Is it ok to only ask happy customers for Google reviews?

Review gating is a filter in front of the public review. The business asks how the job went, then sends the Google link only when the answer is positive. Everyone else gets a private form, a thank-you, or nothing. The rating on Google then reflects the customers the business chose, not the customers who had the work done.

The FTC's Endorsement Guides, in the Federal Register notice of July 26, 2023, describe that practice in Example 11 under 16 CFR 255.2. A marketer asks recent purchasers for feedback, invites only the people who give very positive feedback to post reviews on third-party websites, and simply thanks the less pleased and unhappy purchasers. The example says that practice may be an unfair or deceptive practice if the posted reviews are substantially more positive than if the marketer had not done it.

The same example gives the allowed alternative. If the marketer had simply invited all recent purchasers to post feedback on those websites, the solicitation would not have been unfair or deceptive, even if the marketer had said it hoped the reviews would be positive. The Commission's discussion of that example also says it is not telling businesses they cannot ask a happy customer for a review. The problem is asking only those customers, and keeping the public link from the rest.

For a contractor, the same pattern shows up as "Were you happy?" before the Google link, or as a star picker that opens Google only for 4 and 5 stars and hides Google from 1, 2, and 3. The longer operating rule, including who you can exclude for record-quality reasons, is how contractors can ask for Google reviews without breaking the rules. The roofing version is how roofers get more Google reviews. The HVAC version is how to get more Google reviews for an HVAC company. The plumbing version is how to get more Google reviews as a plumber. Example replies are in how to respond to a negative Google review as a contractor.

Featuring Online Customer Reviews: A Guide for Platforms (FTC staff, January 2022) is written for companies that collect, moderate, or publish reviews. It says FTC staff believes those companies should follow a few principles under section 5 of the FTC Act. On collection, the guide says: don't ask for reviews only from people you think will leave positive ones. If you offer an incentive, don't condition it, explicitly or implicitly, on the review being positive. Don't prevent or discourage people from submitting negative reviews.

The FTC's Q&A on the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (November 2024) is about the rule, which is a different document from that staff guide. On section 465.4, the Q&A says a business may give incentives for reviews as long as there is no express or implied requirement that the review express a particular sentiment. Failing to disclose an incentive can still violate the FTC Act. Paying incentives for 5-star reviews violates section 465.4 even if the reviewer discloses the incentive. Expecting an incentivized review to be positive is not, by itself, a violation of that section. The Q&A says that practice could still violate the FTC Act.

The Federal Register notice for the final rule (August 22, 2024) says this directly: section 465.4 does not cover review gating, and review gating can nonetheless violate section 5 of the FTC Act. Do not describe gating as a violation of the "buying positive reviews" section. Do not describe it as allowed either.

On section 465.7, review suppression, the Q&A says the rule does not prohibit contacting customers who posted negative reviews in order to resolve the reported issues. It also does not prohibit simply asking satisfied customers to update their reviews. Offering an incentive to take a negative review down is not banned by that section of the rule, and the Q&A says that offer could still be an unfair practice under the FTC Act. Google's rule for a Business Profile is stricter on incentives: do not offer one to post, change, or remove a review.

Asking a customer who already reviewed you to update that review is not the same as deciding, before any review exists, which customers are allowed to see the Google link. The second one is the gating example in the Endorsement Guides.

This is general information from those pages, not legal advice.

A friendly text after the job is marked done, with a one-tap star picker. Every customer gets the Google review link. Customers can also send private feedback so you can call them back. If no review comes in after 3 days, sends one gentle reminder.

The link in that text opens a star picker. It does not open Google before the customer rates. When the account has a Google review link, the rating decides whether Google opens by itself. It does not decide whether the customer can reach Google.

A 4- or 5-star rating opens the Google review page. While that page is opening, the screen still shows a Leave a Google review link. A 1-, 2-, or 3-star rating stays on a feedback screen. That screen says "Sorry to hear that," asks what went wrong, and shows a visible Leave a Google review link above the note. Sending the note does not remove the link. The thank-you screen shows it again. Those ratings do not open Google on their own.

If the account has no Google review link, a 4- or 5-star rating can open a Facebook review URL instead, and the 1- to 3-star screen has no Google button to show. That is a missing link on the account, not a filter that sends only happy customers to Google.

The request is included on Advanced at $297 a month. No contracts on monthly or quarterly plans. Annual plans are paid up front for the year. Monthly billing adds a one-time setup fee equal to the first month. Quarterly and annual billing waive it. The roofing walkthrough of the same rule is how roofers get more Google reviews.