What Is Online Review Gating, and Can I Still Do That?
What is Review Gating?
Review gating is the practice of screening customers before asking them to leave a public review. In simple terms, businesses ask customers about their experience privately first. If the feedback is positive, they're directed to leave a review on platforms like Google or Yelp. If negative, they're handled through private channels.
For example, a dental practice might send a survey asking "How was your visit?" If the patient rates it 4-5 stars, they receive a link to Google Reviews. If they rate it 1-3 stars, they're asked to contact the office directly.
Why Did Businesses Use Review Gating?
The appeal of review gating is obvious:
- It helps identify unhappy patients before they leave negative reviews
- It increases the percentage of positive reviews on public platforms
- It gives businesses a chance to resolve issues before they become public
- It helps maintain high online ratings by filtering out negative reviews
Is Review Gating Allowed?
No, review gating is against policy.
Both Google and Yelp have explicitly prohibited review gating. Google updated its review policies in 2018 to ban the practice, and Yelp has always been against it.
"Don't discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers."
Consequences of Review Gating
Engaging in review gating can lead to:
- Loss of trust from patients
- Damage to your reputation if discovered
- Loss of ability to collect new reviews
- Deletion of existing reviews
- Removal of your Google Business Profile
Ethical Alternatives to Review Gating
Instead of review gating, here are ethical ways to manage your online reputation:
Send review requests to all patients equally, regardless of their potential sentiment. This is compliant with platform policies and builds authentic online presence.
Provide direct links to your review profiles. The easier you make it, the more reviews you'll receive from satisfied patients.
Address negative reviews professionally and publicly. This shows potential patients that you care about feedback and are committed to improvement.
While you should ask everyone to leave public reviews, also provide ways for patients to give private feedback through surveys, email, or phone calls. Just don't make private feedback a prerequisite for review requests.
The best way to get positive reviews is to provide excellent service. Focus on delivering exceptional patient care, and positive reviews will naturally follow.
### The Right Approach
Instead of asking "How was your experience?" before sending a review link, simply:
1. Make it clear that all feedback is welcome 2. Ask them to share their honest feedback 3. Provide a direct link to your Google Business Profile 4. Thank patients for choosing your practice
Managing Negative Reviews
When you receive negative reviews (and you will), handle them properly:
- Show other readers that you care about patient satisfaction
- Offer to resolve the issue offline
- Apologize if appropriate
- Acknowledge the patient's concerns
- Respond within 24-48 hours
Conclusion
While review gating might seem like an attractive shortcut to better online ratings, it's against platform policies and can seriously harm your practice. Instead, focus on providing excellent patient care, asking all patients for reviews, and responding professionally to all feedback.
Building an authentic online reputation takes time, but it's the only sustainable and ethical approach to online review management.