Google review policy: off-topic reviews
A Google review has to be about an experience at the place it is posted on. Reviews about politics, a news story, a founder's views or another business are off-topic, and Google removes them. It is one of the clearest policies to use, because the proof is in the text. We report these for health brands.
Published · Updated . Reviewed against Google’s policies on
100% risk-free. You only pay for the reviews that come down.
Jamie T.
3 weeks ago on Google
Never been a patient. One star because of what their CEO said about the election.
Political commentary with no experience of the business. Google calls this off-topic.
Maria G.
2 weeks ago on Google
Waited 50 minutes past my appointment time and nobody said sorry. I will not be back.
A real patient describing a real wait. Google says not to report a review because you dislike it.
Example. Reviews written by us. Not real reviews.
Short answer
Google removes reviews that are not about an experience at the place. Its policy bars general, political or social commentary and personal rants. A review of the news, of a founder's opinions or of a different business is off-topic. A review of your prices, your staff or your waiting room is not, however angry it is.
Key facts
Google says to post only content based on your experience, or questions about experiences, at a specific location.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
Google does not allow content that contains general, political or social commentary or personal rants.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
Google may turn off posting for a place for a short time during a spike of off-topic content tied to a real-world event.
Source: Maps user-generated content policy, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
This rule in 27 seconds
0:00 / 0:27
The rule, in Google's words
The policy is two sentences on Google's Prohibited and restricted content page:
Only post content that is based on your experience or questions about experiences at a specific location.
We don't allow content which contains general, political, or social commentary or personal rants.
Google's policy overview also names "off-topic reviews" in its short list of violations.
What this rule does not cover
- Criticism of price, speed, staff or results. All of that is on-topic.
- A review that is mostly about a real visit, with one political aside. It can be reported, but it is a weak case.
- A short review. Brief is not off-topic.
Google's report page sets the general limit: "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it."
Evidence that supports a report
- The sentence that shows it. "Never been a patient", "I saw this on the news", "boycott".
- The event. One line naming the news story or post that set it off, with its date.
- The wave. Off-topic reviews arrive together. List them together.
Examples
These examples are ours. They are written to show the rule and are not real reviews. The cards at the top of this page show one review that can qualify and one that stays.
| Review text | Outcome under this policy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Never been a patient. One star for what the CEO said about the election" | Can be reported | Political commentary, no experience |
| "Saw the lawsuit on the news. Avoid" | Can be reported | Commentary on a news story |
| A complaint about parking at a different clinic | Can be reported | Not about this location |
| "Overpriced and the doctor was late" | Stays online | An experience of the business |
| "I disagree with their politics, and they also lost my labs" | A weak case | Part of it describes a real experience |
How to report it
A business reports a review from its Business Profile or from Google's Reviews Management Tool. Google says evaluation typically takes several days, and each review gets one appeal. Our step-by-step guide to getting a review taken down covers the full process.
Pick the off-topic reason and quote nothing in the first step: Google's reviewer will read the text. Save the context for the appeal, where you can name the event and list the other reviews from the same wave.
For health brands
Health brands get these after a regulator's notice, a founder interview or a viral post about a drug class. The writers are rarely patients. When the wave is large, Google may pause posting on the place for a while by its own choice. Report each review anyway, so the ones already posted are looked at.
Where to go next
See the main Google review removal page for the full list of policies. If the wave came with a demand for money, read the extortion section there first. The qualification tool checks a review against Google's policies in a few questions.
If you would rather hand the work over, see our Google review removal service and what each removal costs.
Frequently asked questions
No. Price is part of the experience of a business. Off-topic means the review is not about dealing with you at all.
Usually yes. A review that comments on the news and describes no experience of the business is social commentary. Quote the sentence that shows it.
A review of your Dallas site left on your Austin profile is not about an experience at that location. Report it as off-topic and say which site it belongs to.
Primary sources used on this page
- Prohibited and restricted content. Google Maps User Generated Content PolicyLast verified
- Maps user-generated content policy. Google Maps User Generated Content PolicyLast verified
- Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile. Google Business Profile HelpLast verified