How do I remove Google reviews posted by others?

You report them, you do not remove them. Google gives a business owner a report path, not a delete button. Match the review to the Google policy it breaks, report it under that reason with evidence through your Business Profile or the Reviews Management Tool, and Google decides. A review is not removed for being negative.

What reason should I choose when reporting a fake Google review?

Choose the policy the review actually breaks. A competitor, ex-employee, supplier or relative is conflict of interest. Someone who was never a customer is fake engagement. A complaint about something other than your business is off-topic. A review printing a phone number or IC is personal information.

Google rejected my report. What now?

Use the Reviews Management Tool, select the option to check the status of a review you reported previously, then appeal eligible reviews. You can select up to 10 reviews, Google describes it as a one-time appeal, and it emails you the result.

Can I offer a customer a refund to remove their bad review?

No. Google does not allow merchants to offer payment, discounts or free goods and services in exchange for the posting, revision or removal of a review, and it treats a review posted after such a request as a violation too. Doing it puts your own profile at risk rather than the reviewer's.

StrategyAcclaira Insights

How to remove a fake Google review in Malaysia

A fake Google review comes down only if it breaks a Google policy. Which policy to name, how to report it in Malaysia, and what to do when Google says no.

Dan Duar, Founder, Acclaira1 September 202616 min readFounder, Acclaira

Google removes a review for breaking a policy, not for being unkind.

You cannot delete a Google review that someone else wrote, in Malaysia or anywhere else. You can only ask Google to remove it, and Google removes a review when it breaks one of its content policies, not when it is unfair. So the whole job is naming the right policy. Conflict of interest, fake engagement, off-topic, personal information or harassment. Name that policy in your report, and back it with evidence.

Key takeaways

Google's instruction to business owners is blunt: "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it" (Google Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews).
For a review left by a competitor, a former employee, a supplier or a relative, which is a common case for a Malaysian SME, the policy to name is conflict of interest. Google defines it to include "current or former employment, a contractual or consultory relationship, or other professional or personal affiliations" (Google, Prohibited and restricted content).
Google says "Review evaluation typically takes several days." If it decides the review stays, there is a one-time appeal covering up to 10 reviews (Google Business Profile Help).
Offering a refund, discount or freebie to get a review taken down is a policy breach on your side. Google does not allow merchants to "Offer incentives ... in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review" (Google, Prohibited and restricted content).
Google calls a demand for payment to remove 1-star reviews an extortion scam, publishes a report form for it, and says "Do not engage with or pay the malicious individuals" (Google Business Profile Help).

Can you remove Google reviews posted by others in Malaysia?

No. Google gives a business owner a report path, not a delete button. You can report the review and ask Google to assess it against its content policies, and Google makes the decision. Its guidance to owners is explicit about the limit: "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it" (Google Business Profile Help).

This is where a report fails before it starts. A Google review is removed when it breaks a published Google content policy, and for no other reason. Unfair is not a category. Untrue on its own is not a category either, unless you can tie it to one of the policies below.

Before any of this works, check you can actually act as the owner. Routes 1 and 2 below both start from a Business Profile you can sign in to, so if the profile was set up years ago by a staff member who has since left, or was never verified, recovering access is the first job, not the second. Route 3 does not need it, and a complete Google Business Profile earns its keep well beyond this one problem.

Which Google policy does the review actually break?

Google publishes the rules in one document, the Prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps user contributions. Six of its categories are the ones worth knowing before you report anything. Match the review to one before you touch the report button, because a report that names no policy is just asking Google to agree the review was unkind.

What actually happened	Google's policy category	Google's own wording
Written by a competitor, an ex-employee, a supplier or a relative	Conflict of interest	"Content that is based on a conflict of interest ... current or former employment, a contractual or consultory relationship, or other professional or personal affiliations"
The reviewer was never a customer, or the account posts in bulk	Fake engagement	"Contributions to Google Maps should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business. Fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed."
A complaint about something that is not your business, such as the wrong branch or a courier	Off-topic	"Only post content that is based on your experience or questions about experiences at a specific location."
It names a staff member, or prints a phone number, IC number or home address	Personal information	"Do not distribute or post personal information without consent."
Abuse or threats aimed at you or your staff	Harassment	"We don't allow users to post content to harass other people or businesses, or encourage others to participate in harassment."
The review is really an advertisement for someone else	Advertising and solicitation	"Don't post content for advertising or solicitation purposes."

Source: Google, Prohibited & restricted content, Maps user-generated content policy.

One thing trips people up. The reasons in the report form are not labelled the same way as the policy categories above: the two Google prints as examples on its own help page are "Spam" and "Profanity", neither of which is one of the six (Google Business Profile Help). Pick the closest option, then use the free text to say which policy you mean and why.

Conflict of interest is the category worth checking first when the reviewer is connected to your business or to your trade. Trades are small here. The person who left your firm last year now works two shoplots away, and the "customer" who never appeared in your booking system turns out to be somebody's cousin. Google names conflict of interest twice in the same policy, under Rating manipulation and again under Misrepresentation, so the ground is documented rather than a judgement call.

