Review requests
How to ask for a Google review — a step-by-step guide
August 20, 2026 · 8 min read
Most happy clients never write a review. Not out of ill will: nobody asked at the right time, with a clear link. This guide explains how to do it without awkwardness, and without breaking Google’s rules.
If you want a product overview, see how AvisFacile structures the request. Here we stay on the practice.
The best moment
Ask right after the client has received the value: deal closed, report delivered, job finished, appointment done. Too early, the experience is not finished. Too late, daily life has resumed and the message falls flat.
For a real estate broker, it is often the day after possession. For a home inspector, after sending the report. For a contractor, once the project is closed — not in the middle of punch-list work.
A natural approach
A good message does three things: it thanks, it explains why you are writing, and it offers a link. It does not sell. It does not ask for a rating. It does not pretend to be an internal survey if the link goes to Google.
Thank you again for your trust. If you have a minute, we would love to hear about your experience.
SMS or email
SMS arrives faster. It fits after a short service, or when the client already gave their number for the appointment. Email leaves more context: ideal after a report, an invoice, or a more formal transaction. Many businesses use both depending on the file, not one against the other.
Ready-to-adapt wording: 10 SMS examples and 10 email examples.
Reminders
One reminder, sometimes two, is enough if the person has not clicked. In Quebec, stay within reasonable hours (in practice, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.). The second reminder should be shorter than the first. If the client already clicked, stop.
Common mistakes
- Asking for “five stars” or a specific rating.
- Offering a discount in exchange for a review.
- Sending the link three weeks too late.
- Pasting a marketing paragraph before the thank-you.
- Reusing the same text for a buyer and a seller, or for a $40,000 job and a service call.
What Google’s policies allow
Google allows asking for an authentic review. Google does not allow filtering unhappy clients, buying reviews, or pushing a specific rating. If someone is unhappy, fix the problem first — a negative review will stay, but an aggressive follow-up often makes it worse.
Google review software does not write the review for you. It sends the request, reminds once or twice, and shows you what was clicked. The review content stays the client’s.