How to Create a Google Review Link and QR Code for Your Business

A customer has just told you they were happy with your service, so you ask if they would mind leaving a Google review. They say yes.

Then you tell them:

“Just search our business name on Google, open the profile, go into the reviews and click ‘Write a review’.”

That is where a surprisingly large number of good intentions die. The customer meant it when they said they would review you, but now they have to remember later, search for the right business, avoid similarly named companies, find the review section and start again from there.

A direct Google review link removes most of that friction. A QR code can reduce it even further when the customer is standing in front of you, holding a receipt, sitting at a table, opening packaging or looking at printed material.

Google provides both options directly inside Business Profile. You do not need a paid QR-code tool, a third-party review platform or a complicated redirect just to send a customer to the Google review form.

This guide shows you how to create the link, generate the QR code, test both properly and decide where they should actually be used.

The quick answer

If you manage a verified Google Business Profile, Google lets you generate a direct review link and, on desktop, a QR code from your profile.

Google currently recommends using the link or QR code in places such as:

• receipts;
• thank-you emails;
• the end of customer conversations; and
• printed material displayed in a store.

Google also makes an important restriction clear: reviews must reflect genuine experiences. Offering free products, discounts or other incentives in exchange for reviews is prohibited. Google’s current Business Profile guidance explains the link, QR-code and incentive rules here.

How to get your Google review link

The exact layout of Google Business Profile changes from time to time, but the process is straightforward.

1. Sign in to the Google Account that manages your Business Profile.
2. Search Google for your business name or search for “my business”.
3. Open your Business Profile controls.
4. Find the option to ask for reviews or request reviews.
5. Copy the review link Google provides.

Depending on the interface you see, Google may label this area slightly differently. The important thing is that you are using the link generated from the Business Profile you actually manage.

Do not simply copy the normal browser URL while viewing your business on Google Maps. That can send the customer to the listing rather than directly to the review flow, creating unnecessary steps.

How to create a Google review QR code

Google can also generate the QR code for you.

At the time of writing, Google states that Business Profile review QR codes can be generated from a computer browser, not from a mobile device.

1. Open your Business Profile on a desktop or laptop while signed into the managing Google Account.
2. Open the review-request option.
3. Select the option to generate or download the QR code.
4. Save the image at a quality suitable for the way you plan to use it.

The QR code should point customers into the same Google review journey as the direct link. That does not mean you should immediately print 10,000 copies, though.

Test it first.

Test the link before sending it to customers

This sounds obvious, but it is still one of the most important steps. Open the link somewhere other than the browser session you normally use to manage the business.

Ideally test it:

• on an iPhone;
• on an Android device;
• while signed into a normal Google account that does not manage the business;
• in a private/incognito browser; and
• from the QR code itself rather than only testing the underlying URL.

You want to answer three questions.

1. Does it open the correct business?

This matters particularly for multi-location businesses, franchises and companies with similar trading names. A review intended for your Manchester location is not very useful if your QR code sends customers to Leeds.

2. Does it make the review action obvious?

The whole reason for using a direct link is to reduce friction, so if the customer lands on a generic Google search result and still has to hunt for the review form, you probably copied the wrong URL.

3. Does the QR code scan reliably?

Test it at roughly the physical size you plan to print it. A QR code that works when it fills your laptop screen may become unreliable when squeezed into a tiny corner of a receipt.

Where should you use a Google review QR code?

A QR code works best when the customer is already in a physical context where scanning feels natural. It is not automatically better than a clickable link; it solves a different problem.

Receipts and invoices

A receipt can work well because it reaches the customer immediately after a completed experience. For a café, restaurant, salon, garage or other transactional local business, that timing can be excellent.

Keep the wording neutral and simple:

Visited us today? You can share your experience on Google.

Then place the QR code beside it.

Avoid:

Loved your visit? Leave us 5 stars!

The customer decides whether the experience deserved five stars. Your role is to make leaving an honest review easy.

Table cards and counter signs

Restaurants, cafés and hospitality businesses can place a small review card near the point where the experience naturally ends.

The key word is ends. Do not make the customer feel as though somebody is standing over them waiting for a review while they are still eating, paying or speaking with staff.

