Google review policy: restricted content
Some products are regulated: alcohol, tobacco, gambling, guns, financial services, medical devices and prescription medicine. Google does not let reviews carry offers or contact routes for them. For telehealth and GLP-1 brands this is the policy that removes grey-market sellers from the review feed. We report these for health brands.
Published . Reviewed against Google’s policies on
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Alex P.
3 days ago on Google
Too slow. I sell the same prescription meds for half the price, no script needed. Email me for the price list.
An offer to sell regulated medicine, with a contact route.
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 restricts content about regulated goods and services, including prescription medicine and medical devices. A review may not carry a call to action or an offer to sell them. It may not show a purchase link, a contact route for buying, or deals and prices for them. A patient's complaint about what they paid does not break the rule.
Key facts
Google's restricted content policy covers goods and services under local legal controls, and names health and medical devices and regulated pharmaceuticals.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
Content may not show links to a page where restricted goods can be bought, or email addresses and phone numbers to contact for the purchase.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
Content may not show deals, coupons, pricing information or other promotions for a restricted product or service.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
This rule in 27 seconds
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The rule, in Google's words
Google's Prohibited and restricted content page says content "may not feature calls to action or offers for the sale of products or services that are subject to local legal regulations". Its list: "alcohol, gambling, tobacco, guns, health and medical devices, regulated pharmaceuticals, adult services, and financial services". The content should not display:
Links to a landing page where it is possible to purchase restricted goods or services.
Email address and/or phone numbers to contact for the purchase of restricted goods.
Promotional offers for restricted goods or services. For example, you shouldn't upload content that displays deals, coupons, pricing information or other promotions for a restricted product or service.
Google excludes "incidental depictions", such as a menu or a drink in the background of a photo.
What this rule does not cover
- A patient naming the drug they were prescribed.
- A complaint about your price.
- A photo that happens to show a product.
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 offer, quoted: what is for sale and how to buy it.
- The regulated product. One line: this is a prescription-only medicine.
- The contact route, which also breaks the advertising policy.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| "Same meds, half the price, no script needed. Email me" | Can be reported | An offer and a contact route for regulated medicine |
| A link to an overseas pharmacy in a 1-star review | Can be reported | A purchase link for restricted goods |
| "Use my coupon for their injection plan" | Can be reported | A promotion for a restricted product |
| "$399 a month for semaglutide is too much" | Stays online | A patient describing what they paid |
| "They prescribed me finasteride and it did nothing" | Stays online | An experience that names a drug |
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.
Report it under the closest reason Google's form offers, which is often spam. In the appeal, name the restricted content policy and the product. A seller with many such reviews can also be reported as a user profile from the Google Maps app.
For health brands
This matters for safety as well as ratings. A patient who reads your reviews and buys from a stranger is at real risk. Report these whatever their star rating, and consider telling your own customers that you never sell through reviews or direct messages.
Where to go next
The main Google review removal page lists every policy. See also advertising and solicitation, which covers links and phone numbers of any kind. The qualification tool checks a review against Google's policies in a few questions.
We do this work for clients through our Google review removal service, and the price per removed review is published.
Frequently asked questions
No. The policy is aimed at calls to action and offers for the sale of regulated goods. A patient saying what they paid you, in a complaint, is describing an experience, not making an offer.
Google's list names health and medical devices and regulated pharmaceuticals, and says it is not limited to the list. Supplements are not named. For a supplement review with a sales pitch, the advertising policy is the safer one to cite.
Anyone. The usual case is a stranger using your reviews to sell medicine without a prescription.
Primary sources used on this page
- Prohibited and restricted content. Google Maps User Generated Content PolicyLast verified
- Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile. Google Business Profile HelpLast verified