Who this is for
For whoever runs the practice's review requests: this is the rulebook, applied to dental-office situations. It applies each relevant line of Google's review policy, notes where the FTC rule differs, and flags unclear text. It is part of our Grow Your Practice Online series. Google's words are quoted exactly; anything we add is labeled as our reading.
Where the rules live, and how they changed
The rules sit on Google's Prohibited and restricted content page, and the same text appears in Google's Maps contribution policy. The page shows no change log; the recent changes we found were spotted by people outside Google. In February 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported an update while saying it could not confirm the full list of changes. In April 2026, PPC Land reported that Amy Toman, whom it describes as a Google Diamond Product Expert, had spotted two new staff lines. Our advice: re-read the page before each review campaign.
Incentives: nothing of value, for any review
Merchants may not offer incentives "such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" "in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review." The policy also lists "Reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind." The word "any" means it is not limited to five-star reviews. In a dental office it reaches:
- A whitening voucher, a discount on the next cleaning or a gift card for posting: covered by the named categories.
- An entry into a prize draw for everyone who posts. The list begins "such as," so it is not exhaustive; our reading is that a chance at a prize is an incentive.
- A donation to a local charity for each review. The policy does not name this, and the patient gets nothing. Because of "such as," we would not rely on it being allowed (our reading).
- A refund, redo or waived balance offered if a patient changes or deletes a negative review. That is an incentive for "revision or removal of a negative review." Following up on the complaint is a different thing: Google's reply tips say doing so "may even encourage the customer to update their review." Our reading is that the line is crossed when the review becomes part of the deal.
Who you ask: every patient, not a chosen few
Merchants may not "Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." Some dental marketing guides still advise the opposite, telling practices to identify their happiest patients and ask them. Situations this line covers, in our reading:
- A satisfaction survey that sends only high scorers to Google and routes everyone else to an internal form. Choosing who gets the Google link by how happy they are is selective solicitation.
- Staff asking only the patients who complimented the visit.
- Telling unhappy patients to call instead of posting. Telling them not to post discourages negative reviews.
Asking in the office
When soliciting reviews, "merchants should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises." The line bans requiring and pressuring on the premises, not asking there. Google's own page on review links and QR codes suggests you "Print and display the QR code in your store" and include the link "on your receipts" and "in thank you emails." A tablet handed over at checkout while someone waits is closer to pressure; our advice is to give the link or code and let the patient choose when. Our earlier post on building a steady review routine covers the mechanics.
What you ask for: a review, nothing more
Merchants should not "request that specific content be included," and the policy names "Merchants requesting that staff solicit reviews that include specific content, including content that identifies a staff member." Asking patients to mention the hygienist, a treatment, your city or a search phrase falls under it. Even so, one published dental guide tells practices to have patients work local keywords into their reviews. A suggested star rating fails the allowed form of asking, which is "without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review."
How far the content line reaches is unclear: PPC Land quotes Toman saying the implications of the wording "seem extreme," with no official word on its scope. Until Google says more, our reading is to ask for a review and nothing else.
Your team: quotas, contests and their own reviews
The staff lines are explicit: no "requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews," and no asking staff to collect reviews that name a team member. A monthly review number for each hygienist falls under them. A leaderboard or a prize for whoever collects the most reviews rewards a count, so it falls under the quota line (our reading). Published dental guides have recommended a team review goal with a prize for hitting it, and contests rewarding whoever collects the most positive reviews. A target the practice tracks for itself, with no number or prize assigned to any staff member, is outside that wording (our reading).
Then there is conflict of interest. Google lists "Content that is based on a conflict of interest," which "may include current or former employment, a contractual or consultory relationship, or other professional or personal affiliations that demonstrate a conflict of interest (such as industry competitors, familial relationships, etc.)." In our reading, that rules out reviews from:
- Current and former employees, including associates who have left, and the owner's relatives, even if they are also patients. The FTC treats family differently; see the table below.
- Your dental lab, marketing agency and consultants.
- A dentist across town, an industry competitor; Google separately bars posting "content on a competitor's place or business to undermine that business' or product's reputation."
- A specialist you exchange referrals with, a professional affiliation.
- Anyone at the office writing or posting a review for a patient. Google says a review "should reflect an actual experience with a business," and lists "Content that has been posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person."
