Quick answer
To respond to a Google review, verify your business first, then open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, choose Reply next to the review, write a short, specific answer and select Reply. On Etsy you post a public response from Shop Manager within 100 days from the date the buyer last edited their review, and you can only respond to each review once. On both, you may answer in public, but under US federal rules you cannot use threats, false accusations or groundless legal threats to get a review removed, or contract terms that ban honest reviews.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not part of any comparison here. See where Nation fits.
How to respond to Google reviews, step by step
You reply to Google reviews from your Business Profile. You must verify your business before the Reply option appears, so finish verification first if you have not.
Open your reviews
Go to your Business Profile on Google Search or Maps while signed in to the account that manages it, and select Read reviews.
Pick the review
Next to the review you want to answer, select Reply. Start with reviews that ask a question or describe a problem, where a reply gives the next reader useful information.
Write the reply
In the dialog box, write a short answer. Google's own advice is to address the reviewer by name and acknowledge their specific feedback, and it warns that if a reply is too long, people might stop reading before they get to the main point.
Post it and wait for review
Select Reply. Google checks replies against its content policies, which usually up to 10 minutes, but sometimes up to 30 days. If a reply is not approved, Google asks you to edit it.
Know what the reviewer sees
Once approved, the reply is public under the review, and it will appear like your business replied, and your personal name won't be shown. Also, the person who wrote the review is notified when you reply, and customers can still change their review after reading your reply. To change your reply later, open Read reviews again and select Edit or Delete under it.
How to reply to reviews on Etsy
Etsy works differently from Google in one way that matters: your public response is final for both sides. Read the review twice and message the buyer before you post anything.
Message the buyer first
In Shop Manager, open Orders, find the order and use the mail icon to message the buyer. A buyer can edit the review within 100 days of the estimated delivery date, if you haven't responded to the review, so a private fix can still change it.
Open the review
From Shop Manager, choose your shop name under Sales Channels, then select Reviews and find the review.
Choose Post a public response
Select Post a public response and write your answer. You have 100 days from the date the buyer last edited their review.
Check it before you post
Once you post, the buyer will no longer be able to edit their review. Also, you may delete your response, but it can't be reinstated, and you can't leave another response, so a response written in anger cannot be replaced with a calmer one.
Google and Etsy review replies compared
The two platforms let sellers answer reviews in public, but the timing and the effect on the review are not the same. The table sets the rules side by side, as each platform's help pages state them.
The practical difference: on Google, a good reply can lead a customer to update a review later. On Etsy, replying closes that door, so solve the problem in Messages first and reply in public only once the conversation is over.
How to respond to negative reviews
A negative review is read by more people than the person who wrote it. Write the reply for the next shopper: they want to see what went wrong, whether you took it seriously and what happens if it goes wrong for them.
Google's tips for negative reviews and Etsy's guidance point the same way. Etsy suggests you focus on your product and service and not the reviewer. Google says to never share a reviewer's private information or engage in personal attacks, and for complex cases to politely request that the reviewer contact you via phone or email. Etsy's rules apply to your response as well as to the review: a response breaks policy if it would contain threats or extortion or contain identifying private information.
- Wait until you are calm. On Etsy you get one response, and on Google the reviewer is notified when your reply goes live.
- Thank the reviewer and name the specific problem they raised, so the reply could not be pasted under any other review.
- Apologize for what was your fault. Do not take the blame for things outside your control, such as a carrier delay, but say what you do about them.
- State the facts once, without arguing. A short correction of a factual error is fine; a point-by-point rebuttal reads as defensive.
- Offer a next step: a replacement, a refund under your stated policy, or a direct contact. Do not post order numbers, addresses or anything else the customer told you in private.
- Sign with a name. A person's name or initials reads as accountable.
Do not offer money, discounts or free products in exchange for changing or removing the review. Google says that offering incentives to post reviews, change reviews, or remove negative reviews is strictly prohibited, and the FTC says that offering such incentives could be an unfair practice in violation of the FTC Act. Fixing the problem and then asking the customer whether they want to update the review is a different thing: the FTC rule does not prohibit contacting customers who post negative reviews to resolve the issues, or asking satisfied customers to update their reviews.
Review reply examples you can adapt
These are examples, written for an imaginary candle shop. Change the details to match the actual review; a reply that copies a template word for word looks automated. Google itself advises: instead of sending the same "thank you" to everyone, focus on reviews where you can share a helpful update or answer a question.
