Replying to a review: 7 things you should never write

A reply is public, and it is checked

Your reply appears under the review, in your business's name, for everyone to see¹. Before publishing it, Google reviews it: if it breaks its policies, you will be asked to edit it¹. Replies must indeed follow the same rules as reviews². Here is what makes a reply go wrong, from the most serious to the most common.

1. Personal information about the customer

It is Google's first tip for negative reviews: never share the reviewer's private information². Its policy prohibits publishing personal information without consent, such as a surname, a photo, or financial or medical information³. In practice:

• no surname, even if it appears on the booking;
• no date or order detail that would let their friends and family recognise them;
• no amount, file number or address.

2. Health information

For a medical practice, a physiotherapist or a pharmacy, confirming that someone came in for an appointment already reveals information about their health. The GDPR classes data concerning health, including data on the provision of health care that reveals a person's health status, among the special categories whose processing is prohibited in principle⁴. We devote a guide to healthcare professionals to it.

3. An attack or an accusation

No personal attacks, on Maps or anywhere else². Google's policy also covers unsubstantiated allegations of dishonest behaviour or criminal acts³: "this customer is lying" or "this is a competitor in disguise" have no place in a reply. If you think a review is fake, report it: read our guide to fake reviews.

4. A promotion

No promo code, no "20% off your next visit": Google advises a friendly tone with no sales pitch, since the reviewer is already a customer². And offering an incentive in exchange for changing or removing a negative review is explicitly prohibited³. So never offer a gesture "if you reconsider your rating".

5. A long defence

Google recommends short, simple replies: overly long ones wear readers out². Three or four sentences that acknowledge, explain and offer something are worth more than a page of justifications nobody will read.

6. A promise you won't keep

Acknowledge your mistakes, but don't take responsibility for what isn't your fault, and explain what you can and can't do². "This will never happen again" commits your business in front of all your future customers.

7. The same sentence as yesterday

A copy-pasted reply breaks no rule, but it shows: generic or templated replies put off half of consumers, according to BrightLocal's 2026 survey⁵.

The checklist to keep at hand

• no personal data;
• no health information;
• no accusation;
• no commercial offer;
• four sentences at most;
• no promise you can't keep;
• one detail specific to this review.

What ReplyTop does

ReplyTop's writing guidelines follow these rules: rely only on what the review says, never invent a detail, never echo abusive language, and keep it to three sentences. 1- and 2-star reviews, the most delicate ones, wait for your review before publication.