Google Review QR Code Generator

What is a Google review QR code?

A Google review QR code is a QR code containing one specific URL: the link that opens the review dialog for your Google Business Profile, with the stars already on screen and the comment box focused. Nothing clever is happening inside the code. It holds a web address, the camera opens it, and Google does the rest.

The distinction that decides whether the code works is which Google URL you put in it. There are three different links people confuse:

• A Maps share link (maps.app.goo.gl/...) opens your listing. The customer then has to scroll, find the Reviews tab, and tap "Write a review". Most drop out.
• A search result link opens a page of results, sometimes not even yours.
• A review link (g.page/r/.../review or search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=...) opens the rating dialog directly.

Only the third one belongs in your code. Removing those two extra taps is, in practice, the entire value of doing this properly — the same footfall converts several times better when the stars are the first thing on screen.

The code itself is static: the URL is fixed in the pixels, with no redirect service in between and no subscription that can lapse. It keeps working as long as the link resolves and the profile exists.

When to use it

Reviews get written in the short window between "that went well" and walking out of the door. The code has to be in that window.

• On the bill presenter or card machine. Restaurants get their best conversion here, because the guest is seated, relaxed and waiting for the card terminal to finish anyway.
• Reception desk at checkout. Hotels, clinics, dentists, garages, vets. The person is already standing still and interacting with a member of staff who can mention it in one sentence.
• On the tradesman's invoice or leave-behind card. Electricians, plumbers, cleaners and gardeners work alone and often have no premises at all. The invoice is the only surface they own.
• Inside the parcel, on a thank-you card. E-commerce sellers with a physical product get a second touchpoint for free. Reviews written at unboxing tend to be more detailed.
• At the styling station mirror. Salons and barbers: the customer sees the result and the code at the same moment, which is exactly the right time to ask.
• Vehicle handover in a dealership or garage. A keyring tag or the service paperwork, handed over when the car is clean and the job is done.
• Gym and studio induction packs. The first-session high converts better than a month-three email nobody opens.
• Event and course follow-up. On the last slide of the deck and on the handout, while people are still in the room.

Where it does not work: front doors, anywhere the customer is carrying bags, and anywhere the interaction is still unresolved. Asking for a review before the job is finished reads as pushy.

How to create one

Step two is where nearly everyone gets stuck, so it has its own section below.

1. Confirm the Business Profile is verified. An unverified or suspended profile has no working review link, and no QR code will fix that. Verify the profile first.
2. Get the review link. Three reliable methods are described below. Whichever you use, you want a URL that ends in /review or contains local/writereview?placeid=.
3. Test the raw link before generating anything. Open it on a phone that is not signed in as the business owner. You should see the star row and your business name at the top. Google will not let an owner review their own listing, which is why testing on your own admin account gives a misleading result.
4. Paste it into the generator using the Google Review type, then generate.
5. Choose your output. SVG for anything going to a printer, PNG for screens and card machines. Error correction M is right for clean stock; go to Q for receipts, laminated cards and anything that gets handled all day.
6. Print one proof at final size on the real material and scan it from where the customer will really be standing or sitting.
7. Brief the staff. One sentence at handover moves the numbers more than any design decision on this page.

Finding your Google review link

Google moves this interface around, so rather than a menu path that will be wrong in six months, here are three routes and what each one gives you.

1. From your Business Profile (shortest link). Sign in to the Google account that manages the business, then search for your own business name in Google Search or open your listing in Maps. When Google recognises you as the owner it shows the management controls alongside the listing, including an option to ask customers for reviews. That option produces a short link in the form https://g.page/r/CXXXXXXXXXXXXX/review. Copy it exactly, including the /review at the end. This is the best option because it is short, which keeps the QR grid coarse and easy to scan on small print.

2. From the public listing (no owner access needed). Open your listing in Google Maps on a desktop browser, go to the reviews section and click "Write a review". A dialog opens and the browser address bar shows a URL containing search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid= followed by a Place ID starting ChIJ. That full URL works as your review link. It is long — typically 70–90 characters — so the resulting code is denser and needs a little more printed size.

3. Build it from the Place ID. If you can find your Place ID (Google publishes a Place ID finder tool as part of its Maps developer documentation), you can assemble the link yourself: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID. Useful for agencies handling many locations, and for chains where you need one link per branch without logging into each profile.

