In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Copy your review link from your Google Business Profile (Read reviews, then Get more reviews), then send it automatically by email, SMS or WhatsApp a few hours after each completed visit or order. Ask every customer, never offer a reward, and reply to the reviews you get.
Step 1: get your Google review link or QR code
Google gives every verified Business Profile an official short link and QR code for reviews. According to Google's help page on review links:
Open your Business Profile on a computer
Search for your business name on Google while signed in to the account that manages it. Google notes the QR code can only be generated in a computer browser, not on mobile.
Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews
A box shows your review link and QR code, with share options.
Copy the link
Select Copy and save the link somewhere central, such as your booking system or email templates.
Download the QR code
Right-click the QR code and save the image for receipts, counter signs or table cards.
If you have not set up or verified your profile yet, start with our Google Business Profile set-up guide.
What Google allows and prohibits
Google's Maps user contribution policy is clear on a few points that matter for automation:
Allowed
- Asking every customer for an honest review
- Sending the link by email, SMS, WhatsApp or on receipts
- Showing the QR code in your shop
- Replying to all reviews, positive and negative
Not allowed
- Discounts, freebies or payment in exchange for a review
- Asking only happy customers, or discouraging negative reviews
- Pressuring customers to review while on the premises
- Asking for specific content or staff names, or setting staff review quotas
- Reviews from staff, family or anyone with a conflict of interest
The second point catches many review tools. A flow that asks 'How did we do?' and only sends the Google link to people who click 4 or 5 stars is selective solicitation, which Google's policy prohibits. Reviews collected that way can be removed.
When to send the review request
The best trigger is the moment the customer has had the full experience, while it is still fresh. Pick the event your systems already record:
| Business type | Trigger event | Suggested timing |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic, salon, studio | Appointment marked completed in the booking system | A few hours after the visit |
| Online store | Order marked delivered | One to three days after delivery |
| Restaurant or cafe | QR code on receipt or table card | At the end of the meal, no pressure |
| Contractor or service firm | Job completed or final invoice paid | The same day or next day |
Send one request and at most one gentle reminder. Repeated chasing annoys customers and can lead to complaints. If you use a booking system, our guide to online booking for clinics and salons shows how completion events can trigger follow-ups.
How to automate it: email, SMS or WhatsApp
Most booking systems, online stores and invoicing tools can send a follow-up message on an event. If yours cannot, an automation tool such as Zapier or Make can watch for the event and send the message.
- Email: the simplest. Add the review link to a 'thank you' template that sends when an order is delivered or an appointment is completed.
- SMS: short and widely read. Keep it to one line plus the link, and include your business name so it is not mistaken for a scam.
- WhatsApp: high open rates in Singapore. Automated messages need the WhatsApp Business Platform with an approved template; our WhatsApp Business API cost guide explains how it is priced.
Example wording that stays within the rules: 'Hi Mei Ling, thanks for visiting [Business] today. If you have a minute, we'd appreciate an honest review on Google: [link]. It helps other customers find us.' No reward, no 'five stars please', the same message to everyone.
Only message people who gave you their number or email in the course of the booking or purchase, and include a simple way to opt out of further messages. If the same message also promotes an offer, it may count as marketing under Singapore's Do Not Call rules; our Do Not Call Registry guide explains when you must check numbers.
Replying to reviews and handling bad ones
Google's tips are practical: be professional and polite, keep replies short, avoid turning replies into promotions, and never share a reviewer's private information. For a negative review, acknowledge the issue, apologise where appropriate and invite the person to contact you directly.
If a review breaks Google's policies, such as spam or a conflict of interest, flag it from your profile. If you see a sudden wave of one-star reviews followed by someone demanding money to remove them, Google treats that as extortion: do not pay or engage, gather screenshots, and use Google's merchant extortion report form.
Our summary of Singapore's enhanced e-commerce guidelines covers the CCS case and the rules on honest reviews.
Do it yourself or get help?
If your booking system or store already sends a 'thank you' email, adding the review link is a ten-minute job. Do that first, and put the QR code on your counter or receipts.
If you want requests to go out by WhatsApp or from several systems, our Workflow Automation (S$390 per workflow) sets up the trigger, message and opt-out handling. WhatsApp Notifications (S$590) covers the approved WhatsApp templates, and an Online Booking System (S$390) can send the request automatically when an appointment is completed.
Frequently asked questions
Open your Google Business Profile in a computer browser, select Read reviews and then Get more reviews. Google shows a short review link you can copy and a QR code you can download. You can share the link by email, SMS, WhatsApp or on receipts, and print the QR code for your shop.
No. Google's policy prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for posting, changing or removing a review. Reviews collected this way can be removed. In Singapore, buying or manipulating reviews can also be treated as an unfair practice by the Competition and Consumer Commission.
No. Google's Maps contribution policy says merchants must not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews. A survey that sends the Google link only to customers who rate you highly is selective solicitation. Send the same honest request to every customer instead.
Soon after the customer has had the full experience: a few hours after an appointment, a day or two after an online order is delivered, or when a job is completed and paid. Send one request and no more than one reminder, and keep the message short with your business name and the link.
Flag reviews that break Google's policies from your Business Profile. If you get a sudden wave of one-star reviews with a demand for money to remove them, do not pay or respond. Collect screenshots and links, then submit Google's merchant extortion report form with the evidence.