Introduction
How fast you reply to Google reviews sends a signal to customers and can affect how your Business Profile is perceived. There’s no single "right" number, but having a simple policy helps you stay consistent and set expectations for your team.
This guide covers recommended timelines by rating type, an SLA-style approach, how automation can help you hit those targets, and a copy-paste response time policy you can adapt.
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Keep replies polite and professional. Do not share private or sensitive information in public responses.
Timelines by rating type
Prioritise negative and neutral reviews so customers feel heard and you can resolve issues before they escalate. Positive reviews still deserve a timely thank-you.
- 1–2 stars: Aim for within 24 hours (same day when possible)
- 3–4 stars: Within 24–48 hours
- 5 stars: Within 48 hours is fine; faster is better if you have capacity
- No comment (stars only): A quick thanks within 48 hours keeps things consistent
For how to word those replies, see How to Respond to Negative Google Reviews and Google Review Response Templates (Copy & Paste).
SLA and setting expectations
Treat response time like a simple internal SLA: define a target (e.g. "all reviews replied within 48 hours") and, if you have a team, assign who checks for new reviews and who drafts or approves replies. For sole traders, even a weekly block of time can keep you on track.
- Set a realistic target based on your volume and availability
- Negative reviews get a shorter SLA (e.g. 24 hours)
- If you can’t reply within your target, a brief "Thanks, we’ll get back to you shortly" is better than silence
How automation helps
Manual replies are fine until busy periods or holidays get in the way. Automation can draft replies as soon as reviews come in, so you can post (or tweak and post) within your target time without dropping everything.
- Replies can go out within minutes or hours instead of days
- You can still review and edit before posting, especially for negative reviews
- Tools like Trivqon are built for Google Business Profile replies; see How to Automatically Reply to Google Reviews and Should You Use AI to Reply to Google Reviews?
Response time policy template
Copy and adapt this for your business or team.
Google review response time policy
- • We aim to reply to every Google review.
- • 1–2 star reviews: reply within 24 hours.
- • 3–5 star reviews: reply within 48 hours.
- • Replies will be polite, professional, and on brand.
- • We do not share private or sensitive information in public replies.
- • [Optional: Name or role] is responsible for checking new reviews and posting replies [e.g. daily / twice weekly].
Adjust the hours and responsibilities to match your business. The main benefit is having a clear standard so nothing slips through the cracks.
Keep replies polite and professional. Do not share private or sensitive information in public responses.