A Customer Wants to Delete or Edit Their Google Review: Steps You Can Send Them

A customer can delete their own Google review from the Google Maps account they used to post it. On a computer, they open Google Maps, go to Menu, then Your contributions, then Reviews, click More next to the review and choose Delete review or Edit review. On a phone, they tap Contribute, then View your profile, then See all reviews. The business cannot do this for them.

This article is for a specific situation: the customer has contacted you and said the review was posted by mistake, was meant for somewhere else, or no longer reflects what happened, and they want to change or remove it. You did not ask. They did. Your job is to make it easy for them, without steering what they write.

First, make sure the request really came from the customer

The safest position is simple: the review belongs to the reviewer, and so does the decision. If a customer says they want to delete or edit a review, you can thank them and send instructions. If they have not raised it, this is not the article you need. Asking someone to revisit a review after you resolve a complaint is a different conversation, covered in whether you can ask a customer to update a negative review after you fix the problem.

Keep a short record of how the request came in: a call note, an email or a message thread. You do not need to share it with anyone. It simply shows, if questions ever come up, that the change was the customer's idea.

Two quick checks before you reply:

• Which platform? Customers often say "my review" without saying where. Ask whether it is on Google, Yelp, Facebook or somewhere else.
• Which account? The review can only be changed from the account that posted it. If they used a family member's phone or a work account, that is the account they need to sign in to.

Google: steps the customer can follow

Google publishes these steps in its help article on how to add, edit, or delete Google Maps reviews and ratings. The wording below follows that page. Menus can move, so it is worth linking the customer to the official article as well.

On a computer

1. Open Google Maps in a browser and sign in with the account that posted the review.
2. Click Menu at the top left.
3. Select Your contributions, then Reviews.
4. Next to the review, click More.
5. Choose Edit review or Delete review and follow the on-screen steps.

On an Android phone or tablet

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap Contribute, then View your profile.
3. Scroll down and tap See all reviews.
4. Next to the review, tap More (the three dots).
5. Choose Edit review or Delete review and follow the prompts.

On an iPhone or iPad

Google's iPhone and iPad instructions follow the same path as Android: open the Google Maps app, tap Contribute, then View your profile, scroll to See all reviews, tap More next to the review and choose Edit review or Delete review.

If the customer cannot find the review in their list, the most common reason is that they are signed in to a different Google account from the one they used to post it.

What changes after an edit or a deletion

An edit is not invisible. Google's help page says that when a review is edited, the date of the last edit shows as the review's post date. Google's Manage customer reviews page for Business Profile owners says the same for reviews edited after the business has replied: the date on the review changes to show the latest update.

That has two practical consequences:

• Your reply may no longer fit. If you replied to the original text and the customer rewrites it, read your reply again. A reply that apologizes for something the review no longer mentions can confuse readers, so consider updating it.
• The review moves in time. An edited review carries the new date, so it may appear as more recent than it was. That is normal and not something to correct.

If the customer deletes the review, give your profile some time to update, then check it. If your total or rating looks odd afterwards, why Google reviews disappear explains what else can change review counts.

Yelp and Facebook: point to the official help pages

Yelp

On Yelp, too, the review belongs to the person who wrote it, and only they can change it from their own account. Menus change, so rather than copying a step list from elsewhere, suggest that the customer sign in to the Yelp account that posted the review and check the Yelp Support Center for the current steps to edit or remove their own review. Stick to sharing how-to information and leave the wording entirely to them.

Facebook

On Facebook, reviews of a business Page are called recommendations, and they are written from the customer's own account. Facebook's Interact with Pages help hub covers reporting a recommendation or review about a business Page, but the person who wrote the recommendation is the one who can change it. Suggest that the customer open the recommendation while signed in, look for the options menu on their own post, and check the Facebook Help Center for the current steps if the menu looks different.

If the same complaint appears on more than one site, the customer may want to change all of them, or only one. Leave that to them. Handling the same complaint on Google, Yelp and Facebook covers how to reply consistently in the meantime.

A message you can send

Keep the message short, neutral and focused on the instructions. Do not suggest wording, a star rating or a deadline.

Example (illustrative)

Hi [Name], thanks for letting us know. As you asked, here is how to edit or delete a Google review. It has to be done from the Google account you used to post it.

On a computer: open Google Maps, click Menu, then Your contributions, then Reviews. Click More next to the review and choose Edit review or Delete review.

On a phone: open the Google Maps app, tap Contribute, then View your profile, then See all reviews. Tap the three dots next to the review and choose Edit or Delete.

Google's help page with the same steps: [link to Google's help article]. Whatever you decide is completely up to you. If you have any other questions, you can reach me at [manager's email].

If the customer said the review was meant for a different business, add one line suggesting they check the business name before reposting it elsewhere. If a review was clearly left on your profile by mistake and the customer does not respond, see what to do when a Google review was left on your business by mistake.

What to avoid

Even when the customer starts the conversation, a few things can turn a helpful message into a policy problem.

• No incentives. Google's prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps does not allow merchants to offer payment, discounts, or free goods or services in exchange for posting a review or for revising or removing a negative review. A refund you already agreed for the original problem should stand on its own and never depend on what happens to the review.
• No pressure. Do not chase the customer with reminders, ask for a screenshot to show it is done, or suggest a rating. The same Google policy says merchants must not discourage negative reviews or pressure users to leave ratings or reviews on the premises.
• No threats. In the US, the FTC's rule on consumer reviews makes it unlawful to use an unfounded or groundless legal threat, a physical threat, intimidation or a public false accusation to get a review removed, according to 16 CFR § 465.7. This article is general information, not legal advice; if you have a legal question about a review, consult a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction.
• No doing it for them. Never ask for the customer's login, and never offer to sign in on their device. The change has to come from them.

If the customer changes their mind

Sometimes a customer offers to delete a review and then does nothing. That is their right. Do not follow up about the review. If the review stays up, treat it like any other: reply calmly, factually and once. How to respond to negative Google reviews walks through a reply process you can use.

If they edit rather than delete, read the new version as a fresh review. A short, sincere reply thanking them for the update is usually enough. Avoid repeating details of the original complaint the customer chose to remove.

Keep an eye on the result

Once the customer says they have made the change, check the review on your profile within a few days. Note the date and what changed, and update your reply if it no longer matches. If you manage several locations or platforms, setting up alerts for new reviews means you will also see edited reviews show up again with their new date.

The whole exchange should take a few minutes: confirm the platform, send the official steps, leave the decision with the customer, and check your reply afterwards.