- The review link opens the review box for your business directly, so the customer does not have to search for you.
- Ask every customer the same way, soon after the job. Google does not allow paying for reviews or asking only happy customers.
- Your review count and rating show on your profile, and Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
How the review link generator works
Every business on Google Maps has a Place ID, a long code Google uses to identify it. The direct review link is this address with your Place ID on the end:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=your Place ID
It is the review link format in wide use, though Google does not publish it in its help pages, so always test it (see below). The generator looks your business up on Google and builds that link for you. Type the name as it appears on your Google profile and add your town if it is a common name. Pick the right one from the list. If the search does not find you, or you already know your Place ID, paste it in instead.
The QR code is drawn right here in your browser from the same link, and downloads as a PNG large enough for print. Nothing you search for is stored by Koira.
If you own the profile, Google also gives you its own link and QR code: open your Business Profile on a computer, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews (Google's steps). Either works. This page is handy when you are not signed in to the profile, want the QR code as a print-size PNG, or want the request texts written for you.
Where to use your review link and QR code
| Where | Use | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Text message after the job | Link | Quick to send and quick to tap. Send it the same day. |
| Email receipt or invoice | Link | Put it under the total, after the thank you. |
| Leave-behind card or magnet | QR code | Hand it over at the end of the job with a word of thanks. |
| Printed invoice or estimate | QR code | A small code in the footer is enough. |
| Truck or trailer | QR code | Large and high on the panel, so it can be scanned from a few steps away. |
| Your website | Link | A "Review us on Google" button on the contact or thank-you page. |
Whichever you use, keep the link the same everywhere. Google recommends refreshing a stored Place ID once it is more than a year old, so open your link now and then to check it still lands on your business.
How to ask for a review without it feeling awkward
Many happy customers are glad to leave a review; they just do not think of it. The ask works best when it is short, personal and timed right.
- Ask at the high point. When the job is done and the customer is pleased, say you would appreciate a Google review and that you will text the link. Then text it within the hour.
- Make it one tap. The direct link skips the search. Every extra step loses people.
- Say why it matters. "It is how neighbors find a small business like ours" is honest and lands better than "please give us five stars".
- Ask once, remind once. A single friendly reminder a few days later is fine. More than that starts to cost you goodwill.
- Reply to every review. A short, specific thank-you, and a calm, helpful answer to the rare bad one. Future customers read the replies.
The three templates under the tool are written this way. Copy one, fill in the first name, and send.
What Google allows when you ask for reviews
Google's policy on prohibited and restricted content covers reviews, and fake engagement is removed. In plain words:
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Asking every customer for an honest review | Offering a discount, gift or anything else in exchange |
| Sending your review link by text, email or card | Asking only customers you expect to be happy (review gating) |
| Reminding customers to leave a review | Reviews from you, your staff or family (a conflict of interest) |
| Replying to reviews, good and bad | Pressuring someone to review while you stand there |
| Letting customers write what they want | Asking for specific content, or asking staff to collect a set number of reviews |
Google's own tips to get more reviews recommend the same things this page helps with: remind customers, give them a link or QR code, and reply to what they write.
Why Google reviews matter for a trade business
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and how well known a business is, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking (Google's local ranking tips). Reviews are also what a homeowner reads before deciding which of three plumbers to call.
Three things on your profile do most of the work: how many reviews you have, your rating, and how recent the newest one is. A steady trickle beats a burst followed by silence, which is why asking after every job matters more than a one-time push.
Want to see where you stand against shops near you? Our free AI report checks your reviews, profile and website and lists the fixes in order.
When the review link does not work as expected
- It opens the wrong business. You picked a different listing with a similar name, often an old or duplicate profile. Search again with your town, or paste the Place ID from Google's Place ID finder.
- It opens Google Maps but not the review box. Some apps open links in their own browser. The customer can tap the stars on your profile from there, or open the link in Chrome or Safari.
- It asks the customer to sign in. That is expected: reviews are posted from a Google account.
- You should not review your own business. Google treats reviews from owners, staff and family as a conflict of interest. Test the link on someone else's phone without posting.
- A customer says they left a review and you cannot see it. New reviews do not always appear right away. Google Business Profile help has a page about missing or delayed reviews with the steps to take.
- Your business does not show in the search. If your profile is new or not verified yet, it may not appear. Verify it first, then come back.
Asking for every review, without remembering to
The hard part of reviews is not the link, it is remembering to send it after every job, at the right moment, to the right person.
Koira does that part. When a customer pays, Koira texts them your review link at a good hour, reminds them once if they do not tap, and shows you new reviews as they come in so you can reply. See how reviews work in Koira.
Last checked October 8, 2026.