Why are Google reviews disappearing?
In last 3 days i.e. 7 feb t0 10 feb many of my clients from different countries reported the same thing: that their Google reviews are disappearing.
One client from Auckland, NZ, reportedly lost 5 reviews, which has brought his rating down. One Client from Combitore reported 92 reviews disappeared.
Google is always changing his algorithm and sometimes it causes unwanted bugs.
So till now it is also a bug as reported by google in this thread. They are looking into this matter and has responded as follows:
“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.”
Are they really disappeared?
Then i went into one of my clients google my business account and counted all the reviews.
Then I said… Oh, Thanks
Reviews were there. they have not disappeared
So there is no need to worry and we have to wait for google to resolve this bug.
How to bring back disappeared google reviews?
For now, dont take any step, or apply any contant form, wait for them to resolve for next 3-4 days. if your review count does not grow back then you can google customer support help by contacting them and also choose the subject “Missing Google Reviews”. So have patience lets wait and hope for best.
Google Policies on Google Reviews
Google has strict policies regarding Google Reviews to ensure authenticity, fairness, and compliance with legal and ethical guidelines. Here are the key policies you should be aware of:
1. Prohibited Content in Google Reviews
Google does not allow reviews that contain:
✅ Fake or Misleading Content – Reviews must reflect real customer experiences. Fake reviews (positive or negative) are strictly prohibited.
✅ Hate Speech & Offensive Content – Reviews cannot contain racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive language.
✅ Spam & Promotional Content – You cannot post multiple reviews for the same business or use reviews for advertising.
✅ Conflicts of Interest – Business owners, employees, or competitors cannot post reviews about their own business or rivals.
✅ Personal Information – Reviews must not contain private details like phone numbers, addresses, or credit card info.
2. Review Manipulation & Fake Reviews
🚫 Buying or Selling Reviews – Any exchange of money, discounts, or incentives for reviews violates Google’s policies.
🚫 Mass Review Generation – Using bots or third-party services to post reviews can lead to penalties.
🚫 Review Bombing – Coordinated attacks (like mass negative reviews) are not allowed.
3. Business Owner Responsibilities
🔹 Encourage Honest Reviews – You can ask customers for reviews, but you must not pressure or incentivize them.
🔹 Respond to Reviews – You can reply professionally to customer feedback but must not harass or threaten reviewers.
🔹 Report Fake or Inappropriate Reviews – Use the flagging feature in Google Business Profile to report policy violations.
4. Consequences of Violating Google Review Policies
⚠️ Reviews may be removed if they violate policies.
⚠️ Google Business Profile suspension for businesses involved in review manipulation.
⚠️ Legal actions may be taken in cases of fraudulent activity.
