Want to remove a Google review? How to report policy-violating reviews

No. Google only removes reviews that violate its policies – for example, missing customer contact, spam, conflicts of interest, or insults. An unwelcome but permissible expression of opinion usually stays online.

Reporting directly to Google is free. With Sternehero: 1 credit = 1 report submission. Credit packages start at 5 credits for €24 per credit, larger packages from €7 per credit (net plus VAT). Credits never expire. You pay for the submission – not for the outcome.

Google reviews most reports within minutes of submission – many policy-violating reviews are removed right away. In some cases, the assessment takes up to seven days. You track the status of your report – Submitted, Under review, Removed, or Rejected – in real time in your Sternehero dashboard.

Yes. You delete your own reviews yourself: in Google Maps under "Your contributions", select the review and remove it. As a business, however, you cannot delete other people's reviews – you can only report them to Google.

On Google, "review" and "rating" refer to the same thing – so the route is identical: other people's reviews can't be deleted directly, but you can report them if they violate a policy. That works directly in the Google Business Profile or bundled via a self-service tool like Sternehero. Google checks every report and decides independently.

The same rules apply to old reviews as to new ones: they are only reportable if a policy violation exists – age alone is not a reporting ground. Even years-old fake reviews or reviews without customer contact can still be reported. Google checks and decides.

It depends on the individual case. Google assesses every report against its own policies and decides independently. There is no success rate or guarantee – neither when reporting directly nor with a tool or lawyer.

Not necessarily. You can report policy violations yourself – directly to Google or efficiently with Sternehero. A legal assessment is mainly useful for false statements of fact or defamatory criticism. Sternehero does not provide legal advice.

Only Google itself or the person who wrote a review can delete it. Reporting means flagging a possible policy violation to Google. Google assesses the report and decides whether the review is removed.

No. Sternehero is a self-service tool that automates the reporting process. The decision on every report lies solely with Google. That's why you pay for submitting the report, not for the outcome.