How do you report a fake Google review, step by step?

You report a fake Google review, you do not delete it. There are two routes for a business owner, plus a third that anyone can use from Google Maps. Both owner routes end in the same place, a report Google assesses. The Reviews Management Tool also lets you check the status of a report and reach the appeal option, so use it when the review actually matters.

Route 1, from your Business Profile

Google's published steps to report a review from your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help):

Go to your Business Profile.
Select Read reviews.
Select the Report icon next to the review.
Select a reason.
Select Send report.

Route 2, the Reviews Management Tool

Google publishes the tool as Manage your Google Business reviews. Its steps (Google Business Profile Help):

Open the tool and confirm your account email, or switch accounts.
Select the business, then Report a new review for removal.
Select Report next to the review.
Choose the violation reason in the new tab.
Select Submit.

Route 3, flagging from Google Maps

This route has nothing to do with owning the business, which matters if the profile is not yet verified to you. Google's steps to report a review from Maps (Google, Report or fix content):

Go to Google Maps and search for the business by name or address.
Select the business from the results.
On the business page, select Reviews.
Scroll to the review you want to report.
Click Menu, then Report Review.
Complete the form and click Submit.

How do you remove a photo from a Google review?

A photo on a Google review is reported separately from the review it sits in, through its own flow on the same Maps page. The same policies and the same tracking cover photos as cover text, so name the policy the photo breaks exactly as you would for a review.

Google's steps on a computer, once you have opened the business in Maps: "In the panel on the left, click any photo or video ... At the top left, click Menu and then Report a problem." On a phone, swipe to the photo or video, then tap it and tap Report at the bottom right (Google, Report or fix content).

What should you write in the report?

Write what you can show, not what you feel. Google publishes only two outcomes for a report, and the one you do not want gives two reasons, one of which is "we do not have enough information to support the removal" (Google, Report or fix content). "This review is fake" is exactly the sort of claim that lands there.

Before you submit, put these in one place:

A screenshot of the full review, with the reviewer's display name and the date visible.
The direct link to the review.
Whether that name, phone number or email appears in your invoices, bookings or job sheets for the period described.
The reviewer's other public reviews, if a pattern is visible.
Any messages you have from the person, on WhatsApp, email or social media.
For a conflict of interest, the documented relationship: an employment record, a purchase order, a resignation date.

Then say it plainly. Not "this is a fake review from a competitor", but "the reviewer is a former employee whose last working day was 14 March 2026, and there is no transaction under this name."

Do not go further than that. Publishing the reviewer's identity, contacting them repeatedly or arguing in the reply thread adds nothing to the evidence Google actually asked for, and makes your profile look worse to the next customer.

How long does Google take, and what happens if it says no?

Google states that "Review evaluation typically takes several days" (Google Business Profile Help). Two outcomes are published: "Content removed", or "Content not removed: The content has not been removed because either your account has been restricted or we do not have enough information to support the removal" (Google, Report or fix content).

If the answer is no, there is one more step. Through the Reviews Management Tool you can select "Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeal options", then "Appeal eligible reviews", covering up to 10 reviews. Google describes it as a one-time appeal and says "When your appeal is assessed, you'll get an email with the result" (Google Business Profile Help).

Nobody can promise you a removal, and be wary of anyone who does. Google states the position itself: "We reserve the right to either reinstate or take down content, irrespective of whether your report was accepted or not accepted" (Google, Report or fix content).

Is a fake Google review a legal matter in Malaysia?

Google keeps a separate route for content that someone believes breaks local law. Its Legal Removals page states that the prohibited-content policies "apply to content on Google Maps wherever you are in the world" and that "users can report content they believe is in violation of local law" (Google, Legal Removals). That is a different process from a policy report, with a different form and a different standard.

If you think a review has gone past unfair into something legally actionable, that is a conversation for your own lawyer, not for a marketing agency.

What if someone is demanding money to take the reviews down?

Someone demanding payment to remove 1-star reviews from your Google Business Profile is a documented scam with its own Google report form, and Google's advice is not to negotiate. Google says these scams may involve a "sudden increase in 1-star and 2-star reviews on your Google Business Profile, followed by someone demanding money, goods, or services in exchange for removing the negative reviews" (Google Business Profile Help).

"Do not engage with or pay the malicious individuals. This can encourage further attempts and doesn't guarantee the removal of reviews." Google Business Profile Help, Report negative review extortion scams on your Business Profile

Google publishes a merchant extortion report form for exactly this. You provide your business details, the profile link, the review specifics and the extortionist's contact information, then "Attach screenshots and files that clearly show the communications, demands, and any other evidence" (Google Business Profile Help). Save every message before you block anyone.

Can I offer a refund to get a bad Google review removed?

No. Offering a customer money, a discount or a free service to take a review down is against Google's policy, and the rule is written to bind the merchant rather than the reviewer. It is an easy breach to commit without realising it, because the rule is not where owners look for it.

