Google review link generator

Why a direct review link helps

Asking for a review only works if leaving one is quick. Without a direct link, a customer has to search for your business, find the right listing, scroll to the reviews and look for the button. Many give up halfway. The link this tool makes has the form search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid= followed by your Place ID, and it opens the star rating and text box straight away.

The same link works on phones and computers. People need to be signed in to a Google account to post, which most phone users already are.

How to find your Place ID

A Place ID is a code Google gives every business on Maps, a string that usually starts with ChIJ. The easiest way to find it is Google's Place ID Finder: search for your business name on its map, click your listing and copy the ID it shows.

If you manage the listing, Google Business Profile has its own "Ask for reviews" button that gives you a share link. That link works just as well. This tool is handy when you want the QR code and the message alongside it, or when you are setting up links for someone else.

When and how to ask

Ask soon after the visit, while it is fresh: at the till with the QR code, on the receipt, or in a message the same day. Keep the message short and personal, and say what a review does for a small business. The ready-made message is a starting point, so change it to sound like you.

Google's policy matters here. Don't offer discounts, gifts or anything else in return for a review, and don't ask only the customers you expect to be happy, a practice called review gating. Ask everyone the same way. Breaking these rules can get reviews removed from your listing.

Where to put the QR code

Print it on table cards, receipts, takeaway bags and the shop door, with a line such as "Enjoyed your visit? Leave us a review". Download the SVG for print so it stays sharp at any size, and keep it at least 3 cm wide.