Google Review Request Email: 8 Templates to Copy
Email examples to ask for Google reviews: subject line, timing, consent rules and 8 neutral templates by trade, ready to paste into your email tool.
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A review request email lacks the spontaneity of a QR code, but it reaches customers who are no longer in front of you: hotel bookings, appointments, repairs, orders. Well written, it reads like a note from the owner rather than a campaign, and that is exactly what gets it read.
The short answer. To ask for a Google review by email, send a short message within 48 hours of the visit: a personal subject line, the customer's first name, two sentences on why their review matters, the review link copied from Google Business Profile, a human signature and an unsubscribe link. Ask for a review, never a rating, and offer nothing in return.
Why Email Is Still a Good Channel for Review Requests
Email is the natural channel as soon as you have the customer's address, which is the case for most appointment- or booking-based businesses. It allows a more personal message than a text and costs very little to send.
- Reach: the address is often collected at booking, scheduling or invoicing.
- Room for context: thank-you, reminder of the service, link, signature. Impossible to fit in a text message.
- Traceability: your email tool shows unsubscribes and invalid addresses.
Its limit: it's read later than a text, and sometimes not at all. That's why it complements the on-site QR code rather than replacing it. The overview of all channels is in our guide on how to get more Google reviews.
The Rules to Follow Before Sending
Two frameworks apply: Google's review rules and data protection rules on commercial email. Neither prohibits asking for a review, but each sets precise limits.
On Google's side, the user-contributed content policy prohibits offering incentives for reviews, selectively soliciting positive reviews and discouraging negative ones. In practice: the same email goes to every customer, with no "if you were satisfied", no "5 stars", no discount.
On the data side, France's data protection authority, the CNIL, requires prior consent from individuals, unless they are already customers and the message concerns similar products or services. Every message must offer a simple way to refuse further sends. To be safe, treat the review request as a commercial email: an unticked consent box at booking, an unsubscribe link in the footer, and an unsubscribe list you actually honour.
The Right Time to Send the Email
Send the email when the customer has been through the whole experience but still remembers it precisely, which usually means between a few hours and 48 hours after the service ends.
| Trade | Recommended timing |
|---|---|
| Restaurant (online booking) | The next day, late morning |
| Hotel | The day after check-out |
| Hair or beauty salon | The same evening or the next day |
| Healthcare practice | The next day, no reminder |
| Garage | Two to three days after handover, once they've driven |
| Tradesperson | After the work is signed off |
| Local online shop | After delivery, not after ordering |
Avoid night-time sends and schedule during the day instead. The full reasoning by trade is in the best time to ask for a review.
Anatomy of a Review Request Email
An effective review request email runs under 80 words and contains a single action. Anything that pulls it away from a personal message (banner, multiple buttons, social icons) pushes it towards the promotions tab.
- Subject: short, tied to the visit. "Thanks for visiting [Name]" rather than "Give us your feedback!".
- Opening: the customer's first name and a specific reminder ("your two-night stay", "your car's service").
- Reason: one or two sentences on how their review helps future customers.
- Link: the Google review link, as text or on a single button. No preliminary survey.
- Signature and unsubscribe: a real first name and role, then the unsubscribe line.
You get the link in Google Business Profile, under "Get more reviews": the step-by-step process is in our Google review QR code guide, as the same screen provides both the link and the QR code.
Making Your Google Review Request Readable on Mobile
A Google review request is almost always opened on a phone: keep the subject line under 45 characters, use a single paragraph, put the clickable link alone on its own line, and make sure no image is needed to understand the message. Test it on your own phone before sending: if the link needs a zoom, it will not be tapped.
In France, 91 percent of people aged 12 and over own a smartphone, according to the 2026 edition of the Arcep digital barometer. An email that reads badly on a small screen therefore loses almost all of its audience, however good the text is.
8 Google Review Request Email Examples
These templates are deliberately neutral: they ask for a review without steering the rating and work for every customer. Replace the brackets and add your unsubscribe line.
