Review policy
What Is Review Gating and Why Is It Risky?
Review gating means filtering customers so only happy ones are asked to review on Google. Why Google prohibits it, common forms it takes, and how to collect feedback without gating.
By uTapiT Team · Guide · 23 September 2026 · 5 min read
Key takeaways
- Review gating is asking only customers you expect to be happy to leave a public review.
- Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews and discouraging negative ones.
- Common forms: “Were you happy? Yes → Google, No → private form” flows, and only handing the card to regulars.
- Give every customer the same route to Google; private feedback can sit alongside, never instead.
Some review tools and habits quietly filter customers: happy ones are sent to Google, unhappy ones are sent somewhere else. It's called review gating, and Google prohibits it.
What review gating looks like
- A screen that asks “How was your visit?” and only shows the Google link after 4 or 5 stars.
- Sending low scorers to a private complaint form instead of Google.
- Staff handing the review card only to customers who seemed pleased.
- Emailing review requests only to customers who rated you well in a survey.
What Google says
Google's policy says businesses shouldn't discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers. Gating does both: it steers critics away and invites only fans.
Why it's risky
- It breaks Google's policy, so affected reviews and your profile are at risk.
- It produces an unrealistically perfect rating that customers find less believable.
- It hides problems you'd benefit from hearing about.
How to collect feedback without gating
- 1Give every customer the same, direct route to your Google review page.
- 2If you also want private feedback, offer it alongside the Google option — to everyone, whatever their rating.
- 3Ask for an honest review, not a good one.
- 4Reply to negative reviews professionally; a few are normal and make your rating credible.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I collect private feedback as well?
- Yes, as long as it's offered alongside the public review option to everyone — not as a filter that sends unhappy customers away from Google.
- Is it gating to ask only customers who seemed happy?
- If you're deliberately choosing who to ask based on whether they'll be positive, yes. Make asking a routine for everyone.
uTapiT never gates: every rating, from one star to five, gets the same link to Google.
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