Why a QR code works for reviews
Leaving a Google review normally means searching for the business, finding the listing, scrolling to the reviews and tapping the right button. Each step loses people. A review QR code skips all of it: one scan opens the box where they choose stars and write. The fewer taps between “that was great” and the review form, the more reviews you get.
Step 1: Get your review link
You need a link that opens the review form for your business, not just your listing. There are two reliable ways to get one.
From your Google Business Profile
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your business.
- Search Google for your business name, or open Google Maps and go to your business profile.
- Look for a button such as Ask for reviews or Get more reviews. Google changes the wording from time to time.
- Copy the short link it gives you. It usually starts with
g.page/r/.
From your Place ID
Every listing on Google Maps has a Place ID. Look yours up with Google’s free Place ID Finder in the Google Maps Platform documentation, then put it at the end of this address:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_IDThis form of link has worked for years and opens the review form directly.
Whichever you use, open the link on your own phone first and check it shows your business and the star rating box.
Step 2: Use a short address you control (optional)
Review links are long and belong to Google, and Google has changed its link formats before. If you set up yourbusiness.com/review to redirect to the review link, you get three benefits:
- A shorter link makes a simpler code that scans faster.
- If the review link ever changes, you update the redirect instead of reprinting.
- Your website analytics or server logs count how many people scanned. See tracking QR code scans for free.
If you don’t have a website, the review link works fine on its own.
Step 3: Make the QR code
- Paste the link into the QR code with logo generator, or the plain QR code generator.
- Add your logo and a dark brand colour. A branded code looks like it belongs to you, which makes people more willing to scan it.
- Download an SVG for printing, or a large PNG for screens and documents.
- Scan the finished code with two different phones to make sure it opens the review form.
Step 4: Put it where the good moments happen
The best time to ask is right after a customer has had a good experience. Put the code where they are at that moment:
- Restaurants and cafés: on the bill folder or receipt, not the menu. People review after the meal, not before ordering.
- Shops: by the till and on the receipt.
- Salons, clinics and studios: at reception, on the mirror or on aftercare cards.
- Trades and home services: on the invoice, a leave-behind card, or the sticker you put on the boiler or appliance.
- Online and delivery businesses: on a thank-you card in the parcel.
- Hotels and holiday rentals: in the room information or the checkout message.
Add a short, honest line next to it: “Enjoyed your visit? Tell others on Google.” A code with no explanation rarely gets scanned.
Step 5: Ask in person, too
A code on the counter works better when someone mentions it. A simple “If you have a minute, we’d really appreciate a Google review. The code’s right there” turns a sign into a request. Staff don’t need a script, just permission to ask.
Stay within Google’s rules
Google’s policies for reviews are strict, and breaking them can get reviews removed or your profile restricted. The main points:
- Don’t offer anything in return. No discounts, free items or prize draws for leaving a review, even a positive one.
- Don’t only ask happy customers. Filtering, where unhappy customers are sent to a private feedback form and happy ones to Google, is called review gating and is not allowed. Ask everyone, or no one.
- Don’t write reviews yourself, or ask staff, friends or family to review as customers.
Consumer protection laws in many countries also cover fake and incentivised reviews, so these rules are worth following even beyond Google.
Other review sites
The same approach works for most platforms, with one exception:
- Tripadvisor and Trustpilot provide their own review links for businesses, and you can make a QR code from them in the same way.
- Yelp asks businesses not to request reviews at all. Instead of a review code, link to your Yelp page with a “Find us on Yelp” message.
If you use more than one platform, don’t put several review codes side by side. Pick the one that matters most for your customers. Too many choices means fewer scans.
Reply to the reviews you get
More reviews are only half the benefit. Replying, to the good and the bad, shows future customers that someone is listening. Thank people briefly and specifically. For a negative review, apologise for the experience, avoid arguing in public, and offer a way to put it right offline. A calm reply to a bad review often reassures readers more than a page of five-star ratings.