1. Restaurant
Subject: Thanks for dining at [Name]
Hi [First name], thank you for joining us last night. Your Google review helps other people in the area discover us, even in two sentences: [link]. See you soon, [Owner's first name], [Restaurant name]
2. Hotel
Subject: Your stay at [Name]
Hi [First name], thank you for staying with us. Your Google review is valuable to travellers who are still deciding where to book: [link]. Safe travels, [First name], [Name] management
3. Hair or beauty salon
Subject: Thanks for your appointment
Hi [First name], thanks for visiting the salon today. If you have a moment, a Google review helps us get known: [link]. See you next time, [First name]
4. Healthcare practice
Subject: Your appointment at [Name]
Hello [First name], thank you for your trust. If you wish, you can share your experience of our welcome and care on Google: [link]. The [Name] practice
No reminder for this template, and no mention of the reason for the visit.
5. Garage
Subject: Your vehicle and [Name] garage
Hi [First name], thanks for trusting us with your [model]. Your Google review helps local drivers choose their garage: [link]. Drive safely, [First name], [Name] garage
6. Tradesperson
Subject: Following your work
Hi [First name], thank you for trusting me with [type of work]. A Google review, even a short one, really helps me find new jobs near you: [link]. [First name], [Company]
7. Shop with delivery or pickup
Subject: Your [Name] order
Hi [First name], your order has been delivered. Your Google review helps us spread the word about the shop: [link]. Thanks, [First name], [Shop name]
8. Single reminder
Subject: A word about your visit?
Hi [First name], a gentle reminder with no pressure: your Google review matters to us. [link]. Thanks and have a good day, [First name]
The Mistakes That Make the Email Fail
Review request emails that don't work rarely fail because of wording: they fail on the framework. These are the mistakes to fix first.
- Making the request conditional: "if you enjoyed it", "if everything went well". Send the same request to everyone.
- Asking for a rating: "leave us 5 stars", "a positive review". Ask for a review, full stop.
- Adding an incentive: a promo code, a prize draw entry. Prohibited by Google.
- Routing through a filtering survey before the Google link: that's selective solicitation.
- Forgetting the unsubscribe link or sending several reminders.
- Sending from a "noreply" address: customers can't reply if something went wrong, and that reply is often where a problem gets solved before it becomes a negative review.
After Sending: Reply and Measure
The email is only half the job: incoming reviews need a reply, and the channel needs measuring. Count new reviews over 4 weeks before and after setting it up rather than judging day by day: Google says it can take up to 2 weeks for a new review to change the displayed score (Google help on review scores).
For customers whose phone number you have rather than their email, a text message review request takes over. And to reply quickly to the reviews you receive, use our Google review response templates.
Ma Belle Note doesn't replace your email tool, but it handles the rest of the setup: QR codes, text campaigns to opted-in customers, AI replies and centralised private feedback with review collection. You can test it with the free 7-day trial.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an email asking a customer for a review?
Four elements are enough: a short subject line about the visit, the customer's first name on line one, two sentences on why their review matters, and your Google review link. Sign with a real first name and add an unsubscribe link. Don't ask for a specific rating and don't offer anything in return: an honest review, positive or not, is what Google allows.
Where do I find the link to put in a review request email?
In Google Business Profile: open business.google.com, click "Read reviews", then "Get more reviews", and copy the link. It opens your profile's rating window directly. Paste the link as is into the email, with no intermediate page asking the customer for a score first.
Do I need consent to send a review request email?
To be safe, follow the rules for commercial email. In France, the CNIL requires prior consent from individuals, unless they are already customers and the message is about similar products or services. Every email must offer a simple way to unsubscribe. Other countries have comparable rules, so check the ones that apply to your customers.
When should I send the review request email?
Usually between a few hours and 48 hours after the service ends: early enough for a precise memory, late enough for the customer to be home. For a repair or treatment whose result shows later, wait a few days. The trade-by-trade detail is in our guide on the best time to ask for a review.
How many reminders can I send?
One, two to five days after the first email, shorter and without pressure. Beyond that you increase unsubscribes and spam reports, which hurts the deliverability of all your future sends. If the customer hasn't responded after the reminder, stop: they're still a customer, not a missed review.
