How to Create a Google Review Link and Share It on WhatsApp
By Neha
Most happy customers would leave you a Google review. They just will not go looking for the button. If they have to search for your shop, open the listing, scroll past photos and find "Write a review", most of them give up halfway.
A Google review link removes all of that. One tap opens the review box with your business already selected. Send it on WhatsApp, where your customers already talk to you, and leaving a review becomes a ten-second job. This guide shows how to create a Google review link, what to write in the WhatsApp message, when to send it, and which of Google's rules you must not break.
Short answer: Get your review link from your Google Business Profile ("Ask for reviews"), or build one from your Place ID with a free generator. Test it on your phone. Then send it on WhatsApp to every customer, a few hours to a day after a good experience, with a short, polite message and no reward attached.
What is a Google review link?
A Google review link is a web address that opens your review box directly. The customer taps it, picks the stars, types a line and posts. No searching and no scrolling past your competitors.
There are two common forms:
- The link Google gives you. In your Google Business Profile, the option to ask for reviews (labelled "Ask for reviews" or "Get more reviews" at different times) gives you a short link that usually starts with
g.page/r/. - A link built from your Place ID. Every business on Google Maps has a Place ID, a long code that usually starts with "ChIJ". A link in the form
search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=followed by that code opens the same review box.
Both work. The second is handy when you cannot find the option in your profile, or when you are setting this up for a client whose account you do not manage. Our Google review link generator builds that link from your Place ID and gives you a QR code to print as well.
How to create a Google review link, step by step
Option A: from your Google Business Profile
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Search your business name on Google, or open Google Maps, to see your management panel.
- Tap the option to ask for reviews.
- Copy the link.
Option B: with the free generator
- Open Google's Place ID Finder page and search for your business.
- Click your listing on the map and copy the ID that appears.
- Paste it into the free review link generator, with your business name.
- Copy the link for WhatsApp and SMS, and download the QR code for your counter.
Then test it
Open the link on your own phone, and once more in a browser where you are logged out. You should land on a review box with your business name at the top. If it opens the wrong shop, the Place ID is wrong; search again and check you clicked the right pin.
Why not just send your Maps address? A Maps link opens the listing and leaves the customer to find the review button. The review link opens the box itself. That small difference saves a step at exactly the moment people drop off.
What Google allows, and what it does not
Before you send a single message, know the rules. Google removes reviews it thinks are fake or bought, and repeated problems can put your listing at risk.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Asking every customer for an honest review | Asking only customers you think will be happy |
| Sending your review link on WhatsApp, SMS or email | Offering a discount, gift, cashback or entry into a draw for a review |
| A QR code on the counter or bill | Staff, family or friends reviewing your business |
| One polite reminder | Writing reviews yourself, or buying them |
| Replying to every review, good or bad | Asking customers to change or remove a bad review in return for something |
Two traps catch small businesses most often.
Incentives. "Leave a 5-star review and get 10% off your next order" sounds harmless. It is against Google's policy, even for a small discount, and even if you do not ask for five stars. Do not offer anything in return.
Gating. Some tools and some well-meaning staff first ask "Were you happy?" and only send the review link to people who say yes. This is called review gating, and Google's policy forbids it. Send the same message to everyone.
Our guide to getting more Google reviews goes deeper into the policy and asking in person.
WhatsApp review request messages you can copy
Keep it short, personal and easy. Use the customer's name and mention what they bought. Put the link on its own line so it is easy to tap.
