Google Review Link: How to Get, Share and Use It
In short. Your Google review link opens the review form of your Business Profile in one tap. You get it in 3 steps from your profile (Read Reviews, then Get more reviews, then Copy), or in a few seconds with our free Google review link generator. Google allows you to send it to every customer but strictly prohibits incentives in exchange for reviews. Where you put the link matters most: at one anonymous restaurant client, one fixed QR code at the front desk produced 1,349 scans in 5 months, against 84 for 7 codes handed to staff.
What a Google review link is
A Google review link is a short URL that takes a customer straight to the window where they rate your business and write a review. Without it, the customer has to search for your business, find the right profile among similar names, scroll to the reviews section and look for the button. Each of those steps loses people.
Google presents the link as the standard way to ask. Its page Tips to get more reviews says: "To leave reviews, you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code."
The QR code is the same link in a scannable form. Use the link in anything digital (email, text, website, invoice) and the QR code on anything physical (counter, table tent, receipt, window, business card). Both lead to the same place, so the reviews end up on the same profile.
How to get your link from your Business Profile
Google documents the procedure on its help page Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews:
- "Go to your Business Profile" (signed in to the Google account that manages it).
- "Select Read Reviews and then Get more reviews".
- "To copy the review link, select Copy".
For the QR code, the same screen applies: "Right-click the QR code", then "Select Save image as...". One constraint is easy to miss: "Reviews QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices." If you only manage your profile from a phone, switch to a computer for this step.
Once copied, paste the link into a private browser window to test it. It should open your business and its review form directly.
Getting the link without access to the profile
Sometimes the person in charge of reviews is not the one who manages the Google account: a manager, an assistant, an agency. Our free Google review link generator finds your business by name and address and builds the direct link and QR code, without signing in.
It is useful for multi-location businesses too: each location has its own profile and its own link. Sending customers of one store to the review form of another mixes up your reviews and confuses customers. Keep one link per location and label each QR code clearly.
| Method | Needs profile access | Gives a QR code | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Profile (Get more reviews) | Yes | Yes, on a computer only | The profile owner |
| GMB Club free generator | No | Yes | Staff, agencies, multi-location teams |
Where to share your review link
The link works only if customers see it at the right moment, when they have just been satisfied. Our client data shows that a fixed placement beats personal effort by far.
At one anonymous restaurant client, over the same 5 months:
| Setup | QR codes | Scans in 5 months |
|---|---|---|
| One fixed code at the front desk | 1 | 1,349 |
| Codes handed to staff members | 7 | 84 |
The fixed code reaches every customer without anyone needing to remember. Good placements for the link and code:
- Physical: counter or checkout, table, waiting room, receipt, packaging.
- Digital: confirmation or thank-you email, follow-up text after the appointment, invoice, footer of your website.
- Conversation: a short sentence at the end of a good interaction, followed by the QR code on the counter rather than a code in a pocket.
The rules for asking with your link
Sending the link is allowed. What you add to the request is what can get you in trouble.
Google's help page on review links states: "Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, to customers in exchange for reviews is considered fake engagement and is strictly prohibited." And: "This includes posting reviews, changing reviews, or removing negative reviews."
The contribution policy adds that merchants must not "Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." In practice, that means one link, sent to everyone, with neutral wording. No "if you liked it" filters that send unhappy customers elsewhere, and no discount on the next visit for a review.
A simple compliant message: "Thanks for your visit. If you have a minute, tell us honestly how it went: [link]."
How many reviews your link should bring
A link is a means, not a goal. To set a target, start from where your competitors are. In our observatory of 1,800 Google Business Profiles in France (collected September 25, 2026, 9 industries, 10 large French cities), the top 5 results have a median of 738 reviews against 300 for positions 16 to 20, with the same 4.62 median rating.
Volume also protects you. One 1-star review takes 0.336 points off a 4.7 profile with 10 reviews, and only 0.005 points off a 4.7 profile with 700 reviews.
To know how many 5-star reviews you need to reach a target rating, use the Google review calculator or our guide on how many Google reviews you need.
Common mistakes with review links
- Testing while signed in as the owner. You may see a different screen. Test in a private window.
- One link for several locations. Each location has its own profile; use its own link.
- A QR code too small or behind glare. Print it large enough to scan from where the customer stands, and test it with two different phones.
- A link buried in a long email. Put it near the top, on its own line.
- Asking only after complaints are resolved. Ask everyone, the same way.
Limits of this data
The QR code comparison comes from one anonymous restaurant over 5 months; a different layout or customer flow will give other numbers. Our observatory covers France only, in 10 large cities and 9 industries, and shows correlations on a snapshot dated September 25, 2026, not causes; US thresholds will differ. The steps quoted from Google were read on October 6, 2026; Google changes its interface regularly, so the button names may move.
Making the link work every day
A link only works if it is in front of customers at the right time. In GMB Club, the all-in-one marketing platform for local businesses, review QR codes are generated per location and count scans per code, so you can see which placement brings reviews and which one does not.
Guide written by Alexandre Damais, co-founder of GMB Club. Sources checked on October 6, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my Google review link?
Go to your Business Profile, select Read Reviews and then Get more reviews, then select Copy. Google describes these steps on its help page Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews.
Can I get the review QR code on my phone?
Not from that screen. Google states that reviews QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices.
Is it allowed to send my review link to customers?
Yes. Google says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code. What is prohibited is offering incentives in exchange for reviews, or asking only the customers you expect to be happy.
Where should I put my Google review link?
Where satisfied customers already look: after-visit emails and texts, receipts, and a fixed QR code at the counter. At one anonymous restaurant client, one fixed QR code at the front desk produced 1,349 scans in 5 months, against 84 for 7 codes handed to staff.
Does the review link expire?
The Google help page we read does not mention an expiry date for this link. If you change your profile or merge locations, generate it again from your Business Profile and test it.