If you want to go deeper on timing, see our guide to the best time to ask for a Google review by business type.

Packaging

A QR code inside product packaging can work if the customer will have had enough experience to give a useful review at that point. If you sell something immediately understandable — perhaps a personalised gift or printed product — the unboxing moment might make sense.

If you sell skincare, tools, mattresses, fitness equipment or something that requires meaningful use, the customer may need days or weeks before they can judge the result. Packaging can still carry the QR code in that case, but a later email or SMS may be the stronger primary request.

Printed appointment cards

These can work well for salons, clinics and recurring services because the customer may keep the card. Just be careful about privacy and tone in sensitive industries.

Vehicle paperwork and job-completion sheets

Garages, trades and home-service businesses often have a natural piece of completion paperwork, and adding a small review QR code there can make sense — especially when it is paired with a follow-up message later that day or the following morning.

Where should you use the direct review link instead?

If the customer is already using a phone or computer, asking them to scan a QR code displayed on that same device is unnecessary. Send the clickable link.

Email

A simple text link or button is easier than attaching a QR code.

Example:

Thanks again for choosing us. If you would like to share your experience, you can leave a Google review here.

The words “leave a Google review here” can be the link.

SMS or WhatsApp

Use the direct URL. A short message usually beats a heavily formatted request:

Thanks for choosing us today. If you have a moment, we’d really appreciate your honest feedback on Google: [link]

Live chat

Google specifically suggests the end of a chat interaction as one place a review link can be shared. Again, do it after the customer’s issue has actually been dealt with — not halfway through support.

Should you shorten the Google review link?

You can, but you do not have to. A short branded URL can look cleaner in printed material:

example.com/review

That page can redirect to the Google review link, which also gives you flexibility if the destination changes later: the printed URL can stay the same while you update the redirect.

But there are trade-offs.

• A redirect adds another technical point that can break.
• An unfamiliar short-link domain can look suspicious.
• Some URL shorteners introduce tracking or interstitial pages.

If you use a redirect, use your own domain where possible and make it instant.

The customer should not land on an intermediate page that asks:

Were you happy with your experience?

Sorting customers by their answer before deciding whether to send them to Google can become review gating. Read our guide to Google review gating and what businesses should avoid if you are designing a more complex review funnel.

Should you track clicks on your Google review link?

Tracking can be useful, but understand what it tells you. If you route the link through your own redirect, you can count how many people clicked or scanned.

You generally cannot cleanly connect an individual click to a specific Google review being published unless the reviewer separately identifies themselves and you have a legitimate reason to associate the data. That is fine, because you can still measure the funnel at an aggregate level.

For example:

If you test a new request message and link clicks rise from 30% to 45%, that tells you something even if Google does not give you a perfect one-to-one attribution trail.

Do not pay for a QR-code generator just because it offers “dynamic” codes

There are legitimate reasons to use a paid dynamic QR-code platform — campaign tracking, destination changes, design controls or managing thousands of codes across locations.

Most small businesses do not need one merely to request Google reviews, because Google provides the review QR code directly.

If you do use a third-party generator, understand what happens if you stop paying. Some “dynamic” QR codes point through the provider’s own redirect infrastructure, so the printed code can stop working once the subscription expires.

A static QR code encoding your final Google review URL does not have that subscription dependency.

How large should a review QR code be?

There is no single size for every use because scanning distance, print quality and surrounding design all matter.

Use a practical rule:

Print it, stand where the customer will stand, and scan it with more than one phone.

Make sure:

• the code is not cropped;
• there is clear space around it;
• contrast is strong;
• it is not placed over a busy photograph;
• the print is sharp; and
• you have not distorted its proportions.

Design should never make the code less functional.

Should you put your Google review QR code on your website?

Usually, no. If somebody is already viewing your website on a phone or computer, give them a clickable link.

A QR code on a webpage is mainly useful when the page itself is being displayed on another physical screen — for example, a kiosk, presentation screen or in-store display. Do not add QR codes to digital interfaces merely because QR codes feel modern; use the lowest-friction interaction for the device the customer already has in front of them.

