Google is deleting contractors' reviews.
Here's why — and how to stop it.
Google is removing reviews it flags as inauthentic — most often reviews collected through review gating (only asking happy customers), incentives, scripted or bulk requests, or from low-quality accounts. If your reviews are disappearing, the fix is a compliant flow: ask 100% of customers the same way, with real timing from real customers, on a consistent business listing.
The 4 things Google is purging right now
If your reviews are vanishing, it's almost always one of these — and a lot of review vendors build them in without telling you.
Review gating
Only sending the review link to happy customers (or routing 1–3 stars to a private form) is against Google's policy AND the FTC's rule. It's the #1 reason vendors get their clients' reviews wiped — and the client eats the penalty, not the vendor.
Incentives
Discounts, gift cards, contest entries, or anything of value in exchange for a review. Google detects and removes these — and can flag the whole profile.
Scripted / bulk asks
Blasting the same request to a huge list at once creates an unnatural velocity spike. Google's systems read that as manipulation and hold or delete the reviews.
Low-quality & fake accounts
Bought reviews, employee reviews, or reviews from brand-new accounts with no history. Aggressive detection in 2026 catches these fast.
Reviews that don't get deleted
Google keeps reviews that look like what they are: real customers, asked honestly, at a natural pace. That's the whole system.
Ask everyone, the same way
Every customer gets the same Google review link — no filtering by sentiment. Unhappy customers get help first, then the same ask. This is the compliant standard, and it's the entire point of how we work.
Real timing, real customers
Requests go out after a real completed job, on a natural cadence (never a firehose blast), from people you actually served. That's what survives Google's filter.
No incentives, ever
We never offer anything for a review. Great service earns the stars; the system just makes the ask consistent.
One consistent listing
Your business name, citations, website, and Google Business Profile all line up. Inconsistent listings split your credibility and quietly bury you — we check this at onboarding.
We run the compliant version — for you.
Dependify is a done-for-you Google review service built compliant from the ground up: the same review link to 100% of your customers, unhappy ones helped first, no incentives, natural timing, and a consistent listing. You get more real reviews and fewer public 1-stars — backed by a written 15 reviews in 60 days guarantee, month-to-month, cancel anytime.
Book a free 15-min auditGoogle review removal — FAQ
Why did Google delete my reviews?
Google removes reviews it flags as inauthentic. The most common triggers for home-service businesses are: review gating (only asking happy customers), offering incentives, scripted or bulk review requests that spike unnaturally, and reviews from low-quality or fake accounts. If a vendor set up your review flow with any of these, the reviews can be removed and your profile flagged — and you're the one penalized, not the vendor.
Is review gating really against the rules?
Yes. Selectively asking only happy customers (or routing low ratings to a private form) violates Google's review policies and the FTC's Consumer Review Rule, which carries penalties of over $50,000 per violation. Many review tools quietly build gating in as a 'feature.' We never do — every customer is asked the same way.
Can I get deleted reviews back?
Sometimes. If a review was removed in error you can appeal through Google's Reviews Management Tool with evidence, and a share of legitimate reviews come back at the appeal stage. But the durable fix is volume from a compliant flow: a steady stream of real reviews so no single removal — or bad review — dominates your profile.
How do I keep my reviews from getting removed going forward?
Run a compliant, ask-everyone system: same link to 100% of customers, real timing from real completed jobs, no incentives, natural velocity, and a consistent business listing. That's exactly what Dependify operates for you — done-for-you, with a 15-reviews-in-60-days guarantee.
Will asking every customer hurt my rating?
No — it protects it. Unhappy customers are intercepted to your phone first so problems get fixed before they post publicly, then they get the same ask. You end up with more real reviews and fewer public 1-stars, which is what both homeowners and Google reward.