--- title: "How to Get Alerts for New Google Reviews (Yelp, Facebook)" description: "Turn on new-review alerts for Google, Yelp and Facebook, route each alert to the right person, and set a response-time target your team can keep." url: https://brandprotecto.com/blog/review-monitoring-alerts-setup updated: 2026-11-05 publisher: BRANDprotecto (info@brandprotecto.com) --- # How to Get Alerts for New Reviews Across Google, Yelp and Facebook [Home](https://brandprotecto.com) / [Blog](https://brandprotecto.com/blog) / Brand monitoring Brand monitoring # How to Get Alerts for New Reviews Across Google, Yelp and Facebook A hands-on setup guide for new-review alerts on Google, Yelp and Facebook, plus a simple routing plan for who sees which alert and how fast they reply. By the BRANDprotecto editorial team · Published November 5, 2026 · Last reviewed November 5, 2026 · 7 min read ## In short - On Google, new-review alerts are part of the Customer activity notifications you turn on in your Business Profile settings. - Google can send Business Profile notifications by email, on Google Search or in Google Maps, so check all three before assuming alerts are broken. - Each person who needs alerts should sign in with their own account and confirm their own settings. - A written routing plan decides who sees which alert and who replies, so nothing waits in one person's inbox. - Set a realistic response-time target, such as one business day for negative reviews, and review it monthly. To get alerts for new Google reviews, open your Business Profile while signed in as an owner or manager, go to **More** and then **Notifications**, and turn on **Customer activity**. Google describes this category as alerts when customers leave new reviews or add photos. Alerts can arrive by email, on Google Search or in Google Maps. Then decide who on your team acts on each alert. ## Why review alerts matter more than checking manually Most teams check reviews when they remember to. That works until a serious complaint sits unanswered for a week, or a review names an employee and nobody sees it until a customer mentions it at the counter. Alerts fix the visibility problem. They do not fix the response problem on their own. That needs a short plan: who receives each alert, who replies, and how fast. This guide covers both parts and only deals with review alerts. For news sites, forums and social mentions, see our guide to [monitoring brand mentions for free](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/monitor-brand-mentions-free) . ## Step 1: Turn on new-review alerts in Google Business Profile According to Google's help page [Manage your notifications](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7198436?hl=en) , Business Profile notifications are grouped into five categories: account updates, features and tips, customer activity, business info alerts, and bookings and requests. New reviews fall under **Customer activity**. - Sign in to the Google account that has access to your Business Profile. - Search for your business name on Google to open the profile management view. - Select **More**, then **Notifications**. - Turn on **Customer activity**. Keep **Business info alerts** on as well, so you hear about edits to your hours, address or other details. - In the Google Maps app, tap **Business** and then the notifications icon to check the settings there too. Google notes that notifications can come through email, Search or Maps. If you expect emails only, you may miss alerts shown in the Maps app. Menu names change from time to time, so if a label looks different, check the current wording on the Google help page linked above. ### Make sure the right people have access Google's page on [managing Business Profile owners and managers](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en) lists three roles: primary owner, owner and manager. Both owners and managers can respond to reviews. Managers cannot add or remove users or remove the profile. For most teams, that means the person who replies day to day can be a manager, while ownership stays with the business owner. Add people by their own Google account rather than sharing one login. Then each person signs in and confirms their own notification settings. Don't assume that one person's settings cover everyone. ## Step 2: Set up alerts on Yelp and Facebook Yelp and Facebook both let businesses manage their page from a business account. Both change their settings screens often. Rather than follow a click path that may be out of date, use this checklist and the platform's own help center for the current menu names. - **Yelp:** Sign in to your Yelp for Business account, open the account or notification settings, and look for options covering new reviews and messages. Turn on email alerts as well as app alerts if both are offered. Each user's settings are worth checking separately. - **Facebook:** If recommendations or reviews are turned on for your Page, check the Page's notification settings in the business tools you use to manage it. Make sure alerts for new recommendations and comments reach someone who checks them during working hours. - **Other sites:** If your industry relies on Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, Glassdoor or a niche directory, claim the business profile there and check its notification settings the same way. After setup, test it. Ask yourself one question per platform: if a review arrived ten minutes ago, who would know, and how? If the answer is "nobody until Monday," the setup is not finished. ## Step 3: Route every alert to an inbox people actually read Alerts that land in a busy owner's personal inbox tend to get buried. A simple fix is a shared address, such as a reviews@ mailbox or a group alias, that two or more people watch. - Create a shared mailbox or group alias for review alerts. - Where a platform lets you add users, add the people who reply. Where alerts go to one person's address, set an email filter to forward review alerts to the shared mailbox. - Use a filter or label so review alerts don't mix with marketing email from the same platform. - Name a backup person for holidays and sick days. If you have several locations, decide whether alerts go to the local manager, a central team, or both. Our [multi-location review management playbook](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/multi-location-review-management) covers how to split that work between central and local teams. ## Step 4: Write a routing plan: who sees which alert Not every review needs the same person. A five-star review with no text can be answered by whoever is on duty. A review that mentions a safety issue, a threat or a legal claim needs the owner or a manager. A short table keeps this clear for everyone. Type of review Who receives it Who replies Suggested target Positive (4–5 stars) Shared review inbox Front-line lead or marketing Within 3 business days Mixed or mild complaint (3 stars) Shared review inbox Location manager Within 2 business days Negative (1–2 stars) Shared inbox plus location manager Location manager, after checking the facts Within 1 business day Names an employee, mentions safety, health, a threat or legal action Owner or operations manager immediately Owner, after internal review Acknowledge internally the same day; reply when facts are clear Looks fake, off-topic or posted on the wrong business Owner or person who handles reports Decide on reply and report separately Assess within 1 business day The targets in this table are suggestions, not platform rules. Pick numbers your team can keep every week, including busy weeks. A target you miss half the time is worse than a slower one you meet. ## Step 5: Set a