After a purchase (sweet shop, Jaipur)
Namaste Priya ji, thank you for ordering the Diwali gift boxes from Gupta Sweets. If you have a minute, we would be grateful for an honest review on Google. It helps other families find us. [your review link]
After an appointment (dental clinic, Pune)
Hello Mr Kulkarni, thank you for visiting Smile Dental Clinic today. We hope you are feeling comfortable. If you could share your experience on Google, it would help other patients. Here is the link: [your review link]
After a service visit (AC repair, Lucknow)
Hi Sameer, thanks for choosing CoolCare for your AC service. Hope it is cooling well now. Would you take 30 seconds to review us on Google? Your honest feedback really helps a small business like ours. [your review link]
Hinglish, for a friendly local shop
Namaste Anjali ji! Aapka order time pe mil gaya hoga. Agar time ho toh Google pe ek chhota sa review de dijiye, bahut help hogi. [your review link]
Notice what these do not say. None asks for five stars, none offers anything, and none suggests what to write. "Honest review" is the right phrase.
If you would rather not write messages from scratch, our WhatsApp Business message templates include a review request, filled in with your shop's details, in a friendly or formal tone.
When to send it
Timing matters more than wording. Ask when the good experience is fresh:
- Shops and food: the same evening, or the next day after delivery.
- Clinics and salons: a few hours after the appointment.
- Service visits: after the job is done and working, once the customer has had time to check.
- Big purchases, like furniture or a laptop: a few days later, once they have used it.
Send it once. If there is no reply after three or four days, one gentle reminder is fine. After that, leave it. Repeated messages annoy customers, and if enough people block or report your number, WhatsApp can restrict it.
Do not blast your whole contact list with review requests. Ask people who have actually bought from you, one at a time or in small groups. WhatsApp Business broadcast lists only reach people who have saved your number, so a broadcast to strangers will not even arrive.
Save time with WhatsApp Business quick replies
If you use the free WhatsApp Business app, save your review message as a quick reply:
- Open Settings, then Business tools, then Quick replies.
- Add a new reply and paste your message with the link.
- Give it a shortcut such as "review".
- In any chat, type "/" and pick your shortcut. The message appears ready to send.
Our guide to WhatsApp Business for small business covers quick replies, greeting messages and labels in more detail. You can also make a WhatsApp chat link for your website and Google listing, so customers can message you in one tap.
Use the same link offline too
Not every customer leaves with a WhatsApp chat. Put your review link where people already pause:
- A QR code at the billing counter, so customers can scan while you pack their order. The QR code generator makes one that never expires.
- A standee, table tent or bill sticker. The Google review print kit makes printable designs with your review QR code.
- Your invoice or bill, printed at the bottom.
Ask in person first, then hand over the QR code or send the link. A spoken request from the owner works far better than a sign alone.
A worked example: a bakery in Indore
Imagine a bakery in Indore that gets most orders on WhatsApp. The owner creates a review link with the Google review link generator, tests it, and saves a short Hinglish message as a quick reply. Every evening, she sends it to that day's delivery customers, with their name and what they ordered. She prints the QR code on a small card next to the cash counter.
She does not offer a discount, and she sends the same message to everyone, including the customer whose cake arrived late. Reviews arrive slowly but steadily, a couple a week, which looks far more natural to readers than a sudden burst.
When reviews come in, she replies to each one. Our guide on how to reply to Google reviews has examples for good and bad ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is it against Google's rules to ask for reviews on WhatsApp?
No. Asking is allowed. What is not allowed is offering a reward, asking only happy customers, or having staff and relatives post reviews. Send the same polite message to every customer and you are within the rules.
Why does my review link open the wrong business?
The Place ID is probably wrong. Search again in Google's Place ID Finder, make sure you click your own pin, and rebuild the link. In busy markets, check the address under the name before you copy the ID.
Will the review link stop working?
It keeps working as long as your Google listing exists. The link points to Google, not to any third-party service, so there is nothing to renew. If your business moves and gets a new listing, make a new link.
Can I ask customers to change a bad review?
You can reply politely, fix the problem, and let the customer decide whether to update it. Do not offer refunds or gifts in exchange for editing or removing a review; that counts as an incentive.
How many review requests should I send a day?
There is no magic number. Send one to each real customer after each real purchase or visit. A steady flow over months is better than asking everyone at once, and it keeps your WhatsApp number safe.