- Example, positive review: "Thank you, Maya. The amber jar is our favourite too, and it is good to hear the scent lasted through the whole burn. If you try the cedar one next, tell us what you think. Sam"
- Example, late delivery: "Hi Jordan, sorry the order arrived after your sister's birthday. We shipped on the day we promised, but the parcel sat in transit for several days. We have sent you a message with a tracking summary and a replacement option. Sam"
- Example, damaged item: "Hi Alex, a cracked jar is not what you paid for. We have changed our packing to add a second layer of padding. Please reply to our message and we will send a new candle. Sam"
- Example, review you believe is mistaken: "Hi Taylor, we could not find an order under this name, and we do not sell the diffuser mentioned. If we have missed something, please contact us so we can look into it. Sam"
The last example states a fact and asks for contact. It does not call the reviewer a liar, a competitor or a scammer. If you believe the review breaks the platform's rules, report it through the platform instead of accusing the reviewer in public.
What the law says you cannot do about reviews
Two US federal measures, a law and an FTC rule, limit how a business can deal with reviews it does not like. This section is general information about them, not legal advice. State consumer protection laws can add their own rules, and they vary by state, so ask a lawyer about your situation.
The Consumer Review Fairness Act covers contracts, including online terms of sale: it makes it illegal for a company to use a contract provision that does one of the three things in the first rows below. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, covers review suppression, which includes how you respond. That rule allows civil penalties for knowing violations.
Intimidation is broader than physical threats. The FTC lists abusive communications, stalking, character assassination, and sexual harassment when used to force a reviewer to act. A legal threat with a real basis is different: the FTC says you can threaten a legal action if you have a legitimate basis for doing so.
If you sell on your own website, check your terms and conditions. The FTC's advice is to remove any provision that restricts people from sharing their honest reviews, penalizes those who do, or claims copyright over peoples' reviews. The Consumer Review Fairness Act doesn't apply to employment contracts or agreements with independent contractors. It is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorneys General, and a violation can mean financial penalties, as well as a federal court order.
Some things remain allowed. On replies, the FTC's answer is: you can respond publicly to the review, and you should watch what you say. You can contact the reviewer to fix the problem, and sort reviews on your own site, because organizing reviews is not suppressing reviews under the rule. The law also lets a business remove a review that is unrelated to the company's products or services, but the FTC notes it's unlikely that an opinion you disagree with meets the "clearly false or misleading" standard.
Using an AI review response generator
An AI review reply generator, whether a dedicated tool or a general chatbot, can produce a first draft quickly. Paste the review, describe what happened and ask for a short, polite reply that names the specific issue.
Treat the output as a draft. Check every fact it states, remove anything it invented, such as a refund you did not offer or a policy you do not have, and cut generic phrases. The same platform and legal rules apply to an AI-written reply as to one you type yourself: no private information, no accusations you cannot back up, and on Google, avoid using your response to offer deals or promotions.
Do not use AI to write reviews about your own shop. The FTC's reviews rule exists because of fake, false, or otherwise deceptive reviews and testimonials, and Etsy's review policy is broken by reviews that include shilling or otherwise falsely inflate a shop's review score.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. This page explains review replies on Google and Etsy and does not cover Nation.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. The reply rules come from Google, Etsy and the FTC, not from Nation.
Describe what you makeQuestions about responding to reviews
How do I reply to Google reviews?
To reply to Google reviews, verify your business, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, choose Reply next to a review, write your answer and select Reply. Google checks the reply first, which usually up to 10 minutes, but sometimes up to 30 days. The reply then shows under the review as your business.
Should I respond to every Google review?
Responding to every Google review is not required. Google suggests focusing on reviews where you can add something: instead of sending the same "thank you" to everyone, focus on reviews where you can share a helpful update or answer a question. Negative reviews are usually worth a reply, because the reply is posted publicly under the review for later readers.
How long do I have to respond to an Etsy review?
On Etsy, you have 100 days from the date the buyer last edited their review to post a public response. Once you respond, the buyer will no longer be able to edit their review, and you get one response per review. Message the buyer before you reply, since a resolved problem can still lead them to edit the review.
Can I ask a customer to remove a negative review?
You can contact a customer who left a negative review and try to fix the problem; the FTC rule does not prohibit contacting customers who post negative reviews to resolve the issues, or asking satisfied customers to update their reviews. Do not offer anything for removal: Google bans incentives to change or remove reviews. Threats and false accusations are also banned.
Is it legal to ban negative reviews in my terms of sale?
Banning negative reviews in your terms of sale is not allowed: the Consumer Review Fairness Act makes it illegal for a company to use a contract provision that restricts reviews, penalizes reviewers, or claims rights to review content. It is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorneys General. This is general information, not legal advice.