How to remove a fake Google review

What Google will and will not remove

Google removes reviews that break its policies. It does not remove reviews simply because they are negative or because you disagree with them. Reviews Google will usually remove include:

• Fake engagement: reviews from people who were never customers, reviews posted by bots or bought in bulk, and reviews written to damage a competitor.
• Conflicts of interest: reviews from a competitor, a former employee about their employer, or anyone reviewing their own business.
• Off topic content: reviews about something unrelated to the customer experience, such as political rants or complaints about a different business.
• Harassment, hate speech or offensive content.
• Personal information, such as someone's phone number or home address.
• Impersonation, where someone pretends to be another person or business.

A genuine customer giving an honest one star review, however unfair it feels, will almost always stay. For those, a good reply is your best tool. See how to respond to negative Google reviews.

How to report a fake review

You can report a review from your Business Profile or from Google's Reviews Management Tool.

1. Open your Business Profile and go to Read reviews.
2. Find the review and select the report (flag) icon next to it.
3. Pick the reason that matches best, such as spam, conflict of interest or off topic. Choosing the right reason matters, because the review is checked against that policy.
4. Send the report.

Report each fake review once. Google asks owners not to report reviews simply because they disagree with them, and reporting the same review over and over, or asking friends to report it, does not speed anything up.

Track your report and appeal if needed

Google's Reviews Management Tool, linked from its Business Profile help pages, shows every review you have reported and its status: "Decision pending", "Report reviewed - no policy violation" or "Escalated - check your email for updates". Google says a decision typically takes several days, and when appeal volumes are high it can take longer.

If Google decides a review does not break its policies, you can appeal that decision once. One appeal can cover up to 10 reviews, and the result arrives by email. Do not file the same appeal twice; Google has asked owners not to, because duplicates slow everything down.

When you appeal, be specific. "This person has never been a customer" is stronger when you can add that you have no booking, invoice or call from anyone with that name, and that the review describes a service you do not offer or a date you were closed.

Signs that a review is fake

These details help you decide whether a review is worth reporting, and make your appeal stronger:

• No record of the person in your bookings, invoices or call log
• A review about a service you do not offer or an area you do not cover
• Several negative reviews arriving within a day or two, from new accounts
• A reviewer who has also left glowing reviews for a direct competitor
• Wording that matches other reviews closely
• A review that appeared right after a dispute with a competitor or former employee

What to do while you wait

• Reply calmly. Say you cannot find any record of the reviewer as a customer and invite them to contact you directly to sort it out. Future customers judge you on the reply as much as the review.
• Keep collecting genuine reviews. One fake review among dozens of recent, detailed real ones does far less damage. A steady routine, as in our review guide, is the best protection there is.
• Keep a record of the review, the date, your report and any evidence, in case it turns into a pattern.

If it is a coordinated attack

A sudden wave of fake reviews, sometimes called review bombing, often follows a news story, a social media post or a dispute. Google has protections built for this: when it detects a spike of suspicious reviews it removes them, pauses new reviews on the profile, alerts the owner and shows a notice on the profile. Google says the pause is usually lifted within a few days, once the risk has passed.

If reviews still get through, report each one, contact Google Business Profile support with the full list and dates, and mention the trigger if you know it.

Beware of review removal scams

Some owners are contacted by people who post a run of fake one star reviews and then offer to remove them for a fee. It is a scam: nobody outside Google can remove a review. Google added protections against this in 2026. Do not pay, report the reviews, and report the contact to Google Business Profile support.

If you would like reviews monitored and handled for you, including reporting the fake ones and replying to every real one, that is part of our review management.

Questions owners ask

Can I pay someone to remove a Google review?

Nobody can remove a review for a fee. Only Google can remove reviews, and only when they break its policies. Services that promise guaranteed removal are at best reporting it the same way you can, and at worst breaking Google's rules in ways that put your profile at risk.

How long does Google take to look at a reported review?

Google says reports are typically evaluated within several days, and appeals can take longer when volumes are high. You can check the status of each report in Google's Reviews Management Tool.

Should I reply to a fake review?

Usually yes. A short, calm reply saying you have no record of this person as a customer, and inviting them to get in touch, shows everyone else reading that you take reviews seriously. Avoid accusing or arguing.