One historical trap: Google used to offer custom short names, giving links like g.page/yourbusinessname/review. Those custom names were retired, so if you have old printed material using that pattern, scan it and check where it lands before assuming it still works.

The link and data format

The code contains a plain URL string and nothing else — no tracking parameters, no redirect owned by us, no expiry.

Link type	Example	Length	Verdict
Short review link	https://g.page/r/CQabcdEFGhIJk/review	~38 chars	Best. Opens the rating dialog, and short enough to print at 20 mm.
Place ID review link	https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4	~78 chars	Works well, no owner access needed, but denser — print 25 mm or larger.
Maps share link	https://maps.app.goo.gl/AbCdEf123	~33 chars	Avoid. Opens the listing, not the review box. Costs you two extra taps.
Your own redirect	https://example.com/review	~26 chars	Only if you need repointable codes and scan counts. Adds a hop and a hosting dependency.

Two details worth knowing. The ?placeid= form contains a question mark and an equals sign, which forces the encoder into byte mode and makes the grid denser than its character count suggests. And the trailing /review on a g.page link is load-bearing: strip it and you land on the listing instead of the dialog. Copy links whole rather than retyping them.

Placement and sizing

Size the code for the distance it will be read from: printed width ≈ scan distance ÷ 10, plus 20—25% on rough or absorbent material. Keep the four-module quiet zone clear — that white margin is part of the code.

Placement	Scan distance	Recommended width	Notes
Bill presenter / check folder	30—40 cm	25—30 mm	The highest-converting spot in hospitality. Matte finish; gloss reflects candlelight and downlights.
Reception or counter standee	40—60 cm	35—45 mm	Face the customer side, not the staff side. Sounds obvious; happens constantly.
Card machine sticker	25—35 cm	20—25 mm	Use the short link here. Space is tight, so density matters.
Thermal receipt footer	25 cm	20—25 mm	Thermal print is low-contrast and fades. Size up and test on the actual till roll.
Invoice or quote (A4)	30 cm	25 mm	Put it beside the "thank you" line, not buried in the payment terms.
Thank-you card in a parcel	25—30 cm	25 mm	Uncoated card absorbs ink; add 20%. Include the business name so the reviewer knows the listing.
Salon mirror decal	50—70 cm	40—50 mm	Mirrors invert the reflection but the camera reads the decal directly, so this is fine. Avoid backlit positions.
Hotel room card / door hanger	25—35 cm	20—25 mm	Works better at checkout than in-room. In-room asks arrive before the stay is judged.
Van rear door / shopfront window	1.5—3 m	150—300 mm	Low intent at this distance. Fine as reinforcement, poor as your only placement.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Symptom	Cause	Fix
The code opens the business listing, not the review box	A Maps share link or a plain listing URL was used instead of the review link	Use g.page/r/.../review or the local/writereview?placeid= form. Check the URL still ends in /review after copying.
Page loads with an error, or the dialog never appears	The link was truncated when copied, or extra session parameters were pasted along with it	Re-copy the whole link in one go. Trim anything after /review. Test in a private browser window.
Works for customers, but not when the owner tests it	Google blocks owners from reviewing their own listing	Test signed out, or on a device signed in with an unrelated personal account.
Reviews land on the wrong branch	A multi-location business reused one link across every site	One link and one code per location. Label the printed piece with the branch name so you can audit it later.
Scanner struggles or takes several seconds	A long ?placeid= URL printed at 18—20 mm	Switch to the short g.page link, or increase the printed size by about 30%.
Plenty of scans, almost no reviews	The customer has no Google account, or was asked at the wrong moment	Accept that not everyone can post. Move the ask to the point of payment or handover, and add a verbal prompt.
Reviews appear, then disappear a few days later	Flagged as incentivised, solicited in bulk, or posted from the same device repeatedly	Never offer a reward. Never hand your own phone to customers to write on. Let people post from their own device on their own time.
Code reads on a screen but fails on a printed receipt	Thermal printing gives weak contrast and thin lines, and it fades in the wallet	Print at 20 mm minimum, raise error correction to Q, and re-test with an old receipt, not a fresh one.
An old printed code no longer works	It used a retired custom short name, or the profile was merged, moved or re-verified	Regenerate from a current link. Scan-test all printed material after any profile change.

