Have your Google Local Listing Reviews disappeared? This article explains why your business’ local listing reviews got lost and how to recover them. Understand why reviews go missing and get steps to fix it.
Key Takeaways
- Google reviews may disappear due to account issues, policy violations, or technical glitches, impacting your business’s online reputation.
- To retrieve lost reviews, contact Google Support with detailed requests and maintain patience, as the recovery process may take 1-3 weeks.
- Preventing review loss involves adhering to Google policies, regularly monitoring reviews, and encouraging authentic customer feedback.
Lost Google Listing Review: What Happened?
Image source: Google Business Profile Help
Users have been raising concerns that their business’ Google reviews have disappeared. The concerns reached Google, which released the following statement:
“We’re aware of an issue affecting some Google Business Profiles, causing some profiles to show lower-than-actual review counts due to a display issue. The reviews themselves have not actually been removed. We’re working hard to resolve this and restore accurate review counts as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and will share updates on this thread as they become available.
Before reporting missing reviews, please note that there are several reasons why reviews may be removed from maps. Usually, missing reviews are removed for policy violations like spam or inappropriate content. Read more about our Review policy guidelines here before proceeding. You can also refer to the Help Center Article for more information.”
On February 13, 2025, Google affixed an update about this issue:
“Most affected profiles now display accurate ratings and reviews. However, while we have made significant progress, some profiles may still experience a temporary lower count. These profiles should recover to pre-issue levels over the next few days. No reviews were unpublished due to this issue. If your review count does not return to the level it was before this issue in the next few days, please contact support.”
Eventually, users found out that this incident was a temporary glitch. In one Reddit post, a user named u/FirstPlaceSEO posted the following in the GoogleMyBusiness subreddit:
“Hi everyone, to save a massive amount of posts about the same thing. There is a known glitch now since Thursday where google review counts are wrong. (So you think you have lost reviews)
You likely haven’t lost any reviews (manually count them up yourself and see!)
Google is aware of this glitch and it working on a fix. Stay calm and enjoy your weekends!”
Even though Google has resolved the problem, you can encounter this same issue. Therefore, this piece delves into the reasons behind review losses on Google Local Listings. It offers guidance on reinstating lost comments and suggests approaches to preventing such occurrences to protect your online business presence.
Why Google Reviews Get Lost
Google reviews are crucial to a business’s online reputation, local SEO, and customer trust. When potential customers search for a company, reviews influence their purchasing decisions. WiserNotify states that over 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a store or making a purchase.
Key Benefits of Google Reviews
- Boost Local SEO – Businesses with more positive reviews rank higher in Google’s local search results.
- Increase Consumer Trust – Positive reviews enhance credibility, influencing customer decision-making.
- Drive More Clicks & Conversions – Listings with high ratings attract more traffic and lead to increased sales.
- Provide Valuable Feedback – Reviews help businesses understand customer experiences and areas for improvement.
However, many businesses face a frustrating issue—losing their Google reviews unexpectedly. Here’s why this happens and what you can do about it.
Common Reasons Google Reviews Get Lost
Google’s Spam Detection and Review Filtering
Google uses sophisticated spam filters to detect and remove reviews that seem suspicious or violate policies. Reviews may be filtered out if they:
- Contain excessive keywords, promotional content, or fake endorsements.
- It comes from new or inactive accounts that Google suspects of being spam.
- Include prohibited content, such as offensive language or personal attacks.
Google Business Profile (GBP) Changes
Changes to a business name, address, or category on Google Business Profile (GBP) can temporarily cause reviews to disappear. Other reasons include:
- The listing was suspended or removed, making reviews inaccessible.
- The business merged or changed locations, resulting in a loss of associated reviews.
Technical Glitches and Google Updates
Google’s frequent updates and system maintenance can cause temporary review loss due to:
- Indexing delays that hide reviews until the system processes them.
- Bugs or errors where reviews vanish but reappear later.
The Reviewer Deleted Their Review
Sometimes, the issue isn’t with Google—it’s the reviewers themselves. Users may:
- Decide to delete or edit their review, making the original one disappear.
- Change their Google account settings, affecting review visibility.
Google Account Suspensions or Deletions
If a reviewer’s Google account gets suspended or deleted, all reviews they left including those for your business will be removed. This happens when:
- A user violates Google’s terms (e.g., fake accounts, abusive behaviour).
- Google automatically removes inactive or suspicious accounts.
How to Retrieve Lost Google Reviews
If your Google reviews have disappeared, don’t panic. There are proven steps to help you recover them. Follow these step-by-step guidelines to increase your chances of restoring your missing reviews.
Step 1: Contact Google Support
Visit the Google Business Profile (GBP) Help Center
- Go to the Google Support Page.
- Select your business listing and navigate to the ‘Fix Missing or Removed Reviews’ section.
- Click on “Contact Support” to submit your issue.
Why This Works
- Google’s support team specializes in handling review-related issues.
- If the disappearance is due to a technical glitch, they may be able to restore your reviews.
Step 2: Provide a Detailed Explanation
When filling out your support request, be as detailed as possible. Include:
- Number of missing reviews – How many reviews disappeared?
- Date of disappearance – When did you notice the reviews were missing?
- Reviewers’ names (if available) – If you can access the reviewers’ names or usernames, provide them.
- Google Business Profile link – Share the direct link to your business listing.
- Screenshots (if applicable) – If you have any screenshots of the lost reviews, attach them.
Why This Works
- A clear, comprehensive request helps the support team understand your issue faster.
- Providing specific details reduces the back-and-forth and increases the chances of resolution.
Step 3: Be Patient & Follow Up
Review recovery can take time, typically between 1 to 3 weeks. Here’s how to stay on top of the process:
- Monitor your email – Google will notify you about updates or any additional information they need.
