Google Review Link: How to Find, Share and Fix Yours
Your Google review link is a web address that opens the "write a review" box for your business in one tap. You can copy it from your Business Profile (Ask for reviews), or build it from your Place ID. Test it on a phone that is not signed in as you, shorten it, and put it everywhere a happy customer will see it.
A good link removes the biggest reason customers do not review you: it is too much work. Without it, a customer has to open Maps, search your name, find the right listing, scroll to reviews and work out where to tap. With it, they land straight on the stars. This guide covers the three kinds of link, how to get each one, how to check it works, and what to do when it does not.
What a Google review link is
It is an ordinary web link that points at the review form for one specific place on Google. When a customer taps it on a phone, Google opens a screen with five empty stars and a text box. If they are signed in to a Google account, they can post at once. If they are not, Google asks them to sign in first.
It is not a special feature you pay for. Every verified business gets one for free. The generators and "review link makers" you find online do the same job in a different way, and some add a short address or a QR code on top.
The three kinds of link
| Type | Looks like | Where it comes from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short link | g.page/r/.../review | Your Business Profile, "Ask for reviews" | Texts, emails, signs, QR codes |
| Place ID link | search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=... | Built from your Place ID | When you cannot reach the profile, or want to make links for several places |
| Maps search link | google.com/maps/place/... | Copied from your Maps listing | Not recommended: it opens your listing, and the customer still has to find the review button |
Use the first two. The third gets people to your page but not to the box, which is where most of them give up.
How to get your short link from your profile
This is the easiest way and it is the one Google intends owners to use.
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Search for your business name on Google or open Maps while signed in. You should see your profile with edit options.
- Choose Ask for reviews. On some accounts the same option is called Share review form or sits under a "Get more reviews" card.
- A window opens with your link and a copy button. Copy it.
- Paste it into a note on your phone straight away, so you never have to look for it again.
If you do not see the option, the cause is nearly always one of two things: the profile is not verified yet, or you are signed in to a different Google account from the one that owns it. Check both before anything else. Our guide to Google Business Profile verification covers the first.
How to build the link from your Place ID
Every place on Google has a Place ID, a long code of letters and numbers that names it exactly. Google publishes a Place ID Finder tool in its developer pages: you type your business name and address and it returns the code. Then you add it to this pattern:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID
Replace YOUR_PLACE_ID with the code, with nothing before or after it and no spaces. This is what most free "review link generators" do behind the scenes. It works for any place that appears on Google Maps, including ones you do not own, which is why it is handy for agencies and for people managing several locations.
Two cautions. Place IDs can change in rare cases, for example when Google merges duplicate listings, so recheck your link now and then. And treat any site that asks you to pay or sign in with your Google password for a link with suspicion. The link is free and needs nothing but your business name.
Test the link before you print anything
This takes two minutes and saves you from printing 500 cards that open the wrong place.
- Open the link on your phone in a private or incognito window, or on a phone where a friend is signed in.
- Check that the business name at the top is yours, with the right address.
- Check that the stars and the text box show. If you see your normal listing page, the link is the wrong type.
- Do not post a review from your own account. Google treats reviews from owners as conflict of interest, and they can be removed.
- Check it on both an iPhone and an Android phone if you can. Some old links open an app prompt on one and not the other.
Make the link short and readable
A long Place ID link is fine for a button, but it looks bad in a text message and cannot be typed by hand. Three simple fixes:
- Use the g.page short link from your profile where you can. It is already short.
- Use a link on your own website. Make a page such as
yourbusiness.com/reviewthat forwards to the Google link. It is easy to say aloud, it survives a change in Google's link, and you can swap the destination later without reprinting anything. - Put it in a QR code for counters, receipts and vans. See our guide to a printable review sign or the longer one on review QR codes for restaurants, which works for any counter.
Avoid third-party link shorteners that you do not control. If the shortener's free plan ends or the account lapses, every printed link dies with it.
