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What to do if a Google review goes missing

Understand why reviews disappear and how to ask Google to reinstate a missing review.

You work hard for your reviews, so it’s frustrating when one disappears from Google.

Unless you keep a list and regularly check it against the reviews on your Google Business Profile, a missing review can easily go unnoticed. It can also be tricky to work out which review went missing and find the details you need to ask for it back.

Reviews can disappear for a few reasons. Google may have removed one for breaking its policies or the reviewer may have deleted it, but sometimes, a genuine review is removed by mistake.

If you believe that’s happened, you can ask Google to investigate and often have it reinstated.

How betterbunch helps

The Missing reviews tool does the tracking for you. When your Google Business Profile is connected, betterbunch records reviews that go missing and keeps their details handy.

You can add notes explaining why each review is genuine, then export everything to share with Google. This makes missing reviews easier to spot and report, and gives you supporting information to make a stronger case for getting them back.

You’ll still need to submit your request directly to Google. Here’s how.

    1. Check the review meets Google's review policies

    Before you get started, check the missing review against Google’s review policies.

    Even if the reviewer was a real customer, things like publishing personal details or having a conflict of interest can break Google’s rules. Google says reviews removed for policy breaches won’t be restored.

    If you believe the review meets Google’s policies, follow the steps below to ask for it back.

    If you don’t want to follow it up, mark it Dismissed in betterbunch. This moves it to your Archived list.

    2. Add your supporting notes in betterbunch

    Go to Reviews → Missing and open the review.

    Add a short, factual note explaining why you believe the review should be reinstated. Helpful details include:

    • When the customer visited or used your business.
    • What service or product they received.
    • Why you believe their review reflects a real experience.
    • Confirmation that no reward was offered and there was no conflict of interest, where relevant.

    For example:

    This customer visited on 15 August 2026 for a vehicle inspection. We have a booking record confirming the visit. They are not an employee or family member, and no reward was offered for the review.

    Click Save, then export your active missing reviews as a CSV, Excel or PDF file. Your export brings the review details and your notes together, ready to share with Google.

    For the full walkthrough, see how to track and manage missing Google reviews. 

    Important: Keep customer details private. Don’t include contact details or sensitive personal information in your notes.

    3. Send your request to Google

    1. Open the Google Business Profile Help Centre. Make sure you’re signed into the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
    2. Select your business and follow the prompts to explain the issue.
    3. Choose an available contact option and submit your request.

    Tell Google which reviews are missing, when they disappeared and what you’ve already tried.

    Use your betterbunch export to share the review details and supporting notes. Attach the file if that option is available. Otherwise, include the relevant details in your message.

    Keep your Google case reference handy. If you receive an automated reply that doesn’t resolve the issue, reply to the same support thread with any extra information.

    4. Keep track of your request

    Once you’ve contacted Google:

    1. Return to Reviews → Missing in betterbunch.
    2. Change the reviews you included in your request to Reported.
    3. Add your Google case reference to the notes and click Save. You can add updates here as you hear back.

    Reported reviews stay in your Active list so you can keep track of them.

    Note: Marking a review as Reported only updates betterbunch. It doesn’t send anything to Google or show the outcome of your request.

    What happens next?

    There’s no guarantee Google will bring your review back, but having the details to back up your request gives you a stronger case.

    If it does, betterbunch will automatically move it out of the Missing tab and back into your published reviews.

    If you decide to stop following it up, mark it Dismissed to move it to Archived.