How to write a good Google review (with examples)
Sign in, find the business on Google Maps, tap Reviews, pick your stars and say what you had, who served you and one tip. Steps, examples and a checklist.
To write a Google review, sign in to your Google Account, find the business on Google Maps, open its Reviews tab, choose your stars, and write a few sentences about what you had, who served you and anything the next customer should know. Add a photo if you have one, then post. A good review is specific and honest, and it takes about two minutes.
This guide is for customers, and for business owners who want something to share with them. It covers the steps on the Google Maps app and on a computer, what to mention, and example reviews for a hawker stall, a hotel, a salon and a clinic.
How to leave a Google review on Google Maps
You need to be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review (Google, checked 22 October 2026). On a phone, the Google Maps app is the easiest way:
- Open Google Maps and search for the business by name, or by what and where, for example "chicken rice Maxwell Food Centre".
- Tap the business to open its page, then go to the Reviews tab.
- Tap the stars to choose a rating, or tap the option to write a review.
- Write what happened on your visit (the checklist below helps).
- Add photos if you like: the dish, the room, the finished haircut.
- Tap Post.
On a computer the steps are the same: search on Google Maps, open the business, find the reviews section and choose to write a review. If your phone is set to Bahasa Indonesia, Thai or Vietnamese, the buttons appear in that language, but the steps do not change. So "cara memberi ulasan di Google Maps" (Indonesia), "cách đánh giá trên Google Map" (Vietnam) and "รีวิวร้านอาหาร" (Thailand, for restaurant reviews) all lead to the same six steps.
Many shops also have a Google review QR code at the counter or on the table. Scanning it with your phone camera opens the review box for that business directly, so you can skip the searching. (Owners: see our Google review QR code guide.)
What makes a review helpful
The most useful reviews answer the questions a new customer has before they walk in. Star ratings tell people whether you liked it; the words tell them why, and whether they will like it too.
Google itself says "Honest and balanced reviews can help potential customers decide. A mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy" (Google). In practice that means three things:
- Be specific. "The laksa was good" helps a little. "The laksa was rich and spicy, S$6, with plenty of cockles" helps a lot.
- Be fair. Say what was good and what could be better. A 3-star review that explains itself is more useful than a 1-star review that just says "bad".
- Write about your own visit. Only what you saw, ate or had done.
Checklist: what to mention
You don't need all of these. Two or three, plus your stars, make a good review.
- What you had: the dish, the room type, the treatment, the service.
- Who served you: a first name if you know it ("Mei did my colour"). Staff love being named.
- Wait time: how long you queued or waited for your table, room or appointment.
- Price: roughly what you paid, in local currency.
- The place: clean, noisy, air-conditioned, easy to park, near the MRT or LRT.
- One tip for the next person: go early, book ahead, ask for less sugar, try the sambal.
Example reviews: good and weak
The examples below are made up for illustration. They are not real reviews of real businesses, and you should write your own in your own words.
| Business | Weak review | Good review |
|---|---|---|
| Hawker stall, Singapore (5 stars) | "Nice. Recommended." | "Roasted chicken rice, S$5.50, with very fragrant rice and a properly sour chilli. Queued about 15 minutes at 12.30pm on a weekday; the uncle works fast. Go before noon if you can. The stall closes when the chicken runs out." |
| Guesthouse, Hoi An, Vietnam (4 stars) | "Good hotel but some problems." | "Stayed three nights in a double room for about 900,000₫ a night. Spotless room, strong air-con and a great breakfast with cao lầu on the menu. Linh at reception booked our bicycles and a tailor for us. Only downside: street noise until about 11pm, so ask for a back room." |
| Hair salon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (5 stars) | "Best salon ever!!!" | "Cut and colour with Aina, RM280. She took time to understand what I wanted and suggested a softer shade, which suits me better. On time for my 2pm appointment, finished about 4.15pm. Parking in the building is easy on weekdays." |
| Dental clinic, Cebu, Philippines (5 stars) | "Very good doctor." | "Went in for a cleaning and a check-up, about ₱1,500. Booked by message the day before and was seen within ten minutes of arriving. The dentist explained each step and didn't push extra treatment. Clinic is clean and the staff were friendly." |
| Warung, Bali, Indonesia (3 stars) | "Not so good." | "Nasi campur was tasty and good value at Rp35,000, and the sambal matah is excellent. But we waited 40 minutes for food on a quiet afternoon and the drinks came after the meal. Worth it if you aren't in a hurry." |
What the good ones share: a real detail, a price, the wait, a name where it fits, and a tip. The 3-star warung review is a good review too. It is fair, it explains the rating, and it will help the next person decide.