Where to put the link
The link only works if customers meet it at the moment they feel good about you. A list of places that work for most small businesses:
- A text message the same day as the job or visit, sent from your phone with their name in it.
- An email signature and the thank-you email after a purchase or booking.
- The receipt or invoice, as a QR code and a short line.
- The counter or table, on a small card or sign.
- Your website: a footer link or a short page that says "Tell us how we did".
- Your van, uniform or business card, where a QR code is the only practical form.
The wording around the link matters as much as the link. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews has the scripts and timing that work best.
What not to do with the link
Google's policy on fake engagement is clear, and the link is where owners most often get into trouble.
- Do not offer something in return. A discount, a free coffee or an entry into a draw for leaving a review is an incentive, and Google prohibits it.
- Do not send the link only to happy customers. Asking just the people you expect to be positive is called review gating, and Google's policy bars it. Ask everyone, the same way.
- Do not set up a tablet in your own shop and have customers review from your wifi in bulk. Google can spot many reviews from one device or network and may remove them all.
- Do not post reviews yourself, or ask staff and family to. These are the quickest to be taken down.
When the link does not work
This is the most common reason people search for the term at all. Work down this list from the top.
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The link opens your listing but no review box | It is a Maps search link, not a review link | Get the short link from Ask for reviews, or rebuild it with the writereview pattern |
| A "page not found" message | A typo or a missing character, often from a text message that split the link | Copy the whole link again; check there is no space inside it |
| It opens a different business | The wrong Place ID, or two listings with similar names | Search your name in the Place ID Finder and check the address matches |
| Customers tell you they "cannot leave a review" | They are not signed in, or the account is new and restricted | Ask them to sign in; some reviews take a day or two to appear |
| The option to ask for reviews is missing | Profile not verified, or the wrong Google account | Finish verification and sign in to the owning account |
| Reviews are posted but never show up | Google's automatic checks held them, which can happen for reviews posted close together from one place | Wait a few days; spread the asks out; do not post test reviews |
Does the link affect your ranking?
The link itself does not. What counts is the reviews it brings in. Google says review count and score are part of how prominent a business looks in local results, and reviews that mention what you do can help you appear for those words. So the link is a tool, not a trick. A link no one uses does nothing; a link in every receipt, used steadily, can lift your count each week. See what our other guides say about how Maps decides who shows first.
A quick routine for setting this up today
- Get the short link from your profile and save it in a phone note (5 minutes).
- Test it in a private window (2 minutes).
- Make a page on your site, or a QR code, that points at it (15 minutes).
- Write one text message you will reuse and save it as a snippet (5 minutes).
- Pin a card with the QR code to the counter, or add it to every invoice (10 minutes).
- Set a weekly reminder to count new reviews and reply to them.
If you would like this done for you, our free check finds your business, shows how your reviews compare with your three nearest rivals, and hands you a ready review link, a printable sign and written replies.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my Google review link?
In your Business Profile, choose Ask for reviews (also called Share review form) and copy the link. If you cannot reach the profile, build it from your Place ID with the writereview pattern above.
Is a Google review link free?
Yes. Google gives it to every verified business at no charge. Generators and QR code makers may sell extras, but the link itself costs nothing.
Can I get a review link without a business account?
You can build a working link from the Place ID of any listing without owning the profile. You cannot reply to reviews or see the Ask for reviews button without verified access.
Why does my Google review link say not found?
Usually a typo, a link broken across two lines in a message, or an old link from a listing that was merged. Rebuild it from the profile and test it again.
Do customers need a Google account to use it?
Yes. They must be signed in to a Google account to post. Many people already are on their phones, so ask them in person where you can and tell them it takes a minute.
Can I change the link or make it shorter?
You can forward a short address on your own site to the Google link. You cannot edit the Google link itself, other than creating one from a Place ID.
Sources
- Read and reply to reviews, Google Business Profile Help, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Prohibited and restricted content: fake engagement and incentives, Google Maps contribution policy, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Place IDs, Google Maps Platform documentation, read Nov 5, 2026.
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