How to create a Google review link for UK customers

What to take away

Where the review link lives

A Google review link is not something you build by hand. Google Business Profile issues it for each verified location, and it points the customer at the rating and comment box for that profile. Google's “Get started with Google Business Profile” guide explains the profile setup.

Two shops, a clinic and a depot means four profiles and four links. Mix them up and the review lands on a location the customer never visited. A multi-location review monitoring dashboard holds each profile's link and rating in one view, which is where the list belongs.

Copy the link in five steps

Run this sequence once per location, then store the result where whoever sends the requests will find it.

Shorten the link or print a Google review QR code

The raw URL is long, and dictating it over the phone is painful. Google review links commonly use Google's g.page short-link route, with a location-specific identifier and often a /review ending; another format uses Google's local write-review route and a Place ID. A redirect service such as Bitly or TinyURL gives you something shorter that still opens the same form. Check the short link every few months, because free services do retire addresses.

You can make a QR code from the review link with Canva's QR code generator or QRCode Monkey. For a Google review QR code, the real test is a customer's handset rather than yours. Scan it at arm's length and confirm it opens the review form, not the profile overview.

No UK rule targets the code itself. The duties attach to what follows: the request, the contact details you hold, and any claim you make about the rating you display.

How to send the review request lawfully

A review request to a named customer uses personal data, so record a lawful basis before the first send. Possible UK GDPR bases include consent and legitimate interests; choose and document the one that fits your purpose and circumstances. The ICO's UK GDPR guidance explains the available bases and duties. For email or text, also check the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR): having a UK GDPR lawful basis does not by itself authorise an electronic marketing message. Keep the purpose narrow: one request about one visit.

Build refusal into the flow. A customer who asks you to stop should never receive a second request, and that opt-out has to survive a change of tool or mailing list. Keep a minimal suppression record so the objection is honoured, document why it is retained, and review it periodically. UK GDPR does not set one fixed retention period for these records; keep them only as long as necessary for that purpose.

Tone and timing matter too. Google's “Tips to get more Google reviews” guidance covers both, so name the visit and keep the ask short. Never offer a discount or prize in exchange, whatever the customer suggests.

Manual sending collapses past a few dozen requests a week. Before wiring up triggers, agree which steps stay human: check that the visit is complete, send one request, record the outcome and suppress anyone who objects. Use a review management automation workflow as the reference.

Match the request to your sector

Small trade firms get most from a link printed on the invoice, as this guide to review generation for tradesmen explains.

Regulated sectors need a second look first. Clinics, law firms and advisers face their own rules on soliciting and publishing feedback. Depending on the service and UK nation, check the Care Quality Commission (CQC), General Medical Council (GMC), Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules that apply, as well as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and CAP Code for marketing claims. Sector codes can be stricter than the general consumer rules, and a misjudged request is harder to undo than to delay.

Common questions

Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?

Yes. A review sits on a Google account, so someone without one cannot post. Expect a lower response rate from customers who never sign in.

Can I shorten a Google review link myself?

Yes. Bitly and TinyURL are examples of redirect services; no paid tool is required. Keep a record of the long URL behind every short one in case the redirect stops working.

When is the best time to send the link?

Soon after the work closes, while the visit is still fresh, and only once per customer. A single reminder is defensible; repeated chasing is not.

What should we do if a customer objects?

Stop sending to that person and record the objection where the next campaign will see it. Treat it as you would any other objection under the UK data protection regime.