A note on clinic and health reviews
When reviewing a clinic, share only what you are comfortable making public. You can describe the service, the wait and how you were treated without describing your medical condition. Your review appears under your Google Account name.
What not to do
- Don't accept anything in exchange for a review. Google says that offering incentives such as free or discounted goods or services for reviews is fake engagement and "strictly prohibited" (Google). If a shop offers you a free drink for five stars, the honest thing is to say no thanks.
- Don't review a business you work for, own, or are related to. Google's policy counts reviews "biased by a personal or professional conflict of interest" as incentivised (Google).
- Don't post a review for a visit you didn't make, or a review on behalf of someone else. Reviews must "reflect a genuine experience".
- Don't include personal details of staff or other customers, beyond a first name in a positive context.
- Don't write in anger and post straight away. If something went badly, it is fine to say so; a calm, specific account gets taken more seriously and is more likely to get a useful reply.
For business owners: sharing this guide
Many customers would leave a review but stall at the blank text box. Sharing this page (or the checklist) with them is a fair way to help, because it tells them how to write, not what to say. Keep it fair:
- Share it with every customer, not only the ones you expect to be happy.
- Never suggest a rating or write the words for them.
- Never offer a discount, free item or lucky draw entry for a review.
For when and how to ask, see how to ask customers for reviews, and for the wider picture, how to get more Google reviews. Google's rules, and Tripadvisor's, are explained in honest reviews: what Google and Tripadvisor allow.
How reviewus helps
Some shops have a reviewus QR card at the till or on the table. If you scan it with your phone camera (no app or account needed to start), you give stars and tap what you had and what you loved, and add a note if you want. AI builds a draft from only what you chose, in your own voice and in your language, including Bahasa Melayu, Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Vietnamese or Singlish. You can change every word. One tap copies it and opens the shop's Google review page, and you post it yourself. reviewus never posts for you.
Every customer, at every rating, gets the same choice: share publicly, or send private feedback to the business. Owners can try the demo or set up their business.
Frequently asked questions
How do I give a review on the Google app?
Search for the business in the Google app or Google Maps, open its page, go to the Reviews section and choose your stars or the option to write a review. Write a few sentences, add photos if you like, and post. You need to be signed in to your Google Account.
What are 5 star positive reviews examples?
A good 5-star review names what you had, mentions a detail such as the price or wait, and gives one tip. For example: "Roasted chicken rice, S$5.50, fragrant rice and a sour chilli. Queued 15 minutes at lunch; go before noon." Write your own, about your own visit, rather than copying an example.
Can I delete a review I wrote?
Yes. Reviews you have written are listed with your own contributions in Google Maps, and from there you can edit or delete them. Editing is often better than deleting: if the business fixed a problem, you can update your review to say so.
How do I hide my name on a Google review?
Reviews are shown with your Google Account name and profile picture, and the review form doesn't ask for a separate name. If you'd rather not show your full name, you can change your Google Account's display name, but that changes how your name appears across Google services. Don't create a separate account just to post reviews.
Is a 3-star review bad for a business?
Not if it is fair. Google says honest, balanced reviews help customers decide and that a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy. A 3-star review that explains what was good and what wasn't is useful to both the business and the next customer.
Should I write my Google review in English?
Write in the language you are most comfortable in. A specific review in Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese or Malay helps the many customers who read in that language, and you will usually write more detail when you think and write in the same language.