Google Review QR Code: Set One Up in 10 Minutes

Google builds a review QR code for you inside your Business Profile, and the generator only runs in a computer browser. Open your profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and right-click the QR image to save it. The code opens your review form on the customer's phone, and the customer has to be signed in to a Google account before they can post a rating. Google states both of those limits on its own help pages.

The code is only a door. Most of the volume comes from asking every customer at the moment they are happiest, which is the part review collection software handles while the printed code sits on the counter.

Generate the code from your Business Profile

Google's supported method takes about two minutes.

Sign in on a desktop or laptop browser and open your Business Profile.
Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
Select the copy icon to grab the short review link.
Right-click the QR code image and choose Save image as... to download the file.

Google's help page on creating a review link or QR code says the QR code can only be generated in a computer browser, not on a mobile device. If you are hunting for the option on your phone, that is why it is missing.

Store the short link somewhere your whole team can reach. You will want it for email signatures, follow-up texts, and every spot where a printed square does not fit.

Test the code before you print anything

Scan the downloaded image on an Android phone and on an iPhone using the native camera app rather than a third-party scanner. You are checking one thing: the star-rating dialog opens. If you land on a search results page or a plain business listing, the link behind the code is wrong and a print run would waste the money.

Three checks before the file goes to the printer:

Print it at one inch square or larger. Ink spread on cheap receipt stock destroys the smallest modules.
Leave a clear light border on all four sides so the camera can find the edges of the code.
Export at 300 DPI or higher, and ask for an SVG if the code is going onto large-format signage.

Then scan a printed proof, not just the file on screen. Paper behaves differently from a monitor.

The Place ID method, and what Google actually says about it

A lot of guides tell you to skip the Business Profile and build the link yourself from your Place ID:

https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID

You can look up the identifier with the Place ID finder on Google's Place IDs documentation page. Type the business name, select your listing, and copy the value.

One thing to know before you commit that pattern to 5,000 printed menus. That same Google documentation says place IDs may change over time, and recommends refreshing any ID you have stored for longer than 12 months. The URL pattern itself is not documented anywhere in Google's own help center either. Neither link is permanent, which means whichever one you print, you own a small recurring task: scan your own code on the first of the month and confirm the review dialog still opens.

Where to put the code, and how to ask

Google's help page suggests receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat interaction, and a printed code displayed in the store. Those all work. What separates them is how close the code sits to the moment of payment.

Receipt or invoice. One line at the bottom. The customer has just paid and still has the visit in mind.
Counter card or table tent. No staff effort, permanently visible, easy to replace.
Thank-you email or text. Include the raw link as well as the image, because plenty of email clients block images by default.
Payment screen. A code on the tablet at checkout gets scanned while the customer is still standing in front of you.

Keep the wording to one sentence. "Scan to share your experience on Google" is enough. Have staff say the same thing out loud at handoff, because a printed sign cannot prompt anybody. If you want the longer version of the asking strategy, our guide on how to get more 5-star Google reviews covers timing and scripts.

What Google does not allow

Google's prohibited and restricted content policy is specific about solicitation, and breaking it can cost you the reviews you collected plus restrictions on the profile.

No incentives in exchange for posting, revising, or removing a review. Payment, discounts, free goods, and services are all named.
No selectively soliciting positive reviews, and no discouraging negative ones. One code, shown to everybody.
No requiring or pressuring customers to write a review while they are on the premises, and no requesting that specific content be included.
No asking staff to hit a review count target, and no asking customers to name a staff member in the review.

Google does allow you to encourage reviews that reflect a genuine experience, so a plain ask with no strings attached is fine. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials covers the same territory with civil penalties attached. It prohibits buying reviews conditioned on a particular sentiment, insider reviews that hide the writer's connection to the business, and using groundless legal threats to get a negative review pulled down.

Tracking scans without breaking the link

Appending UTM parameters to the review link before you generate the code lets you see which placement produced the traffic in your analytics. A dynamic QR service does the same job and lets you swap the destination later without reprinting, at the cost of adding a redirect that can fail. Whichever route you take, test the final code end to end on a real phone. A tracking wrapper that silently stops resolving looks identical to a working code until somebody tries to use it.

When the code works and the old reviews still hurt

Collecting more reviews dilutes an old one-star rating. It does not delete it. A review describing a real bad visit stays up, and Google says plainly that it does not get involved when a business simply disagrees with a customer. What does come down is content that breaks the policy above: fake accounts, competitor posts, off-topic rants, personal attacks on staff. For that kind of content, our Google review removal service works on a no removal, no fee basis.

On the collection side, RepBoost sends the request by text and email after each job finishes, so the QR code on your counter is not carrying the whole program by itself.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a QR code for Google reviews?

Sign in to your Business Profile in a computer browser, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews. Google shows a short review link and a QR code image. Right-click the image and save it.

Why can't I find the QR code option on my phone?

Google's help page states that review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on mobile devices. Switch to a laptop or desktop and the option appears under Get more reviews.

Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?

Yes. Google confirms that customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review, and notes they can create one with a non-Gmail email address. Mention it in your ask so nobody is surprised at the sign-in screen.

Can I offer a discount to customers who scan the code?

No. Google treats offering payment, discounts, or free goods in exchange for posting, changing, or removing a review as fake engagement, and removes that content. The FTC rule on consumer reviews prohibits incentives conditioned on a particular sentiment as well.

Is a Place ID review link permanent?

No. Google's own Place IDs documentation says place IDs may change over time and recommends refreshing stored IDs older than 12 months. Scan your printed code once a month and confirm the review dialog still loads.

Can I track how many people scan the code?

Yes, by adding UTM parameters to the review link before generating the code, or by using a dynamic QR service that reports scans. Both add a step that can break, so test the finished code on a real phone before printing.