Are we wasting time in writing Reviews?

Google Maps tips & tricks
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Reviews being removed without any legal justification

I am a local guide level 8 on Google.
Google keeps adding points to contributions, but I am now noticing my reviews being removed.
Below is 1 example.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GmzKmbHNxKkPVzQq5 - this is the review that has been removed and still visible under my profile.
gleapis.com/support-forums-api/attachment/thread-327159410-13797062356209307251.png)

My profile can see the review , but no one else can, and it is not visible on the respective Google Business , where the review was posted.

Now, google has millions of lines of policy rules, without any indication of where a user has violate any policy.

  1. Is there any fool proof/100%/legally valid way that google can state why a review is removed, or is it algorithmic removals with 0 resolution?

I can imagine this has been happening for a while now, where my time is being wasted by putting in reviews, only for them to be removed!

As of now, all I can read from Google’s reply is " we may not be able to solve" or " you need to read billions of content policy rules" or " we can not pin point the issue, so go read the billions of content rules & figure out on your own"

Google will never tell YOU the exact issue, so you have NO way of rectifying or being alert about ANYTHING on Google!

It’s a sad situation where no one knows what the algorithm is doing, including google employees.

On top of that Google keeps adding points for these reviews under your contributions, but does not actually publish them.

Seems a bit fishy for a global organisation!

  1. If google can not exactly tell us why a review is removed, then it should stop providing points for Local Guides and stop wasting our time.

Only when the reason for review removal is clear, does it makes sense to post on Google Maps.

Till then, it seems that users are just roaming around like headless chickens to be honest.
No google article ever solves a problem, it only creates further confusion.

  1. Let’s say I review 20 places in 1 night based on my travels in the past 1 year.
    Google will remove my reviews by stating that “too many reviews from 1 account”.

Google support, employees or their product team will also not have an answer to this.
Similar to the 100s of policies that have a grey area.

It seems that Local Guides are just wasting their time, & google is taking advantage of them!
That’s the honest truth when a global organisation forgets about its users.

9 Likes
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This is not true @sharadsud . We are not wasting time writing reviews. Our reviews help people all over the world.

We Local Guides, Connect Moderators or Google Moderator are here to assist you if there are any issues. You could probably read the GoogleMaps guidelines… there could be something wrong or probably limit the review per day… Google could detect it as span

I will tag a Connect and Google moderator just incase you need further assistance
@ErmesT @DeniGu

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So true…There is no clarity ever by Google …

every piece of their content has " We may" and a lot of grey/hidden meanings

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Welcome to Connect by the way @sharadsud . We all are here to support you.

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That’s why the Connect, Google moderator and fellow Local guides here on Connect are here to assist you. Welcome to Connect by the way @sharat

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:slight_smile: Your effort only makes sense where your review is actually being published…

  1. when it is removed without your knowledge, your effort has gone waste, only to realize days/months/years later , that your review actually never showed up…there is no notification sent when a review is not published

  2. There is no one who can pin point with 100% certainty, why a review was removed.
    This is because google has no mechanism in place.
    It is only a calculated guess!

  3. If there is an issue with anyone’s profile, Google has no procedure to tell you where you are going wrong.

Only a billion policies for you to decide where you are going wrong, and no way to rectify ( whatever you were doing wrong) , in the future…only for google to again put some vague policy violation , without any clue on how to solve it

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Can anyone solve the below questions with 100% accuracy. Anyone

  1. Does my profile have any violation.
    If yes, what is the exact violation that google has documented against my profile?

I would like to rectify for the future

  1. I have more than 10 reviews, that don’t seem to be published. God knows how many more have never been published.

Any way google can EXACTLY tell me whey the review was removed?

  1. I operate Google My Business profiles for multiple Vacation Rentals across the world.
    On any given day, google will suspend/disable the profiles and ask you to go through trillions of policies and figure out which one was violated.

Any easier way to do this :slight_smile: ?

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I understand you @sharat . My reviews do show pending most times especially with images but become visible later on.

Reviews can be deleted if the place is no longer on Google Maps, or due to spam, duplicate reviews, repetitive wording, links, or personal details being included. Other reasons migh be technical glitches on Google’s end, reviews posted before the business officially opens, or if they’re flagged as coming from employees due to conflict of interest.

To avoid this, try keeping your feedback original and free of links or personal info, wait until the business is officially open, and save a copy of your review just in case. I hope this covers it, but let me know if you’d like more ideas!

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Check out my reply to @sharat

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I can’t access this link @sharadsud It’s not working. I wanted to check out the review

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Screenshot_20250225_075058_Maps
Screenshot_20250225_075058_Maps720×1600 95 KB

Also how am i supposed to understand the issue when your profile is restricted @sharat

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image
image388×760 45.5 KB

Unique experience within the Vineyards!It was a refreshing change from the usual. The wine tour and tasting session was surprisingly engaging. Priyansh, the guide, was clearly knowledgeable but also knew how to keep it light and entertaining. The spa was a real highlight. The therapists were clearly skilled professionals, and the treatments were exceptional. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing, and the service was top-notch. Whether you’re looking for a romantic escape, a venue for a celebration, or just a fun getaway with friends, the Source has something to offer everyone. A small tip: Try to schedule your wine tour for the late afternoon. It’s less crowded then, and you’ll have a more enjoyable experience. If you’re planning a trip, consider exploring the nearby temple and caves. It’s a worthwhile addition. We had a fantastic breakfast at a place called “The Breakfast Story.” Highly recommended.

