To automate review requests, trigger one message after each completed job or sale, send it to every customer who has agreed to hear from you, and include a direct link or QR code to your review page. Use AI to draft the wording and the replies if you like, but never to write, filter or incentivise the reviews themselves.
Review requests are among the easiest follow-ups to automate, which is why they appear in our AI automation for trade businesses offer. This guide covers what to automate and what the rules say you must not. If you are choosing between jobs, start with what to automate first. For the message before the job, see how to automate quote follow-ups. For unpaid invoices, see how to automate invoice reminders. For a similar follow-up pattern after open homes, see open home follow-up automation. To plan a setup for your business, discuss an automation project.
Key facts
- Google says reviews must reflect a genuine experience, and that offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is prohibited. It says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code. Google Business Profile Help, accessed 10 November 2026.
- business.gov.au says it is OK to ask customers for a review, and that you can only send follow-up emails if you have the customer’s permission to email them. business.gov.au, accessed 10 November 2026.
- The ACMA says inferred consent to send marketing messages “does not cover sending messages after someone has just bought something from your business”, and that express consent is best practice. ACMA, last updated 29 November 2024, accessed 10 November 2026.
- The ACCC says it is against the law to create fake or misleading reviews or to arrange for others to, and that incentives must apply whether the review is positive or negative and be clearly disclosed. ACCC, accessed 10 November 2026.
- The Federal Court ordered Service Seeking to pay $600,000 in penalties over reviews that businesses drafted themselves and that were published automatically if the customer did not respond within 3 days. ACCC, accessed 10 November 2026.
What is the simplest way to automate review requests?
One trigger, one message, one optional reminder. Anything more is usually a pest.
- Pick the trigger. A job marked complete, an invoice paid or a booking finished. Use a real event in your job or booking system, not a timer on every contact.
- Wait a sensible time. Long enough that the customer has experienced the result, short enough that they still remember you. Choose a delay that fits your service.
- Send the same request to everyone. Include the customer’s first name, what you did for them and a direct link or QR code to your Google review page.
- Send at most one reminder. Then stop.
- Let the customer opt out. Every message should make it easy to say no thanks.
business.gov.au suggests two other low-effort options: give customers a direct link to your preferred review sites, and add a QR code to your receipts. A QR code on the invoice or the job sheet needs no automation at all.
What must you check before you send the first message?
Check three things first.
- Permission. business.gov.au says you can only send follow-up emails asking for a review if you have the customer’s permission to email them. If your messages could count as marketing, the ACMA’s spam rules apply: you need consent, you must identify yourself and you must include an unsubscribe option. The ACMA says express consent is best practice, and that inferred consent “does not cover sending messages after someone has just bought something from your business”. So do not rely on the purchase alone. Ask for permission when you take the booking or quote, for example with a tick box on the form. The ACMA also says you cannot send an electronic message to ask for consent, because that is itself a marketing message. Ask an adviser if you are unsure whether your message counts as marketing.
- The platform rules. business.gov.au says to check the rules of the review website and any laws before you ask. Read Google’s policy on incentives before you design the flow.
- Your data. Only send to customers who actually bought from you, and keep the customer list in your own system, not pasted into a public AI tool.
Where does AI help, and where does it break the rules?
| Job | Let AI do it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Draft the request message | Yes, you approve the template | Short, personal and consistent |
| Insert the customer’s name and job | Yes | Pulled from your records |
| Draft a reply to a review | Yes, a person approves it before it posts | Replies are public and need judgement |
| Write the review for the customer | No | A fake or misleading review |
| Ask only customers who seem happy | No | Selective asking skews the picture |
| Offer a discount for a Google review | No | Prohibited by Google |
| Edit or remove a genuine negative review | No | Can mislead consumers |
The Service Seeking case is the one to remember. The platform let businesses draft their own reviews and published them automatically if customers did not respond. An automation that drafts, sends and publishes on the customer’s behalf is exactly that pattern.
How should you word the request?
Keep it neutral. The ACCC’s online reviews sweep report (December 2023) found that some businesses encouraged inflated reviews through the way they asked, such as “tell us why you loved” the product, or showing images of 5 stars. The same report says businesses must ask for reviews in a fair and consistent way.
A good request:
- Thanks the customer for their business.
- Asks for their honest feedback.
- Gives the link or QR code and says it takes a moment.
- Does not mention stars or ask for a positive review.
- Does not promise anything in return.
What should happen when the review is negative?
Route it to a person. business.gov.au says you should respond to every review, and to respond promptly but carefully to negative ones, stay professional and offer to discuss the issue by phone or email. Google’s guidance says to protect privacy and avoid personal attacks, and to keep replies short and not promotional.
AI can help here by flagging new reviews, summarising them and drafting a reply for a person to edit. It should not post replies by itself, and it should never put customer details in a public reply.
A negative private message to you is also useful. If you add a “how did we do?” step before the public link, offer the public link to every customer either way. Sending unhappy customers somewhere private and only happy ones to Google is selective asking, which is hard to square with the ACCC’s “fair and consistent” standard.
How do you test it before it goes live?
- Run a test job with your own email address and phone number.
- Check the link opens your real review page on a phone.
- Confirm only one message goes out, and only after the job is complete.
- Confirm a customer who opts out gets nothing further.
- Confirm that new reviews are routed to a named person.
Then run it on a small batch of recent customers and read the messages before you scale it up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I automatically ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes. Send a follow-up message after the job or sale with a direct link or QR code to your review page. Australian Government guidance says you can only email customers who have given permission, and the ACMA says a recent purchase alone does not give you inferred consent to send marketing messages. Ask for permission when you take the booking.
Can AI write my customers’ reviews?
No. The ACCC says it is against the law to create fake or misleading reviews or to arrange for others to. AI can help draft the request message and your public replies, but the review itself must come from the customer.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
Not on Google. Google’s policy says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is prohibited. The ACCC also says any incentive must apply to positive and negative reviews alike and be clearly disclosed.
Can I only ask happy customers for a review?
Avoid it. The ACCC says businesses must ask for reviews in a fair and consistent way, and Google asks you to value honest and balanced reviews. Send the same request to every customer you serve.
Can I delete a negative review?
Not just because it is negative. The ACCC says removing genuine negative reviews can mislead consumers. You can ask the platform to remove a review that breaks its policies, and you can reply publicly. Have a person write the reply.
What should you do next?
Pick one job type, write one neutral request message and add a QR code to the paperwork you already send. If you want it connected to your job or booking system, start with an automation audit.
