You had 47 reviews on Friday. This morning you have 41, and nobody at Google sent a word about it.
It happens to good businesses all the time, and it’s rarely personal. Google removes and holds back reviews for a handful of reasons, most of them automatic. Some you can fix, some you can appeal, and some are gone for good.
Here’s why Google reviews disappear, how to tell which reason applies to you, and what to do about each.
Why is Google deleting reviews?
Mostly for breaking its policies. Google’s own help page on missing reviews says that usually, reviews are removed for policy violations like spam or inappropriate content.
The catch is that the checking is automatic, and it errs on the side of caution. Google admits its spam filters sometimes remove genuine reviews by mistake. So a review can vanish without anyone doing anything wrong.
Those are the removals. Other reviews haven’t been removed at all: they’re delayed, hidden for a while, or sitting on a different profile.
The reasons Google reviews disappear
| What happened | What it looks like | Comes back? |
|---|---|---|
| Removed for breaking a policy | One or a few go, often ones with links, phone numbers, or from staff or family | No |
| Caught by the spam filter by mistake | Genuine reviews go, often after a burst of new ones | Possibly, if support agrees |
| Delayed for checking | A customer says they posted it, but it isn’t showing yet | Usually within a few days |
| Profile merged or moved | Reviews missing after a duplicate was merged or the address changed | Usually within a few days |
| Reviews paused or hidden by Google | No new reviews, or all of them hidden, for a set period | When the period ends |
| Profile reinstated after a suspension | Reviews missing after the profile came back | Contact support |
| Reviewer deleted it, or their account was restricted | A particular review is gone | No |
| Category with reviews switched off | All reviews gone; schools for ages 6 to 18, for example | Only if the category was wrong |
Why are my Google reviews suddenly disappearing?
When several go at once, one of three things has usually happened.
A spam sweep. Google’s filters look for patterns: lots of reviews in a short time, reviews that look alike, accounts that behave oddly. A big push for reviews, such as an email to your whole customer list on one day, can look like manipulation even when every review is real.
Spike protection. Since April 2026, when Google sees a sudden spike of fake reviews on a profile, it removes them, pauses new reviews for a while, alerts the owner and shows customers a notice. If someone targeted you with fake reviews, your genuine ones can be caught up in the pause.
A penalty. If Google decides the business itself broke its fake engagement rules, it can block new reviews, hide existing ones and show a warning, all for a set period. The owner should get an email first, with a way to appeal.
Why can’t I see Google reviews anymore?
If every review has vanished from your profile, check these before you panic.
- Is the profile suspended? A suspended profile is hidden from the public, reviews and all. Our guide to suspended Google Business Profiles covers the way back.
- Is there a duplicate? Google hides duplicate profiles. If your reviews sit on the one Google has hidden, it looks like they’ve gone.
- Did the business change a lot? After a major change, such as a new name and a new type of business, Google may remove reviews it thinks no longer apply.
- Is the category right? Google has deleted and switched off reviews for schools teaching ages 6 to 18. If your business is in that category by mistake, change the category.
- Is the app up to date? Google’s own advice to customers who can’t see reviews is to update Google Maps.
Why isn’t my customer’s review showing?
If a customer says they left a review and you can’t see it, give it a few days. Google checks reviews against its policies before they appear, and that can hold one back.
If it still hasn’t appeared after a week, the likeliest reasons are in the review itself or in who wrote it. Links, phone numbers and email addresses break Google’s rules. So does any connection to the business: staff, former staff, family and contractors can’t review you.
The star average is slower again. Google says it can take up to two weeks to update.
How do I restore my Google reviews?
It depends on why they went.
- Removed for a policy breach: you can’t. Google says these are never restored.
- Genuine reviews caught by mistake: contact Google Business Profile support through the help centre’s contact page, say which reviews went and roughly when, and ask for them to be checked.
- Missing after a reinstatement: the same. Google specifically tells owners to contact support.
- Delayed or merged: wait a few days before doing anything.
- Paused or hidden under a penalty: use the appeal link in Google’s email, and fix whatever caused it first.
Whatever you do, don’t create a new profile to start again. It won’t bring the reviews back, and duplicates cause their own problems.
Do Google reviews ever expire?
No. Google says a review stays up until the person who wrote it removes it, or Google does.
Old reviews do matter less to readers, though. A profile whose newest review is two years old looks like a business that’s gone quiet. The fix for that is the same as the fix for most of this page: a steady flow of real reviews. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews shows how, within the rules.
What are the new rules for Google reviews in 2026?
Three things changed in the past year, and each can make reviews vanish.
First, between February and March 2026, Google added a “Rating Manipulation” section to its review policy. It rules out pressuring customers to review while they’re on your premises, setting staff targets for reviews, and asking for reviews that name a member of staff.
Second, the spike protection in April, described above.
Third, the scale. Google says it removed 292 million reviews in 2025 and restricted more than 782,000 accounts. Some genuine reviews are caught in that net.
How to stop it happening again
Ask every customer, not just the happy ones, and spread your asking out. A steady trickle looks like a real business. A flood in one week looks like a campaign.
Don’t offer anything in return, don’t ask staff or family, and don’t hand customers a tablet at the counter to review you on the spot. Send them your review link afterwards instead, so they review from their own phone, on their own time.
And reply to your reviews. It doesn’t protect them from filters, but it shows the next customer there’s someone at home.
Other questions people ask about disappearing Google reviews
Why did my Google review disappear after I edited it?
An edited review still has to meet Google’s rules. If the new version breaks one, for example by adding a link or a phone number, it can be removed, and a delay while it’s checked can make it look missing for a few days.
Can a business delete Google reviews?
No. A business can report a review, and Google removes it only if it breaks a policy. If reviews vanished from your profile, the business didn’t do it.
Does Google tell you when it removes a review?
Not usually. Google emails the owner before a penalty, and if you reported a review you can follow it in the Reviews Management Tool, but routine removals come with no notice.
How many Google reviews get removed?
Google says it removed 292 million reviews that broke its policies in 2025.
