Google reviews disappeared? Why, and what you can do
Updated
Your review count dropped overnight, or a customer swears they posted a review you cannot see. Google lists the reasons this happens, and most are not something anyone outside Google can undo. A few you can fix, and one you should check for at once.
The short answer
Google checks reviews against its policies, which can take a few days, and removes reviews it judges to be spam or inappropriate; Google says reviews removed for a policy violation will not be restored. Reviews can also be missing after a merge, on old versions of the Maps app, when Google pauses reviews for some profiles or categories, or after a profile is reinstated. If real reviews were removed by mistake, contact Business Profile support. Check your email too: Google restricts profiles caught with fake reviews, and that notice has its own appeal form.
What you see
- Your review count went down.
- A customer posted a review that does not appear.
- New reviews stopped appearing at all.
- A warning on your profile that fake reviews were removed.
Why it happens
Still being checked
Google says checking a review against its policies can take a few days.
Removed for a policy violation
Google says reviews are usually removed for spam or inappropriate content. That includes reviews someone was paid for or offered something for, and reviews from staff or people connected to the business.
A merge, an old app or a reinstatement
Reviews can be missing after two profiles are merged, for customers on an older version of Maps, or after a suspended profile is reinstated.
Google paused reviews
Google says it may temporarily disable reviews for some profiles or categories. In July 2026 news sites also reported Google investigating reviews disappearing from many profiles; Google's own statement on that is not on its help pages.
A fake-review restriction
When Google finds fake reviews on a profile, it may stop it receiving new reviews for a set period, unpublish existing reviews, and show customers a warning. Google emails the owner first.
What to do, step by step
Give new reviews a few days
A review that is still being checked appears once the check is done.
Check your email for a notice from Google
If Google has restricted the profile for fake reviews, the email says so, and there is a form to appeal the restriction.
Appeal a fake-review restrictionReal reviews removed by mistake? Contact support
Google says its system occasionally removes legitimate reviews by mistake. Contact Business Profile support with the dates and how many went (there is a draft below).
Business Profile: Contact usRecently merged or reinstated? Contact support
Google says merged reviews can take a few days to show, and to contact support for reviews missing after a reinstatement.
Stop anything that gets reviews removed
No discounts, gifts or contests for reviews, no reviews from staff or family, and ask every customer, not only the happy ones. Google treats asking only happy customers as selective soliciting.
Your message to Business Profile support
Paste into the Contact us form in Business Profile help, then replace the parts in brackets.
Hello. [your business name] in [your city] has lost [number] reviews since [date]. They were written by real customers [who visited us / whose visits we can describe], and we have never offered anything in return for a review. Could you check whether they were removed by mistake?
What not to do
- Do not buy reviews or join review-exchange groups. It is the surest way to a restriction and a public warning on your profile.
- Do not offer a discount or a free item for a review. Google counts it as fake engagement.
- Do not pay anyone to restore removed reviews. Google says reviews removed for policy violations will not be restored.
What Sunaam does, and does not
Sunaam helps you ask every customer after their visit, with a review QR at the counter and WhatsApp requests, instead of only the happy ones. Every review that arrives gets a reply drafted in the customer's language, and a bad one reaches you on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my Google reviews disappear?
Google lists policy checks, removal for spam or inappropriate content, merged profiles, older versions of the Maps app, reviews paused for some profiles or categories, and reinstatement after a suspension. A profile caught with fake reviews can also have reviews unpublished for a set period.
Can deleted Google reviews be restored?
Google says reviews removed for a policy violation will not be restored. If real reviews were removed by mistake, or went missing after a reinstatement, contact Business Profile support.
Why can't I see a review my customer posted?
It may still be in Google's policy check, which can take a few days, or it may have been filtered. Google does not tell the business which.
Will offering a discount for reviews get them removed?
Yes, it can. Google's policy treats reviews given for an incentive as fake engagement, and a profile with fake reviews can be restricted.
From Google's own help pages
Read on 8 Nov 2026. Third-party sources are marked.
Related problems
Back on Google? Keep it that way.
A free checkup reads your profile as customers see it and lists what to fix first. No card, and nothing changes on Google without your approval.
Sunaam (Teknesya Networks Pvt Ltd) is an independent service and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Google. Google Business Profile is free from Google.