Can you ask customers to scan the code while they are with you?

You can make the opportunity available, but avoid creating pressure.

A customer should be free to:

• leave any honest rating;
• write whatever reflects their genuine experience; or
• decline to review you at all.

Do not:

• take their phone and leave the review for them;
• dictate what they should write;
• tell them the rating they should choose;
• offer a reward for submitting the review;
• ask to see the review before they post it; or
• only give the QR code to customers you predict will leave positive feedback.

Google’s policy is built around genuine experiences rather than manufactured sentiment.

A better Google review request flow

For many businesses, the strongest system is not “QR code versus link”, but using each where it naturally fits.

Example: plumbing company

1. Engineer completes the job.
2. Completion paperwork contains a small QR code.
3. Customer receives a neutral SMS later that day containing the direct review link.
4. If no review is left, one polite reminder may be sent several days later.

Example: restaurant

1. QR code is available on the receipt or bill holder.
2. Staff do not stand waiting while it is scanned.
3. Loyalty or booking emails may also contain the direct review link where appropriate.

Example: ecommerce store

1. Packaging includes a subtle QR code.
2. The primary review request is sent only after enough time has passed for the customer to use the product.
3. The email uses the direct clickable Google review link.

The objective is not to expose the customer to your review request as many times as possible, but to make the request easy at the moment when they are most able and willing to respond.

What should the text beside your review QR code say?

Keep it short. Good options include:

• “Share your experience on Google.”
• “How did we do? Leave us a Google review.”
• “Your feedback helps other customers. Review us on Google.”
• “Visited us today? Tell others about your experience.”

It is better to avoid language such as:

• “Give us 5 stars.”
• “Help us maintain our 5-star rating.”
• “Happy customers: review us here.”
• “Leave 5 stars for 10% off.”

Your request should seek an honest review, not a predetermined outcome.

After the reviews arrive, use them

The review request is only one part of the process. Respond to the feedback. Look for recurring strengths and problems. Track whether reviews are staying recent. And make the strongest customer evidence visible in the places where future customers are making decisions.

A Google review sitting on your Business Profile may be seen by somebody researching you on Google, while the same genuine review displayed on your service, pricing or contact page can reassure somebody who is already considering becoming a customer.

GR Widget lets you display your Google reviews on your website in customisable layouts that update automatically.

Build your free Google reviews widget →

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a direct link to my Google reviews?

Sign into the Google Account that manages your Business Profile, open the profile controls in Google Search and use the review-request option to copy the link Google provides. The wording of the interface can change, but Google maintains a dedicated review link inside Business Profile.

Can Google create a QR code for reviews?

Yes. Google Business Profile currently provides a QR code for review requests. Google states that the QR code can be generated from a computer browser rather than from mobile.

Is a Google review QR code free?

Google's own Business Profile review link and QR-code functionality is free. You may choose to pay for a third-party QR-code or tracking service, but it is not required simply to direct customers to your Google review form.

Can I put a Google review QR code on a receipt?

Yes. Google specifically lists receipts as one possible place to share a review link or QR code. Keep the request neutral and do not offer an incentive in exchange for a review.

Can I offer a discount for scanning the QR code and leaving a review?

No. Google says offering free or discounted goods, services or other incentives in exchange for posting, changing or removing reviews is prohibited fake engagement.

Should I use a QR code in an email?

Usually not. If the customer is already reading an email on a digital device, use a clickable review link. QR codes are more useful when the customer is looking at something physical or at a screen on another device.

Can I make my own Google review QR code?

Yes. You can encode your direct Google review URL in a standard QR code. However, because Google now provides a QR code directly, most businesses can simply use Google's version. Whichever route you use, test it before printing or distributing it widely.

Bottom line

A good Google review request should require almost no explanation. The customer has already done the hard part by having an experience worth talking about, so your job is to remove the unnecessary steps between “Yes, I'll leave you a review.” and actually publishing it.

Use a direct link when the customer is already on a digital device, and a QR code where scanning is the natural action. Test both, ask neutrally, and don't ruin a simple process by forcing the customer through a clever funnel they never needed.