"Offer incentives - such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services - in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review." Google, Prohibited & restricted content, Maps user-generated content policy

The same section prohibits merchants from "Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers", and adds that "merchants should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises, nor should they request that specific content be included."

That last clause rules out three things you may recognise: the tablet at the counter asking for a review before the customer leaves, the WhatsApp blast sent only to customers you know are happy, and the message that tells the customer what to mention. Google also treats the resulting review as a violation, not just the request: incentivised content "includes content posted following requests for revision or removal of a review or rating in exchange for an incentive."

What should I do if Google will not remove the review?

Reply to it. When Google decides a review does not breach its content policies, the review stays and your public reply becomes the only part of the exchange you control. A customer who reads that one-star review reads what you wrote under it.

The mechanics are simple. Go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, select Reply next to the review, type the reply and select Reply. Google checks replies before they appear, and says they typically take up to 10 minutes to review before posting publicly (Google Business Profile Help, Manage customer reviews).

Google publishes its own guidance on writing them. For replies generally: "Be professional and polite", "Keep it short and simple", "Make your replies count", and "Be conversational, not promotional". For negative reviews specifically: "Protect privacy and avoid personal attacks", "Be honest and explain limitations", "Apologize when appropriate", "Personalize your reply", and "Respond in a timely manner" (Google Business Profile Help, Tips to get more reviews).

Replying is also what customers say they reward, with the caveat that these figures come from a survey of 1,002 adults in the United States rather than Malaysia. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found "80% of consumers say they're likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews", while "42% say they're unlikely to use a business that never replies". It also found that "Generic or templated replies put off 50% of consumers, who may see them as a sign of subpar customer care" (BrightLocal, 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey).

That last figure is the one to act on. A copy-paste apology under every complaint reads as nobody being home. Name the specific thing, state what happened without arguing, say what changed, and stop.

Does a bad Google review change how AI assistants describe your business?

There is no measurement we can point to showing that one bad Google review changes whether ChatGPT or Gemini recommends a business, and we are not going to claim otherwise. What we did check is narrower. On 1 September 2026 we put this question to ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, once generally and once scoped to Malaysia. Across the six answers, Google's own support pages were the most-cited source, at 14 of 42 citations.

Acclaira was not cited once. So on a question Google has documented thoroughly itself, two of the three assistants still routed part of the answer through third-party write-ups, two of them Malaysian, and through YouTube, which drew more citations than any single blog.

Your Google Business Profile is the public record Google itself holds about your business, which is why it is worth checking what ChatGPT and Gemini already say about your company before worrying about a single review. An AI recommendation still ends with a person who looks at the rating before they book, which is the whole of how restaurants and cafes in Malaysia get recommended by AI.

How does Acclaira help a Malaysian business with its Google Business Profile?

Acclaira runs an ongoing AI SEO programme for Malaysian businesses from RM 3,000 a month. The discipline is also called AEO, short for answer engine optimisation. The work is making your Google Business Profile, your website and your listings consistent and readable enough that Google and the AI assistants describe your business correctly, and keeping them that way.

Your Google Business Profile is part of that programme, and a profile that is complete, consistent and actively replied to is the part of this you control. We also build and host a premium, AI-readable website free as part of the programme. We do not handle legal disputes, and we cannot promise Google will remove anything, because that decision is Google's alone.

Want to know where you stand? Book a free 15-minute strategy call. Before we speak, we check what ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity already say about your business.

When your customer asks AI who to trust, you want one name to come back, everywhere they look. Be the answer.

Sources

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove Google reviews posted by others?: You report them, you do not remove them. Google gives a business owner a report path, not a delete button. Match the review to the Google policy it breaks, report it under that reason with evidence through your Business Profile or the Reviews Management Tool, and Google decides. A review is not removed for being negative.
What reason should I choose when reporting a fake Google review?: Choose the policy the review actually breaks. A competitor, ex-employee, supplier or relative is conflict of interest. Someone who was never a customer is fake engagement. A complaint about something other than your business is off-topic. A review printing a phone number or IC is personal information.
Google rejected my report. What now?: Use the Reviews Management Tool, select the option to check the status of a review you reported previously, then appeal eligible reviews. You can select up to 10 reviews, Google describes it as a one-time appeal, and it emails you the result.
Can I offer a customer a refund to remove their bad review?: No. Google does not allow merchants to offer payment, discounts or free goods and services in exchange for the posting, revision or removal of a review, and it treats a review posted after such a request as a violation too. Doing it puts your own profile at risk rather than the reviewer's.

About the author

Dan Duar

Founder, Acclaira · Director, DNE Logistics

Dan founded Acclaira to help Malaysian SMEs get understood, trusted and recommended by AI search. He also runs DNE Logistics, a Port Klang freight and customs business, so he writes about digital growth from a business owner’s seat, not an agency’s.

Full bio →DNE Logistics

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