Removals, responses and appeals
If we remove a review or a pro's response, we say which rule of our review policy applied, and the removal can be appealed once.
On this page
When we remove a review
We remove content that breaks our review policy: fake or rewarded reviews, reviews from someone with a conflict of interest, experiences that didn't happen, abusive or discriminatory content, personal information, spam or links, and content about a different business.
The author gets a notice that quotes the rule of our review policy that applied. A removed review doesn't count towards the pro's rating.
We don't remove an honest negative review because a business asks us to. Positive and negative reviews go through the same checks.
Appealing a removal
The author of a removed review can appeal it once. Write a few sentences explaining why you think the decision was wrong: a one-line answer is too short to be accepted.
There's one appeal per removal. Once you've sent it you can't send another for the same review, so put everything in it.
How an appeal is decided
A person reads the appeal and either reinstates the content or keeps the decision. We tell you the outcome either way, and that decision is final.
A reinstated review comes back with the date it was first published, and counts towards the pro's rating again. If the decision stands, the review stays off the profile.
Responses from pros
A pro can post one public response to each published review of their business, and edit it later. Only the reviewed business can respond, and only once the review itself is published.
Phone numbers, email addresses and links are hidden automatically before a response appears. Every edit keeps the previous wording in our records, and the review's author is told once when a response is posted.
When a response is removed
A response that breaks the policy — a threat, an accusation, or someone's personal details — is removed with a reason. It leaves the profile, the pro is notified, and it can't be edited or replaced.
The pro can appeal that removal once, and the same final decision applies. If it's reinstated, the response goes back under the review.
What we don't do
- We don't change what a review says, or its rating. Only its author can.
- We don't take a side on what happened on the job. Moderation is only about our review policy.
- We don't sell or trade reviews, responses or ratings, and nothing here can be bought.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026