- Respond to automated replies – If you receive a generic response, reply and ask for a human review.
- Follow up if necessary – If you don’t get a resolution after a week, send a polite follow-up request.
Why This Works
- Persistence ensures your request remains active in Google’s support system.
- To track the missing reviews, Google may require additional verification, such as reviewer details.
Many businesses successfully recover lost reviews by following these steps. The key is staying proactive, providing complete information, and communicating with Google’s support team.
If your reviews are still missing after a few weeks, consider encouraging new, organic customer reviews while you wait for a resolution.
How to Prevent Google Reviews from Getting Lost
Image source: WikiHow
Losing valuable Google reviews can be frustrating, but proactive measures can help safeguard your reviews and encourage more authentic feedback. Here are some essential strategies to ensure your reviews remain visible and contribute to your business’s online credibility.
Follow Google’s Review Guidelines
Google has strict policies to maintain the authenticity of its review system. Ensuring compliance helps prevent reviews from being flagged or removed.
Avoid prohibited content – Reviews should not contain:
- Spam (excessive promotions, duplicate reviews)
- Fake or incentivised reviews (paying for reviews is against Google’s policies)
- Hate speech or offensive language
- Links or irrelevant content
Educate customers on writing fair reviews
- Let them know their feedback should be genuine, experience-based, and respectful.
- Suggest they include specific details about their experience rather than generic praise.
Why This Works: Following Google’s policies helps reduce the chances of reviews being automatically filtered or deleted by Google’s algorithm.
Monitor and Manage Your Google Reviews Regularly
Consistent oversight of your reviews allows you to detect issues early and take quick action.
- Enable notifications for new reviews and changes to your Google Business Profile.
- Respond to all reviews (positive or negative) to show customers you care.
- Keep an eye on disappearing reviews and document any losses for potential recovery.
Why This Works: Active engagement builds customer trust and signals to Google that your business is responsive and reputable.
Encourage Authentic Customer Feedback
Genuine reviews are less likely to be flagged or removed. To cultivate authentic feedback:
Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews naturally
- Encourage feedback through in-person interactions, emails, or receipts.
- Provide a direct link to your Google review page to make it easy for customers.
Engage with customers to foster trust
- Respond politely and professionally to all reviews.
- Show appreciation for positive feedback and address concerns from negative reviews.
Avoid review manipulation
- Don’t buy or incentivise reviews, as Google’s algorithms detect and remove such content.
- Encourage gradual, steady review accumulation rather than sudden spikes.
Why This Works: When reviews come from real customer experiences, they are more trustworthy and less likely to be flagged by Google’s algorithm.
Keep Your Google Business Profile (GBP) Up-to-Date
Changes to your Google Business Profile can sometimes cause reviews to disappear. To prevent this:
Maintain consistent business details
- Avoid frequent changes to your business name, address, or category.
- If a rebrand or relocation is necessary, notify Google to avoid review loss.
Monitor GBP account status
- Ensure your listing is verified and active at all times.
- Avoid violations that could lead to temporary suspensions or removals.
Why This Works: Keeping your profile stable prevents disruptions affecting your reviews’ visibility.
Backup Your Google Reviews
Since Google does not provide a built-in feature for restoring deleted reviews, maintaining a record of your reviews can be helpful.
- Take periodic screenshots of new reviews.
- Use third-party review management tools to track and archive customer feedback.
- Encourage customers to share reviews on multiple platforms (e.g., Trustpilot, Yelp, Facebook).
Why This Works: Documentation makes reporting and attempting recovery easier if reviews disappear.
Why Google Local Listing Reviews Can Be Lost (Spam, Guideline Violation, Reviewer from suspicious sources, etc.)
Google Reviews might disappear if Google’s spam detection mechanisms catch them, fall foul of the platform’s guidelines, or originate from questionable sources. Occasionally, even bona fide reviews can be mistakenly classified as spam during atypical review activity spikes.
This phenomenon could lead to both actual and fake reviews being expunged due to these automated filtering processes. Any review that breaches content standards set forth by Google—such as those containing unsuitable language or self-promotional elements—is typically subject to elimination.
If a user account is deemed suspicious, its associated reviews may fail to show up on your business profile, not to compromise the credibility of Google’s reviewing framework. Sometimes, there might also be a delay before specific reviews become visible, should they undergo additional scrutiny for Google’s authentication purposes.
While users cannot explicitly mark an evaluation as ‘non-spam’, reaching out for assistance from Google Support can potentially rectify situations and aid in retrieving unjustly held-back assessments. Understanding these potential issues is crucial for effectively managing one’s expectations and implementing strategies explicitly designed to protect the integrity of your business-related feedback on this key platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Google reviews disappear?
Missing Google reviews are often removed due to policy violations such as spam or inappropriate content. Unfortunately, Google does not reinstate reviews that have been taken down for these reasons, as it wants to maintain the integrity of the review system.
Why can’t I reply to a Google review?
If your business has not yet been claimed or verified, or if you do not have the appropriate permissions within your Google Business Profile, you will not be able to respond to a Google review. To be able to reply to reviews, make sure that you claim and verify your business and secure the proper access rights on your business profile.
How do you recover lost Google reviews?
To recover lost Google reviews, visit support.google.com/business/gethelp, select your business, and report the missing review by choosing ‘Review Missing’ under the issue description. Make sure to fill out all required form fields to increase your chances of a successful recovery.
Can I prevent my reviews from being flagged as spam?
By promoting authentic feedback and complying with Google’s content guidelines, you can safeguard your reviews from being marked as spam. Such a strategy dramatically diminishes the likelihood of your reviews being flagged as unsuitable under these content guidelines.
