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Google review guides

Reviews are the part of a Google Business Profile that customers read first. These guides cover how to reply to a review on Google, what a good reply says at one star and at five, how to ask customers for reviews without breaking Google's rules, and how to run the same work in OpenGMB.

Start with the reply guide if you have reviews waiting. Start with the ask guide if you have only a handful. Both end with the OpenGMB version of the job and a prompt for Claude.

Last updated 2026-10-24

Guides in this hub

  1. Guide 1How to reply to Google reviews

    How to reply to a Google review: the steps on Google, what a good reply says at 5, 3 and 1 stars, the mistakes that get one rejected, and a Claude prompt.

  2. Guide 2How to ask for Google reviews

    How to ask customers for Google reviews within Google's rules: where to find your review link, what to say, how many reminders to send, and a prompt for Claude.

What OpenGMB checks

  • Links, email addresses, hashtags and offers in a reply: U7.url, U7.email, U7.hashtag and U7.offer stop the reply by default.
  • Repeated wording: R6.duplicate stops an identical reply, and R6.opening warns when a reply opens like a recent one.

Questions about reviews

Do I have to reply to every Google review?

No rule makes you. Replying to every review you can, including the positive ones, shows readers that someone is paying attention. Reply to the low ratings first.

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

Google's policy does not allow a business to selectively ask only happy customers for reviews, or to offer incentives for them.

Can Claude write my review replies?

Yes. Connect OpenGMB to Claude or another MCP client and ask it to draft replies. Every draft goes through the same rules as one you type, and approval rules decide what happens next.