Guide · Reviews

How to respond to Google reviews, with templates

By Michael Kissinger, founder of Localkept · Published October 30, 2026

Reply to every review, good or bad, within a day or two if you can. Thank the person by name, mention what they mentioned, and keep it short. For a bad review, stay calm, own what went wrong, and offer to sort it out by phone. Below: where to reply, what Google does with your reply, and replies you can copy.

Where to reply

Search for your business on Google or open Google Maps while signed in to the account that manages your Business Profile. Choose Read reviews, then Reply under the review. Google’s steps are on its Manage customer reviews page.

  • Your profile has to be verified. Google says you must verify your business before you can reply to reviews.
  • The reviewer is told. Google notifies the person who wrote the review when you reply.
  • Replies are checked first. Google says replies usually take up to 10 minutes to be reviewed, and sometimes up to 30 days.
  • You can edit or delete a reply later. Choose Edit or Delete under it.
  • They can change their review. A customer can still edit their review after reading your reply, which is one more reason a good reply to a bad review is worth writing.

Why reply at all

The next customer reads your replies too. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults, 89% said they expect a business to respond to reviews, and 81% expect that reply within a week (Local Consumer Review Survey, February 2026; BrightLocal sells review software). A page of thoughtful replies shows you’re there and you care.

How to write a good reply

  • Use their name and their words. “Thanks, Maria. Glad the new water heater has been running well” beats “Thank you for your feedback.”
  • Keep it to two or three sentences. Long replies read like a script.
  • Don’t paste the same reply on every review. Customers notice, and it reads like a bot.
  • Never share private details. No invoice amounts, addresses or anything they didn’t post. A dentist, doctor or therapist shouldn’t even confirm that the reviewer is a patient.
  • Sign it. “— Dave, owner” makes it a person answering.

Replies you can copy

Change the parts in brackets.

Five stars

Thanks so much, [name]. [Detail from their review, e.g. “Glad we got your AC running before the heat wave.”] We appreciate you choosing us, and we’re here whenever you need us again. — [Your name], owner
[Name], this made our day. Thank you for the kind words about [the person or thing they named]. I’ll make sure [they] see it. See you next time. — [Your name]

Four stars, or praise with a small complaint

Thanks, [name], we’re glad [what went well]. You’re right about [the small issue], and we’re [what you’re changing]. Hope to see you again. — [Your name]

Three stars, or mixed

Thanks for the honest review, [name]. I’m glad [the good part], and sorry [the part that fell short]. That’s not the standard we aim for. If you’re willing, call me at [phone] and I’ll make it right. — [Your name], owner

One or two stars

[Name], I’m sorry about your experience with [what they described]. I’d like to understand what happened and fix it. Please call me directly at [phone] or email [email]. — [Your name], owner

A bad review deserves more care than a template. Our guide How to respond to a negative review goes through it step by step, including what never to say.

A star rating with no words

Thanks for the five stars, [name]. We appreciate it. — [Your name]
Sorry we missed the mark, [name]. If you’re willing to tell us what happened, please call [phone]. We’d like to fix it. — [Your name]

A review that doesn’t sound like your customer

Hi [name], we can’t find a record of your visit and want to look into this. Please call us at [phone] so we can help. — [Your name], owner

Then report it if it breaks Google’s rules. How to remove a bad or fake Google review covers what Google takes down and how to ask.

How often to check

Turn on notifications for new reviews and answer from your phone between jobs. A minute a day keeps you inside the window most customers expect. If you can’t keep up, it’s better to answer every bad review and most good ones than to answer none.

If you’d rather not do this yourself

On Localkept’s Website + Local plan ($199 a month) we look after your Google Business Profile, send review requests to the customers you name, and handle replies to your reviews (4 and 5 star replies are posted for you unless you ask to OK them first; 1 to 3 star replies always wait for your OK). More reviews, and how to ask for them, are in How to get more Google reviews.

How this guide was made: drafted with AI from how Localkept runs review requests and replies for local businesses, then fact-checked against the sources linked in it on October 30, 2026.