Before diving into the steps, it’s important to understand when you should report a review. You can dispute a review if:
It violates Google’s guidelines, such as posting spam, offensive language, or irrelevant content.
It is fake or biased, and does not reflect a genuine customer experience.
It contains misleading or inappropriate content.
When flagged as inappropriate, Google may take action against the reviewer, which could include removing the review or even banning them from posting future reviews. However, this is usually only done if the review clearly violates Google’s policies.
To report a Google review directly from the Conversations tab in your CRM, follow these steps:
Log into your and go to the Conversations tab.
Search for the contact associated with the review you wish to dispute.
Once you’ve located the contact, click on Dispute this review.
You will then be prompted to confirm the Google email and the business account linked to the review in question.
After confirming the details, you’ll have two options:
Report a new review: If you’re reporting a review for the first time, you’ll be given a list of your recent reviews. You can click on any review to view it on Google Maps or submit a takedown request.
Check the status of an existing report: If you’ve already reported a review, you can track its status here.
If you’ve already reported a review and want to see its current status, follow these steps:
Go to the Reviews section and click on Check the status of a reported review. You will be shown a list of reviews that you’ve reported, including their current status.
Click on any reported review to see more details. This will provide you with a summary of the review's status.
If your takedown request was rejected, you can submit an appeal to contest the decision.
Limitations on Listings: There is a limit to the number of reviews that Google will show for review disputes. For Google My Business accounts that manage a large number of listings, this feature may not be available.
Account Limitations: According to Joy Hawkins, the feature may not be accessible for accounts with numerous business listings. In cases where an account manages a large number of profiles, such as over 30 listings, Google may prevent access to the dispute process.
To report a Google review, go to the Conversations tab in your CRM. Search for the contact associated with the review you want to dispute, then click Dispute this review. You will be prompted to confirm your Google email and the business account linked to the review in question. From there, you can either report a new review or check the status of a previously reported review.
You can report reviews that violate Google’s guidelines, such as:
Spam or promotional content
Offensive or inappropriate language
Fake reviews or biased content that doesn't reflect an actual customer experience
Reviews that are irrelevant to your business
If the review was not generated by the system, you will need to start the reporting process separately. Please follow the instructions provided on the platform to dispute a non-system-generated review.
To check the status of a previously reported review, go to the Reviews section in your dashboard and select Check the status of a reported review. You’ll see a list of reviews you've flagged and their current status. If the takedown request was not accepted, you can submit an appeal.
Yes, if your takedown request was rejected, you can appeal the decision by clicking the "Submit Appeal" option. This allows you to provide additional information or clarification to Google for further review.
Once you report a review, Google may investigate the review and take action. If the review violates Google’s policies, it could be removed or the reviewer could be banned from posting future reviews. Google does not guarantee immediate removal, but they will evaluate whether the review violates their guidelines.
