Google reviews are acting up, and business owners everywhere are panicking. If you’ve noticed a drop in your Google review count, don’t freak out just yet. It’s not just you—this is a widespread issue, and it’s likely just a glitch.
What’s Happening with Google Reviews Right Now?
Over the past few days, businesses across multiple industries—including law firms, financial services, and other high-value niches—have reported missing reviews. However, the key takeaway is that the reviews aren’t actually gone; they’re just not being counted correctly.
- Google is aware of the issue and is reportedly working on a fix.
- The missing reviews still exist but aren’t showing up in the total count.
- This issue has been seen before, and reviews have historically been restored.
How to Check If Your Reviews Are Actually Missing
Before assuming the worst, do a little detective work.
✅ Manually count your reviews – If you have fewer than 100, this is easy to do. Compare what’s visible with what should be there.
✅ Look for specific reviews – If you have names, dates, or screenshots from past reviews, check to see if they’re still there.
✅ Check Google support forums – Many businesses are reporting the same issue, which means it’s a larger glitch rather than an individual penalty.
How to Recover Missing Google Reviews
If you find that certain reviews are genuinely missing—not just the counter being off—you can take action. Here’s a step-by-step process that has worked before:
- Go to Google’s Help & Support – Scroll to the bottom and click “Contact Us.”
- Submit a missing review request – Provide as much detail as possible, including reviewer names, screenshots, and dates.
- Watch for a confirmation email – Google will send a response acknowledging your request.
- Reply to the email (politely!) – Google tends to bury their customer support contact info at the bottom of emails. Responding directly increases your chances of getting a real person to help.
- Stay organized – Keep emails, screenshots, and documentation in case you need to follow up.
- Answer Google’s call – If Google support calls you, take the call! They rarely do this, so it’s a good sign if they reach out.
💡 Pro Tip: Be professional and polite. Google support reps deal with a lot of requests, and being clear, direct, and kind increases your chances of a positive outcome.
Download the Full PDF Guide to FixShould You Be Worried? (Short Answer: No, But Stay Alert)
The good news: Most experts believe this is a temporary glitch that will be resolved soon.
The frustrating part? Google’s lack of transparency makes it stressful for small business owners who rely on reviews for credibility.
- If the issue is just the review counter being off, you don’t need to take any action—just wait.
- If actual reviews are missing, follow the recovery steps above.
- If this keeps happening, it might be time to consider diversifying where you collect customer reviews (Facebook, Yelp, Trustpilot, etc.).
At the end of the day, Google reviews are still one of the most powerful tools for local businesses, and they have a financial incentive to keep things running smoothly. If the issue persists, they risk damaging their own credibility—so expect them to fix it soon.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Panic, But Be Proactive
This glitch has caused a lot of stress, but history suggests reviews will return. In the meantime:
- Manually count your reviews to see if it’s just a display issue.
- Follow Google’s support process if you believe reviews are actually missing.
- Stay patient—Google is likely working on a fix.
- Prepare for the future—keep backups of reviews and explore other platforms for customer feedback.
If you’re a business owner, stay calm, keep an eye on the situation, and take action if necessary. And if Google doesn’t fix it soon? Well, then we can all start freaking out together.
Full Summary of ‘How to Get Reviews Back PDF’ Guide:
If your Google reviews are missing or not showing up, don’t panic. Follow this granular, step-by-step process to contact Google support and get them reinstated.
Step 1: Log Into Your Google Business Profile
- Go to Google Business Profile Manager.
- Sign in with the account associated with your business.
Step 2: Access Help & Support
- Once logged in, click on Help & Support in the left-hand menu.
- In the search bar, type: “reviews not showing up” or something similar.
- Click on the article titled “Understand missing & delayed reviews.”
Step 3: Review Google’s Guidelines
Before escalating your issue, make sure you aren’t violating any Google guidelines.
🔹 Key guideline to check: If you list your service area as “United States,” this is now a red flag. Google requires that your service area must be within a 2-hour driving radius and can include only 20 service areas.
📌 Read Google’s official review policies here.
If you’re following all the rules and your reviews are still missing, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Contact Google Support
- Scroll to the bottom of the guidelines page and click “Contact Us.”
- Walk through the three support prompts:
- Be clear and concise with your answers.
- Choose the most accurate issue category.
Step 5: Submit an Email Request
- When prompted, select the Email option and fill out the form completely.
- Provide as many specifics as possible:
- Names of reviewers
- Screenshots of missing reviews
- Dates reviews were left
📌 The more detailed you are, the faster Google support can investigate.
Step 6: Watch for the Confirmation Email & Respond!
- After submitting the form, you’ll get a confirmation email from Google support.
- At the bottom of the email, there will be a small blurb stating:
- “If you need further assistance, respond to this email.”
- REPLY to this email—this is how you get matched with a real Google support rep.
Step 7: Be Polite & Precise in Your Follow-Up Email
Google’s support team is often outsourced globally, and many use translation tools to assist with emails. To improve your chances of success:
✅ Use clear, direct language.
✅ Restate the problem and your desired outcome.
✅ Use Google’s exact terminology from their guidelines.
Example:
“Hello, our account follows all guidelines and does not contain prohibited content. However, some of our customer reviews are not appearing in search or Maps. Could you please assist in reinstating them?”
📌 Pro Tip: If Google calls you, answer it! This is rare, but when it happens, it means they’re actively looking into your case.
Step 8: Wait for Google’s Response & Make Any Necessary Changes
- Google typically responds within a few business days (some cases take longer).
- They may request additional information or ask you to adjust settings (like service areas).
- If they confirm reinstatement, check your profile to ensure the reviews reappear.
Step 9: If Some Reviews Are Still Missing, Follow Up Again
If only some of your missing reviews are reinstated, continue working with your assigned Google rep.
- Send another email with additional reviewer names and screenshots.
- Be patient—they may need to escalate your case again.
📌 Persistence pays off! Many businesses have successfully restored dozens of missing reviews using this process.
Final Tips for Success
- 📌 Be nice! Google reps deal with thousands of requests—being polite helps.
- 📌 Keep all documentation—save emails and screenshots for reference.
- 📌 DO NOT CC anyone on support emails—it can confuse Google’s system.
- 📌 The email should come from the account manager (not an employee or unrelated party).
By following these steps precisely, you can maximize your chances of getting your missing Google reviews restored. Good luck! 🚀