Volume and timing
The policy lists "Content exhibiting unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions that are indicative of efforts to manipulate a place's rating," and Google's April 2026 Maps post says a "sudden spike in spam reviews" can lead it to "pause new reviews on the profile." Google publishes no threshold. Still, emailing three years of past patients in one afternoon produces a sudden jump; our advice is to ask recent patients steadily instead. Our post on how many Google reviews a practice needs sets a monthly pace.
Reviews you want taken down
The same policy defines what a practice can report: content "not based on a real experience," posts by competitors or people with a conflict of interest, and, under offensive content, "Unsubstantiated allegations of unethical behavior or criminal wrongdoing," such as an unsupported fraud claim. Two things are not grounds. The policy says "We do allow content that describes negative experiences in a respectful manner." Its privacy section allows a name if the person is "a public-facing professional conducting business under their name," listing "Doctors" among them, so a review naming your dentist is not a privacy violation on that ground. Our post on reviews that disappear, and extortion covers reporting and appeals.
Where the FTC rule differs
The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, in effect since October 21, 2024, is a federal rule; Google's policy is a platform's terms, and on several points Google's is stricter. The FTC column quotes its announcement and staff questions and answers, which staff say do not "provide a safe harbor"; for anything beyond these quotes, ask your counsel.
| Situation | Google's policy | FTC rule and staff answers |
|---|---|---|
| An incentive for any review, with no condition on what it says | Not allowed: incentives "in exchange for posting any review" | The rule "does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews, as long as there isn't an express or implied requirement that the reviews have to express a particular sentiment." "But remember that failing to disclose incentives could be a violation of the FTC Act." |
| An incentive for positive reviews | Not allowed | Prohibited: incentives "conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment" |
| Asking only patients you think are happy | Not allowed: "selectively solicit positive reviews" | No specific prohibition in the rule. "But this practice could violate the FTC Act." |
| Family members reviewing the practice | Conflict of interest may include "familial relationships" | Allowed if they "clearly and conspicuously disclose their relationship to your business" |
| An employee posts after a request sent to all patients | Conflict of interest may include "current or former employment" | Not a violation of the rule's insider-review section, which "exempts generalized solicitations to purchasers" |
| Paying a patient to remove or change a truthful negative review | Not allowed: an incentive for "revision or removal of a negative review" | Not prohibited by the rule, but "may violate the FTC Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice" |
| Asking a patient whose complaint you resolved to update the review | Reply tips say following up "may even encourage the customer to update their review" | The rule "does not prohibit simply asking satisfied customers to update their reviews" |
What happens when Google finds a problem
Google's restrictions page says that beyond removing the reviews, it may stop a profile receiving new reviews "for set period of time," unpublish existing reviews for a time, or "display a warning to let consumers know that fake reviews were removed." A restriction email that Search Engine Roundtable published in July 2026 described a two-month block after a repeat finding of "additional incentivised reviews." Where Google is stricter than the FTC, follow Google on Google.
The rules on one page
Every quote below is from Google's Prohibited and restricted content page, except the QR code line.
| Rule | Google's exact words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Incentives | "such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" "in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review" | Google review policy |
| Selective asking | "Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers" | Google review policy |
| On the premises | "merchants should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises" | Google review policy |
| Content | "nor should they request that specific content be included" | Google review policy |
| Staff quotas | "Merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews" | Google review policy |
| Staff names | "including content that identifies a staff member" | Google review policy |
| Conflict of interest | "current or former employment, a contractual or consultory relationship, or other professional or personal affiliations" | Google review policy |
| Volume | "unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions" | Google review policy |
| Competitors | "Post content on a competitor's place or business to undermine that business' or product's reputation" | Google review policy |
| What is allowed | "Solicit or encourage the posting of content that does represent a genuine experience, without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review." | Google review policy |
| QR codes | "Print and display the QR code in your store" | Google review links and QR codes page |
Want your review program checked against these rules?
Request a free audit and we will record a video walkthrough of your local search presence, including your reviews. For where reviews sit among everything else that affects your map ranking, see our guide to ranking for "dentist near me". If you are at the San Diego Dental Convention on November 20-21, 2026, come by Booth 9 and we can go through your review requests against these rules with you.