Why Aren't My Google Reviews Showing? Removed and Pending Reviews

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A customer says they wrote a review, but you can't find it on your profile; or a review that was there yesterday is gone today. Most business owners searching "why are my Google reviews not showing" face the same questions: Was the review removed, is it pending, or was it never published?

First, a plain fact: Google often doesn't explain why individual reviews aren't shown. So the reasons below are possible explanations, not a definite diagnosis. Here we cover how to tell whether a review was really removed, Google's filters, reviewer account issues, and what you can do.

Was the review really removed?

Before concluding "my Google review was removed," check whether it has actually disappeared. Sometimes the review is there but you can't see it.

• Change the sort order. On Google Maps, reviews are shown as "Most relevant" by default. Switch the list to "Newest" and scroll down.
• Look in different places. Search for the review both in the Google Maps app and in your profile card on Google Search. If possible, also check from a browser window where you're not signed in.
• Ask the person who wrote it. Does the customer see the review in their own account, under their contributions on Google Maps? They may have edited or removed it themselves.
• Check your Business Profile dashboard. In the reviews section, see whether the review is listed and whether you can reply to it.

If the reviewer sees the review in their own account but others don't, it may be hidden from others by moderation or a filter. If it appears nowhere, the writer may have removed it or closed their account, or Google may have removed it.

Pending reviews

Google checks reviews against its policies. According to Google's help page, this check can take a few days in some cases. If you can't see a newly written review right away, the first step is to wait a few days. If two profiles were recently merged, reviews can also take a few days to show in Search and Maps. In other words, some cases that look like "Google review not published" are actually pending reviews.

Google's spam and policy filters

To keep Maps content trustworthy, Google moderates reviews, looking not only at the text but also at account information, user behavior and incoming reports. Reviews found to violate Google's Prohibited and restricted content policy are removed. The main cases the policy lists are:

• Fake engagement: Reviews not based on a real experience, written for payment, or posted from multiple accounts.
• Rating manipulation: Incentivized or biased reviews, reviews arriving in unusual volume or patterns, and content with a conflict of interest.
• Off-topic content: General political or social commentary unrelated to the experience at that place.
• Advertising and promotion: A phone number, email, social media account or website link inside the review.
• Personal information, harassment and profanity: Personal data shared without permission, attacks on people, and obscene language.
• Gibberish or repetitive content: Random characters or the same text submitted over and over.

One key point: filters don't look at whether a review is positive or negative, but at whether it follows policy. A real customer's sincere review can get caught by a filter, and a negative review that seems to break the rules can stay up.

Google's help page states that reviews removed for policy violations are not restored. So don't expect a removed review to come back; that decision is Google's. Google may also temporarily turn off user content on some profiles or in some categories; in that case new reviews may not appear at all for a while.

Reasons tied to the reviewer's account

Sometimes a review doesn't appear because of the account that wrote it, not its content. Possible situations:

• Conflict of interest: Reviews that you, your employees or people close to you write about your own business count as a conflict of interest under the policy and may be removed. Unfair reviews written about a competing business fall under the same rule.
• Account history and behavior: Because Google also weighs account information and user behavior, a review from an account with no prior contributions or unusual activity may not appear.
• Reviews from the same device: Asking customers to write their review on a tablet in your shop or on your phone means many reviews come from the same device and can raise suspicion. Each customer should write their review on their own phone, with their own account.
• Edited or removed review: The reviewer may have changed the text, removed the review or closed their Google account. In that case, whether the review comes back depends on the writer.
• Outdated app: Google notes that people using an old app or phone version may have trouble writing reviews and recommends updating the Google Maps app. The customer may think they posted the review when the submission never completed.

Many reviews in a short time

Some "Google reviews disappeared" complaints follow waves of reviews arriving in a short time. Google's policy treats reviews in unusual volume or patterns as a sign of rating manipulation. So even a well-meant bulk request can cause some reviews to be delayed or never appear.

When asking for reviews:

• Spread requests over time. Instead of sending a mass message to all past customers on the same day, ask each customer in their own time, once their service is done.
• Ask everyone the same way. Asking only customers you expect to be satisfied is a selective practice that goes against Google's rules.
• Don't provide ready-made text. Reviews that look very similar can read as repetitive content; let customers write in their own words.
• Don't offer anything in return. Google treats offering an incentive, such as a discount or a free product, to get reviews as fake engagement and strictly prohibits it.

What can you do?

There's no button to make Google publish a review. But you can clarify the situation and reduce the same problem in the future:

1. Wait a few days and check again. New reviews may be delayed by moderation.
2. Don't ask the customer to post the review again and again. If the review shows in the customer's account, waiting is enough. If it isn't in their account at all, the submission may not have completed; updating the app and trying once more is enough.
3. Contact Google's support. Google's help page states that you can contact Business Profile support about review issues. Support can give you information; Google still decides whether the review is published.
4. Reply regularly to the reviews that appear. Replies show you care about your reviews and help new customers trust your profile. For the steps to write and edit replies, see Google's Manage customer reviews page.

The opposite case, asking for a rule-breaking review to be removed, is a separate process. We cover the reporting steps in our article on how to remove a bad or fake Google review. If you'd like help preparing these requests, take a look at our reputation management service; only Google decides whether a review is removed. If replies take too much time, BadePlus's Google review replies feature prepares a draft reply in your business's tone for every new review; the reply comes to you for approval or, if you've given permission, is published automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Will a removed review come back?

According to Google's help page, reviews removed for policy violations are not restored. A review delayed by moderation, however, may be published later. Google often doesn't say which applies.

Many of my reviews disappeared at once. What happened?

A mass loss can follow a Google cleanup of fake engagement, a merge of two profiles, or a profile reinstatement. Google also notes that some reviews may be removed on reinstated profiles. Check your dashboard for a restriction notice; only Google can tell you the exact reason.

Do negative reviews get filtered too?

Yes. Filters look at whether a review follows policy, not at whether its content is positive or negative. A negative review that follows the rules stays up.

Summary

• First check the review in "Newest" order, on Maps and in Search; ask the reviewer whether they see it in their own account.
• New reviews may be delayed a few days by moderation; those removed for policy violations don't come back.
• Conflicts of interest, reviews from the same device, incentives and bulk requests are possible reasons reviews don't appear.
• Ask for reviews spread over time, the same way for everyone, and without anything in return.
• The exact reason and the decision are Google's; replying regularly to the reviews that appear is in your hands.