Trip type

Holiday

Travel group

Family

Rooms: 5

Service: 5

Location: 5

Rooms

Spacious

Nearby activities

Wine tasting

Food and drinks

3 restaurants

Noteworthy details

Rooms overlooking the vineyards and Spa

Hotel highlights

Luxury, Great value

Also added 14 pictures.

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@sharadsud

Based on the review you provided, A few elements could raise suspicion and potentially lead Google Maps to not upload it. The review’s polished, consistently positive tone (e.g., “surprisingly engaging,” “clearly skilled professionals,” “top-notch service”), structured format, and lack of deeply personal anecdotes might suggest AI generation, as these can feel formulaic or overly perfect—common traits in automated content.

However, it could also be a thoughtful human review. Google might flag or remove it for reasons like potential spam or duplicate detection if the phrasing resembles other reviews, suspicion of incentivized feedback due to its glowing nature, or overly promotional language (e.g., “the Source has something to offer everyone” or the mention of “The Breakfast Story,” which could seem like indirect promotion).

Other possibilities include technical glitches, or the review being held for manual review due to its generic feel. To avoid this, add personal, unique details or anecdotes, avoid broad endorsements or marketing-like phrases, check Google’s policies, verify the account, and keep the tone natural and conversational.

Unfortunately, Google’s lack of direct feedback makes pinpointing the exact issue tricky, but these are common reasons based on their guidelines.

I hope i could help this time around

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Unfortunately everytime a response includes " may, might, hope" form google, it has generally no significance.

Why would i waste my time in writing another review, hoping google approves it…
The best review according to google policy would seem to be " nice place" and move on…

Also when a fake guest reviews an Airbnb vacation rental with a 1* feedback and no comments, google doesnt seem to flag it…this platfrom is becoming a black hole day by day to be honest…

no resolution, no clarity and just a billion vague policies

I would rather spend time on TripAdvisor

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@sharadsud

I’m so sorry to hear how frustrating this has been for you—it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed managing multiple Google My Business profiles for vacation rentals and dealing with suspensions or unpublished reviews.

Unfortunately, Google doesn’t provide exact, specific documentation on why a profile is suspended or a review is removed, often citing general policy violations like ‘deceptive content’ or ‘guideline non-compliance.’

For your vacation rental profiles, common issues might include using a P.O. box, virtual office, or residential address instead of a valid physical location where customers can interact in person, or inconsistent/inaccurate business information like mismatched names, addresses, or categories.

For the over 10 reviews that aren’t published, Google won’t offer case-by-case clarification, but reasons could include spam, duplicate content, prohibited elements (e.g., links, personal details, or incentivized feedback), the reviewer deleting their account, or a suspended profile—check for natural, honest reviews without restricted content, and keep backups like screenshots.

To handle suspensions more easily, centralize documentation (e.g., licenses, address proofs), regularly review Google’s policies (focusing on restrictions for ineligible businesses like vacation rentals), minimize frequent profile changes, batch appeals with supporting documents, and consider digital tools or experts to monitor compliance.

While Google’s process isn’t simple, these steps might make it more manageable—I’m here to help brainstorm further if you’d like!

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@sharat I totally understand how frustrating and disheartening this feels, it’s understandable to feel like that especially when responses include vague terms like ‘may,’ ‘might,’ or ‘hope’ that don’t seem to carry weight.

I get why you’d hesitate to write another review, fearing it won’t be approved, but think about the millions of people you could help with your honest feedback—travelers, families, and adventurers relying on your insights to make informed decisions about Airbnb vacation rentals or other places.

Google needs reviews like yours to keep its maps and listings vibrant and trustworthy, and they’re incredibly important for guiding the global community.

Even a simple, policy-compliant review like ‘nice place’ can still shine a light for others, but to stand out and avoid issues, focus on natural, concise feedback without links, personal details, or promotional content, and ensure it’s tied to a verified, active profile.

As for fake 1-star reviews with no comments on Airbnb rentals, Google’s filters might miss them if there’s no clear violation or pattern, but reporting suspicious reviews through their process (even if slow) can help. I know the vague policies and lack of clarity are tough, but your voice on Google could still make a huge difference

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It seems that the only way to put a review on Google is to put " nice place" and move on…
if that is what google is looking at, there needs to be some work done by its product team…what a waste of time , effort & energy on a platform that has 0 clarity, vague policies and poor resolution processes

its better to put energy on a platform that is not duping people’s efforts…like tripadvisor

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I am facing the exact same problem and have created a thread. Google does not show any policy violation clearly and would rather post a link to guidelines having millions of points. None of us intend to violate any policy and most of us give honest reviews. We spend money and time to travel to a place and then write a review as per our experience. We have to ourselves guess and find out whether reviews are getting published or not and then find the correct place to report the problem. There seems to be no one from the moderator team to reply even if you tag them. When I post a review, It shows points have increased but they dont get published on my profile.

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Imagine the same happening on the Google My Business profiles, where people have contacted me from more than 10 countries, asking me to help them with issues that Google has no resolution on…articles with billions of policies and no clue on what is right/wrong or contradictory to each other…

Im pretty sure if I put 5 questions in any community of Google, neither support, product, community member, employees nor the legal team of google will be able to give a concrete answer…and that scares me when google is a global organisation!

1 Like
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What is the solution to this problem? Imagine reaching a level and your ability to publish review is disabled. It goes into infinite “pending” stage and there is no reeal human you can have a discussion to resolve the problem. On top of that, you dont get any notification that there is a problem, you have to figure it out that there is a problem with your profile and that the reviews are not getting published. Everytime you post a review, they show you that you got good amount of points, guess they are not published either. Then you are given a link to some huge guidelines to figure out what went wrong. All the efforts to build a good profile with honest reviews goes down the drain.