The rules that matter most
*General information, not legal advice.*
- Google. Google's Maps user-generated content policy prohibits fake engagement, including offering incentives for reviews, and discouraging negative reviews or selectively soliciting positive ones. Business owners also shouldn't review their own business.
- US FTC. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, effective October 2024, prohibits fake reviews, buying reviews conditioned on sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews and certain review-suppression practices. The rule text is in the Federal Register and 16 CFR Part 465.
- Other countries have their own consumer protection rules on reviews.
What "review gating" looks like
Review gating is asking customers how they felt first, then only sending the review link to those who answered positively, while routing unhappy customers to a private form. It's tempting because it produces better ratings. It's also the selective solicitation Google's policy describes. A simple automation can do it by accident, so check your workflow's branches.
A compliant workflow
- Trigger on a job or project marked complete by a person, not on payment alone.
- Wait long enough for the customer to experience the result — a day or two for most trades.
- Send the same request to every customer who completed a job, unless they've opted out of messages or there's an open complaint you're actively resolving (handle that as customer service, not as a reason to filter reviews).
- Keep it simple and neutral: thank them, ask for honest feedback, include the link.
- No incentives tied to leaving a review.
- Send one reminder at most, then stop.
- Respond to reviews — positive and negative — as a person.
Example wording
Is a review request marketing?
It depends on the content and where you operate. A short, neutral request about a completed job is closer to a service message; adding offers or promotions moves it towards marketing. See transactional vs marketing messages.
On your website
Showing reviews on your website carries the same honesty requirements. Don't edit reviews to change their meaning, don't present staff or family reviews as customer reviews, and don't invent testimonials. MendRev doesn't put unverified reviews or testimonials on client sites. Read more on keeping your Google Business Profile accurate in local SEO basics.
Checklist
- Every completed job gets the same request.
- No branch sends unhappy customers away from the review link.
- No discounts, entries or gifts tied to reviews.
- Opt-outs respected.
- One reminder at most.
- Someone responds to reviews.
Questions
Can I offer a discount for leaving a review?
Google's policies prohibit offering incentives for reviews, and US rules restrict buying reviews conditioned on sentiment. Avoid incentives tied to reviews.
Can I filter out unhappy customers before asking?
Selectively asking only customers you expect to be positive is a practice Google's policy calls out. Ask all customers in the same way, and handle complaints separately.
Sources and further reading
- Maps user-generated content policy support.google.com
- Federal Register federalregister.gov
- 16 CFR Part 465 ecfr.gov
Official documentation changes. Check the current version before you rely on a rule, limit or setting.
Next step
Start with one workflow worth fixing.
Bring the real steps, the tools you already use and the place the handoff gets stuck. We review feasibility, access and approval points before quoting — no instant integration promise.
See Business Automations for what we scope, or prepare a custom quote brief.