Guide
Why a direct review link gets more reviews
Most happy customers are willing to leave a review. What stops them is effort. If you send them to your Google listing, they have to find the reviews section, scroll, look for the button and sign in. Each extra step loses people.
A direct review link skips all of that. It opens the star-rating box for your business straight away, on phone or desktop. One tap, choose the stars, write a sentence, done. Removing those few steps is the single easiest way to turn “sure, I'll leave one later” into an actual review.
The link this tool creates uses Google's official format:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID
It works for any business with a Google Business Profile, and it doesn't expire. You build it once and use it everywhere.
How to find your Google Place ID
Every business on Google Maps has a unique Place ID, a long code that usually starts with ChIJ. Here is the quickest way to get yours:
- Open Google's Place ID Finder.
- Type your business name into the search box on the map and pick it from the dropdown. Make sure the address matches your listing.
- Copy the code shown after Place ID and paste it into the field above.
- Click Test the link. The Google review box for your business should open. If it shows a different business, you picked the wrong listing in step 2.
Service-area businesses that hide their address can still be found by name. If yours doesn't appear, search for the exact name as it appears on your Google Business Profile.
Using your review link in HighLevel
If you have connected your Google Business Profile to HighLevel's reputation features, its built-in review requests can already point customers to Google. Your direct link is still useful everywhere else:
- Workflows — send a review request automatically after a job is marked complete, an appointment is marked as showed, or an invoice is paid.
- Custom values — save the link as a custom value such as
{{custom_values.review_link}}, so every template uses the same link and you only update it in one place. - Email signatures and invoice or receipt footers.
- Thank-you pages on your funnels, shown after a booking or purchase.
- The printable card — at the front desk, on the counter, in the delivery bag, or on the back of a business card.
A simple review workflow
- Trigger: appointment status changes to showed, or an opportunity moves to won.
- Wait a couple of hours, so the request arrives while the experience is fresh but not mid-visit.
- Send SMS using the request template above.
- Wait two or three days, then send the follow-up once. Stop there. More than one reminder starts to feel pushy.
Google's review rules you must follow
Google's policies on reviews are strict, and breaking them can get reviews removed or your profile restricted. Keep your requests clean:
- Ask everyone, not just happy customers. Filtering customers first and only sending satisfied ones to Google, often called review gating, is against Google's policies. The templates above are written to be sent to every customer.
- No incentives. Don't offer discounts, gifts or entries into a prize draw in exchange for a review.
- No reviews from staff or family, and never write reviews on behalf of customers.
- Reply to reviews, good and bad. Thoughtful replies to negative reviews often impress future customers more than the five-star ones do.
Printing tips for QR codes
- Size: print the QR at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide for close-up use like a counter card, and larger for anything people scan from a distance.
- Contrast: dark code on a light background scans most reliably. The tool keeps the QR on a white panel even on the dark card.
- Keep the quiet zone: don't crop the white margin around the code. Scanners need it.
- Use the SVG for print shops, as it stays sharp at any size. The PNG is fine for screens and home printers.
- Test before printing a batch. Scan the final file with two different phones.