Updated October 2026
In short
- Google's automated filters remove reviews that look suspicious, sometimes including genuine ones, and it doesn't explain each decision.
- Reviews also go when the reviewer deletes them or their Google account, when Google removes them for a policy breach, or when your profile is restricted.
- Check signed out, on Search and Maps, then look for emails from Google and recent changes to your profile.
- If reviews keep disappearing, look at how you ask for them: one shared device, rewards or review swaps are common triggers.
Why are my Google reviews disappearing?
Start with the correct Google Account and a clear view of which business or location is involved. Platform interfaces can change, so use Google’s current Help instructions for sensitive account, policy or verification decisions.
| Cause | Typical signs | Can it come back? |
|---|---|---|
| Google's spam filter | A new review vanishes within hours or days; the reviewer can often still see it themselves | Occasionally, but usually not |
| Policy removal | Older reviews go, sometimes several at once; often reviews with links, profanity, personal details or a connection to the business | Rarely |
| The reviewer deleted or edited it | One specific review is gone; nothing else changed | Only if the reviewer posts again |
| The reviewer's Google account was deleted or suspended | All of that person's reviews vanish everywhere | No |
| A restriction on your profile | An email from Google about fake engagement; existing reviews hidden for a set period | Yes, when the period ends or an appeal succeeds |
| Duplicate listings, moves or merges | Reviews show on another listing, or vanish after an address change or merge | Often, once the listings are sorted out |
| A suspended or closed profile | Your whole profile is missing or marked closed | Usually, once the profile is reinstated or reopened |
| A temporary glitch | Counts jump around, or differ between Search and Maps; other owners report the same | Usually, within days |
Why are Google reviews disappearing? How the filters work
Google uses automated systems, backed by human reviewers, to catch fake and policy-breaking reviews, often before anyone sees them. It doesn't publish exactly how the filters work, and it won't tell you why a particular review was taken down. That's deliberate: spelling out the rules would help the people writing fake reviews.
The filters look at the review, the account behind it and the pattern around it. Genuine reviews get caught when they look like the patterns fake ones make. Owners and local SEO specialists commonly see filters triggered by:
- Several reviews posted from one device, such as a tablet at your counter, or from your shop Wi-Fi in a short space of time.
- A sudden burst of reviews after months of quiet, for example straight after an email campaign.
- Links, phone numbers, email addresses or promotional text inside the review.
- Reviews from staff, relatives or anyone else connected to the business.
- Reviewers who post lots of reviews in a short time, or whose accounts show unusual activity.
- Review-swap groups, where businesses review each other.
- Reviews linked to a discount, a free drink or a prize draw.
How to check what happened to a missing review
Confirm it's really gone
Open a private or incognito browser window, search for your business, open the reviews and sort by newest. Check the Google Maps app as well. Being signed in as the owner can show you a different view.
Compare the counts
Note the review count on Search, on Maps and in your Business Profile. A small difference for a day or two is normal while Google updates.
Check your email and profile notifications
Look for messages from Google about policy issues, fake engagement or restrictions, including in spam folders. Google says it emails owners before applying a restriction.
Think about recent changes
Did you change your business name, address or category, merge a duplicate, re-verify or move premises? Write down the dates.
Look for duplicates
Search Google Maps for your business name and address variations. A missing review may be sitting on an old or duplicate listing.
Ask the reviewer, if you know them
Ask whether they can still see the review and whether they edited or deleted it. Don't push them to repost.
Check whether others are affected
Search the Business Profile community for recent reports. If many businesses lost reviews on the same day, it's likely a wider issue on Google's side.
What to do about each cause
Filtered or removed for policy
There's no button to restore a filtered review, and the Reviews Management Tool appeal only covers reviews you've reported yourself. Read Google's prohibited and restricted content policy and check whether any of your reviews came from staff, relatives or rewarded customers. If a large number of clearly genuine reviews vanished at once, contact Business Profile support through the Help Center with the dates and approximate numbers.
Deleted by the reviewer or their account
This one can't be undone, and it's the reviewer's right. If it was a loyal customer, you might mention that you noticed and would welcome their feedback again, once, without pressure.
A restriction on your profile
Google can pause new reviews, hide existing reviews for a set period or show customers a warning when it finds fake engagement. Read the email carefully, stop whatever caused it, and if you believe Google got it wrong, appeal using the link on its page about Business Profile restrictions for policy violations.
Duplicates, moves, merges and suspensions
Reviews belong to the place on Google Maps, so if they're on another listing, ask Google to deal with the duplicate; owners can't merge listings themselves. Our guide to merging duplicate Google Business Profiles explains the steps. If your whole profile has gone, see what to do if your Google Business Profile is suspended.
A temporary glitch
Wait several days before doing anything. If the reviews haven't come back after about a week and you can't find another cause, contact Business Profile support with screenshots and dates.
Why do my Google reviews keep disappearing?
If reviews disappear again and again, the cause is usually the way they're being collected, not bad luck. Work through this list.
- Customers review on their own phones, not a shared tablet or your staff's devices.
- You ask every customer, at a steady pace, rather than sending one big blast to your whole list.
- Nobody gets a discount, freebie or prize-draw entry for leaving a review.
- Staff, family and friends don't review the business.
- You don't take part in review-swap groups or use a review-selling service.
- You don't ask customers to include particular words, links or phone numbers.
- Any agency you use follows Google's policy and can explain exactly how it gets reviews.
Why did my review disappear from Google? (for reviewers)
If you wrote a review and it has gone, open Google Maps, go to your profile and look under your contributions. If you can see it there but friends can't see it on the business's page, it has probably been filtered. Common reasons are links or phone numbers in the text, swearing, someone's personal details, writing about your own employer, or posting lots of reviews in a short time.
You can edit the review to remove anything that may break the rules, but there's no guarantee it will reappear, and edited reviews can be checked again. Our guide on how to leave a Google review covers what makes a review stick.
Keep an eye on your reviews so you notice changes
Google doesn't usually tell owners when a single review is filtered or deleted, so most people only notice weeks later. Get into the habit of checking your review counts each week, and keep a simple log of your total for each location. A sudden drop is much easier to investigate when you know roughly when it happened.
