Google and Trustpilot both start from the same rule: a review doesn't come down because it's negative or feels unfair. It has to break the platform's own policy, and the platform alone decides. Past that, the two work quite differently, and treating them the same is a common reason reports fail.
Where you report
- Google
Through your Business Profile, where the Reviews Management Tool shows the status of each report. Flagging from Google Maps alone gives you less visibility into what happened.
- Trustpilot
From your Trustpilot Business account, or by contacting Trustpilot directly. You don't need to have claimed your profile to flag a review.
What the policies focus on
Google's content policies cover things like fake engagement, conflicts of interest (for example, reviews from competitors or from current or former employees about their own employer), off-topic content and harassment. Trustpilot's guidelines for businesses list categories you can flag: harmful or illegal content, personal information, advertising or promotion, reviews not based on a genuine experience, and reviews about the wrong business.
In both cases, naming the specific policy and attaching evidence beats saying a review is fake or unfair.
What happens while it's investigated
On Trustpilot, most flagged reviews stay visible during the investigation. Reviews flagged as harmful or illegal are hidden while it's reviewed. Trustpilot may also ask the reviewer to change the review or prove their experience, and gives them three days to do so. You may be asked for documentation too, so keep your records ready.
On Google, the status of each report appears in the Reviews Management Tool, and the review generally stays up until Google acts on it.
Appeals
On Google, a rejected report can usually be appealed once through the same tool, so get the first report right. On Trustpilot, you're notified of the outcome, and if you disagree you reply to the decision email and appeal through the link it contains.
The legal route is separate on both
Neither platform treats a harsh opinion as defamation. Trustpilot is explicit about that. Google keeps a separate legal removal request for content you believe is unlawful, which is a different process from flagging a policy violation. If you think a review makes a false statement of fact that damages your business, that's a question for a lawyer first.
What's the same everywhere
- No incentives
Offering discounts, freebies or anything else for a review, or for changing or removing one, breaks both platforms' rules.
- No selective asking
Inviting only happy customers undermines your rating and can breach the rules.
- No pressure
Pushing a reviewer to edit or delete is a fast way to make things worse.
- No guarantees
Only the platform decides. Anyone promising guaranteed removal is a red flag.
Genuine reviews: reply, don't fight
A genuine negative review will usually stay on either platform. A calm, brief public reply that takes the conversation offline does more for the next reader than the removal of a review would, and Trustpilot lets reviewers update a review if the issue is resolved.
If a Google or Trustpilot review needs a closer look:
We check each review against the relevant platform's published policy before anything is reported, and prepare the evidence, so the case fits how that platform actually works.