What is Review Gating?
The prohibited practice of filtering customers so only satisfied ones are directed to leave public reviews.
Definition
Review gating is the practice of pre-screening customer sentiment before directing them to a review platform. In a typical review gating flow, customers are first asked 'How was your experience?' or to give a private rating. Happy customers are directed to leave a public review on Google or Yelp, while unhappy customers are redirected to a private feedback form. Google explicitly prohibits review gating as it violates their policies by artificially inflating review scores and distorting authentic customer feedback.
Why it matters
Review gating violates Google's review policies and can result in penalties, review removal, or listing suspension. Beyond policy issues, review gating is ethically problematic because it presents a misleading picture to consumers. Google's algorithms are also increasingly sophisticated at detecting artificial review patterns. Businesses caught review gating risk significant reputation damage and loss of their review portfolio.
How to implement
Instead of review gating, ask all customers to leave reviews regardless of their sentiment. Focus on providing excellent service that naturally generates positive reviews. Use negative reviews as feedback to improve your business. If you use a feedback system, ensure that all customers - regardless of their rating - are equally directed to leave a public review. Comply with Google's review policies at all times.
Common mistakes
- xUsing review software that pre-screens customer sentiment before showing the Google review link.
- xThinking that review gating is acceptable if done subtly - it violates policies regardless of implementation.
- xNot auditing existing review collection workflows for unintentional review gating features.
Examples
- -A review gating flow asks 'How many stars would you give us?' - 4-5 star respondents get a Google review link while 1-3 star respondents get a private feedback form. This violates Google's policies.
- -A compliant approach sends all customers the same review request: 'We'd love your honest feedback on Google' with a direct review link, regardless of expected sentiment.
FAQ
Review gating is not illegal in most jurisdictions, but it violates Google's policies and the FTC's guidelines on authentic endorsements. Google can penalize your listing, and the FTC can take action against deceptive review practices. Beyond legality, it's considered unethical by reputation management professionals.
Asking all customers for reviews is perfectly fine and encouraged. Review gating specifically means filtering or pre-screening customers so that only satisfied ones are directed to leave public reviews. The key difference is whether all customers have an equal opportunity to leave a public review.
Related terms
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