Google Review QR Codes: How to Make One, Where to Put It, and What Not to Do

A QR code takes a customer from "I'd be happy to leave a review" to the review box in a few seconds. Used well, it is a simple way to keep fresh reviews coming in. Used badly, it can break Google's rules.

Why ask

BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults found that 78% had been asked to leave a review in the last 12 months, and 83% of people who were asked went on to leave one. [1] Only 6% said they wouldn't write a review at all. [1] (Self-reported online panel, so treat those figures as indicative.) The same survey found 47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 74% only care about reviews written in the last three months. [1] That is why steady asking beats an occasional push.

How to make the code

Google's Business Profile Help says you can create a link or QR code from your profile. At the time of writing, review QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on a mobile device. [2] Steps from Google: [2]

1. Go to your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Copy the review link, or right-click the QR code and choose Save image as….

Google also notes you can send review requests by email, WhatsApp message or Facebook post. [2] (Google moves buttons around; if the labels have changed, follow the current help page.)

Where to put it

Google's own suggestions: include the link or code on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat interaction, or print and display the QR code in your store. [2]

Editorial ideas for trades and clinics (not Google's list, and not tested by us):

• Invoices and estimates — the link on the invoice PDF and a printed QR on the paper copy.
• A leave-behind card or door hanger handed over at the end of the job.
• Work-completion text or email with the link (see "what not to do" below before you automate anything).
• Front desk card or counter sign for a clinic.

Put a short line of plain text next to the code — for example, "Scan to leave a Google review" — so people know what it does.

Test before you print

Editorial advice, but cheap insurance:

• Scan it with both an iPhone and an Android phone.
• Open the link in a private/incognito window to see what a customer sees. Customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review. [3]
• Print one at the real size and scan that, before ordering a hundred.

What not to do (Google's rules)

Google's policy pages are explicit, so check these before you design the card:

• No incentives. Google says offering incentives such as free or discounted goods or services in exchange for posting, changing or removing reviews is strictly prohibited. [2][4]
• Don't discourage negative reviews or selectively ask for positive ones. Google's prohibited-content policy says merchants may not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." [4] The FTC's staff guidance similarly says that asking only customers you think are happy could be misleading if it substantially skews the favourability of the reviews. [5] So don't build a flow that sends unhappy customers somewhere else.
• Don't pressure people on the spot. Google says merchants should not require or pressure users to leave reviews while on the premises. [4]
• Don't dictate the content. Google says merchants shouldn't request specific content, including asking staff to solicit reviews that mention a particular staff member. [4]
• Do invite genuine experiences without offering incentives or trying to influence the rating or contents. [4]

Note on the FTC's rule: its staff Q&A says the rule doesn't prohibit incentives for reviews as long as there's no requirement that the review express a particular sentiment, but failing to disclose incentives could violate the FTC Act — and Google separately prohibits incentives. [5] Follow the stricter one (Google's).

Keep it going

Because recency matters to readers [1], treat the QR code as a habit, not a one-off. Put it on every invoice and every job-complete message. When reviews come in, reply to them: BrightLocal found 80% of consumers say they are likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews. [1]

Where Gladhear fits

Gladhear generates a per-location review-request link and a printable QR sign, with a reminder not to offer incentives or screen who gets asked. Approval links and other emails from the product may not be delivered yet while the beta is running (email sending isn't fully configured), and review-request sending is not something you should rely on yet. The link/QR itself is just a link.

Sources (all fetched/verified 2026-10-01)

1. BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
2. Google Business Profile Help, "Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews": https://support.google.com/business/answer/16816815?hl=en
3. Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to get more reviews": https://support.google.com/business/answer/7035772
4. Google Maps User Generated Content Policy, "Prohibited & restricted content" (Fake Engagement / Rating Manipulation): https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114
5. FTC, "The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers" and "FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking": https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers ; https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

Editorial note: "where to put it" ideas beyond Google's list, and the testing tips, are editorial suggestions. No statistics other than those cited are used.