A Google review link takes customers straight to your review form. No searching, no wrong listing, no guessing. You can also turn it into a QR code for receipts and counters.
This guide shows where to find the link and how to make the QR code. It also covers how to ask within Google's rules and the FTC's. Google may remove reviews that break its policy, so the asking part matters.
Reporting note: We checked this guide against Google and FTC sources on October 4, 2026. Google changes its menu labels often. No method can promise a set number of reviews or a higher ranking.
Key takeaways
- Your official review link sits under Get more reviews in your Business Profile
- Google only lets you make the review QR code in a computer browser
- Ask every customer, not just the ones you expect to be happy
- Never offer a discount, gift, or prize entry for a review
- Don't set staff review quotas or ask customers to name staff
Why does a Google review link matter?
A customer who has to search for your listing may give up. They might also land on the wrong business with a similar name. A direct link cuts the steps to a tap, a rating, and a few words.
Google's own tips page says honest, balanced reviews can help people decide. It also tells owners to remind customers with a link or QR code. So asking isn't pushy, it's what Google suggests.
Reviews are one part of your local presence. Our guide to optimizing your Google Business Profile covers the rest. Good local SEO aims to help nearby customers find and choose you.
How to find your Google review link
Google's help page on review links lays out the steps. Use a computer, since you'll want the QR code from the same screen. Here's the path Google describes.
- Sign in with the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews.
- Select Get more reviews.
- Select Copy to copy your review link.
Paste the link into a note and test it on your phone. It should open your review form. Google says customers need to sign in to a Google account to leave a review.
How to make a QR code for Google reviews
The same Get more reviews screen shows a QR code. To save it, right-click the code and choose Save image as. Google says you can only make review QR codes in a computer browser.
Use Google's own QR code rather than a free generator site. Some generators send scans through their own short links. If that service shuts down, your printed codes may stop working.
Before you print, scan the code with two different phones. Print it large enough to scan from arm's length. Leave white space around the code so cameras can read it.
Where to share your review link and QR code
Google suggests receipts, thank-you emails, and the end of a chat. It also suggests a printed code in your store. Pick spots that reach every customer, not just some.
Scroll sideways to read the full table.
| Place | Best format | Works well for |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice or receipt | QR code and link | Every paying customer |
| Job-completion text | Link | Home service and mobile trades |
| Thank-you email | Link | Online bookings and repeat clients |
| Counter or front desk sign | QR code | Walk-in shops and offices |
| Leave-behind card | QR code | Crews who finish on site |
| Email signature | Link | Ongoing client conversations |
For home service trades, the job-completion text is often the cleanest moment. The work is done, and the customer has a phone in hand. Our home services marketing page shows how reviews fit with the rest of your marketing.
What do Google's rules say about asking for reviews?
Google's Maps content policy covers reviews from both sides. Owners can ask for reviews, but some ways of asking break the rules. Here's what the policy bans:
- Offering payment, discounts, or free goods or services for any review
- Asking only the customers you expect to leave positive reviews
- Discouraging or blocking negative reviews
- Asking staff to collect a set number of reviews
- Asking staff to get reviews with specific content or a staff member's name
The staff rules are easy to miss. A contest for the most reviews would break them. So would a card asking customers to name their technician.
What does the FTC say about review requests?
The FTC's rule on consumer reviews took effect on October 21, 2024. It bans incentives that depend on a review being positive or negative. It also bans threats and false claims used to get honest reviews removed.
The rule has no specific ban on asking only happy customers. But the FTC says that kind of gating could still break the FTC Act. Its guide for marketers says not to ask only customers you expect to be positive.
Google's policy is stricter than the FTC rule on rewards. Google bans incentives for any review, even when you don't ask for praise. So the safe path is simple: offer nothing in return.
This is general marketing information, not legal advice. Talk to a lawyer before you run a large review program.
How to ask for Google reviews the right way
A good ask is short, neutral, and sent to everyone. It doesn't hint at a star rating or suggest what to write. Here are three sample asks you can adapt.
- After a job: Thanks for choosing us today. If you have a minute, please share an honest review on Google.
- On a receipt: How did we do? Scan the code to leave a Google review.
- In a follow-up email: Thanks for your visit. We read every review, good or bad. Here's our Google review link.
Send the same ask to every customer at the same point. Build it into your invoice or job-closing routine, so no one picks who gets it. That's the simplest way to avoid gating.
Common review request mistakes to avoid
Most review problems start with a shortcut. Watch for these habits in your own process.
- Sending a satisfaction survey first, then the review link only to happy customers
- Offering a discount, gift card, or prize entry for a review
- Asking customers to mention a staff member by name
- Setting review targets or bonuses for staff
- Printing a third-party QR code that could stop working later
- Sharing private customer details in a review reply
Reply to reviews too, good and bad. Google's tips say to keep replies short, polite, and timely. Google also checks replies against its content policies before they post.