response-time target and handle the first hour When a negative review alert arrives, the goal is a calm, accurate reply, not a fast, defensive one. A same-day internal acknowledgment is often enough. It tells the team the review has an owner. - **Read the full review** on the platform, not just the email preview. - **Check your records:** booking, order, visit date, staff on shift. - **Decide the category** from your routing table. - **Draft the reply** and, for sensitive cases, have a second person read it. - **Post the reply** and note it in a simple log with the date, platform and who replied. Our step-by-step guide on [how to respond to negative Google reviews](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-negative-google-reviews) covers the reply itself. If the review threatens you or your staff, follow the separate steps in [what to do when a Google review threatens you](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/threatening-google-review) . A short internal acknowledgment can be as simple as this: **Example (illustrative):** "New 1-star Google review for [Location] about a delayed order on [date]. I'm checking the order record with [Name] and will draft a reply by [time]. Please don't reply yet." That last line matters. When several people get the same alert, two well-meaning replies, or a reply posted before the facts are checked, can make things worse. ## What alerts don't tell you, and what to do about it Alerts are not a perfect record. Google explains in [About missing or delayed reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en) that reviews are checked against its policies, and that this can take a few days and delay a review's appearance. A customer may say they left a review before you see it or get any alert. Replies are checked too. According to Google's page on [managing customer reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) , replies usually take up to 10 minutes to be checked but sometimes up to 30 days. The page also says the reviewer is notified when you reply. So write every reply as if the customer will read it within minutes. For these reasons, add a short manual check to the routine: once a week, open each profile and compare the latest reviews with your log. It takes a few minutes and catches anything an alert missed. ## When an alert shows a review that may break the rules Sometimes the alert is for a review that looks fake, comes from someone who was never a customer, or contains personal information. A negative opinion alone is not a reason for removal, and the platform decides what stays up. If you believe a review breaks Google's policies, Google's page on [reporting inappropriate reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en) explains how to report it from your profile or through the Reviews Management Tool. It says evaluation typically takes several days and that you can check the status in that tool. Report only with an honest reason that matches the policy, and report each review once. If you have a specific review in front of you and aren't sure whether it qualifies, our free [review removal check](https://brandprotecto.com/tools/review-removal-check) can help you think it through before you report. When the same complaint shows up on several sites at once, see [how to handle the same complaint on Google, Yelp and Facebook](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/customer-posted-negative-review-on-multiple-platforms) . ## A monthly check to keep alerts working Alert setups decay. People leave, passwords change, and filters break. Put a short check in the calendar once a month: - Confirm every person on the routing plan still has access to each profile, and remove people who have left. - Confirm review notifications are still on for each person and each platform. - Check that the shared inbox and forwarding rules still work. - Look at your reply log: did you meet your targets? If not, change the targets or the staffing, not just the wording of the plan. Done once, this setup takes an afternoon. After that, the routine takes minutes a week, and new reviews reach someone who can act on them. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why am I not getting Google review notification emails? First check that Customer activity notifications are turned on in your Business Profile under More and then Notifications, while signed in with your own account. Google says notifications can arrive by email, on Search or in Maps, so some alerts may appear in the Maps app instead of your inbox. Also check spam folders and filters. Reviews can take a few days to appear because Google checks them against its policies. ### Can a manager on my Google Business Profile get review alerts and reply? Google's help page on owners and managers says both owners and managers can respond to reviews. Managers cannot add or remove users or remove the profile. Add each person with their own Google account rather than a shared login. Then ask each person to open the notification settings and confirm that customer activity alerts are on for their own account. ### How quickly should a business respond to a negative review? No platform rule sets a deadline for business replies. A practical target many teams can keep is one business day for negative reviews, with a same-day internal acknowledgment so everyone knows who is handling it. Accuracy matters more than speed. Check your records before replying, and have a second person read replies to sensitive reviews involving staff, safety or legal claims. ### Do I need paid software to get alerts for new reviews? Not for basic alerts. Google Business Profile includes notifications for new reviews at no cost, and it is worth checking the business account settings on each other platform you use. Paid tools can collect alerts from many sites in one place, which helps with many locations or platforms. For a single location on a few sites, built-in alerts plus a shared inbox and a weekly manual check are usually enough. ## Sources - [Manage your notifications — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7198436?hl=en) (checked November 6, 2026) - [Manage your Business Profile owners & managers — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en) (checked November 6, 2026) - [About missing or delayed reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en) (checked November 6, 2026) - [Manage customer reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) (checked November 6, 2026) - [Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en) (checked November 6, 2026) Prepared by the BRANDprotecto editorial team with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Platform rules and laws change: always confirm the current wording at the source. This article is general information, not legal advice. ## See how your business looks online Request a free reputation audit. We look at your Google Business Profile and your Google reviews and email you the summary with your Brand Health Score and the main problem areas within one business day. [Start free audit](https://brandprotecto.com/audit/start) ## Related articles [Brand monitoring Reviews on Apple Maps and Bing Places: What Business Owners Can Manage Apple Maps and Bing show ratings for your business too, but neither works like Google. Here is what you can claim, see, report and fix on each one. November 9, 2026 · 8 min read](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/apple-maps-and-bing-reviews-business-owners) [Brand monitoring Social Listening vs Brand Monitoring: What's the Difference? Brand monitoring tells you what was just said about you so you can respond. 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