If you've noticed missing reviews on your Google Business Profile recently, you're not alone. A recent bug caused reviews to temporarily vanish from local listings on Google Search and Google Maps. The good news? Google has now addressed the issue.
Did Google Delete My Reviews? Here’s What Happened
Last Friday, businesses noticed a sudden drop in review counts. Google later confirmed it was a display bug, meaning the reviews weren’t deleted—they just weren’t visible or counted correctly.
Key Takeaways
Legit reviews were affected, not just fake ones.
Reviews weren’t deleted—they just temporarily disappeared.
Google has now addressed the issue, and reviews should start returning.
No action is necessary—they should reappear automatically.
Victoria Kroll, Operations Manager at Google, addressed the issue in the Google Business Profile Help Community:
"We’re aware of an issue affecting some Google Business Profiles, causing some profiles to show lower-than-actual review counts due to a display issue. The reviews themselves have not actually been removed. We’re working hard to resolve this and restore accurate review counts as quickly as possible."
Why Do Reviews Disappear in General?
While the recent issue is due to a bug, Google actively removes reviews that violate its Fake Engagement policy. If your reviews haven’t returned after a few days, you might want to check and see if they were removed due to policy violations.
In September 2024, Google ramped up efforts to combat fake reviews, enforcing stricter rules. This can result in temporarily removed reviews, blocked new reviews, or warnings on profiles that are suspected of violating guidelines.
For more details on how Google handles fake reviews and the guidelines businesses need to follow, check out their Maps User Contributed Content Policy.
How to Protect Your Google Business Reviews from Being Removed
If you want to keep your reviews safe and improve your Google Business Profile ranking, follow these best practices:
Encourage real, organic customer reviews – Focus on great service, not incentives. Keep track of new reviews and historical ratings across multiple platforms to monitor trends.
Engage with feedback – Respond to all reviews, whether positive or negative. Need tips on crafting the perfect response? Check out our Top Strategies for Responding to Google Reviews.
Follow Google’s review policies – Make sure your reviews comply with Google’s guidelines to avoid removal.
What Should You Do Now?
For most businesses, the best course of action is to wait. Google’s fix should restore missing reviews automatically. If your reviews are still missing after a few days, give it some time as the fix rolls out.
If you're still seeing issues in a week or two, it’s a good idea to consult with an SEO pro to dig deeper into your Google Business Profile.
Need help managing your online reputation? Roya.com can help!
