Review Funnel

A customer flow that routes 4–5 star experiences to public review sites (like Google) and 1–3 star experiences to a private feedback channel the business owner sees directly.

Definition

A review funnel is the process a business uses to turn completed transactions into Google reviews. It usually starts with a prompt (QR code, SMS, or email) asking the customer to rate their experience on a 1–5 star scale. Based on the rating, the funnel either (a) sends satisfied customers to Google's public review form, or (b) captures dissatisfied customers' feedback privately so the business can address it before it becomes a public 1-star review. The mechanic is legal under Google's policies as long as all customers are given the option to leave a public review — the funnel cannot suppress negative reviews, only intercept them for internal resolution.

Example

A dentist office sends every patient an SMS 2 hours after their visit: 'How was your appointment? Tap to rate.' 5-star taps go directly to the office's Google listing. 3-star taps show a form: 'We're sorry your visit wasn't great. What happened?' The office manager gets an email with the feedback and calls the patient back the same day.

Related terms

  • Star Filter →The component inside a review funnel that decides which customers are routed to Google versus which are routed to private feedback, based on a star rating they give first.
  • Review Gating →The practice of selectively soliciting reviews only from customers expected to leave positive ones, or discouraging unhappy customers from leaving public reviews. Google's content policy prohibits gating.
  • Review Request →A message sent to a customer (usually via SMS or email) asking them to leave a review of their recent experience. The message typically links to a review funnel or directly to the business's Google review page.

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