Google Review QR Code: How to Make and Use One

This guide is for owners and marketers of local businesses, such as clinics, salons, restaurants, shops and trades, who want more customers to leave a Google review. You will learn how to make a Google review QR code, where to put it, what to say next to it, and which of Google’s rules decide whether those reviews stay up.

What is a Google review QR code?

A Google review QR code is a QR code that stores the direct link to your Google review form. The customer points a phone camera at it, taps the link and lands on the form with your business already selected, without searching for you on Google Maps.

Google offers this itself. Its help page on how to create a Google link or QR code to request reviews walks through the steps in your Business Profile and notes one limit: “Currently, reviews QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices.” A browser based generator fills that gap and adds options Google does not, such as an SVG file for print and a caption under the code.

How do you make a Google review QR code?

You make one in two steps: copy your review link from your Business Profile, then turn that link into a QR code. In detail:

1. Open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
2. Copy the review link, or download Google’s QR code if you are on a computer.
3. For a custom size, caption or SVG file, paste the link into the Google review QR code generator and download the file.
4. If you cannot reach the profile, build a link with the Google Review Link Generator or from your Place ID, then test it carefully.
5. Scan the result with two different phones before you print anything.

The Place ID route needs a warning. Google defines a Place ID as “a textual identifier that uniquely identifies a place”, and many tools build a review link from it with the pattern search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=. I could not find that pattern in Google’s documentation, so treat it as a fallback. Google also says “Place IDs may change over time”, and a place can get a new ID if the business moves.

Where should you put your review QR code?

Put the code where customers have a free moment right after the experience: at the till, on the receipt, in the thank you email and on the table or waiting room wall. Google’s help page lists the same idea in its own words: “Include it on your receipts” and “Include it in thank you emails”, along with the end of a chat and a printed code in your store.

One code per business location is enough. If you run several branches, make one code per branch from that branch’s own link, so reviews land on the right profile.

What do Google's rules say about asking for reviews?

Google allows you to ask for reviews, but not to pay for them, filter who gets asked or pressure staff to collect a quota. The prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps lists, among other things:

• Content “posted due to an incentive offered by a business – such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services”.
• Businesses that “Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers”. This is the practice often called review gating.
• “Merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews”.
• “Content that is based on a conflict of interest”, which can include current or former employment.

So a sign that says “Loved your visit? Leave us 5 stars” or “Review us and get a free coffee” breaks the rules, while “Tell us how we did on Google” does not. Google takes this seriously: its post on protecting businesses on Maps says its systems and analysts “blocked or removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews” in 2025.

How do you pair the QR code with review request messages?

Use the QR code for people in front of you and a message for people who have already left. Google’s help page adds: “Tip: You can also send review requests through email, WhatsApp message, or Facebook post.” The review request message generator writes the email, SMS and WhatsApp version with the customer’s name and your link, counts SMS parts and flags reward or gating words before you send.

Keep the SMS within one 160 character part, send it the same day or the next day, and send one reminder at most. The same honest wording should appear on the sign and in the messages, so every customer gets the same request.

How do you check a review QR code before printing?

Scan it with at least two phones, an iPhone and an Android if you can, and confirm the review form opens for the right business. Customers need a Google account: Google’s tips to get more reviews say “Customers must be signed into a Google Account to leave a review.”

• Contrast. Print a dark code on a light background. Light codes on dark backgrounds can fail on some scanners.
• Margin. Leave the white border around the code. The generator adds a 4 module quiet zone for this reason.
• Density. Short links make simpler codes that scan from further away. A 35 character link fits in a version 3 code at error correction M.
• File type. Send the printer the SVG, which stays sharp at any size, and use the PNG on screens.

What should you do when the reviews come in?

Reply to them, good and bad, within a few days. Google’s tips say “Your replies are public and help you build good relationships with customers.” The review response generator drafts replies, and my negative review response templates cover complaints. If you see reviews that break Google’s rules, follow the steps to report fake Google reviews rather than replying angrily.

Worked example

Frequently asked questions

This guide is part of my Google reviews strategy guide.

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