Getting more scans

Review codes live or die on the sentence a member of staff says while handing something over. Design contributes; a script contributes more. Something like "if today went well, that square takes about twenty seconds" works because it sets the effort expectation and gives the customer permission to ignore it.

On the printed piece, replace "Review us on Google" with something that describes what happens. "Scan to leave a Google review — tap the stars, one line is plenty." Two useful things are happening there: the customer learns which app opens, and learns that a long essay is not expected. The belief that a review has to be well-written is a bigger blocker than the scanning itself.

Practical points that consistently help:

• Print the business name next to the code. People will not review a listing they cannot confirm is yours, especially from a parcel insert days later.
• Ask when hands are free. Seated at the table, waiting for the card machine, sitting in the chair. Not while they are putting a coat on.
• One code per surface. A review code next to a menu code next to a WiFi code produces fewer scans of all three.
• Reply to every review, including the mediocre ones. Visible owner replies make the next customer more likely to bother, because someone is clearly reading.
• Ask everyone, every time. Beyond the policy question, consistency is what produces a steady drip of reviews rather than a suspicious cluster of five-star entries in one week.

One thing not to do: build a "how was your experience?" page that sends happy customers to Google and unhappy ones to a private form. It is the most common piece of advice in this space and it is against Google's policies. If you want private feedback too, offer both routes side by side, to everyone.

FAQ

Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?

Yes. Google requires a signed-in account to post, and the reviewer's profile name is shown publicly. Some customers will scan, see a sign-in prompt and stop, which is normal and unavoidable — treat it as part of the conversion rate rather than a fault in the code.

Can I show the code only to customers I know are happy?

No. Selectively soliciting reviews from people you expect to be positive — review gating — breaches Google's policies, and filtered reviews can be removed. Offer it to everyone and let the average settle where it settles.

Can I offer a discount or a free drink for a review?

No. Incentivised reviews are explicitly prohibited, and Google removes them when detected. You can thank people, you can remind them, and you can make it easy. You cannot pay for it in any form, including prize draws.

Do I need a verified Google Business Profile?

Yes. Without verification there is no functioning review link to encode. If your profile is suspended or pending, sort that out first — a QR code pointing at a dead listing looks worse than no code at all.

I have several locations. Can they share one code?

No, and you would not want them to. Each location has its own Business Profile and its own review link, and Google ranks locations partly on their own review signals. Generate one code per branch and mark the print files clearly so the wrong batch does not end up at the wrong site.

Can I see how many people scanned the code?

Not from a static code — there is nothing to report back to. Your Business Profile shows review counts over time, which is the number that actually matters. If you need scan data, encode a redirect URL on your own domain and read the request logs.

Will the code expire or stop working?

There is no expiry and no subscription. The realistic risks are on Google's side: a merged duplicate listing, a moved business needing re-verification, or a retired link format. Scan your printed material once a quarter and after any change to the profile.

Can one code cover Google and TripAdvisor?

Not in a single QR code — a code holds one destination. You can point it at a small page on your own site listing both, but every extra choice costs conversions. If Google is your priority, send them straight to Google.

What do I do about an unfair review?

Reply publicly, briefly and without arguing; future readers judge the reply more than the complaint. You can report reviews that breach Google's content policies, such as spam or off-topic abuse, but an honest negative opinion will not be removed and should not be.

Should I use a printed short URL as well as the code?

It is worth it when the link is short and readable. A g.page/r/... string is not, so instead print your own memorable redirect (example.com/review) under the code, pointing at the same destination. That covers people whose camera app cannot scan.

Related QR code guides

• URL QR codes — the underlying format, and the right choice if you want your own redirect in front of Google.
• Restaurant menu QR codes — the other code on the table; keep them on separate surfaces.
• WhatsApp QR codes — a private feedback channel to offer alongside the public one.
• vCard QR codes — useful on the same invoice or leave-behind card.
• WiFi QR codes — guests with no data cannot post a review.
• PDF QR codes — link aftercare notes or a warranty document.
• EPC payment QR codes — take payment on the same document you ask for the review.
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