Fix the problem first and with no strings attached. A refund, a redo or a discount that depends on a review, or on changing or deleting one, is what Google's policy bans: incentives "in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review." If the customer already left a negative review, answer it in public (how to respond to negative Google reviews has reply patterns) and leave any update up to them.
Short Lines for Receipts, Invoices and Signatures
A line at the bottom of every receipt, invoice and staff email signature asks all the time and costs nothing.
Template 15: One-Line Asks
Receipt or invoice: How did we do? Review us on Google: [short link or QR code]
Email signature: Worked with us? We'd appreciate a Google review: [review link]
Social post: If you visited us this month, we'd love to hear how it went on Google: [review link]
On paper, use the short link or the QR code. Customers won't type a 40-character URL from a receipt.
Phrases to Cut From Any Review Request
Several popular templates online include lines that break Google's policy or the FTC's rules. Check your own messages, printed cards and staff scripts for these.
| If your request says | The problem | Write this instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Get 10% off your next visit when you review us" | Google's tips page calls incentives for reviews "fake & misleading content" that is "strictly prohibited" | Cut the offer. Run promotions separately, for everyone. |
| "Leave us a 5-star review" | Google tells merchants not to request specific content in a review; a star count is as specific as it gets | "Leave us an honest review" |
| "If you loved your visit, review us on Google" | Tells unhappy customers the request isn't for them, which works like asking only happy ones | "Tell us how your visit went" |
| "Please mention Jake by name" | Google lists reviews with "content that identifies a staff member" under rating manipulation and tells merchants not to request specific content | Leave the content to the customer |
| "Not happy? Call us before you post anything" | Discourages negative reviews, which Google prohibits | Offer help in a separate line after the link |
| "Could you write it now, while you're here?" | Pressure to review on the premises | "Here's a card for later" |
| "Ask your family to leave one too" | The FTC says not to ask people who haven't used the service | Ask only the customer |
The same goes for staff targets. Google's policy lists "merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews" as manipulation, so give your team a script and a card, not a quota. In the US, the FTC's final rule on fake reviews (August 14, 2024) bans incentives "conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment." Paying for reviews is covered in buy Google reviews? The legal risks explained.
Send the Templates Automatically and Compare Them
By hand, these templates work for a few customers a day. Past that, asks get skipped on busy days and nobody knows which wording brought the reviews in. Our review management software comparison lists nine tools by request channel and price.
GLocal: Wiremo's Google review management software sends review requests by email from your own Google account or mail server. Paste Templates 5 and 11 into a sequence with as many steps as you want, and insert the customer name, business name, service and review link as variables. A sequence can stop when GLocal detects the customer's Google review or when the customer says they already reviewed, and it always stops when they unsubscribe. The Overview tab shows requests sent, open rate, click rate and reviews captured, with a breakdown by sequence step. Email sequences are live; SMS is listed as coming soon. Plans start at $29.99 a month with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no free trial. GLocal also offers review filtration as an optional setting; leave it off if you want every customer to get the same direct link these templates are built around.
Then reply to what comes in. In our 286-profile audit, 71% of the businesses ranked in the top 3 for their own category near their location answered at least 80% of recent reviews, against 47% of those in places 4 to 10. That comes from one search per business, so read it as a pattern, not proof that replies lift rankings. The free Google review reply generator drafts a response from the review text.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you politely ask for a Google review?
Thank the customer by name, mention what they bought, ask for "a quick Google review" in one sentence, and give them the direct link. Add "honest is best" so the request doesn't sound like a hunt for five stars. Ask once, send one reminder at most, and make it easy to say no: "No pressure" or "Thanks either way" does that.
Can I ask customers for a 5-star review?
Don't. Google's Maps content policy says merchants shouldn't request that specific content be included in a review, and in the US the FTC's 2024 rule bans incentives tied to a review's sentiment. Ask for an honest review. Customers who had a good experience will rate it that way without being told.
Is it illegal to ask customers for Google reviews?
No. Asking is allowed and Google encourages it: its tips page says you can ask customers "to visit a Google link or scan a QR code." What breaks Google's policy is offering a reward, asking only the customers you expect to be happy, discouraging negative reviews, pressuring people on the premises, or asking people who never used your business. In the US, the FTC rule also bans rewards tied to a positive or negative review.
How do I ask for a Google review by text message?
Text only customers who agreed to receive texts. Start with your name or business name, thank them, ask in one sentence and put the review link at the end, under 160 characters with no emoji. Template 8 above fits: "Hi [First name], it's [Name] at [Business]. Thanks for today. Would you leave us a Google review? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out."
How many times should you ask a customer for a review?
Twice at most: the first request and one reminder three to five days later. Stop as soon as the customer reviews or opts out, and don't put them back into new requests for a few months. Extra reminders invite spam complaints, and on SMS those complaints can get your number filtered by carriers.
